How would you recommend framing a bathroom 1/4″ thick mirror? I am using 3/4″ poplar that will be painted (ouch) in a mirror that will be 21″ wide by 36″ tall, with a 3″ poplar border.
Primary question: would you create a 1/4″+ wide by ~1/2″ deep routed rabbet centered in the middle of the 3/4″ poplar? Or, is it best to attach the mirror to a backing board of ply, and glue that board into a wider rabbet of the poplar?
After searching and reading many pages here, I could not find this answer, but many answers dealing with the tangential topic of whether to make the poplar joints mitred, Domino’d, splined, etc.
If you think routing a recess will work, would you place anything in the recess to account for wood movement and/or mirror protection? Would you epoxy the mirror, or use RTV?I hope you can help me, as this is my first set of mirrors I will ever build. Pardon the rookie question.
Replies
I framed a mirror with a 1/4" groove
JCS:
A few years ago I framed a mirror with oak for a simple craftsman look. I made the frame using bridal joints at the corners and set the 1/4" thick mirror in a 1/4" by 1/4" rabbit. I then just attached a 1/4" plywood backer panel to the back of the frame with 1/2" long brass flat head screws. The panel extents past the mirror by 3/4" on all sides to provide clearance for the screws. This way I can easily remove the mirror if it ever gets broken or if I ever need to refinish the frame.
gdblake
Allow for movement
gdblake gives good advice on how to mount the mirror. In a place where the humidity rapidly rises and falls, like a bathroom, it would be best to let the mirror float and to give a little room for the wood to move. Poplar is pretty stable, and painted even more, but there is still a good chance for some movement. As long as the mirror doesn't rattle, the extra space shouldn't matter. If it does rattle, little gobs of dried/cured silicone caulk can be used to shim it yet allow for movement.
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