Published on 10/13/2026 · by Leandro Caldas, glazier, founder of Routeck and creator of the Arena
Arena do Vidro final: a metal-framed mirror in 60 minutes
The Arena do Vidro final started with the score nearly tied. Janael came in with 21 points and Rômulo with 19.5. After three challenges, the gap was a point and a half, and everything would be decided in a single episode. Both of them were already tired, and I had saved for last the test that pushed them furthest out of their comfort zone.
In this post I walk through the Arena do Vidro final, episode 4 of season one: the rule, each competitor's strategy, what went wrong, the judges' decision and who took the R$ 10,000 home. The full episode is at the top of the page.
The rule for the Arena do Vidro final
Shape and size were up to them. Only two things were required: the mirror had to have a metal frame and it had to stand up on its own. For that they had square tube, flat bar and a gas MIG welder, the kind where you just pull the trigger and weld.
| Stage | Time | What counted |
|---|---|---|
| Sketch and metal cutting plan | 2 minutes | Set the size, the measurements and how to cut the metal |
| Main test | 60 minutes | Mirror cut, metal frame welded and the piece standing |
| Metalworker's help | 10 minutes, from minute 10 on | Rui or Peterson, hands-on: sanding, welding, whatever they asked |
During the two planning minutes I pushed them: have you set the size and measurements, have you made the cutting plan for the metal? You're slacking. Planning feels like wasted time when the clock is running, but planning is exactly what separated the two in this final.
Welding for the first time
The idea of the Arena is to make a glazier do something he has never done. Janael had only welded with stick electrodes and had never used a machine like that one. When Peterson asked what the problem was, the answer was blunt: "Welding. I can't do it. None, zero." Rômulo had never MIG-welded either, figured out the machine quickly and was doing well.
The difference came from how each of them used the help. Janael called a metalworker first and picked Peterson. But his project was already done. Peterson, who has been doing this for 10 years, summed it up: Janael prepared everything and left him only the welding. In 10 minutes he practically built the mirror frames. Janael explained that welding was another weak spot for him, and that from the start he planned the project counting on someone else to weld.
Where Rômulo lost time
Rômulo cut his mirror right to size, with no clearance. When he welded, the weld pulled, the frame closed in and the mirror wouldn't fit. It risked cracking. He trimmed about 2 centimeters off the mirror, cut the tube again and switched to welding on the outside and cutting off whatever was left over. He admitted it himself: he knew welding pulls, but when it was time to execute, the adrenaline didn't let him.
The judges also pointed at the choice of material. Flat bar looks easy because it bends nicely, but it is floppy: standing up, it dents and gives. The suggested route was to build the heavy structure first and use the flat bar after, or add a bar behind as a brace. In the last five minutes, Rômulo was still fighting his frame while Janael was already finishing.
The judges' decision and the final score
The judges spent more than 10 minutes talking it through to reach a fair logic without favoring anyone. Janael scored a 9. Before hearing his own score, Rômulo was honest: the brief was a mirror standing up, in a frame, and he delivered that, pretty or not. With the season's scores added up, this was the result:
- Score before the final: Janael 21, Rômulo 19.5.
- Janael's score in episode 4: 9.
- Final season score: Janael 29.37, Rômulo 27.12.
- Season one champion: Janael Hipólito, with the R$ 10,000 prize.
- Second place: Rômulo took home a R$ 2,000 supply kit from LED Glass, with rubber trim, frame and touch switch, the same items used in the Arena.
When Janael's name was announced, I remembered episode 1, when he watched his own mirror get smashed: now it was time for his revenge. And the second-place kit wasn't just a consolation. Someone said right there that with two thousand in supplies you can make ten thousand.
What the final teaches anyone working with mirrors and metal
- A welded frame needs clearance. Leave a few millimeters around the mirror, because the weld pulls and the frame closes in.
- Heavy structure first. Flat bar bends easily, but on its own it won't hold the piece upright.
- Trimming too little glass leaves teeth. If you need to take off a thin strip, taking off about half a centimeter leaves fewer jagged teeth than nibbling with grozing pliers.
- Plan around your weak spot. Janael knew he couldn't weld and built the project for someone who could.
- Read the rule, not your rival. The requirement was to stand up, not to be a full-length mirror.
- Who won the Arena do Vidro final?
- Janael Hipólito. He scored a 9 in episode 4 and closed the season with 29.37 points to Rômulo Sullivan's 27.12, taking the R$ 10,000 prize.
- What was the challenge in the final?
- In 60 minutes, make a mirror of any shape and size with a metal frame that stands on its own. They had 2 minutes to sketch and plan the metal cuts and 10 minutes of help from a metalworker.
- Did second place win anything?
- Yes. Rômulo received a R$ 2,000 supply kit from LED Glass, with items like rubber trim, frame and touch switch.
Watch the full final and notice how many decisions were made in a rush. If you think you can beat the champion at the bench, even in a test with metal and welding, sign-ups for the next season are open here on the site.
Full episode 4: the final · Janael Hipólito: the fast glazier who won the Arena · How to cut a mirror into shapes