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mirror question....

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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vance galliher
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Location: springfield, or.
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mirror question....

Post by vance galliher »

My friend Bill Blumberg and I want to know how to make new mirror look old: ie, where some of the mirroring is flacking offso clear glass is showing. First is how to remove the black backing paint ?.....We have tried all solvents in the shop, even Jasco paint and epoxy remover. Nothing so far touches it Bill is going to try ( with care) some old hydrofluoric acid he got from Rick years ago. Any suggestions are appreciated
Sarah King
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Post by Sarah King »

Vance,

That is some solid-jack backing paint you have there. It was probably baked on the glass when the mirror was made.

The first thing I'd say is that hydrofluoric acid will not do anything to the paint. The only things it will dissolve are silica and calcium - that is to say the glass and your bones. It does not dissolve plastic or paint.

Have you tried using a single edge razor blade to scrap off the paint? Or you could heat it gently with a heat gun, if you don't mind running the risk of cracking the glass. Or soak it in hot water.

Or (I just had to say it) you could try making your own "antique" silver mirrors. It's fun - and experimental - and maybe easier than trying to get through a backing paint that the mirror industry has worked so hard to make permanent and impenetrable.

If you make your own you can do more that just remove the silver from an otherwise perfect mirror. You can tarnish it and make spots - big or little - where the backing paint or the clear glass can show through. Danny Baronian has been making some wonderful antique mirrors. Maybe he'll post a photo for us.
Sarah King
AngelGilding.com
vance galliher
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Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: springfield, or.
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mirror

Post by vance galliher »

thanks for the reply Sarah.....I just got a call from Bill.....and the acid did remove the tenacious backing, but it also removes the silvering, and gave a slight frost to the glass. So that's not the way to go for the effect he wants. Hopefully Danny will read this and give some insight, and maybe show a photo. I"m going to order your system someday when a good job come my way......thanks
Danny Baronian
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Post by Danny Baronian »

Image

Vance,

Jasco paint and epoxy stripper should strip the mirror backing. I've had good success even with epoxy, but for making an antique mirror, I would strip it completely - silver and all, then resilver. If you want the glass to remain clear, don't use acid.

You'll have more success with a new piece of glass, buy one of Sarah's silvering and antiquing kits and go from there. Follow the directions with the kits and you should achieve the desired result.

To achieve an antique or old mirror look, you're basically degrading, or contaminating the silver, which is best done as soon and the glass has been silvered and the silver allowed to dry. Had you been able to strip the paint back up from your mirror, it may have been difficult to antique due to being a commercial mirror and it's age. The best time to alter the silver is within a day of silvering.

Silver strip and stannous chloride (tin) are ingredients that will come with the silvering and antiquing kits. Both will strip the mirror. Start with a dilute solution and increase the strength. You want a dilution that will work within 2-5 minutes, and not one that strips the silver immediately;you want to be able to control the results. To stop the reaction, rinse well with water. There is no set formula, you just have to adjust to your liking.

The photo is one of my first attempts at making a perfectly good mirror not so perfect, depending on how you look at it, and the result of 10 - 20 tests on individual pieces of glass.
Danny Baronian
Baronian Mfg.
CNC Routing & Fabrication
http://www.baronian.com
vance galliher
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Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: springfield, or.
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mirror question....

Post by vance galliher »

thanks for the info Danny. Sarah's kit sems the way to go.
Doug Bernhardt
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Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Vance...it is the way to go. There are so many interesting ways to get "antiquing" into the process ,such as plopping a little bit of aluminum oxide onto the glass after final cleaning, ...misting silver strip over it before back-up.....and so many many more, that it also bears mentioning that the best "antiqued" signs are of excellent craftmanship, just like the masters, and NOT sort of crappy like so many imitations...they're just plain old.
Last edited by Doug Bernhardt on Wed Jun 29, 2005 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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