# United Cigar Stores Co. Mirror from scratch



## Rob Schramm (Jul 12, 2010)

Ok I think I have this now so here is a mirror that I started with scrap wood and clear glass. I made the custom antique mirror glass with the United Cigar Store Co info then constructed a frame that would of been around in the same era. The finish is nothing but latex paint, elmers glue and then more latex paint to get cracks in the finish.

I spent 22 years in the faux finishing market and used to update old cabinets and refinish them so I am kinda use to basic carpentry but by no means am I a expert.

VIDEO: The video shows what I do for a living, the pictures in the slideshow are some of my work.






Rob


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## JohnK007 (Nov 14, 2009)

Very nice work Rob! I really like that Harlequin back splash. Very classy.


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

Great work. Nice details. Looks very authentic.


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## Nate1778 (Mar 10, 2008)

Dude, very nice. 

Would love it if you put on some demos of some of the finishes. My wife loves the painted antique look. Here I am with thousands of board feet of high end wood and I am building furniture out of polar. :wallbash: Anywho, I can never get the finish just right, would be awesome to have some tutorials.


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## Rob Schramm (Jul 12, 2010)

Nate1778 said:


> Dude, very nice.
> 
> Would love it if you put on some demos of some of the finishes. My wife loves the painted antique look. Here I am with thousands of board feet of high end wood and I am building furniture out of polar. :wallbash: Anywho, I can never get the finish just right, would be awesome to have some tutorials.


In order to get an authentic look and feel you must do everything in layers. If you are going to do a crackle finish you will want to start with a distressed paint finish, then apply a coat of crackle, then wax areas and crackle again in a different color and once dry you can chip the waxed areas and what you end out with is something that looks like this:


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## Rob Schramm (Jul 12, 2010)

The worse thing that you can do is what you see on HGTV or written in a book. You can create a crackle with simple elmers glue the trick is allowing it to dry and then applying cheap flat paint. If you do just one step it will look ok but if you want something that looks like it has been painted over and over then you have to allow the first technique to dry and do another over that exposing in some way the finish underneath in areas.


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## Colt W. Knight (Nov 29, 2009)

Whoa! That is cool. You are good.


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## Nate1778 (Mar 10, 2008)

Man thanks for the tips, I will use them in my next project. Thank you


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## Rob Schramm (Jul 12, 2010)

Well if you want to pick my brain a little I am doing a step by step on how to do the desk below. There will be a lot of discussion along the way and everyone can learn something. Check out this link:

Titanic Desk step by step

Rob


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