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| by:
Douglas Thomson
photos: Roger Yip
illustration: Len Churchill |
FLOOR MIRROR |
| Full-length
dimensions and a solid walnut frame make a practical dressing-room
addition |
This mirror is proof that beauty and simplicity really can come
together in the same project. And in this case it’s wood
and careful workmanship that make for success. The wood I bought
came ready-planed to 1 1/2"-thick, and that’s an
ideal size for a mirror this large. You could go down as thin
as one inch for a floor mirror half this size, but that’s
about it. Any thinner and you’ll have trouble creating
a suitable rabbet in the back for the mirror surface.
Cut each mirror side member to
4 1/2" wide on a tablesaw, then joint the sawn edges to
make them smooth and true. Although you could prepare the mitered
ends on each side member now, it makes more sense to create
the 1/2"-wide x 3/4"-deep rabbet grooves first. A
tablesaw with a dado blade is an ideal tool for this work because
the mirror parts are so large. Second-best is a table-mounted
router spinning a large rabbeting bit.
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| Full
frontal: the clean and simple lines of this solid
walnut, full-length mirror make it a good fit in
almost any bedroom or dressing room |
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| For
solid assembly, mount the mirror with glazier's
points and a thin bead of clear silicone caulking |
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Accuracy
Counts
Crisp, gap-free miters are essential for a mirror frame you
can be proud of, and a good miter saw makes this work easy.
But for consistently accurate cuts, it’s essential that
the saw is set up to cut exactly 45°. That’s why you
may need to fine-tune miter settings by using a drafting triangle.
Place the triangle against the saw’s fence, and then bring
the blade down along the triangle’s longest side to show
if any adjustments are needed. This step gets you in the 45°
ballpark, but you can do more. Complete several cuts on wide
pieces of wood, then check them with your triangle. The wider
your test boards, the more magnified and easy to see the errors.
While you’re at it, check
the bevel angle of the saw too. Your machine must cut absolutely
straight up and down for good miters in stock this thick, and
the best way to check this is also by measuring a few test-
cuts. The thicker the wood, the more easily you’ll see
problems, so test-cut a 4 x 4 or something like it. A metal
machinist’s square is an ideal tool for checking results.
Aside from accurate cuts, tight
miters depend on opposite sides of the mirror being exactly
the same length. Mark and cut your miters now, then dry-fit
the parts on a large, flat surface. As you’ll see, the
need for minor adjustments is almost guaranteed when mitering
with stock this thick. Remember, the exact dimensions of your
mirror aren’t important, so adjust as needed. No one will
know if things get smaller than specs. All that matters is tight
joints.
Use a biscuit joiner to sink two
#20 biscuits into each joint, dry-fit the frame again, then
bring everything together under clamping pressure but without
glue. A strap clamp is the tool of choice. The strap applies
even pressure all around the frame at once. Without this advantage,
you’ll need to wrestle with four bar clamps two across
each end of the frame. A C-clamp across the top of each joint
maintains vertical alignment while you work.
When everything looks tight, tear
it all down and reassemble with glue. Once the frame is dry,
use a random- orbit sander to smooth the joints and surrounding
wood, first with a 150-grit disk, then with 180-grit, then 220-grit.
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CLICK
ABOVE FOR
LARGER IMAGE |
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Oil
Finish
I used tung oil because it’s easy to apply and looks terrific
on dark woods such as walnut. Wipe a coat on, let it sit for
a few minutes, then wipe off the excess and let dry for 24 hours.
Repeat the process four times, using #0000 steel wool between
coats to create a smooth surface. For extra lustre, coat with
paste wax after the oil has dried for several weeks.
Mirror, Mirror
Measure the size of mirror you need, then order a piece that’s
1/8" to 3/16" shorter and narrower. Protect it under
a piece of cardboard or thin plywood fit into the rabbets. Tap
in some glazier’s points, along with a bead of silicone
caulking to prevent rattling. Now stand back and admire. |
| You Will Need |
| Part |
Material |
Size |
Qty. |
| Sides |
walnut |
1 1/2" x 4 1/2"
x 60" |
2 |
| Top and bottom |
walnut |
1 1/2" x 4 1/2"
x 28" |
2 |
| Mirror |
glass |
20" x 52" * |
1 |
| *
Approx. size. Measure your completed frame |
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