Search Results for: grout

Irregular Glazed Ceramic Tile

irregular-glazed-ceramic-tile

Irregular Glazed Ceramic Tile are molded pieces in the irregular shapes shown. They are sold by the 1/4 pound, which is over 80 pieces, unless a batch is running slightly thicker than normal. The thickness is about 3-4mm with slight variation.

The product is scooped at random, and we cannot control the quantity of each shape in a 1/4-pound scoop or pick certain shapes for you. The shapes come mixed as assortments from the factory.

Irregular Glazed Ceramic Tile

  • Sold by the 1/4 pound.
  • piece count: around 80+
  • glazed ceramic tile in molded angular shapes.
  • sizes: around an inch and less.
  • thickness: roughly 3-4mm. varies slightly.
  • not certified for flooring. The glazes of the metallic colors would be extremely vulnerable to scratching.
  • metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.
  • Susceptible to freeze damage. Use a tile and grout sealer.

Preventing Freeze Damage

Glazed ceramic materials are particularly susceptible to freeze damage, as are all porous materials. There are micro cracks in the glaze, which allows moisture to penetrate into the pores of the ceramic and then freeze, expand and crack the material. This can be minimized by sealing your FINISHED mosaic with multiple applications of a tile and grout sealer from the local building material store. You can also prevent this damage by bringing you stepping stones and mosaic lawn sculptures inside for the winter months.

Piece Count

Piece count varies because thickness varies by batch, but assume 80+ pieces per 1/4 pound.

Product Coverage

Each 1/4-pound sales unit should cover an area of roughly 5 x 5 inches or 25 square inches (0.17 square feet) assuming a small grout gap.

Compatibility

The thickness varies between batches and even within a batch, but not by much. Most artists could mix these with glass mosaic tile and not be bothered by any slight difference in thickness, but if a batch ran particularly thick, the unglazed sides of the ceramic tile might be slightly visible above the thinner glass tile if you don’t grout.

Cutting Tile

These can be cut with a Mosaic Tile Nipper such as we sell, but there may be some scrap.

Use in Mosaic Art

As discussed above, sealing with a tile and grout sealer is important for preventing freeze damage. These can be used with glass mosaic tile. We do not recommend these for use in flooring because the glazes might scratch, particularly the metallic colors. The metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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Glazed Ceramic Tile Charms

Glazed Ceramic Tile Charms

Glazed Ceramic Tile Charms are assortments of 16 different shapes. These tiles are tiny. They are sold by the 1/4 pound, which is over 190 pieces, possibly over 220 pieces if a batch of tile is running slightly thinner.

The product is scooped at random, and we cannot control the quantity of each shape in a 1/4-pound scoop or pick certain shapes for you. The shapes come mixed as assortments from the factory.

The 16 different shapes in the assortments are stars, crescent moons, arrows, flowers, hearts, ovals, eggs, triangles, pentagons, circles, semicircles, wedges, drops, trapezoids, diamonds, and blundersnurks.

Glazed Ceramic Charms

  • Sold by the 1/4 pound.
  • glazed ceramic tile in 16 symbolic shapes.
  • width: less than 1/4 inch.
  • thickness: roughly 4mm-5mm. varies slightly.
  • not certified for flooring. The glazes of the metallic colors would be extremely vulnerable to scratching.
  • metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.
  • Susceptible to freeze damage. Use a tile and grout sealer.

Preventing Freeze Damage

Glazed ceramic materials are particularly susceptible to freeze damage, as are all porous materials. There are micro cracks in the glaze, which allows moisture to penetrate into the pores of the ceramic and then freeze, expand and crack the material. This can be minimized by sealing your FINISHED mosaic with multiple applications of a tile and grout sealer from the local building material store. You can also prevent this damage by bringing you stepping stones and mosaic lawn sculptures inside for the winter months.

Piece Count

Piece count varies because thickness varies by batch. If a batch is running slightly thinner, then 1/4 pound might contain 230 pieces. If a batch is running slightly thicker, then 1/4 pound might only contain 190 pieces.

Product Coverage

Each 1/4-pound sales unit should cover an area of roughly 5 x 5 inches or 25 square inches (0.17 square feet) assuming a small grout gap.

Compatibility

Tile thickness is slightly thicker than our 4mm-thick glass mosaic tile, and the thickness varies between batches and even within a batch, but not by much. Most artists could mix these with glass mosaic tile and not be bothered by any slight difference in thickness, but if a batch ran particularly thick, the unglazed sides of the ceramic tile might be slightly visible above the thinner glass tile if you don’t grout.

