Technology for the manufacture of mirrors at home.

1. Put the glass on a horizontal table so that it does not crush when wiping, substitute something soft.

2. Polishing liquid (you can also use ready-made, for example, Polishing liquid) pour onto the glass surface. Wipe the glass thoroughly with soft leather, felt or felt (an old hat is fine).

3. Wipe the glass with gauze soaked in a suspension of fine pumice powder (it must be sieved) in distilled water. Rinse thoroughly with distilled water.

4 . Wipe first with a wet sponge, then 2-3 times with a gauze pad moistened with a solution of tin dichloride (concentration - 0.15%). Rinse again and wipe with a swab.

5. After that, immediately pour a freshly prepared mixture of silvering solutions onto the glass surface. During silvering, the glass surface should be warmer than the solution by 8-10 g. The liquid should spread over its surface, a convex meniscus should be observed at the edges of the glass.

6. The glass will first darken, then quickly begin to lighten - this is silver being deposited. If dark spots remain on the glass, they must be removed by wiping these places with a swab moistened with pumice suspension, then wiped with gauze moistened with a solution of stannous chloride and again poured with a freshly prepared mixture of solutions.

7. After 5-10 min. after the beginning of silvering with gauze, and preferably with suede, abundantly moistened with distilled water, carefully drive the liquid off the glass and pour the mixture again.

8. After another 15 min. Rinse the silver-plated surface with distilled water. To do this, you can lift one edge and pour water on the glass. Check if the thickness of the silver deposit is sufficient by looking through a mirror at a 60 W electric bulb (the contours of the bulb should be barely visible).

9. For strength, the mirror must be "baked". Within 1-2 hours, the mirror in a vertical position must be kept at a temperature of 100-150 C.

10. Coat the silver film first with a waterproof mirror varnish using a spray gun, and when the varnish is dry, with a thick layer of paint or asphalt varnish

ATTENTION! The mirror can only be painted in one direction.

11. With a swab moistened with a weak solution of hydrochloric acid, remove the streaks of silver on the front side of the mirror. The mirror is ready.

12. To remove silver stains from skin and clothing, they are lubricated with a warm solution of sodium hyposulfite (thiosulfate), and then hot water.

Preparation of basic technological solutions

1. Silver solution. Composition of 1 liter of solution: silver nitrate, silver nitrate AgNO3 - 4 g, 25% ammonia solution (ammonia, NH4OH) - 10-12 ml, Caustic soda (caustic soda, NaOH) - 4 g

Dissolve 4 g of silver nitrate in 300 ml of distilled water. Pour about 270 ml of this solution into a beaker and add the ammonia solution drop by drop, stirring vigorously with a glass rod. When the cloudy brown liquid becomes transparent, add a few more drops of silver nitrate solution to it, the liquid will become cloudy. Add pre-dissolved caustic soda - the color of the solution will change, it will become light coffee. Again, drop by drop, stirring, add the ammonia solution until the solution brightens again (the "light" liquid seems bluish). Add the remaining ammonia solution and silver nitrate. Thoroughly mix everything and adding distilled water, bring the volume of the solution to a liter.

ATTENTION!!! To avoid the occurrence of silver fulminate, the solution must be stored in an airtight container with a grated stopper!

2. Aldehyde solution. Composition of 1 liter of solution: refined sugar - 100 g, Sulfuric or nitric acid (concentration 10%) - 10 ml

Dissolve sugar in hot distilled water, add acids, boil for 10-15 minutes, add distilled water to the desired volume.

ATTENTION! Prepare solutions by wearing goggles and rubber gloves!

Process mixture preparation:

ATTENTION! The mixture is prepared before direct use in the glass silvering process.

First, pour 5 ml of the aldehyde solution into the glass, then 500 ml of the silver solution. Mix quickly. At first it will be orange-red, then it will immediately darken. At this point, it is necessary to start silvering. If there is too much aldehyde solution, metal flakes will fall out, if there is little silvering will occur very slowly.

Obtaining metallic silver

Works should be carried out in nylon, glass or plastic containers.

