FIELD: metallurgy. SUBSTANCE: method provides plastic working mirror work pieces of 12Cr18Ni10Ti steel, first by upsetting preliminary cooled pieces within 4 to 5 minutes in liquid nitrogen at 196 C in block heads up to 55 66 per cent of work, and at 0.8 6 m/s rate followed by immediate ageing at 400 420 C. Then electrically polished mirrors are pressed up to 5 20 per cent work at 0.05 0.3 m/s rate. In so doing, the work piece for the first upsetting is of 0.15 0.32 diameter, it is worked up to the predetermined height and then transferred to ageing in alkali solution after delay of 10 to 30 min. EFFECT: method is useful for thin mirrors of circular and rectangular cross-section, allows one to increase resistance to wear by a factor of 3 to 4, and to improve quality. 7 cl, 2 tbl
