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Time:
Assembly: ~2hrs
Drying:
Stain: ~1hrAdhesive: overnight to fully set, but can be handled in just a few hours.
Procedure:
Let's start with disassembly / extraction of the mirror from the frame; no sense in spending time fabricating a new frame if you damage the mirror in the beginning.... If you chose a frame-less mirror, skip this step.
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Razor blade and torch help with extraction; Cut paper backing to expose silicon for heating
I found it VERY difficult to extract the mirror from the frame with a razor blade alone. It can be done, but is very tedious and you must be careful and meticulous to not scratch or crack the mirror. To ease this burden, I supplemented the razor blade with a butane torch. The torch is used to heat the silicon holding the mirror to the frame; the razor blade can then easily cut the heated silicon. Take your time, only heating ~1ft increments at a time, working your way around. The old frame will become a little charred, but don't worry, once you've made it around, the mirror will basically fallout out of the frame.
Once the mirror is extracted, you can then take final measurement to know the exact inner dimensions your frame will need to fit. This will vary depending on your mirror of choice.
Measure / Cut the fence pickets to fit your dimensions. This is pretty trivial. Use your saw of choice -- table, miter, hand-saw, jig-saw, all work well. You can also give them a rough sand at this point, so that everything will fit snug for the next step.
After all 4 frame pieces are cut and sanded, lay everything out onto the under-layment and trace the dimensions needed for the backing. Mark and cut the backing material.
Above shows re-verifying the fit after cutting the backing material. Clamps were used to keep frame pieces in place while making minor adjustments. Don't worry about in minor overlaps, etc on the edges, you can simply sand these smooth for a perfect fit.
While checking frame fitment, also place the mirror in the opening to verify a tight, clean fit, with minimal edge gap between mirror and frame. ANY imperfections or adjustments needed should be addressed at this time before moving to staining / gluing, etc.
Next, we'll begin the adhesion of the frame to the backing material. For this, I used both wood glue and 3/8" brad nails for a secure, long-lasting bond (brad nails inserted from backing side).
OK to be liberal with the wood glue, just wipe up any excess after pressing together
Even-though the mirror would cover the center, it was stained anyways, to give a fully complete feel. At this point, let the become dry to the touch, before beginning mirror install.
To adhere the mirror to the wood and provide a long-lasting hold, all purpose silicon was utilized. This can be purchased in small tube so that you don't need a formal caulk gun utilized with the larger cylindrical tubes.
Apply silicon liberally, feel free to make cool patterns as desired :). Slowly insert the mirror, and press gently all around to help promote adhesion. At this time, the final, top frame piece can also be inserted and glued/clamped in place for drying. Brad nails were also utilized from the backside here as well, similar to before.
Now, for final drying, evenly (and gently again), place some protective barrier, followed by some objects with decent mass to provide even pressure all around, while the silicon fully cures.... wait accordingly.
Wood and bricks with a protective paper layer is what I had lying around handy. Also notice, the top frame piece is also still clamped in place, as it has it's own drying time to achieve as well.
At this point, all that's left is the enjoyment phase. Once drying is complete, stand up your new creation and take a nice after photo to compare to the pile of supplies you snapped a photo of before beginning this journey.
ENJOY !!
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