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I am planning a medicine cabinet for a bathroom. It currently has a mirror attached directly to the wall with clips. I want to cut it down and make door panels out of the mirror. What is the best way to cut it?
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Whatever you do, don't use your table saw!
Try this: http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-Glass
online at http://www.theFrankes.com
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"Life is short, Art long, Occasion sudden and dangerous, Experience deceitful, and Judgment difficult." -Hippocrates -
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the best way would be to take it to a glass company or just give them the measurements and have them cut you a new piece.
Otherwise you can get a diamond glass scribe and scribe it and break it off along that line, make sure you use plenty of safety equipment and practice a bit, first.
if you are cutting a mirror, scribe the glass front reflecting surfcae, not the painted reflective coated backside.Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-06-2010, 11:03 PM.
Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
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I would take it to a glass company if possible.....
I had a full length wall mirror (1/4" thick) that I wanted to cut into 2 separate framed mirrors. The first cut with traditional glass cutting tools worked well - a nice straight break. I was delighted.
The second cut did not go well....ended up buying a new piece of mirror glass to fill the second frame.
I'm sure the glass company will say they cannot guarantee a cut on a piece of glass that didn't originate in their shop. But, they've got much better tools and experience with thicker glass.
My 2 cents.....Comment
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I'm sure the glass company will say they cannot guarantee a cut on a piece of glass that didn't originate in their shop. But, they've got much better tools and experience with thicker glass.
This is true, from experience. However, it is also true that this is your best bet by far, taking it to a place.
It ain't wood, once you screw it up there's no going back.You don't need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice.Comment
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If you do do it yourself, be careful with the back of the mirror especially if it is old. The mirrored surface can be very fragile and scratched very easily, ruining the mirror.Comment
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Cutting glass/mirror is very easy if you have some experience. Without some test pieces to play with, I would suggest getting a glass shop to do it. Once cut, it should be seamed, and the edges should be sealed.
Seaming is just sanding the sharp edge from being cut. Let the glass shop do this. Sealing is coating the silvering on the back to keep it from oxidizing (turning black). You could do this. Lay the mirror flat on its face on newspapers, so the paper sticks out 8"-10" from the edge all around. You can use a spray can of clear acrylic spray (not lacquer) to coat the back and the edge created from the cut.
Once the mirror is cut the seal around the edge is perforated and the silvering (metallic based) oxidizes and can turn black to disappearing altogether. You can see this on older mirrors that weren't treated.
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I haven't tried this but a hardware store that sells glass for windows had decent equipment, they might be worth a try to cut a mirror. I have always just bought a mirror with a cheap frame and put it into a better frame.
JimComment
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+1 on the new mirror. I'm building a John Hall frame for a mirror. My local glass company can give me the mirror for $13.95. That's way less than my time and tools I'd have to purchase to cut the old mirror.Comment
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Thanks for all the ideas guys. It looks like this is a job for a pro.Comment
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