How should I install mirror on two sides of door?

[Craig D Peltier]

Hi, I need to put a mirror in two doors on a linen type standalone closet. The mirrors will be about 12x30 and I was thinking of getting 1/8th inch. She wants them on both sides. So when you open the doors theres mirror on the inside as well. The doors will be shaker style. Simple tongue and groove joinery.
Can I get both pieces, glue them back to back and then make a 1/4 groove and fit it in like any other type panel and maybe use some space balls to keep them snug? I see this way keeping the door at 3/4 thick. If I put a panel in and glue one to each side of panel the door may have to be 1 inch thick which messes with the insetting of the doors and hinges.Plus I will have to come up with a trim to hide the edging.

Thanks

[Jim Becker]

Honestly, I would confer with the glass shop who will provide your mirrors to find out what the implications of doing them back to back would be. Another option would be to do 1" face frames and doors so you could do a double groove for the mirrors, keeping them physically separate.

[Frank Drew]

Glass is extremely stable so I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't be fine back to back, but instead of a groove to house them you might want to create a rabbet on one side of the face frame material, and hold the mirrors in with an applied molding, for ease of replacement in case of breakage. Same as if you were making a glass paned cabinet door.

Plain or colored painter's putty could substitute for the molding (inside of the door would be best), but I like the look of wood, myself.

Craig, when you said the joinery would be simple tongue and groove, did you mean that the rails would have a short tongue that would go into a continuous groove in the stiles? If so, I'd strongly recommend you consider a real mortise and tenon; I'm not wild about the longevity of tongue and groove cabinet door joints as there's basically no mechanical strength, just a rather minimal glue joint, and that double mirror will be adding some weight to the whole thing. Just a thought.

[Craig D Peltier]

Glass is extremely stable so I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't be fine back to back, but instead of a groove to house them you might want to create a rabbet on one side of the face frame material, and hold the mirrors in with an applied molding, for ease of replacement in case of breakage. Same as if you were making a glass paned cabinet door.

Plain or colored painter's putty could substitute for the molding (inside of the door would be best), but I like the look of wood, myself.

Craig, when you said the joinery would be simple tongue and groove, did you mean that the rails would have a short tongue that would go into a continuous groove in the stiles? If so, I'd strongly recommend you consider a real mortise and tenon; I'm not wild about the longevity of tongue and groove cabinet door joints as there's basically no mechanical strength, just a rather minimal glue joint, and that double mirror will be adding some weight to the whole thing. Just a thought.

Thank you Frank, all good points.I like the rabbett idea and an applied molding. As far as joinery you have a good point.I will rethink this. I have a mortiser, it just takes me alot of extra time since im not so quick with the setup and tenon jig as well but its good practice.

[Reed Wells]

Definitely rabbit and mold. That baby breaks and you will be saying %((*^@$$&__+(*&%##.

[Fred Linthicum]

Craig:

If you are thinking of mounting the mirrors back to back without gluing them to an intermediate surface, I would suggest getting them vinyl-backed. That way if one breaks, no big shards will fall out to cut a loved one (tends to introduce a temporary strain into the relationship :)). A local glass shop should be able to cut 1/8" mirror and apply the backing.

Fred

[Frank Drew]

Fred brings up a very appropriate concern -- if you can fall through it, it really should be safety glass, such as his suggestion of laminating with a sticky layer in between the mirrors (like windshield glass), or getting tempered mirrors which would break up into tiny pieces rather than big, dangerous shards.

[Larry Marley]

I would also consider the weight. The frame will need to be substantial.