A ringing phone woke me from a pleasant nap but the kitties in my lap did not move. The glass shop called to tell me that I could pick up the frame with its new mirror. They cut it and put it in place with stretch wrap so it is up to me to complete the job.
It has held up for over sixty years with only a piece of cardboard on the back so I guess I will do the same. That old cardboard, however, was cut in a hurry and now it is looking pretty ragged. There is a big gap on one side. I know I can do better.
During the summer I installed several mobile tool boxes as part of my shop refresh. Local recycling requires that we break all cardboard down and fit it into the small containers. And a 46″ toolbox has lots of cardboard. It seems that recycling the stuff takes more time than setting up the toolboxes. I finally decided to keep the larger pieces here for projects. These large sheets are like plywood’s country cousin. So I had a nice stash of material to replace the old mirror backing.
I thought I could cut it with a utility knife and a framing square. Wrong! The best way to cut sheets of cardboard is the table saw because it is quick and easy.
And I am proud to say that my piece fit better.
Next came the brads. If you ever work with picture framing, you need a brad tool. It is like a spring punch inside a tube.
Just load a brad into the end and push it home.
I found some robust hangers at HD and measured then using my trammel. I know I could use the tape measure, but sometimes things get lost in translation. I like the trammel because I can set the exact distance and not make a mistake.
Part of the hanger goes into a thin area so I ground the tips off of the interior screws to prevent blowout.
I used an awl to make pilot holes.
I attached the hangers.
I doubled the wire for extra strength.
This frame and glass weighs under 20 pounds but I don’t want it to fall off again–even with a nighttime jumper. It is hung with two 50 lb hooks.
For the first 175 years or so of its life, it was hung in portrait mode. The Queen decided that a landscape mirror would look better. I always agree with The Queen, even when I don’t. So this chapter of the mirror saga closes on a happy note. The mirror frame repair went great. The new mirror looks great. That bad spot is no more. I think my mom would be pleased. That is important because she was always my greatest fan when it came to woodworking projects. Every splinter filled, crooked thing that I turned out was a masterpiece in her eyes. Her encouragement really helped me to persist and improve my skills to the point that there are far fewer splinters and the crooked corners are only visible under strong light. Thanks, Mom.