The Framers Forum

I've been asked if I can provide a replacement mirror for a round frame. Any ideas where I can get this either in the West of Scotland where I can pick up, or someone further afield that can deliver it in one piece?

Glass & Mirror cut me a couple of shield-shaped mirrors once, Wessex took them over so I'd assume they could do your circular one, I don't know how they'd be on delivery if you're not on one of their own van routes though, plus maybe they'd only do it from their London Branch.

Can you cut circular glass? A mirror is no different really.

I can only cut glass by hand, so I can't cut a circle.

pramsay13 wrote:I can only cut glass by hand, so I can't cut a circle.

It can be done by hand, draw the circle out, then cut a few straight cuts and you'll end up with a square(circle in the middle), then cut across the corners,taking the triangles off, then freehand the remaining bits off and remove the excess with glass pliers........ Not the easiest thing to describe, ever decreasing straight cuts, best practice on a bit of plain glass

I was worried that that might be an option, because I now might have to give it a go. I have been cutting glass offcuts by hand before just to see what fantastic shapes I can make, but I imagine a good circle would be beyond me.
This mirror is 550mm across, so I'm not sure I want this to be my first foray into circular cutting.

You don't need a good circle. You just need one that will fit in the frame.

I've got one of these, which won't quite cut that size, and an oval 6 which might but I don't know without pulling it out to check. If it couldn't I'd be getting it done for me by Wessex, find a 'Wessex' .... or a friendly framer with the required skills/equipment.

I'm sure I could make one of these with a sucker and a piece of string

Have you tried your local glazing company? Not a framing glass specialist, just a regular glazier should be able to sort this for you no problem. We use a local glazing company for a lot of awkward jobs or where we can't wait for Wessex to deliver (it's a two week wait for some specialist cut items from them in our part of the country). Haven't yet found a shape they can't cut easily from either glass or mirror. For awkward shapes they just ask for a template to work from.

We had our local glass company cut us a right angled triangular mirror for our bathroom a couple of years ago. They did it beautifully to fit into an alcove area, perfect points and everything. Unfortunately they'd cut it with the template the wrong way They took it pretty well when we turned up to collect it but had a replacement cut just as beautifully within a couple of days.

You could just google it too - e.g. £30:17 incl VAT (plus delivery no doubt) in 4mm from here http://www.mirrorsandglass.co.uk/shop/m ... ze-mirrors.

pramsay13 wrote:I'm sure I could make one of these with a sucker and a piece of string

You very probably could! One of those satnav suckers (not the human type you find half way up Ben Nevis) and your glass cutter on a piece of cord .... which would have to be exactly the right length, but you could get it exact by trial and error by embossing with the wheel on board.

Forsyth Glazing Tobago Street, Glasgow, they are just off London Rd

Indeed, Forsyth would sort it out no problem.....might be a bit busy down there just now though?

Or you can make a template from backing board and cut around it with a good quality hand held cutter.