Another Chris Roldan Idea - Rear View Mirrors...
By: Steve Boutte

A while back Chris Roldan showed some side mirrors made out of mylar. I couldn't find any at the arts & crafts store, but I did find these - large silver sequins. They are thin, clear plastic, chrome plated on one side. I use the clear side as the face of the mirror because it's more reflective & also because it's more like a real mirror: looking through the glass to the mirror coating on the back.



I put a piece of masking tape on both sides (make sure you mark which side will be the back side) & trace out the shape of the mirror.

Cut it out either with scissors or a hobby knife. Use a sanding stick to smooth out the edges, & peel the tape off of the back side of the mirror.

Stick the mirror face down on a piece of double stick tape, or looped over masking tape. This is so the mirror will stay in place while you add epoxy to the back side of it.

I pre-shaped a piece of 26 ga. wire to serve as the mounting arm.

Mix up some epoxy & with a flat toothpick, add it to the back side of the mirror. Smooth it out & get the general shape you want.

Take the pre-bent wire & stick it in the epoxy. You may need a piece of tape to hold it in the right position.

After the epoxy cured, I brushed on a few coats of Alclad. It's a little rough, but you get the idea. After the paint has dried, peel the tape off of the front.


I did the mirrors below by spraying black enamel & Alclad, & they came out looking smoother than the brush painted one.

Once again, thanks to Chris Roldan for his great low buck detailing tips!

Steve Boutte