A zinc plate is lowered into the spent fixer (after photographic work). You can use plates from used galvanizing tools. Silver begins to precipitate. After 2-3 hours, the solution becomes cloudy. During the deposition of silver, the solution must be stirred several times (you can use the plates on which the deposition takes place or a glass spatula).

The plate is covered with a black layer of silver (the so-called "spongy silver"), which is easily separated from the plate. After separating the silver, the plate is again placed in the solution. And so on until the complete release of silver.

The resulting silver is thoroughly washed with hot water several times, the last time distilled. Silver is highly soluble in nitric acid and can be used to obtain silver nitrate.

To speed up the precipitation process, the solution can be heated.

14.06.2018

Such an unconventional design move, as the addition of an illuminated mirror to the interior, will create a bright, eye-catching accent for a bedroom or bathroom.

The space is noticeably expanded due to the soft reflected glow. If desired, it is also possible to install sensors and several lighting modes. But first of all, let's look at a few simple instructions that describe how to make a luminous mirror. All the materials needed for this are easy to find and purchase. This is, first of all, the power supply and the tape itself, connecting wires and sealant (preferably silicone).

LED lighting in Teneri mirror

As you can see from the photo, thanks to the use of lighting, the room looks even more light and airy, and the interior does not seem to be heavy.

It may seem that making a mirror with LED lighting on your own is quite difficult, but this is not entirely true. A pleasant result of your efforts will be a more modern and complete look of the room.

Following a simple instruction, you can make an illuminated mirror, creating an elegant luminous decor element that will definitely suit you in everything and fit perfectly into the interior.

Standard arrangement of rear mirror elements

After you have decided on the external requirements, you should think about how to provide light - with ordinary light bulbs or a diode strip. The second option is preferable, especially if you need a contour glow of the object. complex shape. The lighting design can be placed in a box or simply glued.

Mounting the LED strip around the mirror

Mirror LED strip

The photo shows a tape where each LED is soldered to a flexible board with resistors, and this whole structure, in turn, is attached to double-sided tape.

Choosing an LED strip

When thinking about how to make a backlit mirror in the bathroom, you should first of all make sure that the diodes have a moisture-resistant coating. The more powerful the diodes, the brighter they will shine and the more electricity will be lost.

There are also diode strips in which the lighting color can be switched. An important criterion is the power of the tape power supply. To calculate it, multiply the power of one meter (usually 4-8 watts) by the length of the tape.

In order to make the backlight of the mirror LED strip, you must:

1. Attach the tape to the mirror with double-sided tape.
2. Solder the wires to the LED strip, observing the polarity. If necessary, seal the joints with sealant. Homemade mirror lighting is ready. Additional light sources are not required, which means that you can fix it almost anywhere. A properly installed structure will work effectively for a long time.
3. Fasten the power supply outside the bathroom and connect it, paying attention to the need to ground the unit case.

You will need: LED strip, soldering iron, double-sided tape, sealant

Secure the tape with double sided tape

Solder the wires to the tape, observing the polarity

Treat the joints with sealant

Fix and connect the power supply

How to cut your own LED strip

Understanding how to make a do-it-yourself illuminated mirror is impossible without knowing the rules for working with LED strip.

It is divided into many segments. Manufacturers usually mark with a line the places where disconnection is possible. If there is no marking, you can independently calculate the pads between which a cut is possible.

When cutting a tape with waterproofing, it is necessary to process after connection silicone sealant locations of contact points.

The correct option for cutting the LED strip

How to make a mirror with led lights in a box

Headset and mirror with led light

1. It is necessary to strengthen the mirror on the frame, which can be a plastic base or a box made of timber. It is worth immediately considering the way in which the mirror will be attached to the wall. The plastic base is glued to the back of the mirror, wooden box fastened with self-tapping screws through pre-drilled holes.
2. The next step is the installation of a backlit mirror. It is necessary to place an LED strip on the outside of the prepared frame and install the power supply inside the frame.
3. Next, attach the tape to the power supply. To do this, the wire from the block must be brought out of the frame.

