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This is my first instructable. :-)
Are you remodeling a bathroom or a kitchen or anywhere you need mosaic tiles? Do you want accents in your tile design that don't exist?I am remodeling my guest bathroom and I wanted some mosaic pieces that matched the tile I was installing. However, there were no mosaic pieces in the tile I was using. There was an expensive "strip" of mosaics in a variety of colors in the style I was using, which was $10 for one strip. So, I decided to create my own.
To do this you will need:
Tile saw with an adjustable depth setting
Rock tumbler and some coarse grit
Tape Measure
Framing square, a try square or a T-ruler
China marker or permanent marker
Flat blade screwdriver
Tile
Moderate DIY skills
This is what you are after, the finished mosaics are next to the kind of tile they were created from:
Are you remodeling a bathroom or a kitchen or anywhere you need mosaic tiles? Do you want accents in your tile design that don't exist?I am remodeling my guest bathroom and I wanted some mosaic pieces that matched the tile I was installing. However, there were no mosaic pieces in the tile I was using. There was an expensive "strip" of mosaics in a variety of colors in the style I was using, which was $10 for one strip. So, I decided to create my own.
To do this you will need:
Tile saw with an adjustable depth setting
Rock tumbler and some coarse grit
Tape Measure
Framing square, a try square or a T-ruler
China marker or permanent marker
Flat blade screwdriver
Tile
Moderate DIY skills
This is what you are after, the finished mosaics are next to the kind of tile they were created from:
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Signing UpStep 1Create your "story stick".
The first thing to do is determine what size and shape of mosaic tiles you want. When you have determined that, mark the width of the mosaics you want onto a "story pole" or "story stick". Be sure to include the width of the cut of your tile saw on your stick.
A good idea is to adjust the width of the layout so the entire tile is used and there is no waste.
A good idea is to adjust the width of the layout so the entire tile is used and there is no waste.
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All you need is something that is watertight that turns slowly and reliably. Anything that fits that bill, works. Good luck.
I saw a suggestion online, years ago where a woman used a clear organizer bin to cut tiles without making a mess (while watching TV!). She cut holes in the sides for gloves- put the tiles and tools inside and slid her hands into the gloves from outside- like the nuclear fuel handling table on the Siimpsons. She put clear plastic sheeting on top so she could see what she was doing. I thought the clear plastic lid might be good enough.
As far as the organizer cutting method, I'm not sure I'm ready to subject my entertainment area to micro-ceramic-dust. Perhaps if I had a TV in my garage, this would rock, but I can't trust that in my entertainment area. ;-) Also, I did this with a tile saw, which you can buy hoods for. They aren't leak proof enough to go cutting in your TV room, but they do cut down on the water spewing everywhere and lots of the ceramic dust. I did all my hand cutting on my bench in the garage, wearing a canister mask and a face shield, with the door open and a huge fan blowing out the dust. I just put on some tunes and cut away. I'm not sure that operating a tile saw, cutting on small pieces held with my hands is something I want to do while watching TV, but that's just me.
I made two hoods for my saw out of heavy mil plastic and 1/8 wire that I brazed together with my acetylene torch. It worked very well and cost very little. You can see one of the hoods in step four of this instructable.
The finished mosaic tiles have a little 'lip' around the top. Obviously, it's because you cut the tile from the back, so I assume you could eliminate this and cut the face of the tile.
Does this little 'lip' interfere with laying them in? Is there a particular reason you cut the back of the tile, and not the face?
Curiosity won't let me leave this question alone... =/
-Cory
I wanted the irregular edge, this is why I didn't cut all the way through. I cut from the back so that when i snapped the tiles free they would create the irregular line I was after on the face of the tile. If you don't want this edge, then you just cut all the way through, but I'd cut from the top to create a cleaner line. As I said in the Instructable, if you do so, be careful because those pieces can get in the saw blade and plop in the water below.
As far as the lip interfering, I'm not sure how it would unless you try to put them right next to each other with no grout line. I'm am going with a 1/8" grout line where I'm using them as accents and 3/16ths where I'm using them as a border (the last tiles on the edge) which is plenty of room to keep them from touching. I'll add a photo of them as accents and as a border when it is finished.
With these you'll grout right up to the edge of the lip, so someone can't see under it. If you don't want to do this and you don't care for the irregular edge, then just cut all the way through, tumble and glaze. I hope that answers your question.
Funny you should ask that, because I began this by experimenting with an inexpensive snap tile cutter. I thought maybe if I scored it lightly I might get some irregular breaks, but it broke pretty straight and clean every time. Since I wanted that irregular edge, I decided on doing it this way. If you don't care about the irregular edge, then you could easily do this with an affordable snap tile cutter. You can grab them at any big hardware store for fifteen or twenty bucks. Anyone can make an inexpensive rock tumbler as well, out of parts from a hardware store or stuff you get off the Internet.
As to the effect on ceramic, glazed tiles, I wrote in the instructable that if you only tumble for twenty-four hours it takes the sheen off, but not the entire glaze. You can brush on a sealer to get the sheen back, which is what I did. They come in a variety of finishes - glossy, semi-gloss and matte. I called a couple local ceramics shops - those places where you can pick out and paint greenware and then they fire it in a kiln for you - to ask if they would be willing to let me re-glaze these mosaics in their kiln. One place said no, because of the risk of my tiles "blowing up" and damaging their customers work and the other place never returned my call. That would be the best option if you have access to such tools or facilities.