| Author | Content |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 08, 2008
07:36 PM Post #5226281
| It's been a while since I've posted here, but as some of you know I make stoneware tiles. I've given some thought to selling some of my tiles on the DG Marketplace, and I'd like opinions from the mosaic-makers before I go further than my thoughts.
Attached is a photo of some handpainted ones; these are 2" tiles painted in sets of 4. They came out flat, and I'd consider them "firsts". That's not always the case, however, especially with larger tiles. I have a bunch of 4" tiles that I'd consider "seconds"---they are not flat (they curved up in the middle during firing). I would guess they can still be used for mosaic work, but everything I've done so far calls for flat tiles. I also have plain cobalt blue tiles, and some other earth-tone colors. Sometimes the designs don't come out well, and I'd just love to see those puppies smashed! And some, of course, get broken while I'm working on a project, but I can't bear to throw them away, so I have a bag of bits that someone might find useful.
The tiles I make are are high-fired stoneware, so they're extremely durable (they'd be OK outside in freezing temps).
Please tell me if you think these might be something mosaic-makers would be interested in buying, or if I need to think of something else to do with them!~
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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balvenie
Marysville, WA
(Zone 7a)
 July 09, 2008
11:18 AM Post #5229296
| What! a whole day passes and no comments on these gorgeous tiles. They are beautiful and lend themselves to so many applications. Whole for borders and such or broken and warped for mosaics. Don't stop now, keep the pictures coming. |
somersetsue
Portland, OR
(Zone 8b)
July 09, 2008
01:46 PM Post #5230188
| I think your hand-made tiles are just beautiful!!!!! if I lived in Ca. I would buy them for sure!!!! Your seconds as you call them would be just perfect for bb or mosaic art...wish I lived closer...
Sue |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 09, 2008
09:36 PM Post #5232605
| blushing...THANKS!
I will take some more pix, and focus on the seconds. I have a bunch that I made for a driveway inset project, and they just didn't turn out the way I wanted. They're taking up space at this point and making me feel guilty. Most are warped, so they might indeed work on a bb. I was thinking of breaking them up and doing mosaic on the papercrete spheres I molded, but I don't have the round tuit. Right now I'm working on trying to finish grouting the last section of my front walkway.
This is a shot of a few of these 4" rejects when they came out of the kiln. You can see they're not flat. That might actually be good for doing bbs. Some are even more warped than these.
There are also some in another glaze in this photo, which is a crap shoot any time its used. Sometimes it's like this, and sometimes it's completely different. Fun, but frustrating if you need sets! I think that's why I like the white with the blue----repeatability.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 09, 2008
09:54 PM Post #5232744
| I guess I should see what it would cost to ship some of these...maybe I could sell them by the pound? |
kimarj
(Kim) Philadelphi, PA
(Zone 6a)
July 09, 2008
10:12 PM Post #5232901
| I think they are lovely.
This message was edited Jul 9, 2008 10:12 PM |
katiebear
mulege
Mexico
July 11, 2008
01:24 PM Post #5241640
| Check out the post office's flat rate boxes for mailers.
I think the tiles are beautiful.
katiebear |
whozzat08
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
July 12, 2008
08:48 AM Post #5245846
| I love them. Don't call them warped! Call them---One of a kind/not another like it/unique/different then the norm!
Broken up I would think they would add lots of texture? to a mosaic project! |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 12, 2008
10:56 AM Post #5246393
| HAHAHA! Like the software I work with on the job...an error becomes a feature! "Pre-curved for round projects", perhaps?
I appreciate katiebear's suggestion of the USPS standard box. That might address the weight issue---some of these are pretty heavy. As soon as I get my sidewalk grouting done for today (which I should be doing now instead of playing on DG...) I'll pull out some "scraps" & clean them up & see what size box they'd fit into with some packing materials.
I wonder if I could charge a different shipping rate depending on how much packing the customer wanted? If the purchase was whole tiles to be broken up for mosaics, maybe I wouldn't need to pack them as carefully as if they were to be used whole...maybe I could have "tiered" shipping costs. Whaddaya'll think of that concept?
I really appreciate the feedback & encouragement I've gotten!
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whozzat08
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
July 13, 2008
04:23 AM Post #5250536
| hmmmm
I have three 4' round narrow heavy containers I have been thinking of mosaic-ing and making into plant stands. Prettier plant stands since that is what I am using them for now and just started collecting plates /bowls etc. for them.
Let me know what you come up with |
SacValley
Wilton, CA
(Zone 9b)
July 13, 2008
10:47 AM Post #5251395
| OMG..you made those(!)? I'm just amazed.
