Woodworker's Journal 1993-17-6, страница 64
Decorative Windowpane MirrorsHere's a project thai realh perks up a room. By framing a mirror to look like a window, you get an eye-catching wall decoration that will also make a room look bigger and brighter. We show the half-round mirror above the rectangular mirror, but you don't need to make both. We've found that each looks good w hen hung alone. The shelf is optional, but it makes a perfect place to display dried flowers or special knickknacks. Pine is used for all the frame parts. To keep the construction simple, we avoided standard window joinery, instead using dowel joints throughout. Half-Round Mirror The outer frame, consisting of the arch and the rail, is made first. You'll need five-quarter stock (which has an actual thickness of I'/» in.) tor these parts. Note that, for maximum grain strength, the arch is made up of two individual segments that are joined by dowels al the center. MAKE Tin. ARCH SEGMENTS—Begin by cutting Slock to make each arch segment (A). As shown in the Bill of Materials, you'll need two I /* in. thick boards, each one measuring 5 in. w ide and 20 in. long. Lay out the i I 7-» in. and 13 in. radius curves, then use the lable saw to cut the ends al 45 degrees (Fig. I). Next. lay oul the centerline location of the V-i in. diameter by V-t in. deep dowel holes (see Front View), then use a doweling jig to bore them out. Once the dowel holes are bored, use the band saw to cut the curved shape of each arch. MAKE THE RAIL—The rail (B) is made from I Vk in. thick stock ripped lo I 'At in. w idc. Before cutting it lo length, dry assemble the arch segments and measure the distance across the bottom. Cut the rail jusl slightly longer (about 7s in.I than the measured length. Later, the extra rail length w ill be trimmed. Now. layout and mark the location of ihe 7-t in. diameter by V* in. deep dowel holes in ihe rail, then bore them oul. If you have a pair of 7j in. dowel centers, this is a good time to use them, as they will make it easier lo transfer ihe center points front the arch segments to ihe rail. JOIN THE ARCH SEGMENTS—Next, the two arch segments are glued together. Add a thin coat of glue to ihe dowel holes and the dowel pins, then assemble ihe two parts. Clamp two handscrews across the arches, then use a pair of C-clamps on the handscrews to apply clamp pressure lo the joint (Fig. 2). At this point, it's a good idea to dry assemble the rail, just lo make sure all ihe frame paris fii up properly while the glue sets. Once dry. remove the clamps and the rail, and sand the inside edge ot the arch to remove ihe band saw marks. For now. a sanding through 80-gril is all that's needed. CUT THE BACK RABBET—As shown in Ihe Back View, a Vk in. by Vk in. rabbet is cut all around the inside back edge of the ouler frame parts. L'se ihe router table and a Vk in. bearing-guided rabbeting bit lo make the rabbet all along the arch. Do the same lo ihe rail, bui stop ii short of each end. To find where you need lo stop the rabbet, dry assemble ihe rail lo the arch and mark ihe exact location. The stopped rabbet will have rounded corners, so you'll need to square them with a chisel. (Back rabbets like (his are often cut after a frame is assembled. Here, though, the hub and muntins interfere with the router bit bearing. Should you chose to cut the rabbet after assembly, you'll need a chisel lo complete several inches of the rabbet.) MAKE THE HUB—To make the hub (C>, cut Vj in. thick stock to the dimensions shown in the Bill Of Materials, then use a compass to scribe a 2 in. radius. Cut it out on ihe band saw and sand the sawn edge through 220-gril. A disk sander. if you have one. will come in handy here. Once again, dry assemble the arch and rail. Now, measuring between ihe inside of the arches, mark the centerpoinl of the rail. Disassemble, then add a coal of glue to the bottom edge of the hub and glue il to the top edge of the rail, making sure the center of the hub is centered along ihe length of the rail. By the way. before gluing the parts, it s a good idea to drive a couple The Woodworker's Joumjl |
