Author Topic: A mirror, a big one that needs att! (Read 1300 times)

D Hagens · « **on:** May 09, 2011, 10:00:57 pm »

I have a 20 ft by 8 ft mirror hanging in the stair well of an apartment building that has the last ft of it that was smashed by a tenant. I plan to leave it hanging on the wall but my problem is can a mirror be cut with a simple glass cutter?
I just need to cut a straight line and I'm stumped on this one

Tom · « **Reply #1 on:** May 09, 2011, 10:04:18 pm »

I've heard that cutting a mirror is a bit more difficult than cutting a piece of glass. I think I would Sub-contract that cutting job out to a glass company. Instructions would probably sound real easy until you got into the middle of doing it.

I'd sure hate to be working with that thing and the whole thing decide to shatter right on my head.

Jeff · « **Reply #2 on:** May 09, 2011, 11:28:10 pm »

Yea, I'd say get a pro. There is certainly a learned skill set in being a glass cutter, and I would think what you are describing would never be trusted to anyone but a very experienced tradesman.

D Hagens · « **Reply #3 on:** May 10, 2011, 12:16:59 am »

Yeah I'm thinking that contracting this sucker out would be better then it splintering all over me

I can't get the 20 ft height in the pic but here's a pic.

Here's a pic of the smashed part, I'm the guy behind the bright spot

I talked to my dad about this tonight, he said do it as it can be done. He's a retired farmer, thinks that doing it yourself is better then subbing things out

He was telling me that if I score a very straight line with an adjustable straight edge (got one) and I slide and shim a piece of ply behind it I should be-able to make this happen

Just for the record I won the contract of re doing this apartment and this was smashed after the contract was signed and they won't budge on the deal.

ScottAR · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2011, 12:57:36 am »

From someone who has attempted cutting a mirror.... Hire somebody....

jim king · « **Reply #5 on:** May 10, 2011, 03:05:33 am »

It would seem safer to put a peice of plywood across the bottom two feet or so and put molding around the four sides of the ply so it hides the broken section and also makes it look like the addition was part of the original building. Can you match the existing molding ?

fishpharmer · « **Reply #6 on:** May 10, 2011, 04:31:48 am »

I agree with Tom, looks like a job for a Pro. You would hate buying a whole new mirror.

Dan_Shade · « **Reply #7 on:** May 10, 2011, 06:03:46 am »

I busted a mirror once trying to trim the bottom edge off of it.

the glass on mine was pretty thick.

Mr Mom · « **Reply #8 on:** May 10, 2011, 07:31:18 am »

i would not do anything beacuse the thing was smashed after the contract was sign.
Fixing things after the contract signing should be talked about beacuse the mirro was whole when the contract was sign.
Then thats just me.

Thanks Alot Mr Mom

isawlogs · « **Reply #9 on:** May 10, 2011, 07:48:30 am »

I would not touch it, I diod cut a mirror once and the glass cut good it's the chrome of the mirror that did not do so well , it sortof splintered.
Do what you signed to do, they can huff and puff all they want on the rest .. of course holding back paiments would be a drag if they went that route. $:-\$

Sprucegum · « **Reply #10 on:** May 10, 2011, 09:50:24 am »

If they won't renegotiate I would do a fix like Jim King suggested. You can do it yourself with no danger of smashing it worse.

doctorb · « **Reply #11 on:** May 10, 2011, 10:30:48 am »

I have an opinion but no experience, so take it for what it's worth.

What I see when I look at that job is a big mirror crashing down on your head. Either hide it (Jim King's proposal) or let someone else take the risk. It's not a bad time to ask if you really want that mirror in that spot at all. How's about a little paint? I would not try to cut that myself, and since the damage is at the bottom of the mirror, taking it off the wall could be tricky. Best of luck.

Gary_C · « **Reply #12 on:** May 10, 2011, 11:08:55 am »

First, I would never try to cut that mirror in place. Large glass panels should only be cut while laying horizonally on a uniform padded surface. And believe me, even then it is dangerous to cut large glass pieces. We have a large architectural glass cutting operation near here and the glass cutting area is a high hazard area where even they have had some serious injuries. Any pro that you hire will insist that glass be removed from the wall before any work is done on it.

And after cutting, that edge must be either sanded to remove any stress points or slight irregularies so it will not splinter later.

If I were you, I would pass on the whole thing. You do not want the liability for that mirror. I doesn't look to me like it is mounted on the wall safely anyway.

Kansas · « **Reply #13 on:** May 10, 2011, 12:21:09 pm »

I don't see any way you are liable for that mirror. File a police report and tell the owners what you consider the options are. Let them decide what to do. Is there even a good reason to have that mirror there anyway?

