DIY replacement TLR first surface mirror - on the cheap

[lynnb]

Having recently acquired a thrift store Flexaret TLR with a badly tarnished mirror, I tried to locate a cheap replacement mirror. In the US this is quite easy and inexpensive via eBay, but the postage rates to Australia are relatively high.

Local suppliers quoted many times more than I paid for the camera, so I looked for cheaper DIY alternatives. I found this tutorial (DIY front surface mirrors 2) showing how to strip the backing paint off a regular mirror to make a first surface mirror.

The only thing that didn't go to plan was the glass cutting, a skill I quickly realised I am more than somewhat deficient. So this example is more a proof of concept:

I'm sure I'll do better next time 🙂

Steps:
1. locate a suitable mirror (same thickness as original; mine was thinner so I applied 2 layers of gaffer tape to bring it up to the required 2mm thickness) and cut to size
2. soak in paint solvent (I used water-based paint stripper, but the video example uses "Winning Colours Stain Remover"), and then gently brush/wipe away backing paint using something soft (a soft brush, cotton buds, or Q-tips will do) to reveal mirrored surface beneath
3. rinse in water and clean gently using cotton buds and Windex.

Total cost: $2.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Thanks for sharing that Lynn, it could be very handy indeed in future. I am not familiar with the Flexaret but with some TLRs you could also compensate for the mirror thickness by adjusting either the height of the focus screen or position of the taking lens, depending on which was easiest at the time.
Cheers,
Brett

 

[Rob-F]

Maybe this should be a sticky.

 

[ZeissFan]

There used to be a lot of cheap Polaroid cameras out there. Those have front-surface mirrors that can be cut down to size.

With a TLR mirror, you can use spacers under the mirror. You probably could use some craft store foam that will compress and push the mirror forward against its stops.

 

[Joao]

My Flexaret's mirror was in a very bad condition and I had it replaced by a Yashica TLR mirror. I dont know the precise model of the Yashica, but perhaps they are not that different in shape or thickness.
Regards
Joao

 

[Particular]

This is great, thanks for sharing your experiment. I didn't know this was possible.

 

[edinator]

Did you ever check the focus after? That's the biggest issue with replacing a mirror like this. If you don't get the spacing just right, your "In-focus" image in the finder will be out of focus on film.