Prepare the mirror panel for the frame surrounds

Place the mirror panel on your work surface with the rear facing downwards. Now use a folding rule to position the mirror centrally on the board so that the surrounding border is the same size on all sides of the mirror. Trace the outline of the mirror in pencil on the mirror panel and place the mirror to one side again.

Now use the drill and 4-mm wood drill bit to predrill the holes required to fix the frame surrounds with the mirror panel. Make three holes for each strip in the centre of the surface area between the pencil line and the outer edge of the mirror panel. Countersink the holes from the rear.

Finish and mount suspension rails and spacer bar

Cut the two suspension rails from a board measuring 500 mm in length and 120 mm in width. To do this, adjust the saw blade of the circular saw to 45° and split the suspension rail board in lengths. To achieve a cut that is exactly straight, you should use clamp clips to clamp a rail as a parallel guide.

Predrill the suspension rails using a drill and 4-mm wood drill bit and countersink the boreholes on the broader side of the rails. You must also predrill the spacer bar so that it can be screwed to the rear panel as described; countersink the holes as required.

You must fit the suspension rails accurately on the mirror panel and on the room wall for the mirror to hang straight and securely. A spirit level is useful for hanging the mirror on the wall.

To fasten the suspension rails to the mirror panel, place the panel face downwards on trestles. Then position the suspension rail on the back in accordance with the height specifications in the illustration and fasten the rail using the predrilled holes with a cordless screwdriver and screws (4 x 35 mm). Follow the same procedure for the spacer bar.

Finish the mirror rear panel and glue on the mirror

To ensure the mirror adhesive tape adheres properly, paint the surface that you marked with a pencil in step 1. For this purpose, sand the area with sanding paper with a grit of 180 in the direction of the grain. Apply a thin layer of primer (spraycan of clear paint). Once the paint has dried, sand the area again and apply a slightly thicker coat of paint. You can attach the mirror to the painted surface with mirror adhesive tape once it has dried completely.

To do this, place the mirror panel with the front side facing up on trestles. The mirror outline from step 1 is still visible. To position the mirror precisely, use clamps to secure two strips at a right angle on one of the marked corners. These act as a stop while you are positioning the mirror.

Attach several strips of mirror adhesive tape to the back of the mirror, remove the protective film and then stick the mirror inside the marked angle on the mirror panel.

Fasten the frame surrounds to the mirror panel

Using clamp clips, fasten each of the frame surrounds one by one to each side of the mirror panel as shown in our illustration. Mount the strips with the cordless screwdriver and screws (4 x 35 mm) through the holes you predrilled in step 1. Also refer to our tips on screwing together two pieces of wood in step 2.

Hang the mirror

Depending on the wall construction, use fixings to fasten the second suspension rail to the wall. Mark the positions of the holes through the predrilled holes on the rail, which you should hold so that it is absolutely horizontal (use your spirit level).

Sand wood surfaces

Take time to prepare the surfaces so they are in the best working condition possible before starting assembly.

First chamfer all edges of the frame surrounds with sanding paper with a grit of 120 or 180 at a 45° angle to create a small bevel. Use your sander to sand all visible surfaces in the direction of the wood grain, first with coarse sanding paper (grit of 120, 180) and then with fine sanding paper (grit of up to 240).

Damp sponge the surfaces afterwards to wipe off the dust. Some loose wood fibres may protrude while the wood is drying. You can remove these with sanding paper with a grit of 180. The wood is now ready for surface treatment. Little tip: Make sure that the sanding paper is sharp enough to remove the wood fibres properly, not just flatten them.

Stain the surfaces

Staining refers to the process used to colour the wood. The wood stain can be applied with a fine spray system. After the stain has been applied, the surface of the wood remains unprotected until wax or paint/varnish is applied.

First read the manufacturer’s safety and handling instructions thoroughly. Make sure the room you are working in is well ventilated and not used for smoking, eating or drinking.

You should change the paint tank if you want to apply another material with your fine spray system in the next step.

Paint the frame surrounds

A wide range of paints is available, of various types and price categories. The main criteria in choosing a paint should be its workability, the technical equipment you have at home, and the surface quality and durability you require. Ask for advice at a specialist retail outlet. If you are not an experienced painter, we recommend that you practice beforehand on a sample piece.

You will achieve the quickest and best result with acrylic paints. It is particularly quick and easy to apply these water-dilutable paints using a fine spray system.

Pour the paint into the paint tank and dilute it if necessary with water. Using a test board, adjust the spray jet at the nozzle and the paint flow at the setting wheel. The spray jet can be set to horizontal or vertical for surfaces and tapered for edges.

Now apply a thin first layer of paint. Start with the edges and then paint the surfaces using even, parallel strokes.

During this process, wood fibres may protrude (as they may have already during the rinsing phase). You can remove these after the paint has dried by using sanding paper with a grit of 220 or 240 in the direction of the grain.

For the second coat, use the same base as you did during the priming stage. This time, you can apply a slightly thicker coat of paint. Start again with the edges and then work on the surfaces using even, parallel strokes.