PROJECT PLAN

Tilting Mirror Stand

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78 DECEMBER/JANUARY 1996 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN
Woodworks
B Y B R U C E K I E F F E R
Traditional styling
with the elegance to
stand on its own.
TILTING
MIRROR
STAND
TILTING
MIRROR
STAND
Heres a project thatll reflect well
on your workmanship as well as
your self-image. The mirror tilts and
can be tightened into position so
you can see your entire body, from
head to toe.
The stand is made of solid walnut
with a walnut stain. The stain evens
out some minor color variations in
the wood and darkens the piece, so
if you prefer a lighter color, elimi-
nate the stain or choose a wood like
cherry or oak.
Well show you some tricks for
making the cap molding and the
bullnosed inside frame
moldings thatll also
be useful when
you build other
projects. This
mirror stand will
take about 10
hours to build,
and cost about
$160.
1/2" DIA.
ROUND-OVER
(SIDES AND
FRONT)
NO. 6 x 2"
DRYWALL
SCREWS

NO. 6 x 2"
DRYWALL
SCREW

NO. 6 x 2"
DRYWALL
SCREWS

NO. 6 x 2"
DRYWALL
SCREWS

3/16"
3/16" RAD.
3/16"
GLUE AND
CLAMP
(TYPICAL)
1/2"
4-1/2"
4-1/2"
9/32"
DIA.
HOLE
SWIVEL MIRROR
SCREW
AND INSERT
(2 REQD.)
SWIVEL
MIRROR
SCREW

30"
1/4" BRASS
WASHER
1/4" BRASS
WASHER
29-1/2"
5/32" DIA. HOLES;
3/8" DIA. x 1/4" DEEP
COUNTERBORES
3/16" x
15" x 54"
MIRROR
(CUT
TO FIT
OPENING)