Fix the mirror to the frame, which can be a plastic base or a box made of timber

Attach the tape to the power supply

Mirrors are an integral part of the interior, they are hung over chests of drawers, dressing tables and bathroom sinks. Sometimes it can be difficult to find the right mirror. If you can't find a mirror that you like, you can make your own with a glass panel and mirror spray paint. Mirror paint is more shiny and reflective than standard silver spray paint, so it's better suited for a homemade mirror.

Steps

simple mirror

Remove the glass panel from the frame. Select a suitable glass panel and remove it from the frame. If there are paper inserts in the frame, remove them before removing the glass. At the same time, do not throw away the cardboard back wall - you will need it when you reassemble everything.

Wipe the glass panel with alcohol. Dampen a soft cloth or paper towel with rubbing alcohol and wipe both sides of the glass. This will remove any grease that might prevent the paint from adhering to the glass.

• After that, touch the glass only at the edges so as not to leave fingerprints on it.

1. Move the glass panel to a well-ventilated area. Best to work for fresh air, although it will fit spacious room from open windows. Place something under the glass, such as newspaper or a cheap plastic oilcloth, to protect your work surface from paint.

   Shake a can of mirror spray paint. Purchase a can of mirror spray paint. It should be noted that the paint gives a mirror effect. Shake the can as recommended on the label (usually 20 to 30 seconds).

   • Do not use regular silver spray paint, even if it reflects light well. This not the same paint, and it will not give the desired effect.

2. Apply paint in 5 thin layers (before spraying each subsequent layer, wait until the previous one dries). At the same time, hold the can 20–25 centimeters from the glass. Apply a thin coat of paint in side to side motions. Wait about 1 minute for the paint to dry, then spray on the next coat. Continue until the glass is no longer transparent. Approximately 5 coats of paint will be required.

   • Hold your hand under the glass to check its transparency. If you can still see the hand, keep applying the paint.
   • It is better to spray more thin coats rather than 1-2 relatively thick coats of paint. Although this will take longer, it will give you a smoother coat of paint.
   • Spray paint only on one rather than both sides of the glass.

3. Wait until the paint is completely dry. The time needed depends on the area you live in: the colder the temperature, the longer the paint will take to dry. It usually takes about 10 minutes.

   Insert the glass into the frame with the painted side facing you. Lay the frame face down on the table and place the glass in it. Make sure the unpainted side is on the bottom and the painted side is on top. After you turn the frame over, the paint will begin to shine through the glass. The glass will protect the paint layer from chipping and scratching.

   Close the frame and turn it over. Insert the back wall that you removed earlier into the frame. Replace the hooks so it doesn't fall out and turn the frame over. Mirror done!

   Find an intimidating black and white image with a dark background. For this purpose, any old photo. You can also print an image of a ghost, zombie, or skeleton. It must match the photo. inside mirrors, so be careful!

   • The image must be smaller than the glass panel.

4. Print 2 pictures so that one of them is reflected. Print the direct image first and then upload it to the photo editor. Select the desired image and flip it. Print the resulting image.

   • Most computers have free programs image editing, such as Paint on Windows. You can also use programs available on websites.

5. Glue the mirror image to the glass. Lay the printed picture on the glass panel and attach the paper to the edges of the glass with tape. You will paint only part of the panel. The picture will show through the remaining unpainted surface of the mirror. Tape the mirror image to the glass to keep it in place.

6. Turn the glass panel over and apply a thin layer of mirror spray paint to it. Flip the glass over so that the tape-attached image is on the bottom. Apply one coat of spray mirror paint to the entire glass panel. Hold the can of paint about 20 to 25 centimeters from the glass and gently move it from side to side. After that, the image should still show through the glass.

   • This step will give the image a mirror finish. If the picture is very dark, a thin layer of paint can obscure it even more. In this case, skip this step and go to the next one.
   • Mirror paint should be used (this should be noted on the packaging). Don't use regular silver paint, even if it's shiny, or you'll fail.

