After one abortive attempt, we made a good, hexagonal, mylar mirror. We'll be using it inside the BeeCell at the Ganna Walska Lotusland show, Swarm: A Collaboration with Bees.
Great question Del Sol. Mylar mirrors appear to have a problem with temperature changes. Lower temperatures don't seem to be a problem though we don't know what happens with very severe temperature drops. Higher temperatures appear to cause the mylar to expand and the mirror becomes wavy in an undesirable manner. Should we make more, we will probably experiment with making them in rooms that are as hot as we can stand so the mylar will expand at that temperature and should remain mirrorlike at temperatures at and below it.
Hi just really interested in the actual mylar specs. can you tell me the type, cost or point me in a direction to get highly reflective mylar that is prefereably rolled so theres no creases. thanks a bunch enjoyed the vid!
What kind of mylar do you recommend using for this? I'm hoping to make just regular tall, slim, rectangular mirrors for my closet doors. I'm going to use two pieces of acrylic, one behind the mylar and one in front, to ensure smoothness. But I'm not sure what kind of mylar to use, or how to adhere it to the acrylic backing. I see a lot of "peel and stick" mylar on Amazon, but it looks like that's all "one way" (or "two way"... same thing) mirror for privacy windows, or for greenhouses. I'm having trouble finding just the kind of mylar recommended for making a flat mirror.
Hi. It's a long time since you made this video. Thanks it's quiet inspiring. I'm trying to help a friend who wants to open a dance school in Italy. She has peanuts as a budget and the cost of mirrors are daunting. I looked into this and did a test with some mylar here but the sheeting became cloudy when I heat shrunk it. Can you tell me what kind of mylar you used?
@Duda Fabiana & DelSol - it appears to be a piece of 2mil Mylar from a 4x10 or 4x50 ft roll, sold at hydroponic stores and on amazon . could be as thick as 4 mil though. very nicely done gentlemen!
How did you guys set the mylar on the frame after you place it on the double sided tape and cut the corners? Did you just pull it up the frame as tight as you could? Just wondering for the sake of the heat removing the bubbles
Also, what type of heater were you using? I would like to look up the specs of the heater and see how hot it gets to have an idea of heat to distance ratio.
How long did actually take you to shrink the Mylar with the heater till you switched over to the heat gun? Or better put it, how long did you have to stand there and rotate the Mylar?
What grade of mylar did you use. The second one turned out GREAT!. If you didn't show the process, which I am glad you did, you could have said it was a mirror, and I would have believed you.
Great question Del Sol. Mylar mirrors appear to have a problem with temperature changes. Lower temperatures don't seem to be a problem though we don't know what happens with very severe temperature drops. Higher temperatures appear to cause the mylar to expand and the mirror becomes wavy in an undesirable manner. Should we make more, we will probably experiment with making them in rooms that are as hot as we can stand so the mylar will expand at that temperature and should remain mirrorlike at temperatures at and below it.
Hi just really interested in the actual mylar specs. can you tell me the type, cost or point me in a direction to get highly reflective mylar that is prefereably rolled so theres no creases. thanks a bunch enjoyed the vid!
What kind of mylar do you recommend using for this? I'm hoping to make just regular tall, slim, rectangular mirrors for my closet doors. I'm going to use two pieces of acrylic, one behind the mylar and one in front, to ensure smoothness. But I'm not sure what kind of mylar to use, or how to adhere it to the acrylic backing. I see a lot of "peel and stick" mylar on Amazon, but it looks like that's all "one way" (or "two way"... same thing) mirror for privacy windows, or for greenhouses. I'm having trouble finding just the kind of mylar recommended for making a flat mirror.
you guys should make a giant parabolic mirror telescope with this material!
Hi. It's a long time since you made this video. Thanks it's quiet inspiring. I'm trying to help a friend who wants to open a dance school in Italy. She has peanuts as a budget and the cost of mirrors are daunting. I looked into this and did a test with some mylar here but the sheeting became cloudy when I heat shrunk it.
Can you tell me what kind of mylar you used?
@Duda Fabiana & DelSol - it appears to be a piece of 2mil Mylar from a 4x10 or 4x50 ft roll, sold at hydroponic stores and on amazon . could be as thick as 4 mil though. very nicely done gentlemen!
What sorcery is this? How does heat make something shrink? Or is that property of mylar?
How did you guys set the mylar on the frame after you place it on the double sided tape and cut the corners? Did you just pull it up the frame as tight as you could? Just wondering for the sake of the heat removing the bubbles
Cool, thanks, I look forward to trying something similar
You ever do it?
How does this withstand to temperature changes?
Also, what type of heater were you using? I would like to look up the specs of the heater and see how hot it gets to have an idea of heat to distance ratio.
it's gorgeous
well done!
Pretty cool! Any idea on how you could make mylar tape like a mirror?
How long did actually take you to shrink the Mylar with the heater till you switched over to the heat gun? Or better put it, how long did you have to stand there and rotate the Mylar?
I have no idea what grade it was. A friend brought the roll up. Thx for asking all the same
Hello, what material did you use to make the "mirror"? The one that looks like foil.
read the title..MYLAR
you can get a 4 foot x 100 foot roll of it for like 30 dollars on amazon.
how long did it stay like this?
What grade of mylar did you use. The second one turned out GREAT!. If you didn't show the process, which I am glad you did, you could have said it was a mirror, and I would have believed you.
Candy Wanders the first one looked like a fun-house mirror
What kind of double sided tape was used? Thanks!
3M VHB Heavy Duty Mounting Tape 5952, 0.5" width x 5yd length
Cool
rad
or you can order a pre-fabricated Mirrorlite Mirror
Should have put the effort in a round frame.
it's bee thing - has to bee hexagon.
Hello, what material did you use to make the "mirror"? The one that looks like foil.
Duda Fabiana i believe that material is mylar.
Space blankets maybe.
it's mylar for sure (space blankets are made from super thin mylar sheeting) but how many mil is this?