Mirrors

[WillSDQ]

Hi guys. Can a crack in a plate mirror be fixed? I ask because I am getting many request in the Dominican Republic to fix mirrors in beauty salons there. There are thousands of beauty salons in Santo Domingo alone. I thought I read somewhere that there is a special resin that will restore strength to a plate mirror. If this is true, how good cosmetically will they be? Thanks.

[WillSDQ]

I don't know how to edit a thread here so I am adding this information. Liquid Resins advertises a "plate glass resin". Would this work on a mirror? Does Delta have such a resin? I kind of know already that cosmetically a repair will not look very good on a mirror. However, a customer down there would be more interested in keeping what they have, meaning that they would be satisfied with a repair that prevents the damage to cause the mirror to break apart. Thanks again.

[Kgobin]

Yes Delta Kits has Plate Glass Resin. It is formulated for filling very large chips or voids in glass such as those found in residential and commercial plate glass. Also, it has great clarity and resistance to yellowing which makes it the first choice for a lot of windshield repair technicians.

[Frank EU]

Not sure what the resin will do to the finish (the layers at the back side that creates the mirror effect). Never attempted this myself, no market for that here as most mirrors typically can be replaced fairly cheap.

[Brent Deines]

Low viscosity resins are better for repairing cracks in mirrors. As Korey said, plate glass resin is for replacing large voids in plate glass. If a mirror was chipped on the edge or if there as a piece of glass missing, plate glass resin may work, however Frank EU also has a valid point about the coating on the back of the mirror. If that is missing or has been significantly damaged you may not get the results you seek. If repairing cracks that go all the way through the mirror you may need to cover the back of the crack with curing tape to keep resin from seeping out the back, but if it is a coated back you will not be able to scrape excess resin off the back and should be very careful about using any adhesive tapes as either of these things may damage the coating.

Frank was also right about the relatively low cost of most mirrors, so the only personal experience with mirrors is in repairing antiques. Frankly the cracks were still visible so I was not that pleased with the results, but the customer was thrilled as she considered the mirrors to be irreplaceable. I always take on jobs like that only after letting the customer know my concerns and limitations.

[WillSDQ]

Thanks guys! Mirrors are not cheap there! Once I have mastered WSR, I might experiment with mirrors so I will know what I am talking about when I consult with a client who wants this service.

[chips1144]

I think mirrors are coated with Mercury, I dont know if mercury would stick to resin, Maybe you should start importing mirrors.

[WillSDQ]

Jajajaja! That is funny Chips! You're right, there are a lot of things I wish I could import there. The problem there is when you import a product, there are so many hands out, looking for a cut, you end up with a high priced mirror that no one can afford. Just to give you an idea. A used car there, like a 1995 Toyota Corolla, cost around $5,000.00 USD (if the A/C works). A Cheaply made 32" LCD TV is about $2000.00 USD. In fact, the mark up and tariffs on TV's is so high there, the smuggling of TVs on fishing boats into the country is huge right now. The sad thing is, Dominicans believe in fixing everything they have to avoid having to pay a high price for a new what ever. That is why i think WSR will do very good there. As far as a mirror is concerned, I believe if I could restore strength so the pane doesn't fall apart, that will be satisfactory.