7. Apply a few more thin layers of paint around the picture. Decide which parts of the image you want to make more visible: the whole face, or just the screaming mouth? How about a frantically reaching hand? Spray paint on the glass, except where you want to emphasize. Wait about 1 minute after you apply the next coat for the paint to dry. Spray on about 5 layers of paint in total.

   • Spray enough paint on the glass to make it really look like a mirror from the front!
   • Don't worry if you paint on any areas that you would like to leave exposed. This will give the mirror an even more natural look.

Making a mirror at home is an interesting process. To some, it will seem illogical, because such a thing can be purchased at any furniture store. But in itself, this activity seems to be an exciting and useful thing, and the skill will come in handy in the future, when the need arises for repairs. optical devices. Let's learn how to make a mirror at home.

A little caustic potash, silver nitrate, caustic soda, alcohol, wax, glass, nitric acid, glucose and distilled water.

Wash the glass well first. In any case, there are fatty particles on it, so getting rid of them should be the first thing. Now specify whether you want to make a mirror from a blank or prefer to shape the glass yourself.

• First, dry the glass and make a 2 cm wax border around the perimeter. Do not touch the glass with your hands, otherwise you will leave it again greasy spots. Try to be careful. If you want to protect the glass from dust, spray it with distilled water before working.
• Now you need to prepare working solutions. All of them will be based on distilled water. The first one includes 10 g of silver nitrate and 200 ml of water. The second contains the same amount of liquid and 7 grams of caustic soda. The preparation of the third involves the use of the same glass of water and 10 ml of glucose. Important: each solution must be prepared immediately before processing the mirror, they should not be left for a long time. Use only proven chemicals.

• Take a clean vessel and pour the solution that you made first into it. Gradually add alcohol, shaking the liquid, which will first become cloudy and then lighten. Add until the sediment is almost invisible. If you overdo it, then slightly dilute with silver nitrate. The result is a hazy yellow liquid.
• Now take the second solution and pour it into the mixture obtained in the previous step. Shake to dissolve the sediment, adding alcohol for this. The result should be filtered.
• Wipe the water off the glass, take the glucose solution and pour it onto the workpiece. Gently move it to distribute the liquid evenly and get rid of air bubbles.

• Now pour the glass with the solution that was made in the first stages. The silvering process starts. In 10 minutes everything will be ready. Remove the solution from the glass and wash the mirror with water, then dry it. If you have a solution left, then it must be disposed of, as it is unsafe to store it. Do not forget to remove the sides from the product. In all procedures, be extremely careful.

Now you know how on their own make a new mirror.

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Fixing Mirror Damage

1. Put the mirror on the table and clean the place to be silvered with cotton wool. Put a sheet of staniol (tin) in place, straighten it and drop mercury into the center. Then rub the mercury with a piece of suede until it shines. After that, cover this place with a piece of writing paper and press down with weight. Leave for 12-16 hours.
2. Thoroughly clean the place on the mirror with a piece of cotton wool from which the amalgam has come off. On another piece of an unnecessary mirror, with the tip of a penknife, circle and cut through to the glass a part of the amalgam equal in size or slightly larger than the area being corrected. Place a small drop of mercury, approximately the size of a pinhead, onto the scratched mirror amalgam.
3. Mercury will quickly spread over the scratched surface. This piece of amalgam can be easily removed from the glass and transferred to the area to be repaired. All this must be done very carefully and carefully. Press it in a new place with cotton wool, smooth it and it will slowly stick.

Making a mirror with your own hands

Making a mirror means silvering the glass, applying a thin silver film on its surface that reflects light well.

For the manufacture of mirrors is selected smooth glass, resistant to water and alkalis (uneven, wavy glass distorts the image, poorly annealed glass cracks easily during grinding and polishing, and unstable glass quickly fades). Mirror glass should, in addition, be as transparent as possible, that is, let through almost all the light falling on it.

Silver film is very capricious. It will lie firmly and evenly on the glass only if its surface is impeccably polished and cleaned. Therefore, the glass is “refreshed”, washed in warm water, polished with crocus, washed with a weak solution of alkali, and then with distilled water.