Cutting Tile

Cutting should not be required due to the small size, but these could be cut with a Mosaic Tile Nipper such as we sell.

Use in Mosaic Art

As discussed above, sealing with a tile and grout sealer is important for preventing freeze damage. These can be used with glass mosaic tile. The metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm are over 5/16 inch thick and sold loose in bags of 1/2 kg, which is approximately 130 to 150 pieces. These are fine porcelain with solid color throughout. Raw, unpolished. The corners and edges are sharp. They will more naturally match the edges of any cuts you need to make, but you should smooth sharp exposed corners with the fine side of a marble file for safety reasons. These tiles and very hard and durable, but they can be cut with our Compound Tile Nipper.

Never Install Tile in Batches

Tile varies by manufacturer batch, and sometimes a color will go out of stock for an extended period if the manufacturer isn’t making it. You should never install tile before you are sure that you have all the tile you need. You could attempt to order more and find that the manufacturer has changed the color or discontinued it.

Product Coverage

Some colors are sold loose in 1/2-kg bags of approximately 130 to 150 tiles. Assuming a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch, a bag of 1/2 kg will cover 60 square inches or 0.4 square inches. To cover 1 square foot, you will need about 3 bags. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.

Compatibility

For best results, these should only be used with thick ceramic and stone tiles instead of most glass. These tiles are 8mm thick, which is twice the thickness of most of the glass mosaic tile we sell. If you mount these on a flat surface alongside 4mm thick glass mosaic tile, then the glass would be recessed significantly, which might not look right because the corner edges of the porcelain tiles are pretty crisp (not rounded).

Use With Glass Tile

There is a way to use these with thinner materials, and that is to temporarily face mount the pieces on mounting tape or mounting paper and then press the sheet of tile into a bed of thinset mortar. The extra mortar beneath the thin glass tile will contract (or “thin”) as it hardens (“sets”), and that means the glass tile would still be recessed some compared to the thicker porcelain tile.

The unglazed porcelain is not glossy like glass, so there would be differences in sheen or finish between the two materials, but that is not necessarily a negative thing.

Cutting Porcelain Tile

This product is not soft like most glazed ceramic tile. Porcelain is extremely hard, but it can be cut. Our Compound Tile Nipper is the recommended tool for hard materials like stone and porcelain. A Marble File is also required for smoothing the edges of cuts and shaping the pieces. Corners can be sharp because this material is very hard. Exposed corners should be rounded with the file for safety reasons.

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

  • sold by 1/2 kg, which is approximately 130 to 150 pieces.
  • fine porcelain with solid color throughout.
  • crisp edges, which more naturally matches cut edges.
  • Each tile is 15 mm x 15 mm x 8 mm thick (approximately 9/16 inch x 9/16 inch x 5/16 inch)
  • Coverage: 1/2 kg will cover 0.4 square feet when using a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch.
  • Frost-proof, impervious to liquid.
  • Suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

IMPORTANT INSTALLATION TIPS

For architectural installations, the manufacturer recommends that the porcelain tile be installed with a latex-modified thin set mortar instead of glue. For dry indoor mosaics, we use Weldbond glue.

Porcelain is essentially non-porous and impervious to moisture, and so it is supposedly not stained by grouting, but we have noticed discrete pits and divots in the surface of the tile that can be filled with grout. For this reason, we recommend using GROUT RELEASE (from a building materials store) on the mosaic before grouting:

  1. Mount the tiles to the surface to be covered.
  2. Use a rag or small artists paint brush to apply GROUT RELEASE to the face of the tiles.
  3. Take care not to drip excess GROUT RELEASE in between the tiles or down the sides of the tiles or any place grout will need to bond.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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Millefiori ROUGH CUTS & THINS 2oz

Millefiori ROUGH CUTS & THINS Assortment contains some pieces that are thinner than glass mosaic tile, which means they might not be useful for some mosaic jobs. The diameter range is nominally 9 to 10 mm, which is about 3/8 inches. This assortment is sold in 2-ounce units (approximately 65+ pieces).

Please do NOT order if you cannot tolerate a certain amount of scrap or if you need perfectly flat disks.

Compatibility

Most disks are not perfectly flat. Many slope from one side to the other. Some pieces have sharp edges or are too thin. These problematic pieces couldn’t be used in a mosaic table top, but they could be used in a small mosaic icon or some other piece of micromosaic.

What Is Millefiori?

Millefiori is a traditional form of art glass that is disk-shaped with different multicolored patterns and is commonly used in jewelry and mosaic art.

