| Author | Content |
thelittleflower
Penfield, PA
(Zone 5b)
August 09, 2008
11:25 PM Post #5393109
| While looking through the posts about bowling balls and some other mosaic pieces, I noticed that everyone's tile or glass pieces are so uniformly shaped. Some are triangles, other's are squares and others are different shapes, but they always seem so uniform. I made a bowling ball with broken glass, but when smashing the glass, I had very irregular pieces. Some were just tiny slivers and others were large odd shaped pieces. Do you use a special tool? I really need some guidance, I know nothing about doing mosaics. TIA, Staci |
Doe41
(Audrey) Dyersburg, TN
(Zone 7a)
August 11, 2008
06:13 PM Post #5401103
| I just need to know how to join them! What medium do you use? I've never done this! I really want to! Can you apply to glass? |
pinkpoodlegirl
Rock Hill, SC
(Zone 7b)
August 12, 2008
08:24 AM Post #5403287
| Did you you stained glass or bottles? The one that are so uniform are stained glass that has been cut with a glass cutter to those shapes. |
katiebear
mulege
Mexico
August 12, 2008
01:29 PM Post #5404506
| The half-marbles are also uniform.
If you're breaking up bottles, just keep smashing the pieces until they get to be about the size you want. The will never be as uniform as the pieces that you buy by the bag.
The stained glass can be cut in different ways - or smashed like the bottles.
Sometimes people on ebay or craigslist.org sell leftovers of stained glass. They can be used for mosaics. I break them up and then tumble them for a day or so to make them less dangerous to handle.
katiebear |
Syrumani
San Antonio, TX
(Zone 8b)
August 12, 2008
01:32 PM Post #5404518
| I haven't done mosaics, but I do have an idea . . . maybe a tile cutter would work (at least on flat glass)? I had bought one at a home show a few years back, and it worked on the ceramic tile great . . . just a thought . . . |
katiebear
mulege
Mexico
August 12, 2008
02:12 PM Post #5404651
| One ebay seller cuts glass tiles using a glass cutter and a straightedge. You can get quite uniform pieces that way.
katiebear |
planolinda
Plano, TX
August 12, 2008
06:06 PM Post #5405413
| i made a stepping stone with 6 sided shapes --they were all on a sheeting back and so i could cut and attach to the stepping stone and then grout--it would be very hard to cut that shape in a uniform way and also hard to attach in such a uniform manner-- |
pinkpoodlegirl
Rock Hill, SC
(Zone 7b)
August 13, 2008
11:00 PM Post #5411565
| You can buy a glass cutter at home depot or lowes for just a few dollars. Glass is really pretty easy to cut. |
Spider07
Lilburn, GA
September 24, 2008
09:04 PM Post #5595588
| Hi,
how can one cut tiles to round shapes? Tile cutters just do different size squares. I would like to find a way to cut tiles into circles (for flowers centers) or petal, curved shapes.
Is there a tool for that?
thank you:o) |
balvenie
Marysville, WA
(Zone 7a)
 September 24, 2008
09:41 PM Post #5595774
| Many of the bowling balls are covered with pieces of broken tempered glass. When broken it tends to crumple into fairly regular shapes and can be set on the ball with a clear silicone cement. This from someone who has not done it, yet. OR for larger pieces buy a good oil lubricated glass cutter for glass and "plier type" clippers for tile. Except for the tempered glass pieces (which you will probably have to break yourself) the other material will need to be a bit larger. It is very difficult to cut glass in wee little pieces. |
barrell
Tunkhannock, PA
December 19, 2008
05:18 PM Post #5909232
| You cant get anything done without tools. Get yourself a few basic tools they arent expensive. I would get a pair of square tip nippers. A set of wheeled nippers. A good glass cutter. Shouldnt cost more than $60. I cant live without my grinder which is about another $125 if you can afford it. |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 29, 2008
12:00 PM Post #5939569
| As I said in a different thread..."That is the wonderful thing about mosaics - and art as well - it won't let you put it in a “box”. That's what keeps us growing as artist::))"
I NEVER throw away any "broken" glass. You never know when the perfect place to put it will come up. Some people who do mosaics are real picky about perfect shapes but when you look through some of the work out there you'll see that "odd" shaped pieces or "natural" pieces can make something beautiful...and beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!
So, yes get the glass cutter and nippers (I can't do with out those two) - some times wal-mart has them or try michael's or hobby lobby... $20 for the both...but save those slivers for later - when you realize that you can't really make a mistake with art. Let go and have fun...you might be surprised what comes out of it:)
Here are some of my favorite “pro” mosaic artists:
[HYPERLINK@www.debbieryan.co.uk]
[HYPERLINK@www.salisburymuseum.org.uk]
the photo belongs to:)
[HYPERLINK@www.kaffefassett.com]
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 29, 2008
12:15 PM Post #5939647
| Also, I forgot to say that I like to use the large tub of Laticrete from Lowes to "join" the pieces. It is a paste, it is water resistant and it is a type of thin set mortar. You can buy bags of dry powdered thinset mortar and so on. I get mine from Lowes in the tile department. Ask the guy at lowes where the adherent for mosaics is located and he'll walk you through it.
To get a piece of glass round you would use a glass cutter to begin with. Cut the glass into a square and then you have two choices. You can purchase a glass grinder (hobby lobby, Michaels, etc) and grind down the corners or you can use the "other end" of the glass cutter IF...IF you buy the glass cutter type with the little rectangle indention on the other end from the cutter blade. You would put the square glass tips into that rectangle and gently break away the glass until you have a "some what" circle. Then you adhere it to the board and use grout to fill in around it so that you don't see the imperfections.
Remember, if you are making a piece that will be in the weather or around moisture, use concrete backer board as the base...and use a water resistant or water proof grout or thinset (good luck finding the waterproof one).
Here's a waterfall I did behind my shower nozzles ...I still have to straighten the nozzles...uuuggg
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
planolinda
Plano, TX
December 29, 2008
05:09 PM Post #5940687
| scardiecat i don't think that name fits you! you were so brave to do that to your shower stall and it turned out beautiful!! |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 30, 2008
04:54 PM Post #5944543
| Thanks Planolinda, it depends on my "mood" if I am a scarediecat or not...lol...like most women I guess. If you think the shower wall is brave you should see the rest of that room! It was a bedroom and bathroom but now it is one big bathroom:) I also re-did my whole kitchen... walls, floor (ceramic tile)...tore out all the cabinets, etc. This is our first time to "settle down" in our own place and I bought a place I could remodel myself...something I always wanted to do. Now I have the rest of my life to finish what I start:)
Did you see my octupus in my other entry? That is the left side of the shower. So the whole shower will be mosaic when I'm finished...
thanks again |
planolinda
Plano, TX
December 31, 2008
12:34 PM Post #5947645
| oh you are impressing me more all the time--remodeling is so intimidating to me!! |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
January 04, 2009
08:41 PM Post #5966773
| It all depends on the home. If I had an already almost perfect home it would be very hard for me to "remodel" like I have with the home I have now. But with the home I bought...well let's just say, I can't hurt it...only improve on it:) |
