# Need to build a mirror wall. Hints?



## yunebug (May 13, 2013)

Hi everyone,

We're doing Footloose in the Fall and need a mirror wall for choreography. The school does not have a dance room so looks like we'll have to build it. 

My idea:

The proscenium opening is 20 feet wide and 18 inches up from the floor. I'll erect 5 flats (48" x 96") in front of the opening to build a wall that will span the 20 feet opening. 

Home Depot sells a 6-pack of 12" x 12" square mirrors for $9.99. I'll use some kind of an adhesive to glue these mirror squares onto the flats to create a 72" x 48" mirror surface (6 mirrors high, 4 mirrors wide) per flat. Five flats across the way (240 inches) and six feet height (72 inches) of mirrors should do the trick, I hope?

6-pack of 12"x12" is $10. I'm going to need 20 of those 



This is where you come in. Please share your ideas on how to make this process faster/cheaper/better/etc. :0) Thank you very much!


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## danTt (May 13, 2013)

Do the mirrors have some sort of frame? I'd expect you would see a line between mirror sections that would annoy everyone watching. Definately seems like a cheap solution if you can pull it off though. If they are glass mirrors make sure you think about all of the possible issues involved with a large glass surface and a large amount of dancing people.


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## yunebug (May 13, 2013)

Nope - bare square mirror tiles. We plan on leaving a SMALL gap between the tiles to not let the tiles rattle against each other when vibrations happen. So yes, there will be lines - but they'll have to put up with it (unless someone else here comes up with a more brilliant idea). The flats will be sitting on the carpeted floor, so that should help with vibrations from the stage. Thanks for your post.


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## soundman (May 13, 2013)

Have you looked at Rosco's line of mirror foil? Unless you want the tiled look it might be a better option. It will also cost about half as much. I haven't used this product but if you have enough lead time you should be able to arrange a sample. 

Mirrors - rosco.com


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## gafftaper (May 13, 2013)

Is this for rehearsal or performance? If performance, the Rosco mirror stuff is great, but not durable enough for keeping long term. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## yunebug (May 13, 2013)

It's for rehearsal only. :0)

Also, "some practice is needed to develop the proper technique for the shrinking process" -- how steep exactly is the learning curve?


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## gafftaper (May 13, 2013)

If this is something you plan on keeping, I wouldn't use the Rosco shrink mirror. It's fine for a set, but I doubt it would survive much moving around and storage. I think your original plan is a better bet. 

Now all that said, I have to wonder about the need for mirrors for a high school production rehearsal. I've been involved in a lot of different productions at a lot of high schools and small colleges (some of Footloose) and I've never seen a set of rehearsal mirrors for any of them. It's a cool idea, but I can think of a lot more important uses of that money and time. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## Van (May 13, 2013)

gafftaper said:


> If this is something you plan on keeping, I wouldn't use the Rosco shrink mirror. It's fine for a set, but I doubt it would survive much moving around and storage. I think your original plan is a better bet.
> 
> Now all that said, I have to wonder about the need for mirrors for a high school production rehearsal. I've been involved in a lot of different productions at a lot of high schools and small colleges (some of Footloose) and I've never seen a set of rehearsal mirrors for any of them. It's a cool idea, but I can think of a lot more important uses of that money and time.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2



I haven't seen a lot of high school programs where the dancers even knew what the mirrors were for.< actually being aware of spacing, equal extension, etc....> other than making sure they looked cute in those leg warmers..... 

Rosco mirror isn't bad. as long as you don't lose your temper, get impatient and try to rush the process. You do have to make sure the frame you install it on is square and planar. Another option might be mirrored plexi but again you really need a good substrate to keep it from getting all fun-house on you.


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## Les (May 13, 2013)

Van said:


> Another option might be mirrored plexi but again you really need a good substrate to keep it from getting all fun-house on you.



I used this once during a production of A Chorus Line and Van is right -- that stuff is hard to keep flat. That said, it's available in 4x8 sheets, so it's a good "wall" option so long as you can keep it flat. We never did come up with an adhesive safe enough for attaching the stuff. Mirror Mastic is great for glass mirrors, but damages the acrylic to the point where you can see the glue lines in the reflection. We ended up sandwiching it between 2x2 frames, but alas, we had to live with the "fun house" look.

In hindsight, maybe a silicone adhesive would have worked, or maybe even a roll on contact cement. Something you can apply evenly to every square inch would be best.


