Published on 10/31/2026 · by Leandro Caldas, glazier, founder of Routeck and creator of the Arena
How to Plan a Framed Mirror: The Finale's Cutting Plan
How do you plan a framed mirror with a metal frame? In the Arena do Vidro finale the two contestants got 2 minutes just for that: draw, measure and make the metal cutting plan before turning on any machine. Then came 60 minutes of execution. The rest of the challenge rests on those 2 minutes.
In this post I use what happened in episode 4 to build a planning routine that works for any framed mirror in your glass shop. The full episode is in the video above.
The finale rule: 2 minutes of planning, 60 of execution
In the last episode I gave the rule like this: two minutes to draw whatever they wanted, in any shape and size, but the mirror had to have a metal frame, made of metal tubing, and stand upright. After the drawing, 60 minutes to build it.
While the planning time ran, the pressure came: “Did you already put down size, measurement, the metal cutting plan? You are slacking.” The reason is simple: with metal, getting a measurement wrong after welding means cutting and welding again.
What goes into the cutting plan of a framed mirror
I am not going to guess measurements, because they depend on the mirror and the frame you are building. What does not change is the planning sequence:
- A drawing with shape, size and how the piece will stand or be mounted.
- The glass measurement and the frame's inner opening, side by side, on the same drawing.
- A list of metal bars with each length and the type of cut on the ends.
- Clearance between the mirror and the frame, remembering that welding pulls.
- Assembly order and who does each step: cutting, welding, sanding, glass.
What the finale showed about clearance
Peterson, one of the two metalworkers who could help, looked at one contestant's cutting plan and said it came out pretty good. But a good plan on paper still needs clearance. In Rômulo's words, when it came time to weld he knew welding pulls, and still he cut the mirror right at the exact size: “I could have left a few millimeters extra to give a little room.” Result: he had to cut the metal tubing again and weld again to reach the size, and the judges' table said he also trimmed about 2 cm off the mirror.
He summed it up with a line that works as a warning: “I already had an idea in my head, but when it is time to execute, that is the hit, the adrenaline does not let you.” Planning is deciding in advance, on paper, what adrenaline will get in the way of later. I covered the welding and clearance part in another post, the one on framed mirror measurements.
Plan with whoever will execute in mind
Janael had never MIG-welded and said welding was another weak spot of his. So he started the challenge planning to call for help: when the metalworker Rui came in, the project was already done and Rui just executed it. In under 10 minutes Rui welded the mirror's frame and moved on to the stand. In Rui's words, the project was already ready, he just executed it, fast.
That is a good cutting plan: it does not depend on the reader understanding what is in your head. Each bar has its length, each corner has its cut marked, and whoever picks up the piece knows what to do without asking you.
How to bring this to your glass shop
- Draw with dimensions before buying material, not after.
- Check the glass measurement and the frame opening on the same drawing, with the clearance written down.
- If more than one person executes, the drawing has to work for someone who was not in the conversation.
- Close the plan with the customer before cutting: changing a measurement mid-job is what costs the most.
- If you doubt how much clearance to leave, test on leftover material before welding the final piece.
- How long did the contestants have to plan in the finale?
- Two minutes to draw and measure, then 60 minutes to build a mirror with a metal frame that stood upright.
- What is a metal cutting plan?
- It is the list of each frame bar with its length and the type of cut on the ends, made before turning on the saw, so the measurement is not wrong after welding.
- Why leave clearance between the mirror and the frame?
- Because welding pulls the metal as it cools. In the finale, Rômulo cut the mirror to the exact size, the frame shrank and he had to adjust the metal and the mirror. He said himself he should have left a few millimeters extra.
Want to talk about how to plan a framed mirror in your glass shop? Message me on WhatsApp at +55 31 9095-8383. And if you have a method and want to show it at the bench, applications for the next season of Arena are open here on the site.
Full episode 4 · Framed mirror measurements: cutting 2 cm to save the deadline · Flat bar vs square tube in a mirror frame · Full-length or small mirror: read the rules first
