How to judge a finished LED mirror: "would you buy what you made?"
What to check on a finished LED mirror before delivery: outline, size, frosted band, touch button and finish. The checklist from the judges' scoring in EP1.
Arena do Vidro
Arena do Vidro Blog
Behind the scenes, challenge breakdowns and what glaziers learn in the arena.
Framed mirror measurements: cutting 2 cm to save the deadline
Framed mirror measurements: in the Arena do Vidro finale the weld shrank the frame and Rômulo cut 2 cm off the mirror. The clearance metal needs.
How to cut a round mirror: circles and quadrants from EP3
How to cut a round mirror, or any curved shape, the way judge Vinícius suggested in EP3: break it into circles and quadrants and mark with a compass.
Transfer pattern to glass: why EP3 banned the template
How to transfer a pattern to glass without laying the template on it: what Arena do Vidro's challenge 3 measured and why nobody had the shape at 10 min.
Mirror adhesive: weight, adhesion and the install at the end of EP1
Mirror adhesive holds the weight the maker says, but only on a clean surface. The Arena do Vidro EP1 lesson on adhesive, curing, hangers and installation.
Glass cutting accuracy: the caliper at the EP3 judges' table
In Arena do Vidro EP3 a judge pulled a caliper out of his pocket. How to check glass cutting accuracy in your shop and why it matters at delivery.
LED mirror touch sensor: the R$ 2,000 kit from the Arena finale
The R$ 2,000 LED Glass kit Rômulo took home from the Arena do Vidro finale, and how to install an LED mirror touch sensor without headaches.
Mirror cutting machine: the EP3 shape in about 1 minute
The shape that took 20 minutes by hand in Arena do Vidro EP3 and ended in a crack and a tie: why a mirror cutting machine does it in about one minute.
How to negotiate mirror prices: R$ 2, R$ 20 and Natan's close
How to negotiate mirror prices without giving the product away: what the R$ 2 sale, the R$ 20 sale and Natan's close in Spanish taught in Arena do Vidro EP2.
How to edge a curved mirror without breaking it: the tip that saved EP1
How to edge an inside curve on a mirror without breaking it: the chatter that nearly cost the piece in EP1 and the speed-and-tilt tip that saved it.
Floor mirror: what the final's rule demands from the frame
A floor mirror with a metal frame that stands on its own: what the Arena do Vidro final's rule required, where the structure fails and what the judges saw.
Dust-free mirror sandblasting: both contestants' first time on the Jateck
Sandblasting a mirror with no booth, no coveralls and no dust: what both Arena do Vidro contestants said after using the Jateck for the first time in EP1.
Full-length or small mirror? Read the rules first
In the Arena do Vidro final the mirror only had to stand upright in a metal frame. How a competitor almost overcomplicated his build by copying his opponent.
How to cut a mirror by hand from a template you can't touch (EP3)
Cutting a mirror by hand to match a template you can't touch, in 20 minutes. What went wrong in Arena do Vidro EP3 and how to measure and transfer the shape.
Cutting a sandblast stencil: by hand or by laser?
Cutting a sandblast stencil by hand with a ruler, blade and template, or with the machine's laser? What Arena do Vidro EP1 showed about each approach.
Smashing the rival's mirror: the Arena do Vidro hammer
In Arena do Vidro, the episode winner smashes the rival's mirror. How each smash went, a glazier's attachment to his work and why mirrors crack.
The Arena do Vidro judges: who they are and how they score glaziers
Vinícius, Natan, Rui and Pet: the four judges of the glazier reality show. Each one's background, what each looks for in a mirror and the lines that stuck.
Sandblast vinyl on mirrors: wet application or dry strips?
Sandblast stencil vinyl on mirrors, applied wet with soapy water or dry in strips? The two methods from Arena do Vidro EP1, when to use each, and what to watch.
Flat bar mirror frame: why flat bar fools you on a standing mirror
A flat bar mirror frame bends easily and looks solid, but standing up it gives. What the Arena do Vidro final showed and how to pair flat bar with tube.
Romulo Sullivan and Monte Glass: five years in glass and a reality show
Romulo Sullivan of Monte Glass reached the Arena do Vidro final with five years in the trade. His company's story, his homemade templates and what he did best.
How to apply for Arena do Vidro: joining the next season
How to apply for Arena do Vidro: what the form asks, how the crew picks contestants, what the challenges demand and how to prepare to take on the champion.
How to break out a mirror without chipping: the tap from below
How to break out a mirror without chipping the silvering: why not to tap with the cutter ball, the knuckle tap from below and the relief cuts.
Arena do Vidro final: a metal-framed mirror in 60 minutes
Arena do Vidro final: a metal-framed mirror that stands on its own, first-time MIG welding and the 29.37 to 27.12 score that decided the R$ 10,000.
Working under pressure: why good glaziers miss the basics on the clock
Working under pressure tripped up the two best glaziers I know on things they do every day. What Arena do Vidro showed and how to avoid it on your own jobs.
Janael Hipolito: the fast glazier who won Arena do Vidro
Who is Janael Hipolito, champion of Arena do Vidro season 1: how he got into mirrors, where he was strong, where he struggled and how he won the final.
Leather edge or flexible frame mirror: which to make on a tight deadline
In Arena do Vidro EP2, one glazier made a leather edge mirror over EVA, the other a flexible frame. What each finish costs in time and what the customer sees.
How to sell a mirror on the street in 35 seconds: the sales lessons of EP2
In Arena do Vidro EP2, Janael sold in 35 seconds and Rômulo in 3 minutes. What the approach, the price and the nerve to ask teach about selling in a glass shop.
Arena do Vidro episode 1: the Hello Kitty mirror in 1h30
Arena do Vidro episode 1: Janael and Rômulo copy a Hello Kitty mirror with sandblasting, LED and a touch switch in 1h30. What each step taught.
Why I created a reality show for glaziers (and what filming the first episode was like)
Arena do Vidro was born with no TV experience, a tiny budget and a mirror factory as the set. Leandro Caldas tells what the EP1 shoot day was like.