bdsimmons2's Profile

Replace that sucker with a wall hangable LCD - you won't need as big of a tv since you'll be sitting so close to it and you can get a 32" LCD these days for less than $300, or 40" for less than $450 Get an inexpensive "picture frame style" or a tiltable wall mount, and place your new one a little ways above your mantle so you have some separation and room to decorate properly, rather than just setting it on it's base on the mantle, which looks like it would never support it anyway.

I appreciate this how to, and this blog is full of good ideas. This particular project however is lacking just a certain.... something in the finished project that us, the spoiled readers, have become accustomed to on AT. Perhaps it's the use of reclaimed, but common "2 by" boards. Part of the charm of repurposing wood and other things is a different use than they were meant for originally. Perhaps if the underneath braces were beveled so as not to be as visible, (and more of them) or if the table top was joined into a continuous surface via the use of Kreg Jig Holes/Screws it wouldn't have that wonky, haphazard pieced together look at the end. When I reuse wood (especially stuff like this with LOTS of character and wear) I usually let the shape/style/color of the wood decide the project and not the other way around... something to keep in mind, and definitely tough to do when you're needing a finished product and can't wait for that to happen. I second the poly sentiments for indoors or out - I love the original dark and used color, if that had been covered with a few layers of thick poly or clear epoxy it would have become a beautiful smooth tabletop that was (mostly) splinter free, and usable.

I know the how-tos here are positive... but I have to post a cautionary tale not if you're considering using glass as an outdoor building material. I purchased a home where these had been used once upon a time, and they were all still in place, but broken after a few years of being mowed around, tripped on, being with with rocks, etc. After taking my dog to the vet 4 times to have her paws stitched, and one trip to the ER for stitches for my wife, we proceeded to dig up half our back yard, and discovered the remnants of a border built this way, to demarcate a planter, and then not cared for. After all the bottles had been broken, the jagged glass was hidden by the bushes and plants, and made it hard to find. It seemed like we would pick up buckets worth of glass, and then we'd still find more the next time we scoured... the only way to ensure all the broken pieces were gone was to dig up that area and haul it off..

I second the Kreg Jig sentiment. It's tough to tell what the original constructio was, if it was just glued, if it had some of those cheapo metal biscuits, or if it was constructed properly with some other method. the only way to keep this from happening again if the mirror is heavy is to put some sort of a backing on it, and make sure you hang it properly this time. 1/4" ply is fine, I would probably still kreg jig or glue & corner clamp the corners together before gluing the whole thng to a piece of ply I'd avoid l brackets like the plague, as they do not pull the corners together, they only provide separate forces in the x and y directions, and aren't going to get anywhere near the holding power that glue and/or a kreg screw would.