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#1
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Mirror Repair
Is it possible to re-silver a mirror? Is this a diificult task? My
bathroom mirror is only 4 years old and I don't want to replace it yet. Could an DIY amateur attempt this and how what is the best way to go about it? Any advice appreciated lyngiven |
#2
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Mirror Repair
On Mar 20, 5:32�am, "lyngiven" wrote:
Is it possible to re-silver a mirror? *Is this a diificult task? *My bathroom mirror is only 4 years old and I don't want to replace it yet. *Could an DIY amateur attempt this and how what is the best way to go about it? Any advice appreciated lyngiven you will have to remove mirror anyway to fix or resilver, cheaper and easier to replace |
#3
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Mirror Repair
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#4
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Mirror Repair
lyngiven wrote:
Is it possible to re-silver a mirror? Is this a diificult task? My bathroom mirror is only 4 years old and I don't want to replace it yet. Could an DIY amateur attempt this and how what is the best way to go about it? Any advice appreciated lyngiven Re-silvering is definitely not a do it yourself type job. When you are ready to replace it drive past the big box places such as Home Depot and go to a real glass shop where you can get a mirror that will likely last a lifetime. |
#5
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Mirror Repair
On 20 Mar 2007 03:32:11 -0700, "lyngiven"
wrote: Is it possible to re-silver a mirror? I haven't checked, but I'm sure if you pay enough money, there is someone who can re-silver your mirror. Is this a diificult task? Not for him. My bathroom mirror is only 4 years old and I don't want to replace it yet. Could an DIY amateur attempt this and how what is the best way to go about it? You could DIY make phone calls and wrap the mirror for shipping. Any advice appreciated I'm not counting on that. lyngiven |
#6
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Mirror Repair
On 20 Mar 2007 03:32:11 -0700, "lyngiven"
wrote: Is it possible to re-silver a mirror? Is this a diificult task? My bathroom mirror is only 4 years old and I don't want to replace it yet. Could an DIY amateur attempt this and how what is the best way to go about it? The short answer to DIY re-silvering is no. Here's the long answer. The reflective surface of a modern mirror (which I assume yours is) is made by the high-voltage vacuum deposition of aluminum onto the glass. No way an amateur is going to do that himself. Antique mirrors were made by chemical deposition of silver. In theory this can be done at home, but it would require access to specific toxic and corrosive chemicals, as well as a knowledge of chemistry. Just buying the chemicals and paying the associated haz-mat shipping charges would cost more than a replacement mirror. And the waste products of the reaction would be a toxic brew that probably would be illegal to dump down the drain. Not worth the trouble. |
#7
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Mirror Repair
Bill wrote:
On 20 Mar 2007 03:32:11 -0700, "lyngiven" wrote: Is it possible to re-silver a mirror? Is this a diificult task? My bathroom mirror is only 4 years old and I don't want to replace it yet. Could an DIY amateur attempt this and how what is the best way to go about it? The short answer to DIY re-silvering is no. Here's the long answer. The reflective surface of a modern mirror (which I assume yours is) is made by the high-voltage vacuum deposition of aluminum onto the glass. No way an amateur is going to do that himself. Antique mirrors were made by chemical deposition of silver. In theory this can be done at home, but it would require access to specific toxic and corrosive chemicals, as well as a knowledge of chemistry. Just buying the chemicals and paying the associated haz-mat shipping charges would cost more than a replacement mirror. And the waste products of the reaction would be a toxic brew that probably would be illegal to dump down the drain. Not worth the trouble. How about painting the back of the mirror black? A can of spray paint is pretty cheap... Bob |
#8
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Mirror Repair
zxcvbob wrote:
Bill wrote: On 20 Mar 2007 03:32:11 -0700, "lyngiven" wrote: Is it possible to re-silver a mirror? Is this a diificult task? My bathroom mirror is only 4 years old and I don't want to replace it yet. Could an DIY amateur attempt this and how what is the best way to go about it? The short answer to DIY re-silvering is no. Here's the long answer. The reflective surface of a modern mirror (which I assume yours is) is made by the high-voltage vacuum deposition of aluminum onto the glass. No way an amateur is going to do that himself. Antique mirrors were made by chemical deposition of silver. In theory this can be done at home, but it would require access to specific toxic and corrosive chemicals, as well as a knowledge of chemistry. Just buying the chemicals and paying the associated haz-mat shipping charges would cost more than a replacement mirror. And the waste products of the reaction would be a toxic brew that probably would be illegal to dump down the drain. Not worth the trouble. How about painting the back of the mirror black? A can of spray paint is pretty cheap... It would sort of defete the purpose of the mirror would it not? Many mirrors do have a black finish on the back, but that just protects the reflecting material (silver in the really old days). Today as I recall that reflective material is put on using equipment not generally found in the home shop. Bob -- Joseph Meehan Dia 's Muire duit |
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