Here is one way to do it... The glass to be silvered must be thoroughly cleaned as the least speck of dust, grease, dirt or finer marks will show and cause you trouble.
NOTE: extreme cation should be use when using chemicals. Read all manufactures labels and warning before using any chemicals.
Now that I read through this, I caution anyone doing any of this to be very cautious. The poster doesn't spell well, which doesn't mean they don't know what they are talking about, but it also doesn't make me very secure in what they wrote. This is from a site called Make Stuff
I would imagine Kiteman means he doesn't fancy difficult and potentially dangerous kitchen chemistry just to make a mirror- though he may not say it himself he is one of Instructables' biggest non-staff contributors and definitely not an armchair critic. The sheer diversity of topics on the site means we can't be into all of it, everyone has their own niche.
Comments
12 years ago
The ancient Egyptians made excellent mirrors out of metal. Why not try polishing some metal to a very high sheen? Much safer...
13 years ago
Here is one way to do it... The glass to be silvered must be thoroughly cleaned as the least speck of dust, grease, dirt or finer marks will show and cause you trouble.
NOTE: extreme cation should be use when using chemicals. Read all manufactures labels and warning before using any chemicals.
Now that I read through this, I caution anyone doing any of this to be very cautious. The poster doesn't spell well, which doesn't mean they don't know what they are talking about, but it also doesn't make me very secure in what they wrote. This is from a site called Make Stuff
Reply 13 years ago
Hmm, I don't fancy all that malarkey - I'd rather just buy a mirror.
Reply 12 years ago
"Hmm, I don't fancy all that malarkey..." No abuse intended, but why are you on instructables with that attitude?
Reply 12 years ago
I would imagine Kiteman means he doesn't fancy difficult and potentially dangerous kitchen chemistry just to make a mirror- though he may not say it himself he is one of Instructables' biggest non-staff contributors and definitely not an armchair critic. The sheer diversity of topics on the site means we can't be into all of it, everyone has their own niche.
Reply 12 years ago
(Thanks, PKM.)
wi_saint: just click on my username to find out why I'm here.
Reply 12 years ago
To teach children how science works using only kite and kite parts?
Reply 12 years ago
;-)
Reply 13 years ago
It certainly would be easier :-)
We actually have an instructable however on a Front Surface mirror that is not too hard to make:
Front surface mirror instructable
12 years ago
why not just put an incredibly straight piece of foil behind glass or paint i silver with really good quality paint?
13 years ago
Mirror, that's right mirror. Highly polished silver backing, maybe try some kind of foil...
Reply 13 years ago
Highly polish the glass, then apply a reflective surface - maybe silver paint?
It won't be as good as a bought mirror (I think they use molten metal??), but it would be an interesting effect.
Reply 13 years ago
Maybe just silver plating compound or silver coloured polish dierectly to the back of the glass...
Reply 13 years ago
Doesn't silver plating compound need to be applied to metal? I thought there was a substitution reaction.
Reply 13 years ago
Oh right I wasn't sure if it was just a simple compound that broke dowm or a substitution, in the case silver polish may work...
Reply 13 years ago
I know that they coat telescope mirrors by putting a vacuum chamber around the surface and then vaporising aluminum which coats the surface evenly.