Best way to get a large rectangular magnifying mirror

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding or creating a large rectangular magnifying mirror for a science project. Participants explore options for achieving at least 10X magnification in a 12" x 7.5" size, considering various materials and methods for construction.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that making a concave mirror from flexible mirror sheets may be the only cost-effective option available.
  • Another participant agrees that reflective mylar could be suitable for general magnification needs, although they express uncertainty about its effectiveness.
  • A different viewpoint raises a concern that a rectangular sheet will not maintain its shape when formed into a parabolic shape, recommending the use of a parabolic dish instead.
  • One participant mentions considering acrylic mirrors, noting that while they may provide clearer images, they are less flexible for shaping.
  • Another participant shares a personal experience of building a smaller version of the desired system using a specific Amazon mirror, indicating a proof of concept.
  • Some participants suggest checking local shops for large magnifiers, although they caution that these may not meet the specific magnification requirements.
  • One participant recounts a negative experience with a large magnifier, stating it produced unclear images due to plastic lines, indicating that typical magnifiers may not work well in their system.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on the best approach to obtaining or creating the desired mirror, with no clear consensus on a single solution. Multiple competing views and uncertainties remain regarding the effectiveness of different materials and methods.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations related to the effectiveness of materials like mylar and acrylic, as well as the challenges of maintaining shape when forming mirrors. There are also unresolved concerns about the clarity of images produced by alternative magnifying options.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals involved in DIY science projects, particularly those exploring optics and magnification techniques.

pickrrya
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Hi, I am trying to buy a magnifying rectangular mirror for a science project. While simply buying a glass mirror with magnification is available, I have yet to been able to find a mirror large enough for my purposes. It would need to be rectangular 12"X7.5" mirror with at least a 10X magnification. After doing some research, I have come to the conclusion that making a concave mirror out of flexible mirror sheets would be my only option (and the most cost affective.) I am currently in the process of looking for a flexible mirror to bend into a parabolic shape for magnification purposes. I am fairly unfamiliar with with mirror types so any help would be greatly appreciated. Would something made out of a reflective mylar mirror-like sheet work? If so, where can I purchase my own? Details would be great. Thank you so much.

Ryan
 
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pickrrya said:
Hi, I am trying to buy a magnifying rectangular mirror for a science project. While simply buying a glass mirror with magnification is available, I have yet to been able to find a mirror large enough for my purposes. It would need to be rectangular 12"X7.5" mirror with at least a 10X magnification. After doing some research, I have come to the conclusion that making a concave mirror out of flexible mirror sheets would be my only option (and the most cost affective.) I am currently in the process of looking for a flexible mirror to bend into a parabolic shape for magnification purposes. I am fairly unfamiliar with with mirror types so any help would be greatly appreciated. Would something made out of a reflective mylar mirror-like sheet work? If so, where can I purchase my own? Details would be great. Thank you so much.

Ryan

I think you're on the right track, given your budget constraints.
If your need is general magnification versus precise magnification, reflective mylar is a great choice.
Don't know enough about this to offer further advise, but best of luck!
 
Keep in mind that a rectangular sheet will no longer have rectangular outline after you buckle it into a parabolic shape.

Your best bet would probably to take a parabolic dish of the right shape, which could be for a satellite antenna, a larger circular mirror, or whatever, and vacuform the reflective material to it. So long as the curvature isn't too great, you should be able to make that work. Then you can cut it into desired shape.
 
pallidin said:
I think you're on the right track, given your budget constraints.
If your need is general magnification versus precise magnification, reflective mylar is a great choice.
Don't know enough about this to offer further advise, but best of luck!

Thanks pallidin!

i am also looking into using acrylic mirrors instead. supposedly the image will be clearer than using mylar but it won't be as flexible thus being harder to shape into the correct parabola to magnify the image. any advice?
 
K^2 said:
Keep in mind that a rectangular sheet will no longer have rectangular outline after you buckle it into a parabolic shape.

Your best bet would probably to take a parabolic dish of the right shape, which could be for a satellite antenna, a larger circular mirror, or whatever, and vacuform the reflective material to it. So long as the curvature isn't too great, you should be able to make that work. Then you can cut it into desired shape.

ok thanks! I am still a little worried that the mylar won't be enough of a mirror for my purposes though. essentially what I am looking for is a larger, more powerful version of this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KYSARA/?tag=pfamazon01-20
except maybe plastic or acrylic mirror instead of glass for price purposes
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Could you maybe explain the application?
 
K^2 said:
Could you maybe explain the application?

well the system uses a series of mirrors to bend the image 90 degrees as well as magnify it. i have already built a small version of what I am looking for using the amazon mirror, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KYSARA/?tag=pfamazon01-20. the other mirror in the system is flat with regular magnification. the system basically does this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Pentaprism.png with the top mirror being the parabolic one.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OK, you have built a small version using the amazon mirror.
Nice! A true experimenter!
Nothing like a "proof of concept" to encourage scaling up. Good job!

Hoping the best, and perhaps others like K^2 can continue to offer good suggestions.
 
Go to your local book shop / stationary shop. They often have large 12 x 8 inch magnifiers.

Generally, they are designed for old people reading books but I'm sure there'd be something for your requirements.

They're cheap too, the ones by me are around £2.50 each ($4.00).

Scroll down this page to Rigid magnifier sheet to see the sort of thing I'm on about:
http://www.my-history.co.uk/acatalog/Magnifiers.html

Not the magnification you want, but I'm sure there are others out there that might be suitable.

And again:
http://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk...ford-page-light-magnifier-stand-prodst05843i/
 
  • #10
pallidin said:
OK, you have built a small version using the amazon mirror.
Nice! A true experimenter!
Nothing like a "proof of concept" to encourage scaling up. Good job!

Hoping the best, and perhaps others like K^2 can continue to offer good suggestions.

thanks for the support! I'll post some results soon!
 
  • #11
jarednjames said:
Go to your local book shop / stationary shop. They often have large 12 x 8 inch magnifiers.

Generally, they are designed for old people reading books but I'm sure there'd be something for your requirements.

They're cheap too, the ones by me are around £2.50 each ($4.00).

Scroll down this page to Rigid magnifier sheet to see the sort of thing I'm on about:
http://www.my-history.co.uk/acatalog/Magnifiers.html

Not the magnification you want, but I'm sure there are others out there that might be suitable.

And again:
http://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk...ford-page-light-magnifier-stand-prodst05843i/

I know of the exact item you are referring to. I actually thought of doing this as well. I tried it and the large magnifier leaves plastic lines across the image and the picture isn't very clear at all. unfortuantly it seems that they are typically built for text. even regular magnifying glasses don't really work in my system because it causes the virtual image to be too far behind the mirror. it almost seems like the object lies a couple feet back. thanks for the imput though! keep it coming!
 

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