Hope your rejects find great homes. |
Gourd
(Zone 4b)
July 13, 2008
04:53 PM Post #5253144
| I would also be interested in some for mosaic purposes probably by the pound.. they are very nice.. good work you do..
A. |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 13, 2008
09:51 PM Post #5254664
| Well, as usual the weekend projects took 3x as long as I thought they would, so I haven't figured out my Marketplace stuff yet. On the positive side, I did get 3 batches of grout into my sidewalk tiles, and got another project mortared...
I'm too old to be crawling around hard surfaces on my hands and knees, even WITH kneepads!!! |
Gourd
(Zone 4b)
July 13, 2008
09:59 PM Post #5254717
| Oh boy, show us photos, that sounds really interesting. I know the feeling when it takes longer than we think. |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 15, 2008
07:40 PM Post #5265107
| oh, if you INSIST...lol!
This is the section of my sidewalk that I'm grouting. It's the final section of this project I posted in Landscaping.com
(hmmm can I put a link and a photo on the same post???)
As you can see, the grout isn't cleaned up yet. I still have about 6 sq. feet left to grout next weekend.
http://landscaping.com/ls/view/32/
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 15, 2008
07:43 PM Post #5265133
| Here's a detail shot of the area I grouted over the weekend: 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 15, 2008
07:50 PM Post #5265167
| And this is the project I was mortaring. It's the base of the "wedging" table in my studio (used for kneading clay). Still needs to be grouted. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Gourd
(Zone 4b)
July 15, 2008
08:21 PM Post #5265369
| Wow, very nice, also very unique..
A. |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 15, 2008
08:33 PM Post #5265445
| Thanks, it's good practice. The tiles on the table base are going to be covered up with buckets most of the time...but I'll know they are there...LOL! |
Sundownr
(Bev) Wytheville, VA
(Zone 6a)
July 20, 2008
11:54 PM Post #5294035
| imapigeon, you do very nice work and must have tons of patience! I have to finish projects in a few days or I lose interest, or end up changing my mind about design, method, colors, etc., lol.
I would be interested in some of your 'seconds' too! |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
July 21, 2008
12:50 PM Post #5296358
| OK, I FINALLY finished my front walkway grouting yesterday----still have to clean up the Saltillo tiles after the grout cures, so not ready to post any pix yet. Excited to have this done.
Patience? HAH! Not so much...but after I got the first section done, it was really embarrassing to have this big unfinished project in the front yard for 2 years!~~ And I've just learned to live with at least some of my decisions. I look at the first section of handpainted tiles I laid and think "Gee, I'm a better painter now, it's too bad I didn't wait..." but after waiting 20 years from concept to completion, it's been LONG ENOUGH! Now I have to tile my courtyard before I can't crawl around or lift a trowel any more. This has given me additional appreciation and respect for the craftsmen who do this work professionally.
As I've been mortaring and grouting, I've been mulling over how I'm going to "Marketplace" my rejects and scraps, and I really appreciate the interest you've all shown! This is moving up on my priority list... |
shellabella
West Central, FL
(Zone 9b)
July 21, 2008
04:06 PM Post #5297401
| I for one know what it is to deal with tiling a large patio with Saltillo tile...The knees , the hands, the back...painful and stiff. I would never do it again...lol!
I love your tiles and would be very interested in getting some .
The flat rate priority box is the way to go with heavy stuff IMO, it makes those kinds of things affordable for crafters needing tile or heavy supplies.
Blue and white is one of my favorite color combos.
You did a beautiful job on your front walkway!!!
Michelle:) |
1AnjL
(AnjL) Fremont, CA
(Zone 9b)
August 01, 2008
01:49 AM Post #5352162
| oooh! watching for the leftovers to be posted on the marketplace :o) |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
August 01, 2008
03:43 PM Post #5354738
| I've FINISHED MY WALKWAY (well, except for sealing it). I'm SO excited I had to share!
Just finished updating my Landscaping.com entry & I included "in progress" photos. I put captions on them, but for some reason they aren't displaying. But anyway, I'm FINISHED!~~~~
http://landscaping.com/ls/view/32/ |
katiebear
mulege
Mexico
August 01, 2008
05:53 PM Post #5355343
| Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for posting.
katiebear |
Gourd
(Zone 4b)
August 01, 2008
06:26 PM Post #5355491
| Beautiful.. it is gorgeous.. I love the stucco and color of saltillo you used there.. it just looks so serene too. Thanks for sharing.
