Cutting IKEA mirror doors

[ilovesunshine]

Hello All

Happy New Year and hope you all had an excellent Christmas

I just bought these IKEA wardrobe doors on eBay

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The seller kindly showed me how they had altered the doors from the standard 230ish Cm high ones you buy off the shelf at IKEA to make the top ones.

So glossy white ones super easy; circular saw with sharp blade and add new hinge cut outs...

But the mirror doors he said he took the mirror off; cut the door like the gloss white doors and then got a mirror bespoke made and restuck on from a local glaziers - with care to exactly match the glass so it’s got the same tint / colouring ...

Wondering if you can recommend anything to cut this mirror glass to a desired size - with my TKC55?!! (I’m an optimist!!)

Or any tool at all?!! Or could I take the doors to a local Glazier and they cut the mirror and door together as IKEA supply them glued!

The doors are called Vikedal :https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products...l-door-with-hinges-mirror-glass-spr-69904237/

Doesn’t say anything about it being any special glass.

If anyone has any tips that’d be hugely appreciated- thank you

 

[waho6o9]

" take the doors to a local Glazier "

Good idea!

 

[peter halle]

Ditto

 

[DeformedTree]

Wondering if you can recommend anything to cut this mirror glass to a desired size - with my TKC55?!! (I’m an optimist!!)

Step away from the saw.  Festool isn't the answer to everything.

 

[NL-mikkla]

You can cut mirrors your self, it's basically the same way you cut glass, by hand that is not with a TKC55
Unfortunatley the result is never as good, the edging is usually very ugly.
Mirrors are cheap and can be bought to any size, maybe your glazier can you recut your mirrors, I have never asked that

 

[Gregor]

" take the doors to a local Glazier "

This.

 

[Farming_Sawyer]

It depends if the mirrors are true glass,,, go to glazier... Or plastic based. Cheap wardrobe mirrors are often made from reflective backed polycarbonate because they're lighter. These you can cut with a plastic blade, but in my experience they can chip severely along the edges. Something about the reflective process I think. You can tell the difference between glass and poly by taking a knife to it. The poly will scratch. It is very hard to tell the difference at first. You can cut glass with a diamond tile saw. Wet. I believe I've done mirror--resized mirror panels to fit mulllioned window frame. But I can't recall the process. Guess I just did it.

 

[rst]

As a commercial glazing contractor...take ti to a glass shop.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Never, ever put your TKC55?!! on glass unless you want to get to know the ugly side of life.

+1 Glass shop.

 

[ilovesunshine]

Hey thanks for all the helpful replies! It’s definitely glass not the polycarbonate. And, lol, I did think after I posted I couldn’t think of how the saw would help other than to set the depth and cut from the chipboard side to miss the mirror!

I’m just thinking as the mirror is glued (I presume) to the doors - how do you cut it?

As from what little I know of glass and mirrors you score it first or something - you’d have to do that on the good side - and how then would you break it along the line with the door still attached to the back of it?

What I’d ideally like to do is to find a way to use the existing glass and backing - and get at least 2 small doors from each IKEA big door.

Can anyone think of a way this would be possible or is it too fiddly / dangerous with the mirror attached to the door?

What about if I super carefully cut from the back with the TKC55 so it cuts the 18mm of the chipboard part of the doors and then the mirror back would / should be exposed? And then I either take that to a glazier or try to score it myself from the back?

Or could the glazier cut the chipboard as well as the mirror??

I can’t think there’s any clever way to unglue / unattach the mirror from the door is there? Whole?!!

Or is the best solution really only as the eBay guy did it - just ditch the mirrors totally - cut the door or make a new one and add new glass?

Thank you so much for the replies!

 

[nclemmons]

You use a glass cutter along a straightedge to cut the mirror.  Given the mirror is adhered to the chipboard with glue, any attempt to remove the mirror and reuse it could result in the reflective coating being pulled or damaged from the glue and prying.

I'd start by taking one of them to a glazier and ask them.  They may have to entirely replace the mirror rather than trying to remove and reinstall or cut it with the chipboard. 

There could be a possibility of cutting from the back-side to clear the chipboard and then scoring with a glass cutter and breaking it off at the score.  That could give you a cleaner cut and preserve the mirror.  It does not take much to cut glass, particularly single strength like the mirror.  Likely they would try to cut it and then use a stone to remove any sharp edge.

Certainly worth a discussion or trial.  But I'd start with a glazier conversation first.  They may suggest you bring your saw and rail and work with them.  Or they may recommend full replacement.

I think you'll want to cut the mirror glass from the front side, not the back side.  Normally, they will lay the glass / mirror on a carpeted bench to prevent any potential damage to the reflective coating.

Start with a glazier visit with one of the doors!

 

[ilovesunshine]

Ok thank you all so much! I will do

Amateur question : I know the answer to this but forgot.

When I cut the glossy doors with the TKC55 should I do it glossy side up or down?

As one way from memory gives a cleaner cut than the other way but forgot which! Thank you

 

[peter halle]

If you can set the guiderail on the surface and the waste will be away from the rail, then cut gloss up.

Peter

 

[AlexThePalex]

You use a glass cutter along a straightedge to cut the mirror.

Problem with just cutting glass is that you get a very ugly edge which you have to grind and polish. Not a problem if the glass is placed in a window where the edges are covered, but not very nice if it's a mirror that is in plain view. You need to have special equipment to grind and polish glass.

 

[Gregor]

Mirrors from IKEA often are made from toughened safety / tempered glass, trying to cut that stuff without a laser is futile.