Product Coverage

This is a problematic question because the millefiori was intended to be used as an accent instead of as area coverage, and the piece size can vary. That being said, one 2-ounce bag should cover roughly 1.5 to 2 square inches, but that will depend somewhat on how efficiently you nest the pieces.

Cutting Millefiori

In theory the millefiori can be cut using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters, but the pieces are already small enough to make cutting unnecessary and problematic.

Millefiori ROUGH CUTS & THINS

  • Price is per 2 ounces (approximately 65+ pieces)
  • Diameter: approximately 9 to 10 mm (5/8 inch).
  • Thickness: Some pieces thinner than normal glass mosaic tile.
  • Coverage: each 2 ounce bag should cover roughly 1.5 to 2 square inches.
  • Material: glass with solid color throughout.
  • frost proof.
  • impervious to liquids.
  • Suitable for indoor and outdoor installation.
  • Not suitable for floors.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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Morjo™ Mini Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tiles 3/8-Inch

Morjo Vitreous Glass Tile 10mm

Morjo™ Mini Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tiles (3/8-Inch) are affordable artist-grade 10mm vitreous glass tiles for making murals, fine art, crafts, and architectural coverings. The Morjo brand is competitively priced, and the quality of the firing, the colors, and the surface finish are all excellent. The color names are the same as the larger 3/4″-inch versions, but they might not match exactly due to variations in manufacturer batches. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, these are a good choice for mosaic murals and signage. Each sales unit contains a quarter kilogram (8.5 ounces = approximately 375 pieces). Mounting grids are available .

Morjo MINI Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tile (3/8-Inch)

  • tile size: 3/8 inch (10mm
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm)
  • sales unit: 8.5 ounces (approximately 375 tiles)
  • material: glass
  • variety: vitreous
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

With a standard grout gap of approximately 1/32 inch, one bag of approximately 375 tiles will cover 0.48 square feet. Approximately 731 loose tiles are needed to cover 1 square foot using the standard grout gap. If you are not using a grout gap (not recommended for wet mosaics or mosaics subject to freezing precipitation), then you need about 930 tiles to cover each square foot, You can use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.

Compatibility

Tile thickness is 1/8 inch nominal, the same as most of the glass mosaic tile we sell, which means that these can be used with other types and brands. There are larger 20mm versions of Morjo™ Vitreous available, and many of the color names are the same, but do not assume that they will match exactly because our current inventory of each size often comes from different manufacturer batches.

Cutting Morjo Mini Vitreous Tile

We recommend using the wheel-blade Mosaic Glass Cutter we sell to cut all types of glass mosaic tile including vitreous. (Regular tile nippers are for ceramic tile, and they tend to crush glass tile).

Note that there is a practical limit to how small they can be cut because the edges of the tiles are tapered, and small pieces tend to tilt. We cut halves and quarters and diagonal triangles but do not try to go small than that, at least most of the time. If you are making the fine details of your image and need to cut smaller, you can lean pieces against each other, but that can get tedious.

Vitreous Glass Tile in Mosaic Art

The Morjo™ brand is economical enough for use in craft projects, but it can also be used for fine art and murals. There are enough colors available in the brand itself to render sophisticated images, including naturalistic portraits and landscapes, and these can be combined with other brands of the same size.

Vitreous glass is sometimes thought of as an architectural surface covering not suitable for rendering images of any sophistication, mostly because of the limited color palette. That is not true. Mosaic is an exercise in using a limited color palette. The exact hue or shade an artist would prefer to use is often not available, even in premium lines of tile, and so the solution is to use approximate colors cut into smaller pieces and positioned together so that they blend visually. For example, if the exact shade of cyan blue is not available, try using a shade slightly lighter and a shade slightly darker in a field of small pieces mixed together.

If this seems daunting, then spend some time browsing pictures of ancient Greek and Roman mosaic and note what sophisticated designs they were able to create with about seven or eight distinct colors. Modern vitreous glass is a rainbow of intense colors by comparison. Also keep in mind that simplifying your design to use a more limited color palette is an opportunity to make the design stronger and more iconic.

How To Make Mosaics

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or cutting and grouting tile, please see our Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions page or our How To Mosaic blog or our Mosaic Information Guide.

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Morjo™ Vitreous 3/4-Inch Glass Mosaic Tile

Morjo Vitreous Glass Tile 20mm

Morjo™ Vitreous 3/4-inch (20mm) tiles are affordable artist-grade vitreous glass mosaic tiles with a broad color range and high-quality pigmentation. Each 1/2-kg bag (1.1 pound) contains about 165 tiles. Like all Morjo Mosaic Tile products, these vitreous tiles are affordable yet suitable for fine art. They are UV resistant and factory certified for commercial exteriors, swimming pools, backsplashes, showers, murals, as well as art-&-craft projects like mosaic stepping stones. The backs of these glass mosaic tiles are embossed with ridges to help the cement or adhesive bond more securely. Mounting grids are available.