3/8" DIA.
WOOD
PLUGS
45
MITERS
GLUE
INTO
FRAME
CORNER
MIRROR
RETAINER
(4 REQD.)
STRAIGHT
MIRROR
RETAINER
(6 REQD.)
NO. 4 x 1/2" PAN HEAD SHEET METAL SCREW
NO. 4 x 1/2"
PAN HEAD
SHEET
METAL
SCREW
(14 REQD.)
INSERT
3/8" DIA. HOLE
(SEE TEXT)
MIRROR RETAINER
MIRROR
1"
3"
4-1/2" RAD.
3/8" DIA. x 2"
DOWEL PIN
(8 REQD.)
1/4" CLEARANCE
1/2" DIA.
ROUND-OVER
(4 SIDES)
38-1/4"
C
L OF
PIVOT
C
L
GRAIN
DIRECTION
NOTE:
CUT 1/2" OFF
SCREW BEFORE
INSTALLING
5"
SCRIBE J TO A
E
C
L
CROSS SECTION AT PIVOT
CROSS SECTION AT TOP
SIDEA PATTERN DETAIL AT BASE
A
F
M
K
E
C
F
K
K
L
L
M
A
A
A
B
B
B
D
D
F
G
G
G
H
H
H
J
J
J
A
FIG. A TILTING MIRROR STAND DETAILS
80 DECEMBER/JANUARY 1996 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN
dimensions given in the Cutting List on
p. 82.
2. Lay out and drill the dowel holes in
the top rail (C), bottom rail (D), and the
stiles (F) (Photo 1).
3. Glue, dowel and clamp the mirror
frames pieces (C, D and F) together
making sure the frame is square.
4. Lay out and drill the holes in the
sides of the stiles for the threaded
inserts that come with the swivel mirror
screws. Use your dowel hole drilling jig
and a 3/8-in. dia. drill bit. The holes for
the inserts will still be a little small, so
wiggle the bit a little to enlarge the
holes. Dont screw the inserts in yet.
5. Make a template of half of the shape
of the side piece (A). Start by cutting a
scrap piece of thin plywood or hard-
board to 2-1/4 in. x 38-1/4 in. long.
Transfer and enlarge the grid shapes
(see Fig. A on p. 79) to your template
piece and mark the hole locations too.
Cut out the shapes and smooth the
sawn edges with a bastard file and
sandpaper.
6. Draw center lines from end to end
BEFORE YOU START
Gather all the tools listed in the Tool
List on p. 82 as well as your basic car-
pentry and layout tools.
Be selective if you buy walnut lum-
ber. Its expensive, and the quality
varies greatly from board to board. The
quantities in the Shopping List allow for
about 30 percent waste. Youll need this
extra wood for cutting around knots and
other defects. If you dont own a thick-
ness planer, have your lumberyard
plane three of the walnut boards so
theyre 1 in. thick, and the other one so
its 3/4 in. thick. Then cut a 24-in long
piece from the 3/4-in. thick board, and
plane it to 1/2-in. thickness. You can cut
the rest on your table saw.
Buy the other materials listed in the
Shopping List on p. 82, except for the
mirror. Once youve assembled the mir-
ror frame, take it to a local glass suppli-
er and have them cut the mirror to fit
your frame.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut the pieces A through M to the
CROSS
SUPPORT (B)
SIDES (A)
3" TALL
ALIGNMENT
BLOCKS
ALIGN OUTLINE
AND BOTTOM
OF SIDE
HAND SCREW
CLAMP
USE a dowel hole
drilling jig to drill the
dowel holes so
theyre straight and
centered. Place a
piece of masking tape
on the drill bit to act
as a depth stop flag.
PLACE the cross
support on two
3-in. tall blocks to
align its height.
Measure and align
the cross support so
its centered on the
sides (A), then
insert the screws.
SCREW the bases to the bottoms of
the sides. An easy way to align the
pieces is to draw an outline of the
sides bottom on the top of the
bases.
Woodworks
DOWEL HOLE
DRILLING
JIG
TOP
RAIL
(C)
HAND SCREW
CLAMP
1
2
3
on one face of each side (A). Align your
template to the center line and trace the
shape. Flip the template over and trace
the shape to the other side and mark
the hole locations as well. Cut out the
shapes with a band saw or jigsaw, then
smooth the sawn edges with a bastard
file and sandpaper. Drill the counter-
bored holes for the walnut plugs to
cover the drywall screws that hold the
cross support (B). Next, drill the clear-
ance holes for the drywall screws, then
the 9/32-in. dia. holes for the swivel mir-
ror screws.
7. Finish-sand the mirror frame, cross
support (B) and sides (A). Use an
orbital sander, starting with 150-grit
sandpaper, then 180-grit, and finish with
220-grit. Ease any sharp edges with
180-grit sandpaper.
8. Screw the sides to the cross support