D Hagens · « **Reply #14 on:** May 10, 2011, 01:45:42 pm »

WOW! Like when I was at my shop this morning and just for the heck of it I took a thin piece of glass and cut it. Works fine if you put it on a flat surface, score it the tap the back of it.
Now scoring it on the same flat surface and not moving it and then tapping it and a very different story

The freaking glass shatters and splinters

So I'm chalking up another to the Forestry Forum because if I didn't post this and read your thoughts I would've just done it

Thanks for the responses guys

I'm going to frame just the bottom of the mirror, just need to think of a cheap way of doing this

isawlogs · « **Reply #15 on:** May 10, 2011, 07:06:29 pm »

a little experimenting is good to the soul.

Wise choice my friend

Ron Scott · « **Reply #16 on:** May 10, 2011, 08:49:22 pm »

A good decision.

5quarter · « **Reply #17 on:** May 12, 2011, 09:24:38 pm »

Maybe you can flip it upside down so the damage is at the top. then paint over the damaged part when you paint the wall.

Chet

D Hagens · « **Reply #18 on:** May 13, 2011, 01:44:39 am »

Quote from: 5quarter on May 12, 2011, 09:24:38 pm

Maybe you can flip it upside down so the damage is at the top. then paint over the damaged part when you paint the wall.

Chet

Want to come help me lift it and flip it

D Hagens · « **Reply #19 on:** July 19, 2011, 05:53:23 pm »

Remember when I was telling you guys about the glass predicament

Well I built a shelf to cover the break in the glass and as I was screwing it to the wall with one hand and holding it with the other hand I heard this crack

Within a blink of an eye it decided to jump off the wall and attack me

I bolted down the stairs and just out of pure luck the mirror never landed on me but it sure nailed my tool belt

Well after the crash I reached for my tool belt and there was a shard of glass in there and it bit me

I must admit I got pretty lucky and once again wearing safety glasses is always a must

Mooseherder · « **Reply #20 on:** July 19, 2011, 06:08:03 pm »

Thankfully you got rid of that gawdy thing.

D Hagens · « **Reply #21 on:** July 19, 2011, 06:14:46 pm »

Yeah but here's the funny part

He still wants me to salvage the half that survived, cut it and install it

I shook my head and told him to go hire another guy

His money is green but it doesn't look too good with blood all over it

doctorb · « **Reply #22 on:** July 19, 2011, 07:07:25 pm »

Glad you're OK. Just read my earlier post where I envisioned that thing crashing down on you. This is not a good time, nor am the type of guy, to say "I told you so". So I won't.

Nothing to do now but clean up that mess and chuckle at your good fortune.

beenthere · « **Reply #23 on:** July 19, 2011, 07:23:44 pm »

Quote from: D Hagens on July 19, 2011, 06:14:46 pm

Yeah but here's the funny part He still wants me to salvage the half that survived, cut it and install it
I shook my head and told him to go hire another guy His money is green but it doesn't look too good with blood all over it

Gotta ask...how was there a piece that survived? I'd a made sure there was nothing left but shards. The guy is lucky some tenant didn't get sliced up with it coming down on them. You did him a favor getting just a cut on the hand. IMO

Coon · « **Reply #24 on:** July 19, 2011, 09:28:22 pm »

I'da made sure there was nothing left to even resemble the mirror, even the little pieces gone then ask him which mirror he was talking about.

D Hagens · « **Reply #25 on:** July 19, 2011, 10:06:39 pm »

Yup, my first thoughts were to take the hammer and finish it off but he was somewhere on site so I thought twice about it

When the mirror came down it shattered but as the last half was falling it went sideways and jammed in to the wall and hit the landing at an angle. I'm pretty sure if it came all the way down my arms would've been sliced as I had my hands at shoulder height.
Doc, here's the funny thing about that morning. I had this gut feeling that this was going to happen so I took my wife in with me in case I needed her to call the meat wagon

She was at the top of the stairs and boy did she panic

She kept screaming "where's the phone, where's the phone?" The whole time she had it in her hand

Kansas · « **Reply #26 on:** July 20, 2011, 04:23:53 am »

After she found the phone, she might have been screaming "what's the number to 911?"

isawlogs · « **Reply #27 on:** July 20, 2011, 08:38:41 am »

Thats a close call to me ... Sure glad you got out of that with just a scratch.

D Hagens · « **Reply #28 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:09:45 pm »

Quote from: isawlogs on July 20, 2011, 08:38:41 am

Thats a close call to me ... Sure glad you got out of that with just a scratch.

Thanks Marcel

That's the first time in eighteen years that I've ever had an accident on the job site

Did flip my dune buggy once though after work and had a full cast on for 8 months

Kansas, I think she has a direct line as she's on average in hospital about 25 times a year

Warbird · « **Reply #29 on:** July 20, 2011, 04:26:59 pm »

Yikes! Glad you got out of the way!

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Author Topic: A mirror, a big one that needs att! (Read 1300 times)