Acrylic DiscThe acrylic discs come in different diameters and thickness. The enclosure was designed for a specific size.
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Mirror FilmThis one-way mirror film comes in a roll in different sizes. It comes with a box cutter and a squeegee tool for applying the film. I used the following roll size:
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Cut Roll of FilmStart by laying out a sheet from the roll onto a cutting mat. I used a T-square ruler to guide the blade while cutting a sheet from the roll. |
Trim Pieces of FilmI placed the acrylic disc over the sheet to gauge how large the piece needs to be. You'll want to add a bit of extra space around the edges so the acrylic has total coverage. |
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Pieces of FilmI suggest cutting out several pieces. You'll want to have extra pieces in case one of them gets messed up while applying. |
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Serving Tray and GlovesI suggest using a serving tray to catch the soapy water so your work surface doesn't get wet. Gloves will help to prevent getting smudges and fingerprints on the acrylic or film. |
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Peel Corners with TapeThe film has a protective backing that needs to be removed. Adding pieces of tape to the corners can help you peel apart the two layers. |
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Peel Acrylic BackingsThese acrylic discs have backings on both sides so you’ll need to remove those as well. |
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Wet AcrylicThe roll of film has instructions for applying the film to windows (acrylic in our case). The directions say to use soapy water. I filled an empty spray bottle with 16oz of water and 6 drops of liquid hand soap. Spray the acrylic disc so the surface is has been fully wet. |
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Wet FilmThe sticky side of the film also needs to be wet so spray it down and made sure to get total coverage. The trick is to use lots of soapy water so the two surfaces can adhere smoothly. |
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Place Film onto AcrylicPlace the film over the acrylic and try to get it in the center. Lay the film on top and press down. You can shift it into place if you need to. |
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Squeegee Wet FilmI used the squeegee that came with the film and rinsed out all of the water and air bubbles. |
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Soak Up WaterThe serving tray should catch most of the water. I made sure to use plenty of paper towels to soak it all up. |
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Squeegee Film DrySqueegee the film until all of the soapy water has either been wiped away or dried out. You'll want to start from the center and wipe out towards to the edges. |
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Dry Acrylic FilmOnce the application looks good, make sure to let the film dry several minutes before trimming the excess. The edges take a bit of time to fully dry. |
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Trim Excess FilmI flipped it over and used a box cutter to trim along the edge on the outside. You’ll want to be super careful not to scratch up the surface while doing this. The acrylic disc only needs one side of the mirrored film. |
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Rinse and Repeat!This took me several times to get right, so it takes a bit of effort to get a nice finish. With some practice and patience, we were able to get these two pieces. If things don't look as good as you'd like, you can always peel off the film and try again! |