Infinity Mirror Project

This project and mirror is dedicated to my friend Susan in Ohio. Let me reproduce excerpts from her e-mails which resulted from an exchange about Kaleidoscopes, among several other things.  Who is this Susan? I've mentioned about her in my first ever blog here: [Click on click!]

Excerpts "cut and paste" from Susan's mails [in italics]:

I want to make an ‘infinity mirror,’ and have looked on-line for stick-on two-way mirror plastic, and have found some of that but can’t afford it right now. have you heard of infinity mirrors??

It’s a wonderful idea, really, this infinity mirror thing. It requires a mirror that is mirror on one side but can be seen through from the other side. Auto parts places on-line sell this sort of plastic mirror stuff; people use it to make their car windows mirrored to outsiders, but they are still able to see out the windows to drive. Did that make sense, Dinu?  So! You have this double mirror pointing in toward another, regular mirror, with lights sandwiched in between. The result is a reflection that can be seen from the outside, and is reflected an infinite amount of times internally.

The glasses don’t have to be far apart; there needs to be but room for some sort of light/ing in between…. There are instructions for how to make infinity lights on-line…..Yes. First set down a regular mirror, mirror side UP. Then put a frame with lights on it – like a thick picture frame, or even thicker. Put the lights around the edge, you see….. Then set the two-way mirror on top of that, reflective side toward the lights. Ideally the under-mirror, the frame, and the top mirror would all be the same size…. Done! It’s like the kaleidoscope project: Once you have the materials, well, you’re almost there!!!!

☼☼☼☼☼

This happened in February.  There are certain things I instantly get the feeling of "I can do this one."This was one.  Materials: The two said mirrors, a wooden frame, lights and some patience! 

There was a neat teak wood frame, which was from brother's abandoned screen-printing things, available on hand. This was the ideal size, being made of one inch thick wood and having a dimension of 12x16 inches. I took it to the glass cutter/dealer close to our house and chose the regular mirror and the two way mirror and got it cut exactly to the size of the frame. This was ready.  I had checked on the 'LED strip lights' in electric shops and had found it to be suitable.  But I was not serious to buy at that time.  

Finally, I bought last week.  I thought one metre of this strip would be enough. It cost me sixty rupees.  The adapter to reduce current from 230v to 12v cost 150 rupees. Mirrors had cost me some 150 or so. So it was well within 400. Yesterday I sat on this project seriously as all things needed were on hand.  I had bought the clamps and screws. 

Though the LED strip was a 'sticker' to be stuck, I used thick stapler pins to fasten it to the inside of the wood frame.  I kept the mirrors and checked how it looked.  Went ahead in clamping the glasses.  First I clamped the regular mirror and then the other mirror, just as Sue had suggested.  And I added another step 'cleaning the glass once more'.  

Viola, ready!

Clamps, screws and the lights, on.

Lights, off.

The Adapter and the light strip - close up.

Wall hanging provision;  Use of stapler pins to fasten the light strip.

 Side view of the frame with mirrors and clamps. 

Ready and on the wall.

The one metre strip was not enough..  It fell short. I had not measured. 

The LED reflections. 

I call this :Suinfinity Mirror". Thanks Susan.

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I have further modified it - coming back to link the post [click here].