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## Van (May 13, 2013)

Les said:


> I used this once during a production of A Chorus Line and Van is right -- that stuff is hard to keep flat. That said, it's available in 4x8 sheets, so it's a good "wall" option so long as you can keep it flat. We never did come up with an adhesive safe enough for attaching the stuff. Mirror Mastic is great for glass mirrors, but damages the acrylic to the point where you can see the glue lines in the reflection. We ended up sandwiching it between 2x2 frames, but alas, we had to live with the "fun house" look.
> 
> In hindsight, maybe a silicone adhesive would have worked, or maybe even a roll on contact cement. Something you can apply evenly to every square inch would be best.



Something like a latex based cove base adhesive works but you have to use an 1/8" notched trowel, not scratch the back of the mirror AND cover every last square inch evenly. 
In Hindsight "Real" Glass is so bad.


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## len (May 13, 2013)

I'm thinking silver mylar. Amazon.com: Reflective Mylar Roll 100 Feet Long: Patio, Lawn & Garden


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## yunebug (May 14, 2013)

len said:


> I'm thinking silver mylar. Amazon.com: Reflective Mylar Roll 100 Feet Long: Patio, Lawn & Garden



Winner winner chicken dinner! The glassless / Mylar Mirror would be the best choice! Cheap and just as effective as a mirror wall. THANK YOU VERY MUCH LEN! 

The link points me to a Mylar roll that is 48" wide and 100 feet long. PERFECT for my 48" wide flats and plenty of leftovers!


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## len (May 14, 2013)

You're welcome. You won't get a true mirror look, but it will be lighter and safer.


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## FatherMurphy (May 14, 2013)

A drawback of the 1' tiles is that they are unlikely to end up 'aimed' in exactly the same direction, giving the reflection a bug-eyed look due to the differing reflection angles, which might be distracting, kind of like driving a car with a cracked rear-view mirror.

Getting any sort of large mirror to not distort the reflection is tough, even glass mirror walls end up having to have adjustable frames to get perfectly aligned images.


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## yunebug (May 14, 2013)

Now that's an aspect I did not even think about. I love this place. Thank you for the advice - the Mylar really is the perfect solution for my application.


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## Van (May 14, 2013)

yunebug said:


> Now that's an aspect I did not even think about. I love this place. Thank you for the advice - the Mylar really is the perfect solution for my application.



Same basic issues as with Rosco mirror. you need to stretch or apply it over a frame Do not try to adhere it drirectly to the surface of a flay it will not work. Rip yourself some 1x to install around the perimeter of where you wnat you mirror. Use snot tape to attach the mylar to the 1x.


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## kicknargel (May 14, 2013)

OK, Van, you got me. Define "snot tape."


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## chausman (May 14, 2013)

kicknargel said:


> OK, Van, you got me. Define "snot tape."



Adhesive Kleenex.


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## Van (May 14, 2013)

kicknargel said:


> OK, Van, you got me. Define "snot tape."



UMmmmm well, here:
TecNec Snot Tape - Reverse Wound Butyl Tape General Tape, Accessory Tape at Markertek.com

It's like dbl-stick tape with just the adhesive, no fiber in the middle. It's used in the film industry a lot. I like it for all sorts of reasons, one of which it's a good excuse to use the word Snot.


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## dbaxter (May 15, 2013)

We used 4x8 ft. plexiglass sheets for a recent production. Lightweight, but a bit brittle - careful drilling any mounting holes as it cracks easily. Here is a possible vendor: Plexiglass Mirror Sheets - Plexiglas acrylic mirror sheets - Clear and Color mirror sheet - 2 way - see through


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## ImNeverDoingThisAgain (Jul 16, 2013)

Hello all - I need to build a 24" x 4' funhouse mirror. I tried Roscoe Thin Silver (shrinkable stuff) over a curved frame and a straight frame following their instructions. It is cloudy - any ideas why? Using for short term production, but reflection needs to be better than that! HELP!


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## Les (Jul 16, 2013)

ImNeverDoingThisAgain said:


> Hello all - I need to build a 24" x 4' funhouse mirror. I tried Roscoe Thin Silver (shrinkable stuff) over a curved frame and a straight frame following their instructions. It is cloudy - any ideas why? Using for short term production, but reflection needs to be better than that! HELP!




I'm not sure how to help make what you already have work for you, but I can say that acrylic (plexiglass) mirror is ideal for your situation. You can get it in very thin sheets, so it is really flexible. Usually, this is an undesirable effect, but it will probably work to your advantage in this situation. 

Word of warning (as I think I may have said in my post above): Don't attach it using Mirror Mastic or any other similar adhesive. It will eat through the reflective coating and show through from the front.

Here's my original post from above:


Les said:


> Van said:
> 
> 
> > Another option might be mirrored plexi but again you really need a good substrate to keep it from getting all fun-house on you.
> ...


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## ImNeverDoingThisAgain (Jul 16, 2013)

Thank you Les. I ended up ordering plexiglass mirror, should arrive tomorrow, can't wait to see how it works.


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