Re: Cutting mirror with glass cutter...?

Adrian <adrian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:6id66mFq0apdU2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

HI Kris

Kris Krieger wrote:
Adrian <adrian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:6i9ggbFp8ns3U1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

HI Kris

Kris Krieger wrote:
"charlie" <charlie.spitzer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:g9mmch$f0l$1 @aioe.org:

"Kris Krieger" <me@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Xns9B0E89B725B8Bmeadowmuffin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,

I'm still learning a lot, so I don't know this - cabn a regular
type of mirror be cut with a plain glass gutter, like on can do
with stained glass?
If not, does one need a special cutter? if it can be cut like
"regular" glass, shoud one cut it fromt eh glass side, or the
coated side, and hoan one
keep tehcoating from chiping/flaking?

Also, can a a mirror be run trough a glass grinder, or does the
coating chip/flake off too badly?

Thank you in advance!

- Kris
it should be cut on the glass side with a regular cutter. you can
grind it with an extrafine grit grinder head. i like to use spray
clear krylon varnish to protect the backside edge before foiling it,
but don't do this for leading. the acids of soldering flux will eat
the mirror off, causing black spots if you're not very careful.

Thanks for the info :)

I'm currently working on copper foil, since I have a prefrence for
small detailed projects - maybe I ought to put some blue painter's
tape on the mirror back just inside the foil line, so that flux and
solder don't get onto the coating...?


I do quite a lot of work with mirror - particularly some little
'tealights' - which have three pieces of mirrored glass joined
together at 90 degrees to form the 'body' of the tealight.

In my experience, you need to prevent the flux from getting at the
_edge_ of the mirrored surface - as it will eat its way between the
silvering and the glass - turning the mirror black or brown.
The worst part of this is that the damage occurs over a period of time
- weeks rather than days - so the first you know of it is when a
customer brings back a ruined piece !

Prevention (for me) consists of using a special mirror grinding bit on
the cut edges, grinding as little as possible, then washing the glass
very thoroughly with soap and water,
After drying, paint the cut edges with a sealant (either nail varnish
or a clear laquer) and, once dry, foil over the edges and burnish the
foil down well before soldering. Silver-backed foil gives a tidy
effect. Clean off the flux residue as soon as possible after soldering
- using hot water and soap.

It's also worth taking care with storing your mirrored glass, the
backing is easily scratched, and, if damaged, may allow the flux to
get under the backing. Small scratches can be repaired with
silver-backed tape, but you then need to smarten up the rear of the
mirror with some self-adhesive paper etc.

Hope this helps
Adrian
www.inspired-glass.com


Thanks, Alex!

I assume that the varnish is similar to Charlies's use of Krylon...both
are good ideas :)

Yes - same idea, I guess...

Actually - I'm surprised that the Krylon does the job - I can understand
it protecting the back of the glass, but in my experience it's the
_edge_ of the glass that's most vunerable.....


I'm wanting to use a mirror "pyramid" in the bottom of a largeish lamp-type
stained glass construct (I'm trying to learn enough electronics to make a
decently-bright solar-charged light, and teh mirror will keep it from
"wasting" light, by having it bounce back up through the stained-glass
panels of the unit). So I don't want the edges to get messy, but also, I'm
considering all these ideas for also preserving the mirror back (which will
be the botom of the lamp). I'd thought of just putting a panel of clear
glass, or maybe even plexigalss or LExan, under it, but havent' decided, so
I'm considering all teh various idea folks have offered :)




Just out of idle curiosity, have you even used any of the pre-cut
mirrors, such as the small circles?

No - never used them - I'd imagine they'd suffer from the same problem
unless they've been pre-treated with a varnish or something similar...


Oh, I just meant as time-savers, since they're pre-cut ;)


.

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