There should not be any small scratches, dullness, traces of grease and other contaminants on the glass surface.

Glass silvering is a process that requires great purity and precision in the preparation of reagents. All materials and utensils used must be chemically clean.

There are many recipes for silver solutions. We give more common and simple.

Prepare two solutions. First solution. 100 g of silver nitrate is dissolved in 18 liters of distilled water, 200 cubic meters are added. cm of 25% ammonia and a pre-prepared solution of 100 g of caustic soda in 500 cu. see water. Water is added to the mixture so that the total volume is 20 liters.

Second solution. A reducing solution is prepared separately. 100 grams of refined sugar is dissolved in one liter of water, 10 cubic meters are added. cm ten percent sulfuric or nitric acid and boil the mixture for 20 - 30 minutes. Sugar is broken down into fructose and glucose. Both solutions are filtered. Just before silvering, 11 cubic meters are added to one liter of the first solution. see the reducing agent solution, stirring the liquid well.

The temperature of the solution and the surrounding air should not exceed 25 degrees. It is necessary to prepare solutions in protective glasses, since the formation of explosive silver compounds is possible.

Glass prepared for silvering is washed with a weak solution of tin dichloride, then with water and wiped with a soft sponge. Put on clean rubber gloves and lay the glass strictly horizontally.

Then the newly prepared silvery liquid is poured onto the glass.

For the next 10 minutes, the silver solution “works”: glucose, interacting with the silver salt, separates particles of metallic silver from the solution, and they, deposited on the glass surface, form a thin film.

Then the liquid is removed and a fresh portion of the solution is poured onto the glass. Another 10 minutes - and the process is over. The mirror is thoroughly washed from the remnants of the silver liquid and dried in a room with good ventilation.

It remains to protect the silver film from air, moisture and mechanical damage. To do this, a special mirror enamel is applied to the film with a very soft (squirrel) brush, and then asphalt varnish. The substances that make up the protective coating must, of course, be completely harmless to the silver film. After that, the mirror is cleaned of traces of paint, varnish and other contaminants and inserted into the appropriate frame.

The second way. When silvering, you need to use distilled water. Several solutions are prepared: a) 1 part of silver nitrate and 10 parts of water; b) 1 hour of caustic potassium and 10 hours of water; c) ‘/2 hours of glucose and 10 hours of water. Add ammonia to solution "a" to remove turbidity. When the turbidity disappears, add solution "b", again clarify with ammonia. Then add solution "c" and cover the clean surface of the glass with the mixture.

Glazed drawing, photo, picture look very beautiful and it is not difficult to make this beauty. You can against the background of any paper (passport) or make a border. Based on our plans and select required size glass.

The glass must be clean, put a drawing or photo on it. If the edging is done according to the passport, then the upper edge of the picture from the inside should be slightly glued to the background. The drawing should be located so that on both sides of it the distance to the edges of the passport is the same, and the top field of the passport is slightly narrower than the bottom. Be sure to measure the exact location of the pattern under the glass, otherwise even a slight unevenness will ruin the whole look of the product.

Next, we impose a drawing on the glass, and cut the edges of the passport strictly to the size of the glass, cut out a sheet equal to its size from thin cardboard. In the upper third of the cardboard sheet, exactly in the middle, we make a horizontal cut (20 mm). Through it, from the face to the inside, we pass the ends of the ribbon, forming a loop, for which the drawing can then be hung on the wall. Glue the ends of the ribbon, which are on the back of the cardboard, to it and, for strength, also glue it with a piece of paper.

Now we put the cardboard on the drawing with a loop outward, proceed to the edging. With a sharp knife, along a ruler of paper or calico, cut out four strips 20 - 25 mm wide.

On the cardboard on all four sides we draw lines that set the position of the strips, taking into account how desirable it is to release the edging on the front side of the cardboard along the drawn line so that the ends of the strip on both sides extend one centimeter beyond the edge of the glass. Glue the strip to the cardboard.