(Photo 2).
9. Using a 3/8-in. dia. plug cutter, cut
four 3/8-in. long screw cover plugs from
a piece of scrap walnut. Glue and ham-
mer the plugs into their holes. After the
glue is dry, make the plugs flush using
a bastard file, and then sandpaper.
10. Lay out, countersink and drill the
screw holes in the bases (G). Glue and
clamp the feet (H) to the bases. Clean
off any oozed-out glue with a paint
scraper and chisel; sand the edges after
the glue is dry.
11. To make it easier to attach the
bases, draw the outlines of the bottoms
of the sides onto the tops of the bases.
Rout the 1/2-in. radius edges on the
bases. Now youre ready to align and
screw the bases in place (Photo 3).
PUSH
STICK
CAP
MOLDING
THE FAMILY HANDYMAN DECEMBER/JANUARY 1996 81
Its usually best to rout the pro-
files on a larger piece of wood
first, and then cut the moldings to
their finished dimensions after-
wards. This is easier than trying to
rout the edges of narrow or thin
pieces of wood.
I also prefer to hand-hold my
router, rather than use my router
table. Its easier to control and
theres less wood tear-out. I use
my router table to shape smaller,
less detailed moldings. The mirror
stand moldings are made using
both methods. Heres how theyre
done.
MAKING THE CAP MOLDING
The cap molding (E) is made by
routing the edge of a piece of
wood thats 1/4 in. thicker and
1/4 in. wider than the moldings
finished dimensions. The added
thickness raises the router so the
bottom of the router bit wont dig
into your work table. The added
width allows you to rout past the
end without having to worry
FENCE
ROUTER
TABLE
3/16" DIA.
ROUND-OVER
BIT
CUT the cap molding so its 3/4 in.
thick. Do this after youve routed the
rounded-over edges and cut the
width to 1-3/4 in.
ROUT the edges of the
bullnose molding
pieces K and L using a
router table and a
3/16-in. dia. round-
over bit. Push the
wood piece across the
router table from right
to left. Pushing at a
slow, continuous rate
will reduce tear-out
and burning.
4 5
about tear-out because youll saw
the back edge off later.
Rout the 1/2-in. dia. rounded-
over front edge and the ends of
the cap molding piece. Then, using
your table saw, cut the width to
1-3/4 in., and then cut the thick-
ness to 3/4 in. (Photo 4).
MAKING THE BULLNOSE
MOLDINGS
The bullnose moldings (K and L)
are made by routing both edges of
pieces that are more than twice as
wide as the finished moldings. This
way two moldings can be made
from each of the pieces K and L.
Doing it this way is easier than
routing the edges of narrow
pieces.
Set up your router table with a
3/16-in. dia. round-over bit. Rout
both edges and both sides of
pieces K and L (Photo 5). Using a
table saw, cut the bullnose mold-
ings to their finished widths of
11/16 in. Now go back to step 13
of the step-by-step instructions.
Unscrew the bases, finish-sand them,
then reattach them.
12. Make the cap molding (E) and the
bullnose moldings (K and L). See
Making the Moldings at right.
13. Lay out, countersink and drill the
screw holes in the cap molding. Next,
miter the ends of the bullnose moldings
so they fit inside the mirror frame.
Finish-sand the molded pieces, then
screw the cap molding to the top of the
mirror frame. Apply glue lightly to the
outside edges of the bullnose moldings,
then clamp them to the inside edges of
the frame.
14. Lay out the four braces (see Fig.
A) on piece J. Draw the 4-1/2 in. radius
Instead of sanding excess glue
in hard-to-reach corners, use a
sharp chisel to clean off any
oozed glue after the glue has
partially dried.
TIP
curves using a large compass or a tram-
mel point set. Start by cutting the curve,
then smooth its sawn edge with a half-
round bastard file and sandpaper. Then
cut the brace to length. Do all four
braces this way.
15. Scribe and trim the inside edges of
the braces so they fit against the
tapered sides (Photo 7). Trim off the
scribe waste with a band saw or bastard
file. Finish-sand the braces and ease the
exposed sharp edges. Apply glue lightly
to the edges of the braces. Then press
