I am trying to restore blue glass table tops. How do I remove the old backing and replace it with new?

Question

I have succeeded in removing two of the layers on the back of the glass but the third silver looking layer I cannot remove completely even though it has come off over a period of years.

Once the silver backing is removed what would be the best way to replace the backing?

Answer 1

If this is like the silver backing on a mirror then you may have a black layer that needs to be removed with paint stripper.  If you are already down to just the silver layer then you can use muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) that you can get at a pool supply store.  Sno-Bol liquid toilet bowl cleaner also contains hydrochloric acid and might be a safer and cheaper product to start with.

Be sure to wear protective clothing, use rubber gloves and face protection and work in an area with good ventilation and where you can hose off the surface.  You might even want to have a fan blow the fumes away from you.

Lay the glass down on a flat surface.  Lay a couple of layers of newspaper on the glass.  Apply the muriatic acid (or Sno-Bol) to thoroughly wet the paper.  Wait a few minutes to an hour or more (the newer the mirror the longer to wait) and then use a scrub brush or scrubbing pad to scrub away the silver.  You might also be able to peel away the mirroring with a razor blade.

Krylon makes a spray paint called Looking Glass-Mirror Like Paint.  See it at http://www.krylon.com/products/looking_g...  I don't know how readily available it is since it is sort of a specialty material.  Hobby and hardware stores might have it or some online paint stores might carry it like here http://www.misterart.com/store/view/003/...

You might be able to apply a mirror film to the glass like the kind you can get at home improvement stores (Home Depot) for reflective coatings on windows.  Auto parts stores may have something like that for car windows (depending on the legality of that in your location).

Re-silvering the glass like a mirror gets a bit more tricky and dangerous.  Rather than describe it here you may be better off reading about it at http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/mirror...