Laser-engraved Illuminated Mirror With Homer!

My brother is going to take his motorcycle license for his birthday, he is a fan of the Simpsons, so I gave him a themed gift: a laser-engraved mirror backlit in green.

I also created the wooden frame, as well as an easel type support, laser cut.

Full video: https://youtu.be/7nb0Haf7R2c

• 5m 12V DC self-adhesive flexible LED tape strip (Green)
• Square mirror of 30x30 cms
• Pine cleat of 27x27mm section
• 12V power supply
• 3mm plywood board (backing)

As I can't upload the LightBurn files, I put you a link to a zip containing the .lbrn2 files of the mirror, the support, as well as the Simpsons font :

Miroir-Moto-Home-Marge-MagicManu.zip

I started from an image of The Simpsons found on the Internet and I cropped it to remove the background.

I added the text with the Simpsons font (available in the ZIP) and I mirrored the photo and the text because they will be engraved upside down.

The mirror is placed upside down, and the laser will remove the tin layer to reveal the glass.

For engraving I used a Ortur Laser Marster 3 10W with these settings:

• Speed: 3000mm/min
• Power: 30%
• Number of passes: 1
• Image Mode: Threshold

It took a little over 2 hours to complete the engraving.

To create a custom frame, I used a 27x27 mm section pine cleat.

I used the table saw to create 2 grooves, one for the mirror, and one for the bottom board.

Then I cut the 4 pieces at 45° with a miter saw.

I finished with the cut of the bottom board in a hardboard plate.

The elements are glued with wood glue, but I'm not gluing the bottom at the moment otherwise I won't be able to add the mirror!

I use a frame press to hold the elements while the glue dries.

I rounded the edges with a router, and drilled the hole for the power cable.

I used a self-adhesive green led strip. I make 2 turns so that there is a maximum of light.

I can't glue it on the bottom, otherwise I won't be able to remove it to slide the mirror in, so I added a white plastic profile to be able to glue the leds on it.

I have provided a mounting hook at the back, so the mirror can be hung on a screw or a nail.

The mirror slides into the slots, and I can now glue the bottom element to close the frame permanently.

I also added 2 coats of varnish on the wood so that it lasts a long time.

I have provided a connector for the power supply on the side, and a switch to be able to turn it on and off easily.

Difficult to have a real photo rendering, the green color is more beautiful in real life!

I also created an easel type support, so that my brother could install his frame on a table or a desk for example.

I used 3mm plywood that I laser cut (200mm/min and 100% power in 2 passes with air assist).

My brother appreciated his gift which had a great effect! The mirror looks great, day and night!

To go further, I had also made him a fake "Traffic Laws For Dummies" 😂