Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Oct 14, 2008 05:12am | #1

   In your drawing, I don't see how the mirror will reflect the glass edge, since it is housed in a frame. Mirrors do double the visibility of the rabbet or dado they sit in. You can often see if the groove is not finished and, if the mirror edge is cut roughly, it will also show. The reflection is the thickness of the mirror times two, so your rabbet looks 1/4" thick no matter what you do. Not many would notice since the focus will be on the object in the case, not the cabinet details. Still, you want to treat the inside of that rabbet as though it will be seen.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

2. 
   brucet9 | Oct 14, 2008 06:26am | #2

   I have minimized the "reflected rabbet" effect by painting the rabbet flat black. Makes it much less noticeable.

   As for the unfinished glass edge, you could belt sand the edges (or have the glass shop do it) to get rid of the rippled surface, thus making it less conspicuous.

   BruceT

   
   

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   Edited 10/13/2008 11:30 pm by brucet9

3. 
   ring | Oct 14, 2008 07:25am | #3

   If I may suggest, your setting the mirror into the dado is just making things complicated and not adding anything to the structure or to the esthetics. Make the case and finish it. Then have your mirror made, with ground edges, to exactly fit the back of the cabinet. Attach it with double-sided tape to the cabinet back. The ground edges will look just fine, like any free-standing mirror does.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

1. 
   Quickstep | Oct 14, 2008 02:53pm | #5

   I originally planned to make the cabinet first, then add the mirror, but I figured if the mirror was oversize by even a little bit, it wouldn't fit in properly. Undersize and it would look bad.

   I never considered that the dado would be exposed! Nice catch. I think I'll talk to the glass guy about polishing the edges and then painting them black as well as the dado.

   Thanks all for the great ideas.

4. 
   hatchet24 | Oct 14, 2008 01:18pm | #4

   If you are thinking how can you minimize the edge of the mirror from the reflection, the best thing to do is to color the dado area black.  It hides the edge of the mirror and gives a clean look from the corner.  Either paint or permanent markers will work.