Featured Advice on tightening up old mirror

Hi everyone,

I salvaged an old beveled glass mirror from a junk pile. It looks like it could be from a dresser because it has holes in the back. The mirror is very heavy and I'm hesitant to hang it because the glass is a little loose inside the frame. When i pick up the mirror the glass slides slightly to the bottom of the frame and I can definitely tell theres a gap. Any advice on how to tighten it up? Or should I just leave it the way it is. Also if anyone has any info on how old this mirror could be, that would be a plus

Thanks for your time!

 

Seems the frame may have expanded over time and/or it has stretched vertically from the mirror's weight therefore pulling the sides in tight.
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Perhaps you can carefully force something soft into the bottom under it to push it up. Use cord, shoelace or some such thing?
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Be careful to not put any real pressure on the frame face as it may crack.

 

Thats what I would have suggested too, I have done that, Paper works too.

 

Wait for Brad and others for their ideas and opinions before you do anything.
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Ah! Ivy and I were writing at the same time.

 

The proper way to fix it would be to remove the back and re-mount the mirror. I think you will find wood glue-blocks in there that may have come loose. That said, it probably would not hurt to follow the above suggestions or just leave it as-is. I don't think it will fall out with that back on there.

Age on this would be circa 1900 and definitely from a dresser. Wood looks to be maple.

Here is what it would have looked like.....

 

Carefully take the back off and fill the gaps in with something that hardens up like wood filler. That will "set" the mirror centered in the frame. Then reapply the back if salvageable. If not, cut a new back out of some thin laminated plywood, then stain it dark to match the original mirror frame the best you can.