Need an easel for a large mirror

Create a Post
Richard Darling

Richard Darling

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Posts
1,540
Loc
Bozeman, Montana
I'm looking for an easel (four of them actually) in a black metal that will hold a 33 x 44 x 1/4" mirror (vertical orientation) with a 3 1/2" moulding and probably masonite backing:). I need the mirror about 25-30" off the floor.

Anybody have a source for something heavy duty that would hold this?
 
Yeah... don't forget to charge for the sandbags at the bottom of the easels to keep them from tipping over.
 
I'm hearing you on the stability thing. I was a little concerned too.

The walls are stucco, so she said mounting anything on the wall was not workable. These are for a salon, so she says she wanted to set them on easels between workstations. And they don't want wood.

I'm trying to think of a 2-sided a-frame easel that might provide enough stability. I'll have to think some more.
 
Why not just set them on the floor leaned up against a wall? You could build a little "stage" to set them on to lift them up. I'm with the others on the easel thing....pretty shaky and a lot to ask of an easel.
 
...between work stations. :eek::eek::eek::eek: That is a recipe for disaster. People moving around mirrors resting on easels!!:faintthud:

Just because someone thinks of something, doesn't make it a good idea.

How about hanging them from some sort of rail at the ceiling and wires to the height required.
 
framah said:
How about hanging them from some sort of rail at the ceiling and wires to the height required.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I was thinking. If they really want them connected to the floor rather than the ceiling, I would encourage them to have buildout contractor construct sturdy uprights anchored to the floor. Personally, I would bow out of any involvement with providing easels for this usage....liability. In fact I would dangle that word in front of the client if they seem married to the easel idea. Have them call their insurance agent if they don't believe you.
:cool: Rick
 
I'm meeting with the customer at their business this evening. I've described the easel problems to her. Hopefully he will understand as well.

I'm thinking of suggesting something like a vertical strip of ply or solid wood, anchored at to the ceiling and floor, with zbar for hanging.

Framah, I'm not sure what kind of rail/wire system would be robust enough to hold 2 of these mirrors back-to-back. Anything I can think of that might be strong enough wouldn't look very good.

Thanks for the input. I'll let you know what happens this evening.
 
Done work for a salon, and the angle of the mirrors would be all wrong on an easel...the clients would be looking up their noses.
Perhaps some kind of expandable brace between floor and ceiling that the framed mirrors mount to?
You should see the last idea that the salon owner had for me...asymetric frames...I told her to stop looking in the Pier One Catalog.
 
wpfay said:
...the angle of the mirrors would be all wrong on an easel...the clients would be looking up their noses.
Click to expand...

D'OH! Of course you're right, Wally. You get the prize. We're all so busy thinking about the safety issue that this obvious point sailed right past.
:cool: Rick
 
I met with the customer after I closed today. He agreed with the safety issues and the angle problem Wally mentioned.

What we're planning is this (please try to stop me if I missed something):

1. The customer will install some kind of secure hanger from the floor joist. This will likely be a couple of chains with a 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 attached.
2. I'll install zbar on the mirror backs, and install the corresponding zbar on the hanging system for the mirrors.
3. I am thinking that a spacer of the same width should be placed between the bottom edges of the two mirrors so that they both hang vertically.

The result will be two free-hanging mirrors back-to-back.

OK. Tell me where I'm wrong.
 
Sounds like you're on the right track now. What about making a "spacer frame" out of painted wood that goes all the way around between the two mirror frames, so there is no visible gap from the side? Chain hardware would attach to its top rail.
This would keep the mirrors nice and parallel too.
:cool: Rick
 
Sounds interesting. A problem I can forsee is making sure the links on the chain align the same way on both lengths. Then the 2x4's need to be drilled and countersunk so a bolt can go thru both boards and the link of the chain. How high is the ceiling? I assume the chain will attach to the ceiling and the floor with eye bolts or something.
Again... a problem here is how to adjust the chain tension so it hangs tight and the mirrors don't flop around. You could put a tensioner between the top eye bolt and the link on the chain. Remember when you needed to square up a door and you put a thingy with two rods and an adjuster between the rods? That sort of thing.

Sounds interesting... don't forget to post pictures.
 
Yeah... that's the ticket!!
 
Large mirrors hung from the ceiling would gently sway, with even the slightest breeze -- someone walking by at a brisk pace, for example. Also, they are sur to be bumped. It is important to attach them to the floor, or a wall, or something that would keep them stationary.
 
Here's a follow-up to the "hanging mirrors from the ceiling" saga:

I was loading the mirrors to go install when the customer called. He'd been trying to secure a lag bolt into the ceiling to hold the chain for the mirrors. (Had I known that he was thinking lag bolt straight up into the floor joist I probably would have declined.) Anyway, says that everywhere he tried to drill he was hitting concrete. :shrug: In the end, he said they had decided to hang on the walls instead. They had completely rearranged their salon floor plan.

So I transported the mirrors and installed 3 on the walls at the new stylist stations. The fourth will stay with the customer until they figure out how to place the fourth station they wanted.

Easy Zbar install on the walls - customer extremely pleased with the mirrors - salon opened Tuesday morning with 2 appointments at 9am.
 
Eventually, reality hits us all.:beer:
 
Create a Post
Back
Top