Morjo 3/4-Inch Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tile

  • tile size: 3/4 inch (20mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm)
  • sales unit: 1.1-pounds (approximately 165 tiles)
  • material: glass
  • variety: vitreous
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Castle mosaic by Joe Moorman. Made with Morjo Vitreous glass tiles.
Castle mosaic by Joe Moorman. Made with Morjo Vitreous glass tiles.

Coverage

With a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch, one bag of approximately 165 tiles will cover 0.76 square feet. Approximately 218 loose tiles are needed to cover 1 square foot. You can use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.

Compatibility

Tile thickness is 1/8 inch nominal, the same as most of the glass mosaic tile we sell, which means that these can be used with other types and brands. There are smaller 10mm versions of Morjo™ Vitreous available, and many of the color names are the same, but do not assume that they will match exactly because our current inventory of each size often comes from different manufacturer batches.

Cutting Morjo 3/4-Inch Vitreous

We recommend using the wheel-blade Mosaic Glass Cutter we sell to cut all types of glass mosaic tile including vitreous. (Regular tile nippers are for ceramic tile, and they tend to crush glass tile.)

Using Vitreous Tile in Mosaic Art

Vitreous glass is sometimes thought of as an architectural surface covering not suitable for rendering images of any sophistication, mostly because of the limited color palette. That is not true. Mosaic is an exercise in using a limited color palette. The exact hue or shade an artist would prefer to use is often not available, even in premium lines of tile, and so the solution is to use approximate colors cut into smaller pieces and positioned together so that they blend visually. For example, if the exact shade of cyan blue is not available, try using a shade slightly lighter and a shade slightly darker in a field of small pieces mixed together.

If this seems daunting, then spend some time browsing pictures of ancient Greek and Roman mosaic and note what sophisticated designs they were able to create with about seven or eight distinct colors. Modern vitreous glass is a rainbow of intense colors by comparison. Also keep in mind that simplifying your design to use a more limited color palette is an opportunity to make the design stronger and more iconic.

How To Make Mosaics

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or cutting and grouting tile, please see our Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions page or our How To Mosaic blog or our Mosaic Information Guide.

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12mm IRIDESCENT Assortment Morjo™ Glass Tile 1-lb LOOSE

Morjo 12mm Recycled Glass Iridescent AssortmentIRIDESCENT ASSORTMENT of Morjo ™ 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is sold LOOSE by the pound, which is different from the individual colors. This 1-POUND should have about 320+ loose tiles. The tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) They are opaque when mounted on an opaque surface. These wonderful tiles cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, and so they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

IRIDESCENT Assortment 12mm Morjo™ Glass Tile 1-lb

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm), but runs slightly thicker than most other brands nominally 4mm. Can be used in the same mosaics.
  • sales unit: 1 pound, which is approximately 320+ LOOSE pieces.
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • finish: IRIDESCENT
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

One pound (~320 tiles) covers 91 square inches or 0.6 square feet assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. You need about 508 tiles (1.6 pounds) to cover one square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. You need about 645 tiles (2 pounds) for a square foot assuming no grout gap. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell, but these run slightly thicker by a hair.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

Use in Mosaic Art

The color palette of the Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is rich in hue and tint, and this makes it a professional rendering tool suitable for portaiture and murals. The 12mm (~1/2 inch) size is sufficiently large for conventional applications, but the material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micromosaic artwork.

Morjo ™ 12mm IRIDESCENT Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

Morjo 12mm Iridescent Recycled Glass Tile ISO 900px

12mm Iridescent Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile by MORJO Mosaic Tile™ are sold on removable paper sheets of 49 tiles glued face down with chalky-backs showing. (Remove by paper and chalky mold release by soaking for about 1/2 hour.) Each sheet covers approximately 1/11 of a square foot assuming a grout gap of 1/16 inch. These tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) Opaque when mounted on an opaque surface. Back sides are chalky, but they wash clean when the paper is soaked off the faces. More details below:

Chalky backs of tile
Chalky BACKS of tile are showing. The faces are nice and glossy, but they come face down on the removable paper sheets. Soak the tiles for about a half hour to remove the paper.

These wonderful tiles cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, and so they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

Soaking To Remove Paper

Soaking to remove paper is NOT extra work! Why not? Because you should always rinse loose tile to remove glass dust created during shipment. These tiles are glued with starch glue, which turns to jelly in water and is rinsed away. Please do not order if that is a problem. These are a premium material intended for artists wanting the best colors at a competitive price. Soak for less than 1/2 hour to avoid turning the paper to pulp.