A. |
1AnjL
(AnjL) Fremont, CA
(Zone 9b)
August 01, 2008
07:00 PM Post #5355633
| wow! wanna come do mine now?! LOL |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
August 01, 2008
07:51 PM Post #5355895
| No thanks----I still have my whoooole courtyard to do, but if YOU want to do yours, I can give you a lot of tips and tricks! LOL |
1AnjL
(AnjL) Fremont, CA
(Zone 9b)
August 02, 2008
03:08 AM Post #5357358
| lol, well... I was at HD today looking at the tiles...then I 'woke up' and realized NO way am I gonna put that much creativity and effort into a house we plan to sell in a few years! lol!
so I think I'll try a mosiac table instead :o) lol!
front walk will just have to remain plain ole concrete lol! |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
August 02, 2008
09:28 AM Post #5357969
| Yep, you don't want to do anything this major unless you can look at it as "practice" and walk away!
They're going to have to take me out of here feet-first. I have NO intention of moving again. This was a brand-new tract house when we moved here in '87, and I knew what I wanted to do with it the minute I laid eyes on it. It's just taken us 20 years to have the $$ and time to make it actually happen. |
Gourd
(Zone 4b)
August 02, 2008
10:09 AM Post #5358091
| Oh, I want to have a courtyard done in the back with that type of style.. just love this. You need to move here.. I know that feeling of leaving your home behind.. we had the whole house tiled in So Cal and had these concrete walkways all around the house, some concrete barriers made, Extra Double garage, shop, etc.. then... here comes the transfer..lol.
they will have to take me out screaming from this one also. We started over (it will be 2 years this Oct.).
Anjil, just remember, don't put your money into plants... even at this home... put it into hardscape, and you will double you money when you leave/sell. then you can have $ to get a bigger place or to fix up then next place. I learned the hard way.. I used to spend a lot of money on plants (remember plants die) and it looks bad and lots of upkeep... but... the hardscape never dies. It will look good no matter what and last years, and years.
Okay, I better get outside and work..lol |
1AnjL
(AnjL) Fremont, CA
(Zone 9b)
August 02, 2008
01:37 PM Post #5358820
| gourd, I am doing lots of money in plants... but only in plants I can dig and take with me :o) I plan to dig and take all 150 iris bulbs, and 90 daff bulbs, and 125 tulips...etc :o)
all brugs are in pots, so I can take with me :o) JM's and Lemon tree are in pots.
we ARE going to do lots of hardscape especially in the back yard, but we are doing the work ourselves...and cheaply :o) trying to save our muscles and labor for when we move north to our permanent home lol!
THATS when we retire and will have lots of time to fix the home just how we want it :o0 lol! |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
August 03, 2008
05:48 PM Post #5363934
| OK, I DID it!
http://davesgarden.com/products/market/view/2273/
Thank you all SO much for your encouragement...can't tell you how much I've appreciated it! |
Gourd
(Zone 4b)
August 03, 2008
05:58 PM Post #5363987
| oooh, I just placed my order... send me your addy.. I will probably use them in the patio next year.. but want to have them on hand.
Antoinette
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imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
August 03, 2008
06:27 PM Post #5364122
| Thankyouthankyou, this is so exciting! At this rate, I should be able to retire from my paying job by next week...LOL!!!!
I'm really looking forward to seeing what other people do with them...that will be SUCH FUN! |
Gourd
(Zone 4b)
August 28, 2008
12:40 AM Post #5477168
| I got my tiles and I love them... they will make a nice addition to my place here.. if you have more, I may get the rest, I was waiting to make sure everyone got some before I purchased more from you. I'm really debating on whether I should use them somehow in my kitchen.
Thank you .. they are beautiful.
Antoinette
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imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
August 28, 2008
10:27 AM Post #5478227
| So glad you like them!
I'm working on a design I thought might make a good backsplash insert. When I get a chance I'll post some photos. Of course they're not fired yet, so they may not come out. One never knows with high-fire ceramics...it's kinda like playing the slots...LOL! |
balvenie
Marysville, WA
(Zone 7a)
August 28, 2008
09:14 PM Post #5480809
| Your tiles came today and I have them all laid out basking in the evening light. The packaging was awesome. What a beautiful array of color. Thank you so much. I hope I can get them installed this weekend, weather permitting. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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NYrainshine
Franklin Springs, NY
(Zone 4b)
September 01, 2008
05:58 AM Post #5493254
| In regards to your warpage problem - how are you rolling your slabs? Specifically, how do you transfer them to the wareboards, also at what stage do you cut them? It seems to be a memory problem. Are you doing a bisque or glazing greenware? |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
September 01, 2008
11:29 AM Post #5494014
| Well, I think the primary root cause of the warpage problem is that I'm a complete Bozo. I had great success with the method I used for my 2" tiles, and just ASSUMED that it would translate to 4". So I didn't do proper tests and made a big batch of "pre-curved" tiles.