We put the blank on a sheet of paper with the glass up, take the edge on which the strip smeared with glue lies, bend it together with the strip on the glass, press it firmly and smooth it. Then we cut the ends of the strip with scissors obliquely. We bend both ends of the strip onto the upper side of the glass and press firmly - through the paper.

Glue the rest of the strips in the same way. If the adhesive comes out from under the glass edging, it must be removed.

Alloy: 95 parts tin and 5 parts zinc. The melting point of this alloy is 218°. The glass to be soldered is carefully heated to the specified temperature, after which the alloy is applied to the glass with a soldering iron; and let it cool down. You can also take an alloy of 90 parts of tin and 10 parts of aluminum. This alloy requires a higher temperature.

Tip 1: How to make a mirror at home

Perhaps the idea of ​​creating a mirror with my own hands will seem strange to you, because in our time it is allowed to buy mirror every shape in a furniture store, but nevertheless, the creation of a mirror in domestic conditions can become an interesting activity that will give you pleasure and bring actual benefits. Knowing how to make home mirrors will help you when you need to repair any optical and lighting devices that contain mirror elements.

• Caustic potassium, silver nitrate, ammonia, formalin solution, distilled water, rubber gloves, glass, cuvette

1. To create a mirror surface, use the methodology of chemical silvering of glass. Thoroughly wash and dry the glass surface, and then degrease it with a fifteen percent solution of sharp potassium. Heat distilled water and dip the glass into the warm liquid. Prepare distilled water and rubber gloves for handling reagents.

About 2 centuries ago, archaeologists found an unusual metal disk in one of the pyramids of Egypt. There were no hieroglyphs on it, but there was an impressive layer of rust. The disk was mounted on a heavy figurine in the form of a young woman. There was a long discussion about the purpose of the disc. Some scholars have argued that this kitchenware like the current frying pan, others were sure that such discs were used as a fan. However, it turned out that the rusty metal circle is a mirror.

How were mirrors made in ancient times?

Mirrors in ancient Egypt were made of bronze. They gave a fuzzy and dim image, and because of high humidity rapidly darkened and lost their reflective properties. Centuries passed, and silver mirrors began to be made in Europe. The reflection in them was quite clear, but the main enemy of such mirrors was time. The silver was tarnishing, and besides, it was very expensive. In Russia, in the homes of rich people there were damask mirrors made of steel. However, they rapidly lost their original radiance, became cloudy and covered with a reddish coating - rust. At that time, people did not yet know that it was quite primitive to prevent damage to a reflective surface: to protect it from moisture and air. Needed was a thin and transparent material. Let's say glass. But neither the Egyptians, nor the Romans, nor the Slavs knew how to make transparent glass sheets. Only the Murano masters succeeded. It was the Venetians who managed to optimize the process and comprehend the secrets of manufacturing clear glass. It happened at the end of the XII-beginning of the XIII century. By the way, it was the workers from the island of Murano who figured out how to turn a blown glass ball into a flat sheet. However, combine polished to a shine metal surface And glass didn't work. In a cold state, they did not stick together tightly, but in a burning state the glass would burst permanently. It was necessary to apply a thin metal film on a thick sheet of glass. And finally, special technology was developed. A sheet of tin was placed on a smoothed marble pedestal and mercury was poured over it. Tin was dissolved in mercury, and after cooling, a film as thick as tissue paper was obtained, which was called amalgam. Glass was placed on top of it. The amalgam stuck. So the first mirror was made, more or less similar to the current one. The Venetians kept the secret of the special technology for making mirrors for several centuries. The leaders of European countries, and after that the rich and the nobility, were ready to give a huge part of their fortune, just to get a mirror. Once the Venetian Republic gave a mirror to the French Queen Marie de Medici. It was the most precious gift of all received on the occasion of the marriage. The mirror was no bigger than a book. It was estimated at 150,000 francs. Carrying a tiny mirror with you became fashionable at the court of most European states. The French minister Colbert did not sleep at night, realizing that French money literally sailed away to Venice and would never return. And then he vowed to reveal the secret of the Venetian masters-mirrors. The French ambassador went to Venice and bought 3 Venetians who had the secret of making mirrors. One dark autumn night, several craftsmen escaped by boat from the island of Murano. In France they were hidden so well that the spies could not find them. A few years later, the 1st French factory opened in the Normandy forests. mirror glass. The Venetians ceased to be monopolists. The mirror cost a lot less. Not only nobles, but also merchants and wealthy artisans could absolutely afford to buy it. The rich already did not know where else to attach another purchased mirror. A reflective glass sheet was attached to beds, cabinets, tables and chairs. Small slices of mirrors were even sewn into ball gowns. Mirror torture existed in Spain. The person was placed in a room with mirrored walls, mirrored ceiling and floor. In the room, of every atmosphere, there was only an invariably burning lamp. And from all sides, a person saw only his own reflection. A few days later, the slave of the mirror room easily went crazy. However, even the best masters could not make large mirrors. And the quality left a lot to be desired. The glass sheet was uneven, and therefore the reflection was distorted.