and align them against the sides and
bases. Hold the braces in place for
about a minute to allow the glue to
stick, or use masking tape to hold them
in place.
16. Apply the stain and let it dry for 24
hours. Following the directions on the
can, apply three coats of Danish oil fin-
GUARD REMOVED FOR PHOTOUSE YOURS
MAKING THE MOLDINGS
82 DECEMBER/JANUARY 1996
SHOPPING LIST
ITEM QUANTITY
1" x 6" x 8' walnut* 3 pieces
3/4" x 6" x 8' walnut* 1 piece
1/4" x 15" x 54" scrap plywood 1 piece
3/16" x 14-15/16"
x 53-15/16" mirror 1
No. 6 x 2" drywall screws 11
No. 4 x 1/2" pan head
sheet metal screws 14
3/8" x 2" hardwood spiral
dowel pins** 8
Polished brass swivel
mirror screws** 1 pair
Mirror retainer clips
(1/8" offset)** 1 set
1/4" brass flat washers 2
Minwax No. 224 Special
Walnut stain 1/2 pint
Danish oil finish 1/2 pint
*Finished thicknesses.
**Available from The Woodworkers Store,
Dept. TFH, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN
55340; (800) 279-4441. Cat. No. 16255, TFH
Mirror Stand Hardware Kit, $8.95; kit includes
fifty 3/8" x 2" hardwood spiral dowel pins, one
pair polished brass swivel mirror screws, and a
set of 10 mirror retainer clips (1/8" offset). Kit
price includes shipping cost.
CUTTING LIST
KEY PCS. SIZE & DESCRIPTION
A 2 1" x 4-1/2" x 38-1/4" walnut
(sides)
B 1 1" x 3-1/2" x 18-1/2" walnut
(cross support)
C 1 1" x 3" x 15" walnut (top rail)
D 1 1" x 2-1/2" x 15" walnut
(bottom rail)
E 1 1" x 2" x 19-3/4" walnut
(cap molding)*
F 2 1" x 1-5/8" x 59-1/2" walnut
(stiles)
G 2 3/4" x 3" x 17-1/2" walnut
(bases)
H 4 3/4" x 3" x 3" walnut (feet)
J 1 1/2" x 5" x 24" walnut (braces)*
K 1 3/8" x 1-5/8" x 55" walnut
(bullnose molding)*
L 1 3/8" x 1-5/8" x 16" walnut
(bullnose molding)*
M 1 1/4" x 15" x 54" scrap plywood
(back)
*Cut to finished dimensions during assembly;
see the step-by-step instructions.
ish to all the pieces except the back
(M). Allow the last coat of Danish oil to
dry for two days.
17. After the oil finish has dried, buy
your mirror and set it in the frame. Set
the back in the opening, and screw the
mirror retainer clips in place.
18. Screw the mirror swivel screw
threaded inserts into the holes in the
sides of the mirror frame. I found that
applying a little wax to the insert
threads made it easier to screw them in.
Woodworks
TOOL LIST
Table saw with miter gauge
Router with:
router table and fence
router pad
1/2" and 3/16" rad. round-over bits
Band saw or jigsaw
Hacksaw
Cordless or electric drill
No. 1 Phillips screwdriver or hex-shanked bit
No. 2 Phillips screwdriver or hex-shanked bit
Dowel hole drilling jig
Orbital sander
Drill bits:
1/16", 7/64", 5/32" and 9/32" twist bits
3/8" brad point bit
countersink bit
3/8" dia. screw cover plug cutter
Half-round bastard file
Wood chisel
Large compass or trammel points
Clamps:
two 24" long bar or pipe clamps
eight 6" long bar clamps
one 10" handscrew clamp
THE FAMILY HANDYMAN DECEMBER/JANUARY 1996 83
SCRIBE the edges of the braces
where they meet the sides. Hold
the brace behind the side so the
top of the brace is aligned with
the side, then draw the scribe line.
ALIGN
BRACE
AND
SIDE
HERE
BRACE
SCRIBE
THIS EDGE
7
PUSH
STICKS
EDGES
ALREADY
ROUTED
6
CUT the finished
widths of the bull-
nose moldings. Set
your table saw to
cut 11/16 in.
wide. Cut off one
molding piece, flip
the waste piece
over, and cut off
the other molding
piece. Do both
pieces K and L.
Use the side of the blade of a straight
screwdriver placed in the slot of the
inserts to twist them into their holes. A
silver dollar works too!
19. Use a hacksaw to cut 1/2 in. from
each swivel screw. Next, place the
1/4-in. brass flat washers over the mir-
ror swivel screws. Now with the help of
another person, hold the mirror frame
between the sides and have your helper
insert the swivel screws. Tighten the
screws, and youre all set. TFH
Editor and Project Co-Designer DAVID RADTKE
Art Direction MARCIA WILLISTON
Technical Art EUGENE THOMPSON
Lead Photo MIKE KRIVIT
How-to Photography BILL ZUEHLKE
GUARD REMOVED FOR PHOTOUSE YOURS!