I use a North Star slab roller; I dust the slabs with cornstarch; I use the "biscuit-cutter" type tile cutters; I flip the cut tiles over when I put them on the greenboard. I dry them between stacks of greenboard. I typically glaze & paint tiles as greenware, unless they have a lot of relief; those I electric bisque first to C04. I fire with gas to C10, and I put grog on the shelves I'm putting tiles on. I usually put the shelves loaded with 2" tiles about 1-inch apart.
Any suggestions would be most welcome! I've been doing high- and low-fire ceramics for 30+ years, but I've only been making tiles for the past couple of years, so I've got a lot to learn!
This message was edited Sep 1, 2008 9:41 AM |
NYrainshine
Franklin Springs, NY
(Zone 4b)
September 02, 2008
11:41 PM Post #5501343
| Well, I thought they seemed small to have that much warpage.
I have done a lot of tile and slump molding with rolled slabs, so I will decribe what my process has evolved to over the years to eliminate distortion.
You have a slabroller, and I have used them, but only for really large projects.
I make slabs thicker than the intended finish thickness, say 1/2", by thumping down the piece just slightly more than 1/2". A roller should only even the surface and compress it, make sure not to push out a long skinny slab from a thick lump of clay. There should be no or very little splitting at the edges. The idea is to not stretch the clay, but to make it even and strenghthen it. Really with small pieces you can just wire slabs off bagged or wedged clay that has been shaped into a cube.
I use raw wallboard taped on the edges with duct tape to dry any tiles without relief.
I have made a manual rolling board from plywood of the same thickness as the wallboard. This is important.
The boards' size itself was dictated by the width of my largest rolling pin. It is covered with canvas and has four screws with large heads at the corners that secure interchangable slats that determine the thickness of the clay to be rolled out. They are not attached with the screws, only held in place by them - the slats have holes the size of the screwheads drilled in them. (The first model had dowels, but over time they flatten quite a bit so I changed to thin strips of wood.)
The clay that is maybe twice the thickness intended is rolled once without trying to press enough to meet the goal thinness. It is then turned 45 degrees and rolled again down to the slats. This will stretch it equally in both directions, and encourage even shrinkage.
I NEVER pick up the slabs. They are not rolled directly on the canvas that covers the wood but on cut pieces of pellon that fit between the slats. I buy the pellon at the local fabric store by the yard. (About $3/yard-Not the type that can be ironed-on.) Unlike fabric it has absolutely no texture that is transferred to the clay. Plus it's tough and can be reused a long time if you don't stress it by using it many times over while it is wet from the clay. It dries really fast. And after a lot of uses you can rinse it out just in a bucket so the accumulated film of clay won't hold water.
So the idea is to put the same thickness wareboard at the end of the rolling board, and SLIDE the clay-on-pellon finished slab smoothly over to the wareboard. Absolutely no lifting, turning, or bending of the clay at all.
Use a template to mark your shapes right away. In your case with a simple square, if you cut a ruler with a fine edge just longer than the template, you can press it down into the clay at a slight angle inward. As the clay starts to dry and stiffens some it can be cut entirely with a fettling knife without much fuss because the clear top line has been established. Exact timing doesn't matter because it is all already marked. Plus pushing down will slightly round the edge and establish a nice outer edge for the glaze.
I have done very complex fitted shapes with no problems this way. The only difference is I make "cookie cutters" from metal banding wire to set the shapes. I always finish cutting with a knife so no corners stick and pull up. That could cause warping, even if you dry evenly by pressing between boards.
Slab rollers are supposed to make a process easier. But unless it's for large amounts or pieces of clay that are truly physically taxing, the control with a smaller board is far better and I personally think less effort.
Wow. Long post. Hope it helps.
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imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
September 03, 2008
11:31 AM Post #5502780
| Next outing I'll be buying Pellon for sure!!! I use canvas with my slab roller, per the manufacturer's recommendations, but there is always texture. Sometimes I don't mind, but sometimes it's annoying as heck. Also, the clay tends to stick somewhat, and I'm always having to swap pieces of canvas.
Mostly I am cutting with my tile-cutters, and not doing much cutting by hand. For the most part, the tile-cutters keep the shape flat till I pop it down on the greenboard----if not, Iit goes back into the pug mill.
I'm pretty good about not moving my whole slabs until they're leather-hard, especially if I'm cutting by hand. Then I put a piece of greenboard on top of the slab & canvas, and flip it as a unit & peel off the canvas. Sometimes it lifts...then it's back into the pug mill again...so the Pellon sounds really appealing.
I roll out about 5 lbs at a time, but I usually start rolling at about 1 1/2" thick and roll out to a little over 1/4" for 2" tiles and 1/2" for 4". I'll start mashing it down more by hand before I roll out the slab.
Thanks for the detailed directions----I'm sure they will help!!
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