Ditmar/Gayle on sun 6 sep 98
Adhesives and glues will vary depending on what and where the mosaic is to
be displayed . Indoor... outdoor...decorative....functional. The most
critical factor being moisture/water exposure, and what the surface is that
you're attaching shards to.
There are currently a number of good books out, since mosaics have become
"IN" again. Check at a local book store and see what comes closest to your
work. Covering the entire range of materials and tools would be a L-O-N-G
post for this NG.
Your main tools for shaping shards are a hammer and tile nippers. Unless
you really want to get overly meticulous and use a diamond saw. The tile
nippers are available at hardware stores or tile suppliers. They'll be your
main tool and with a bit of practice do amazing things.
Grout is available in a pretty good range of colors at hardware stores,
too.
But a more custom range of colors and cheaper by far is to mix your own.
I use 60 mesh silica sand and cement. One part of cement to about 3 parts
of sand. It will give you a neutral color that works well with most
designs.
For coloring, you can get cheap earth tones with ochre, umber, red or black
iron oxide, or even throw in some clay. ( use a bit more cement to still
keep about a 3 to 1 ratio.) For brighter color or whites and pastels, look
for white cement, and color the grout with latex paints or artist acrylics.
E-mail me directly with your intended use and I'll get you more specific
answers. I still heartily recommend checking some books on the subject,
there's nothing like a visual reference for getting an idea of techniques,
supplies and tools.
From Alohaland, Ditmar.
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