White Chalk on Bottoms

There is factory chalk on the bottoms of the tiles, which rinses off easily in the soaking process. The tiles look as photographed on our website once soaked free of the paper.

Morjo 1/2-Inch Iridescent Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm), but runs slightly thicker than most other brands nominally 4mm
  • sales unit: 49 tiles temporarily mounted face down on paper.
  • sheet size: 3.625 x 3.625 inches (~1/11 square foot).
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

Each sheet of 49 tiles is 3.625 inch x 3.625 inch and covers 1/11 of a square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project. For no grout gap, you will need about 13.2 sheets to cover each square foot.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell, but these run slightly thicker than Elementile and vitreous.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

Use in Mosaic Art

The color palette of the Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is rich in hue and tint, and this makes it a professional rendering tool suitable for portaiture and murals. The 12mm (~1/2 inch) size is sufficiently large for conventional applications, but the material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micromosaic artwork.

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Diamond Grit File

Diamond Grit File

The Diamond Grit File is tool steel impregnated with diamond grit and can be used to smooth shape a variety of hard materials including metal, glass, and porcelain. The blade is 4.75 inches long by 0.625 inches wide. The overall tool length (including the handle is about 9.25 inches.

When to Use This Tool

Smoothing Cuts

An ordinary Marble File or a Rubbing Stone can be used to smooth the jagged edges that are sometimes left after an imperfect cut. BUT, if you are working with really hard porcelain, such as some varieties of broken dinnerware, then this tool can reduce the amount of time and labor required.

Repairing Damaged Tiling and Mosaics

Broken tile is dangerous not only because it can be razor sharp but also because it is often located on the corner or edge of a surface, just in the right location for people to brush against and cut themselves. The Diamond Grit File is particularly useful for this task because it is easier to make a smooth finished edge with it than it is with a regular Marble File. It is also better than the regular Marble File at not chipping up flakes of material because the diamond grit is very fine.

Safety

Dust

Avoid breathing construction dusts of any type, especially glass, cement, ceramics, stone, etc. An ordinary dust mask rated N95 is recommended as a precaution when using the file, but we prefer to contain the dust with mist at the source. Keeping the dust wet is an easy was to make sure it stays out of the air. Dispose of the wet dust as solid waste in a trash bag and not down your drains.

We lean the file inside a 2-gallon bucket and mist with water from a spray bottle. The bucket collects the waste and acts as a moisture reservoir for keeping the air around the file humid, which causes dust to fall out of the air faster. Note that misting causes the file to rust and shortens the life of the tool, but files are more easily replaced than lungs, especially when you work with construction materials everyday.

Safety Glasses

Always wear safety glasses with side shields when using the file. Make sure that you don’t file tile around people not wearing safety glasses. Flying chips could potentially hit their eyes as easily as yours.

Slivers and Surfaces

Be aware that cutting and filing tile can produce tiny slivers that are surprisingly sharp. Never sweep off a work surface with your bare hand. This is how most cuts happen in the studio (seriously). Use a vacuum or counter brush instead.

How To Make Mosaics

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

Self-Locking Tweezers 4.5-Inch

Self-Locking Tweezers 4.5-Inch

Self-Locking Tweezers 4.5-Inch are a good option for people with tremors and other problems that make it difficult to keep tweezers closed when lifting a tile. Note that the tips of these tweezers are pointed, and some people prefer the chisel tip of our regular thumb tweezers. Other people prefer the pointed tips because they don’t accumulate as much drying glue. It’s all a matter of personal preference and remembering there are other options if you find that one style of tweezers doesn’t work for you.

Tweezers help reduce the frustration of positioning tiny tiles. These tweezers were not specifically manufactured for mosaic, but we would not recommend doing mosaic work without it or some sort of tweezers, especially if using tile or pieces cut 3/8 inch or smaller.

How to Reduce Frustration

Tweezers make it infinitely easier to dip your tile in adhesive or thinset without contaminating your fingertips. They also makes it much easier to position the tile on the surface without messing up what you have already done. Most of the frustration of making a mosaic comes from accidentally bumping tiles that you have already positioned, and tweezers keep this from happening quite so often. The trivial cost of a basic pair of tweezers is the best money you can spend as far as reducing frustration. You will also be able to attempt more detailed designs than you would consider if using only your fingertips.

How To Make Mosaics

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or cutting and grouting tile, please see our Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions page or our How To Mosaic blog or our Mosaic Information Guide.