Saxon's Survival Hour #175: How to Make See-Through Mirrors
Today's excerpt begins on page 31 of The Survivor Volume 1.
How to Make See-Through Mirrors
The FBI used the see through mirror in "The House On 97th Street".
Most guys who learn to make these mirrors claim they want them for surveillance of America’s enemies, like the FBI and CIA.
When you learn to make such a spy mirror you will probably run right out and buy a motel and a roll of film.
I don’t care what kind of sickie you are as long as you send me some of the prints.
First, you want the right glass.
Window glass may not be smooth enough.
You should go to your local mirror shop and buy a pane of glass prepared for mirroring.
To make the first of two needed mirroring solutions, dissolve five grams of silver nitrate (bought at your local photo supply store) in eight ounces of distilled water.
Then add ammonia, with a strength of 25 to 30%, drop by drop until the solution starts to darken.
Continue dropping in the ammonia until the solution becomes clear again.
Then add another four grams of silver nitrate and stir with a glass rod until it dissolves.
Pour this mess into 20 ounces of distilled water and filler it through two sheets of filter paper into a bottle.
For the second solution, dissolve three grams of Rochelle salt crystals (sodium potassium tartrate) in one quart of distilled water and boil in a glass or porcelain vessel for two minutes.
Then add three grams of silver nitrate and boil for two minutes more.
Let the solution cool and then filter it into a bottle.
(The solution bottles and everything you use must be super clean and non-metallic as any foreign substance could ruin the work).
When both solutions are ready, the silvering process can begin.
Clean the mirror glass thoroughly with the best glass cleaner and flood it with distilled water.
Then hold the glass by the edges and pour off the distilled water.
Then support the glass by the corners on four drinking glasses on a level surface.
Put melted wax around the edge of the glass to keep the silvering solution from running off.
Put a mirror beneath the glass at an angle to permit observation of the reflection of the silvering process so that the silvering may be stopped at the right moment.
Mix equal parts of both solutions, stir quickly with a glass rod and pour immediately into the center of the glass so that it covers the entire surface.
The right film of silver will deposit on the glass and the right degree of transparency will be obtained in from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the degree of transparency wanted.
Then take the glass by the edges, tip off the solution at one corner and then flood with lukewarm distilled water and let it drain off.
When the mirror is dry, put a coat of clear spar varnish over the silver deposit with a soft brush, being careful not to damage the delicate film.
You can also spray it on and I don’t see why a can of plastic spray wouldn’t be just as good.
To further protect the silver film it is suggested you put on another pane of glass over the film and tape it around the edges.
To use, the light must be on the side of the mirror you want to see.
The room you are in must be dark.
If the mirror is hard to see through, the silvering process has been continued too long or the light difference between the two sides of the mirror is not great enough.
Some practice with small mirrors is advised before larger mirrors arc made until you have the timing right.
The work should be done in a warm room of about 80°F.
Or, you could just buy it precut at the glass shop before the trucks stop running.
(Editor)
Kurt Saxon thought civilization would have collapsed by now.
He spent the majority of his life collecting knowledge of home based business.
His goal was for all his readers to survive at a more comfortable level than those that were less provident.
He knew the importance of communicating at a level folks could understand.
Most of what he has compiled for our benefit can be easily understood by everybody.
He also includes a subtle sense of humor.
You can find the majority of his life's work here.
Hear him read his stories.
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Therefore, it is not reasonable to do it on a cold day or in winter.
Creepy stalkers everywhere rejoice!
Thanks!
He makes it sound easy. Messing with all that glass is scary to me. High risk maneuver in “my survival book.”
🙂
Yeah, I just bought some at the glass shop.
It was tempered and didn't have a fragile layer to it.
It's good to know how, though.
I think I would sandwich that layer between two sheets of glass, but that would be awful heavy in the window.