The evolution of special technology for the manufacture of mirrors

The French still managed to make huge mirrors. They poured molten glass onto wide and long steel tables with limiting sides, then rolled it out with a shaft made of cast iron. But the glass was still uneven. And then sand was poured on this sheet, and another glass was placed on top and the sheets began to shift relative to each other. The work was monotonous, exhausting and caring. To create a small-sized mirror, two craftsmen polished for about 30 hours. However, after grains of sand, the glass became dull due to the huge number of microscopic scratches. The glass was polished with a tiny board upholstered in felt. This work took up to 70 hours. After a while, all the work began to be done by machines. On the round table poured plaster. With the help of a crane, glass sheets were placed on top. After that, the table was rolled up under the disks of the grinding, and after that, the polishing machine, which rotated rapidly. Later, instead of tin, mercury was applied to the glass surface. However, all types and compositions of amalgam known to society gave a too pale reflection, and in the manufacture of masters they continuously dealt with harmful mercury vapors. This special technology was abandoned approximately 150 years ago. A hefty thin layer of silver was applied to the glass sheet. In order not to damage it, the surface was covered with paint on top. Such mirrors were almost as good as modern ones in terms of reflection quality, but they were expensive. Now in vacuum chamber silver is not sprayed onto the glass, but aluminum. For 1 square meter it takes no more than 1 gram of metal, and therefore mirrors are cheap and widely available.

Any mirror, independent of its purpose, can be made by depositing a thin layer of silver on ordinary glass. This method is based on the correction of silver from solutions of its salts with the support of various reducing agents. By the way, salt solutions are called silver liquid.

1. Glass for a mirror must be perfect in every sense: in terms of cleanliness, integrity and evenness of the coating. Glass before silvering is washed by placing it in a solution of caustic soda in order to remove all thick and oily specks. After washing in a solution, the glass is washed with clean water and smeared with finely ground chalk or Vienna lime. In this form, it is stored until its direct use. At ease, before putting the glass into operation, it is cleaned with a soft cloth and washed with water.

Keep in mind that the glass cannot be touched by hand during the silvering process. No matter how we wash our hands, they will still leave thick prints visible to the eyes on a flawlessly smooth glass surface. And in these places the silver solution will not stick. Take glass only with a clean cloth, rubber gloves or wooden clamps.

Under industrial conditions, distilled water is obtained by distillation in special devices - distillers. Because at home such a unit cannot be, it is allowed to use a different method.

• Water is ordinary;
• a device for heating water (boiler, gas stove etc.);
• two clean vessels;
• aluminum pan;
• funnel;
• hose - 2 meters.

1. Pour water from the tap into a clean vessel and, without covering with a lid, let stand for a day.

Do not forget that water has the ability to evaporate and boil away, therefore it must be continuously added and brought to a boil. Distilled water is not suitable for consumption, because it lacks all suitable substances.

Rear-view mirrors in a car are the main control element, without which it is very difficult to perform some maneuvers. If mirror ceased to be regulated in one of the planes, you need to disassemble and repair it.

1. To remove the mirror from the car, remove the plug attached to the door with 3 caps. Next, use a Phillips screwdriver to unscrew the three screws. Take out the mirror carefully.

