Cutting Mirrors

[lamborgini8]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to cut 1st surface mirrors? I need to cut three 1.5"x2.25" mirrors into 1.5"x1.5" with rounded edges without damaging the mirror.

 

[Deleted member 8382]

Im always using brute force, just beware do not cut yourself. You do not need perfect squares for spyros ;P

 

[MarioMaster]

It's made of glass, right? Just get a glass cutter from a local hardware store (they're like $2) and then you just run the roller where you want it to be cut, then bend it with your fingers and it will snap along the line you just scored in the glass.

 

[BuildAbluraylaser]

run the cutter on the non reflective side of the mirroir, to prvent scratches...

 

[Benm]

It might be best to scour both sides of the mirror - and then break it as if you would have only scratched the non reflective side. Doing so can prevent tearing off the reflective coating when breaking the mirror.

 

[Kenom]

you can then take a dremel with a diamond wheel to grind off any rough edges. Make sure you run it in water while your doing it.

 

[TheGr8Revealing]

you can then take a dremel with a diamond wheel to grind off any rough edges. Make sure you run it in water while your doing it.

wow. sounds dangerous. water and dremel mix.

 

[Kenom]

nah. speed of the dremel causes the water to fling off never hitting the dremel. Especially if it's a very slow trickle.

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

I think he means a battery powered Dremmel !
Mike

 

[laserist]

Safety glasses are a REALLY good idea. You can use a normal glass cutter or just score it with a carbide scribe. Thin glass is tricky. (i.e.1 mm is thin) pressing too hard with the glass cutter causes rather than reduces problems. High end glass cutters use a very thin oil that is wick fed to the cutting wheel. If you use a grinding wheel first bevel the edge you want to remove material from. If you just try to grind it off flat it will chip. Breathing powered glass isn't something I recommend...

 

[sad_sagi]

if you cut a mirror, is there a chance the reflective film on the back will flake off or is it bonded well? i've been wondering a while now

 

[Cyparagon]

I think he means a battery powered Dremmel !
Mike

Yay, Let's all short circuit lithium ion batteries! Who's got cake? We'll make a party out of it!:wave:

 

[Mr_Lazo]

If you want to save your larger mirrors for other applications, you can also save yourself a little time by ordering some 1x1s I came across on eBay: http://laserpointerforums.com/laser_pointer_forums_3/forum/showthread.php?t=40167

All you'd have to do at that point would be to smooth the edges with a diamond dremel bit (a la Kenom's advice), and Bob's your uncle.

 

[lamborgini8]

Thanks for the link Lazo.

I have been playing around with these mirrors and to be honest it is rather hard to chop 1.5"x2" first surface mirrors knowing that I am going to have 0.5"x1" left over that are probally going to be totally useless to anyone...

It would be handy to be able to cut them into circles as well as 1.5" squares are fine but the size from point to point is still too large to fit on the 90mm fan.

 

[ElektroFreak]

Just a thought, and it may be useless to you, but I recall a recent thread in which cutting a HDD platter up for 1st surface mirror material is dicussed. Maybe you could cut one to the size you need more easily than cutting glass, depending on the tools you have at your disposal.

 

[lamborgini8]

Just a thought, and it may be useless to you, but I recall a recent thread in which cutting a HDD platter up for 1st surface mirror material is dicussed. Maybe you could cut one to the size you need more easily than cutting glass, depending on the tools you have at your disposal.

Unfortunately I don't have a hard drive I don't need.