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Mirror Glazing Film Removal

Since the first person gazed at himself in the calm waters of a pond, mankind has been fascinated by mirrors. In ancient times, metal workers fashioned mirrors out of highly polished brass. By the 19th century, glassmaking technique improved to the point where many people could afford a mirror. These days, you can purchase a mirror at the dollar store, but many people love antique mirrors and wish to restore them to usefulness.

Tools and Workspace
- Choose a well-ventilated area in which to work. The chemicals you use to remove mirror backing are caustic and can present a serious health hazard if you breathe the fumes. You may want to take the project to the great outdoors. To protect the front of the mirror, as well as your working surface, lay out several layers of newspaper. Place the mirror, backing side up, on the papers. Purchase the two stripping products at a local hardware store or online. They are regular paint stripper and muriatic acid. Muriatic acid is simply a 30 percent dilute of hydrochloric acid, one of the most caustic and corrosive substances on the planet. One online source of this cleaner, JamestownDistributors.com, states you should wear long sleeves, rubber gloves, goggles and a good quality mask when using this product. It's also a good idea to dilute it further (starting at 1 part muriatic acid to 20 parts water) to see if a weaker solution will work before using full strength. To round out your toolkit, get some minimally abrasive steel wool pads and lint free cloths.
  
  Before you begin, realize that there are two or three layers to the backing of most mirrors. The outside layer you see is gray or black paint. If the paint is gray, this often means three layers have been used. Mirror manufacturers first apply a layer of silver to the back of the mirror to produce the reflection. A layer of black paint goes on top of this to intensify the effect. The grey paint added after that is easier to clean, according to MikeGigi.com. Paint stripper removes both layers of paint, and sometimes even some of the silvering. If you would rather attempt the whole thing in one step, simply use muriatic acid alone.
Considerations
- Another easily available chemical suggested by a contributor on MikeGigi.com is Sno-Bol toilet cleaner and stain remover. Not quite as caustic as muriatic acid, the method is a little different as well. Place the mirror facedown on plastic sheeting. Layer newspaper on the backing and pour Sno-Bol over that. Let it sit for up to an hour, and the backing should scrape off easily with a wire bristle brush or razor blade scraper.
  
  Be cautious when using any caustic chemical. If you are unfamiliar with these strippers, have a buddy on hand in case you are overcome by fumes or suffer a burn and need immediate help.

Antiquing