'Tile we meet again
Jan. 26th, 2016 03:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
offcntrRound about half-past December, I wrote about the process of making and drying tiles. After about three weeks of slow drying, I bisque fired them, chose out the flattest ones, and brought them down to Club Mud to glaze.
I actually had two tile projects, for the same customer. Six 4x6" tiles were to be lined up in a row for a sink backsplash. Twelve larger tiles, 6x6", were to be used in another room as accents on a commercially-tiled wall. All were to be glazed and decorated with birds and animals found on the client's Lorane Valley farm.
Since the backsplash tiles need to be laid in order, so the scene works properly, I start by numbering them on the back side with black stain. Then I wax all the tiles on the bottom and edges with liquid wax resist. This is kinda tedious, as the mesh-texture I pressed into the backside to hold mastic also wants to hold air bubbles, so I have to carefully dab wax resist into all the grooves, to keep the glaze out.
Long ago, I rigged up a tile-holder out of a deconstructed wire whisk. Holding the tile against the wires with my left thumb, I hold it at an angle as I carefully pour a layer of glaze over the surface. Carefully shaking it to get rid of extra glaze, I then rotate it 180° in the holder, and pour a second coat. One last shake, and I put it onto the ware board to dry. After dabbing any remaining glaze drops off the wax resist, the tile is ready to paint.
I had a generous list of birds and beasts to choose from, including house finches, downy and pileated woodpeckers, and three different varieties of owl. I ultimately did sixteen square tiles in hopes of getting twelve successful ones out of the kiln. I suspect I'll be able to sell any extras to the client; if not, I might keep them for myself.
I actually had two tile projects, for the same customer. Six 4x6" tiles were to be lined up in a row for a sink backsplash. Twelve larger tiles, 6x6", were to be used in another room as accents on a commercially-tiled wall. All were to be glazed and decorated with birds and animals found on the client's Lorane Valley farm.
Since the backsplash tiles need to be laid in order, so the scene works properly, I start by numbering them on the back side with black stain. Then I wax all the tiles on the bottom and edges with liquid wax resist. This is kinda tedious, as the mesh-texture I pressed into the backside to hold mastic also wants to hold air bubbles, so I have to carefully dab wax resist into all the grooves, to keep the glaze out.
Long ago, I rigged up a tile-holder out of a deconstructed wire whisk. Holding the tile against the wires with my left thumb, I hold it at an angle as I carefully pour a layer of glaze over the surface. Carefully shaking it to get rid of extra glaze, I then rotate it 180° in the holder, and pour a second coat. One last shake, and I put it onto the ware board to dry. After dabbing any remaining glaze drops off the wax resist, the tile is ready to paint.
I had a generous list of birds and beasts to choose from, including house finches, downy and pileated woodpeckers, and three different varieties of owl. I ultimately did sixteen square tiles in hopes of getting twelve successful ones out of the kiln. I suspect I'll be able to sell any extras to the client; if not, I might keep them for myself.