Strong Plexiglass for house of mirrors?

Hey guys, I need some advice. I want to build my own house of mirrors for my home haunt this year, but don't want to pay an arm and a leg (although I do have plenty of those lying around lol). So I'm thinking plexiglass and mirror film and I want to have a few crystal clear pieces as well to help trick my neighbors.

Here's what I'm looking to find out:

What type of plexiglass should I purchase as it needs to be strong (people are always flying into walls in my haunts). I would like it to be the same strength used in the industry because I'm thinking of going professional within 3 years and don't want to have to rebuild.

Also, is it plexiglass I should be buying or is there something else I should get instead?

And finally, is the mirror film really the best way to create 2-way mirrors on a cheap budget, or is there another way?

Thanks to anyone that has a suggestion.

I would recommend Lexan Sheets they are much stronger than plexi.

I think just about any way you go this is going to be an expensive project. Everyone looks to plexiglass as a cheaper alternative to glass for various projects, when it really isn't (depending on what type of glass you want).

If you want cheap, this is about the lowest you will ever be able to go: http://cgi.ebay.com/BRILL-CARNIVAL-A...item5d2793cd38

I haven't read it but it's by the King of Cheap.

If the plans stick true to brill style they would be cheap in the long run most often mirrors where made of polished stainless steel which doesn't break or crack easily and most likely those are plans for a mirror maze

If you go to EHow.com, they show you how to biuld your own funhose mirrors using the same stuff you can find on Ebay, only they give you a link to a company that sells the stuff alot cheaper. A 54 inch by 10 foot roll is only about 20 bucks whereas the roll on Ebay is only 24 inches by 54 inches for $29.00

Lexan is the way to go. It is also known in the manufacturing industry as polycarbonate sheet. At my day job it's what I make machine guarding panels from.

You can actually order it as mirror, and I do believe it is cheaper than glass mirrors, however I am going by what I was told. I have never priced glass mirrors in 4 x 8 sheets. http://www.curbellplastics.com/ is where I get ALOT of my plastic materials from. Making a mirror maze that is impact resistant, you should use at least 1/4" thick mirrored Lexan and frame it real well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gadget-evilusions

Lexan is the way to go. It is also known in the manufacturing industry as polycarbonate sheet. At my day job it's what I make machine guarding panels from.

You can actually order it as mirror, and I do believe it is cheaper than glass mirrors, however I am going by what I was told. I have never priced glass mirrors in 4 x 8 sheets. http://www.curbellplastics.com/ is where I get ALOT of my plastic materials from. Making a mirror maze that is impact resistant, you should use at least 1/4" thick mirrored Lexan and frame it real well.

---

Gadget, do you have a rough idea of pricing on 1/4" lexan in 4x8 sheets? I have had a 13 Ghosts scene in my head for several years now..

Brett,

The last quote I got was for acrylic, and not lexan, lexan will be a little more expensive.

Acrylic 2 way mirror 4' x 8' 1/8" thick, 211.20 ; 1/4" thick, 325.05
Acrylic standard mirror 4' x 8' 1/8" thick, 112.45 ; 1/4" thick, 187.85

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gadget-evilusions

Brett,

The last quote I got was for acrylic, and not lexan, lexan will be a little more expensive.

Acrylic 2 way mirror 4' x 8' 1/8" thick, 211.20 ; 1/4" thick, 325.05
Acrylic standard mirror 4' x 8' 1/8" thick, 112.45 ; 1/4" thick, 187.85

---

I was talking clear panels, rather than mirrored.. but that's good info to have. Is the clear less expensive than mirrored? I would assume it is.

That had a "T" shaped hallway intersection. The Lexon blocked the angled part of the "T" allowing straight-line travel. As customers would walk passed the "T" a fair sized actor in a Werewolf suit would be running at them, jump, fly through the air and crash into the Lexon, be bounced backwards onto the floor in a heap, obviously scaring the crap out of anyone standing there assuming the impact that never happened with Werewolfy.
I never saw this, I was just told about it. Sounds pretty interesting though, doesn't it?
I was told all the big guys working there all took their shot at the Lexon, nobody ever cracked it.
I have a thin piece a local hot rodder ordered then backed out on mounted here for maybe 15 or more years, it has been slammed from each side So Many times and it still A-OK.
I have had to replace the wooden frame around it though.