M.-J. on mon 17 mar 97
Hello Clayart Members,
I've just subscribed to your list in a wee bit of depseration and a
lot of hope.
I am not a ceramist or potter ... though I've thrown a jug or two ;)
.... I am into mosaics, largely using ceramic tile and cutting and
grinding it stained glass style to fit my patterns.
I've been looking for a mosaic mailing list and/or other support on
the net with very little success. I have found some mosaic workers on
a stained glass list I subscribe to, and some web pages on tile, but
if anyone has any helpful information, I would be very grateful if
you'd send it along to me.
Thanks very much.
M.-J. Taylor
M.-J. Taylor
Although we cannot change the direction of the wind,
we can adjust our sails. (Unknown)
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Lisa Trocchia on tue 18 mar 97
Dear M.-J:
Why are you interested in grinding the ceramic tile to fit your design
rather than creating it to fit initially? Just a thought. I have some
interest in tile work, specifically multi-tile, sculptural pieces.
L.T. Hathaway
Keramos Studio
wethree@bright.net
M.-J. on wed 19 mar 97
On 18 Mar 97, I found these words from Lisa Trocchia in my mailbox:
Good Question: I kind of design as I go along ... so it would be hard
for me to do that ... and, moreover, as I really know very little
about ceramics, it would be a whole new craft to learn.
I'm using skills I learned in stained glass and applying them to
mosaics ... and I like it. It makes interesting work. :D
Thanks for asking.
Still hoping someone knows of a mosaic mailing list, but I am
enjoying the posts of all you clay artists,
M.-J.
> ----------------------------Original
> message---------------------------- Dear M.-J: Why are you
> interested in grinding the ceramic tile to fit your design rather
> than creating it to fit initially? Just a thought. I have some
> interest in tile work, specifically multi-tile, sculptural pieces.
>
> L.T. Hathaway
> Keramos Studio
> wethree@bright.net
>
M.-J. Taylor
Although we cannot change the direction of the wind,
we can adjust our sails. (Unknown)
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J Lutz on mon 4 nov 02
This site shows pictures of some incredible mosaics being uncovered.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/zeugma/mosaic.html
victoria henricksen on mon 20 jan 03
> Loved the idea of using shards but ran into
problems
> last summer. When it was a bowl the pieces were to
> rounded and real hard not to be sticking up to high.
> Have you had this problems and how did you deal
> with it if you did.
>
hi there
the majority of my shards were from bowls and cups
and such....the best thing to do is to break them up
REALLY small .5 to 1", using a tile nipper...this
usually allows me to adhere them to a surface and not
have them sticking up a mile...the other thing that i
do (and this is a little finicky) is instead of
spreading the tile adhesive onto the object that is
being mosaiced (be it a wall or a plant pot) i spread
adhesive onto each little piece seperately. The reason
that one does this is so that the level of the pieces
can be kept more consistent,which means that thinner
pieces get a thicker coating of adhesive to raise
them up to the height of the thinner ones...this will
make things infinitely easier when it comes time to
grout (its easy to 'lose' little shards under the
grout, never to be seen again). Of course if i have
fairly small pieces of a thickness that is similar i
do occasionally cheat and spread a bed of adhesive the
size of a few shards onto the surface of the object,
so that i can just press a few pieces in at the same
time. This speeds things up a wee bit.
Also, pieces that are too round (from smaller cups
etc) tend to work best for mosaicing curved surfaces,
such as plant pots, columns, bird baths and the like.
i hope this helps
oh yes....and its quite important not too buy the very
cheapest pair of tile nippers (learn from my mistakes)
while the cheap ones are fine for cutting perfectly
flat,thin tiles they just dont do a good job with
anything thicker than .25 or so inches...
oh yes and one last piece of advice, when using the
nippers always, always wear eye protection. A friend
of mine had a nasty sliver of glaze imbedded into her
eye.
______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
Carolyn Boeri on wed 3 feb 10
HI all,
Has anyone experience in mosaics with shards. I have been saving and =3D
sorting different colored glazed as well as natural clay shards to =3D
mosaic a cement wall in my basement. I have already sealed the wall with =
=3D
a cement mildew proof sealer and then applied a coat of 1 to 5 water to =3D
Wellbond as directed on the website. Now I can either use straight =3D
wellbond to glue on the shards and grout inbetween or use an adhesive =3D
mix of 1 part wellbond, 1 part water, and 4-5 parts filler ( plaster, =3D
tile grout, mortar mix, or sand-cement mix. The adhesive mix will dry =3D
faster than straight wellbond and that may be good for a vertical =3D
surface. I have never done this before but have been inspired by a Raw =3D
Vision, (outsider art mag.) edition with some incredible mosaic work. No =
=3D
directions given there. I was thinking that if I use the thick grout mix =
=3D
I might be able to trowel on the mix and set in the small shards without =
=3D
having to go back and grout inbetween. Anyone want to comment?
Carolyn, in Vermont as if I didn't have enough to do!
John Goode on thu 4 feb 10
Hi
I taught mosaic classes for a few years and I have also set tile mosaics fo=
r
15 years.
I suggest laticrete platinum thinset.
Get it a professional tile store.This will set the ceramics in your
situation for life.
That is what I would use and have had to repair all other types of
installations that used everything else..
I have no affiliation with laticrete but know their products are excellent
from use over the years.
Happy mosaicing....
