Aluminum windshield brackets

Classic wooden boats used chrome plated brass windshield brackets to hold the two windshield panels as shown on this Chris Craft.

When looking for these brackets, you realize this is an expensive proposition.  You can check ebay for used original parts or find some bronze reproductions, both of which are usually very expensive, starting in the $500 range and going much higher.

The Glen-L forum helped me find an alternative, Lake Shore Casting whose website is:  http://www.aluminum-castings.biz/    They offer a set of cast aluminum brackets for $100 plus shipping.

Here's what they look like from the foundry.

They are rough castings and need to be polished and optionally plated. If they are just polished, they should be clear coated, which is actually what several plating companies recommended. They felt the brackets would look better just polished because the rough cast aluminum, even when polished, would have small pits that chrome plating would highlight. 

You also need to check around for pricing for polishing and plating. One place wanted $175 for just polishing while another charged $75.   The lower cost company also seemed to be a more professional operation.   So, that's where they are now to be polished.