If it was not possible to repair the mirror right away, purchase a three-dimensional sticker and stick it on a reflective surface. So you will be able to see the roadway and road users even in an unadjusted mirror.

Mirror - an object with smooth surface prepared to reflect light. In everyday life, it is used to control one's own appearance or as a decorative element premises. Due to the relatively simple and inexpensive method of production, this item is now distributed everywhere, and it is allowed to purchase it for little money.

1. Archaeologists attribute the first small mirrors to the Bronze Age. The found objects of those times were bronze discs or polished slices of obsidian. In the III century, mirrors were made of tin - it was poured into a glass vessel, cooled, and then broken. The resulting fragments were used as a mirror. In the 6th century, glass, which had long ago been rolled into flat sheets, was treated with an alloy of mercury and tin - amalgam. However, such mirrors gave a pale reflection, and the method of their production was dangerous to health.

The idea of ​​​​creating a mirror at first glance seems unusual, because it is easier to purchase it in a specialized store. But making a useful accessory with your own hands can be an exciting experience. Below is step by step process creating a simple mirror.

It all starts with a choice suitable material to make a mirror. The next steps are its cleaning, preparation for the silvering process, kneading a special solution, silvering, drying and creating decorations for a new product. Let's consider each of the points in more detail. Material for processing. Prepare high-quality glass intended for making a mirror. It is worth noting that you can silver not only glass, but also faience, clay dishes. It is acceptable to use wood or metal, but before the process it is necessary to cover them with a layer of pre-melted paraffin. The easiest way is to use plain glass. Make sure it is not cracked or damaged in any way.

Material cleaning. Before use, thoroughly clean the glass from various stains. The achievement of a successful result is influenced both by the purity of the prepared solutions (which will be discussed later) and the purity of the material used:

• If there are greasy stains on the glass, dip it in a 15% potassium hydroxide solution to clean it.
• Milk stains are not washed off. They can be eliminated by grinding with a crocus.
• To remove the paint, soak the material in a solution of caustic soda.
• Use nitric acid to remove the old silver layer.
• To remove the old tip, use the chrome mixture. You can cook it yourself. Pour 400-500 g of water into a container and add 10-12 g of chrompic, then 4-6 cm of concentrated sulfuric acid.

Preparation for silvering. After cleaning, wash the glass well with distilled water and grease with fine powder of elutriated chalk before use. When you are ready for the silvering process, rinse the glass again with water. You can also heat distilled water to 30-40 degrees and lower the glass there before drinking. Remember that after thorough washing, the material should not be touched by hands, otherwise there will be invisible oily spots on which the silver layer will not fall. As a result, all the work will be in vain. Use clean cloths or sterile rubber gloves.

silvering process. Take 1.6 g of nitrogen silver and mix it with 30 ml of purified water. Then add 25% ammonia solution drop by drop until the precipitate disappears. Add another 100 ml of purified water and 5 ml of formalin 40%. The solution for silvering is ready. Put the glass in a bath or other container. If you only want to silver one side of the glass, place it on top of 3-4 pieces of glass so that there is a distance between the tray and the material. Pour the prepared composition into it so that it covers the bottom and only the underside of the glass. You can fill the glass with a solution completely, but then two sides will become silver. Wait approximately seven minutes and carefully remove the mirror without touching the surface. Rinse thoroughly with distilled water, then stand upright and dry at a temperature of 100-150 degrees. To prevent possible damage in the future, cover the mirror oil paint(red lead diluted in linseed oil). Decoration. You can make a beautiful frame of any shape from cardboard, fabric or other materials at hand, and then decorate it with sequins, rhinestones, ribbons, stickers and other decorations that you like. Some of them can be applied directly to the mirror itself. Turn on your imagination and create your own unique decoration!

The above work must be done very carefully and patiently. It is important to pay attention to the cleanliness of the glass and its thorough washing after the silvering process. Using a step-by-step technique, making your own mirror is not difficult. The main difficulty lies in the acquisition of ingredients for solutions and proper cooking the latter.