John Goode
watermarktile.com
handmadeceramictile.com
On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 8:23 PM, Carolyn Boeri wro=
te:
> HI all,
> Has anyone experience in mosaics with shards. I have been saving and
> sorting different colored glazed as well as natural clay shards to mosaic=
a
> cement wall in my basement. I have already sealed the wall with a cement
> mildew proof sealer and then applied a coat of 1 to 5 water to Wellbond a=
s
> directed on the website. Now I can either use straight wellbond to glue o=
n
> the shards and grout inbetween or use an adhesive mix of 1 part wellbond,=
1
> part water, and 4-5 parts filler ( plaster, tile grout, mortar mix, or
> sand-cement mix. The adhesive mix will dry faster than straight wellbond =
and
> that may be good for a vertical surface. I have never done this before bu=
t
> have been inspired by a Raw Vision, (outsider art mag.) edition with some
> incredible mosaic work. No directions given there. I was thinking that if=
I
> use the thick grout mix I might be able to trowel on the mix and set in t=
he
> small shards without having to go back and grout inbetween. Anyone want t=
o
> comment?
> Carolyn, in Vermont as if I didn't have enough to do!
>
Lis Allison on thu 4 feb 10
On Wednesday 03 February 2010, you wrote:
> HI all,
> Has anyone experience in mosaics with shards.
I once did a project with shard mosaic. A friend and I covered a 6" tall
fiberglas tulip with blue and white shards. I made the shards by making
thin clay sheets, decorating and glazing them, firing them, then smashing
them.
It turned out to be one of those learning experiences.
First of all, it took 'way more shards than we dreamed. In order to meet
the deadline, we had the kiln firing continuously to make more!
Second, watch those sharp edges. Working with bandaids on every finger
ain't no joke.
Third, yes, you do have to stick 'em on, then grout later. The adhesive
takes time to dry. If you try to put too much, it takes forever. Shards
will move if the adhesive is on too thick. If you grout before the
adhesive is totally dry the grout will shrink and look bad. Especially
when grouting, watch those sharp edges.
Lastly, it was only towards the end of the project that it finally hit us
that we could shape the shards. A sharp chisel or screwdriver can be used
to chip small bits of the edges to make them fit. Put the piece on a hard
surface (we used the concrete floor) and tap gently with a hammer. We were
doing a piece with curves and tight corners, so fit was important. For
most of the project we kept trying to find shards that fit, only later did
we learn to shape them. That speeded us up a lot!
In the end, our Tulip looked great and we got it in on time. In the
auction of the finished Tulips (this was a fund-raiser and publicity
thing), it was one of only 4 that sold. I heard a few years later that it
was still in good shape in the buyer's garden.
It was fun! But 99% work.
Lis
--
Elisabeth Allison
Pine Ridge Studio
www.Pine-Ridge-Studio.blogspot.com
James Freeman on thu 4 feb 10
On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 8:44 AM, Lis Allison wrote:
Lastly, it was only towards the end of the project that it finally hit us
that we could shape the shards. A sharp chisel or screwdriver can be used
to chip small bits of the edges to make them fit. Put the piece on a hard
surface (we used the concrete floor) and tap gently with a hammer.
Another way to shape the shards is to use an inexpensive tool called a tile
nipper. It is like a pair of pliers, but with a cutting edge perpendicular
to the handles. Lots of leverage, and you can easily nip off tiny bits. D=
o
not try to make big cuts or you will just crack your shard in half. Take a
lot of little cuts; hence the name "tile nipper", not "tile cutter". Here
is a picture of one:
http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Tough-GT-Tile-Nippers/dp/B000MDA3MA . You
can get them at any home center.
Three tips (voice of experience speaking): First, wear safety glasses.
Especially if using the cold chisel or screwdriver and hammer method, tiny,
razor sharp shards will fly EVERYWHERE. Same goes for the initial breaking
of the tiles or pots. Second tip is to do your breaking or nipping inside
of a cardboard box laying on it's side. This will contain most of the chip=
s
and shards, as only the front will be open. Third, wear gloves when doing
your coarse breaking. Keeps the tiny, razor sharp bits off of your skin.
I second what Lis said about band-aids on every finger! Those edges are
SHARP! You will not even feel the cut, but will just notice that you are
bleeding. Be aware also that some of those sharp edges will remain exposed
and dangerous even after grouting, and they will tear the heck out of your
grout float. It is really best to take off the sharp edges with a coarse
carborundum sharpening stone used as a rub block, though this is, of course=
,
quite tedious work.
I also second what John Goode said about using thinset mortar. Maybe one
day I will tell you about the pique assiette bird bath I spent days and day=
s
on, only to watch the mastic fail and most of the shards fall off in big
sheets.
Have fun.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should
not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/
Bonnie Staffel on fri 5 feb 10
Carolyn, I have watched a lot of craft demonstrations on HGTV channel =3D
and
they all use grout after setting up the tiles in the backing stuff. =3D
Seems
that the spaces between the shards would be rough and catch dust or
encourage spiders to nest. Just my opinion.=3D20
At my old studio an artist gathered the shards from my shard pile in =3D
back of
the studio and made a nice 3' X 8' wall design. She filled the spaces =3D
with
grout and it just made the shards pop visually. There are many colors of
grout and if you use a color that will emphasize them, you should have a
stunning wall.=3D20
Bonnie
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD=3DA0 Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD=3DA0 Introduction to Wheel Work
Charter Member Potters Council
Rimas VisGirda on fri 5 feb 10
I run the broken edges lightly along my carborundum grinding wheel to de-sh=
arpen them. -Rimas
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