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Dual-Grit Rubbing Stone

The Dual-Grit Rubbing Stone is a double sided sanding block for smoothing rough edges on ceramic, stone, and marble mosaic tile after cutting. One side is made of size 80 grit, and the other is size 60 grit for more aggressive removal of material. Note that the stone erodes as it is used. You can minimize the problem of creating a rut in the stone by dragging the tile sideways instead of straight along the edge, and you can vary the place on the stone where you rub.

When to Use This Tool

Smoothing Cuts

The Dual-Grit Rubbing Stone can be more useful than a marble file for quickly processing tile because it can sit on a flat surface and not move around when a tile is rapidly brushed on it. This allows the artist to rub the tile with one hand immediately after cutting without ever setting down the tile. This might seem trivial, but think about all the tiles you would need to cut in order to install a a large mosaic mural of 100 square feet or more, or even 10 square feet. Reducing hand motions and combining smoothing with cutting can save a significant amount of time when tens of thousands of tiles are to be processed, or even hundreds.

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 rubbing stone, 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 set the rubbing stone inside a plastic dishpan 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 rubbing stone humid, which causes dust to fall out of the air faster.

Safety Glasses

Always wear safety glasses with side shields when cutting, filing and sanding materials.

Slivers and Surfaces

Be aware that cutting and sanding mosaic 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.

Dust Masks N95 particulate box of 20

Dust Masks N95 Particulate box of 20 are recommended for tasks that generate non-oily dusts, tasks such as sanding, filing, and mixing up grout. The N95 rating means they capture 95% of all particles 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. You can buy an individual mask at your local building material store, but we sell the bulk pack as a convenience for instructors offering mosaic classes in their studios.

Product Specifications

3M brand 8200 series
quantity: 20 masks
adjustable nose clip with nose foam for better seal
elastic straps

When and How To Use This Tool

Keep in mind that dust masks are only part of a strategy to prevent breathing dust. You should also mimimize the amount of dust you generate by pouring and mixing carefully and using spray bottles to mist the grout as you mix it.

The masks are not individually wrapped, so keep the box closed during storage to prevent incidental contamination.

Vacuum off used masks before storing them in individual Ziplock sandwich bags labeled with the student’s name.

How To Make Mosaics

Economy Artist Palette Knife 1 Piece

The Economy Artist Palette Knife is a steel blade in a wooden handle and was made for spreading and mixing paint. We use them for spreading and manipulating thinset mortar and mosaic adhesives. Note that thinset, grout, and other concrete products are mildly caustic and therefore corrosive to steel and other metals. What this means is that you should take extra care to clean and dry your knives after use and not let them soak overnight even though you are worn out from a full day in the studio. You should also be prepared for the tools to rust and wear out over time, much sooner than ordinary trowels and putty knives, which are made of thicker steel. All that being said, many tools in the studio and workshop have a limited working life and yet are indispensable. The palette knife is extremely useful for detailed mosaic work, especially when pressing non-flat found objects such as seashells and artifacts into thinset mortar.

Economy Artist Palette Knife

Steel blade mounted in a wooden handle
approximately 8 inches in length
subject to rusting by mortars and grouts

Safety

The blade is not sharpened in the manner of ordinary knives, but it is a thin pieces of steel that is sharp enough to cut if handled carelessly.

How To Make Mosaics

Economy Artist Palette Knife 5-Piece Set

The Economy Artist Palette Knife Set is five different sizes of steel knives with wooden handles that were made for spreading and mixing paint. We use them for spreading and manipulating thinset mortar and mosaic adhesives. Note that thinset, grout, and other concrete products are mildly caustic and therefore corrosive to steel and other metals. What this means is that you should take extra care to clean and dry your knives after use and not let them soak overnight even though you are tired from a full day in the studio. You should also be prepared for the tools to rust and wear out over time, much sooner than ordinary trowels and putty knives, which are made of thicker steel. All that being said, many tools in the studio and workshop have a limited working life, and yet they are indispensable. The palette knives are extremely useful for detailed mosaic work, especially when setting non-flat found objects such as seashells and artifacts into thinset mortar.

Economy Artist Palette Knife Set

Steel blades mounted in wooden handles
5 pieces, each with a different style of blade
longest knife ~8.5 inches
shortest knife ~6.875 inches
subject to rusting by mortars and grouts

Safety

The blades are not sharpened in the manner of ordinary knives, but they are thin pieces of steel that are sharp enough to cut if handled carelessly.

How To Make Mosaics

Denim Shop Apron

The Heavy-Duty Denim Shop Apron is worn to protect clothing while cutting mosaic tile, grouting, and cleaning up. At our studio, we use aprons with long-sleeve shirts while cutting large amounts of tile (if the temperature and humidity aren’t too high). We leave the long-sleeve shirts unbuttoned like a lab coat. When we take breaks, we remove the long-sleeve shirt and aprons off. That way our clothing stays free from cutting slivers and dust that occasionally pop onto your cloths when you cut tile for a long period.

Denim Shop Apron

one heavy-duty denim apron with neck loop and tie straps

When To Use This Tool

The denim apron is worn when cutting large amounts of tile or mixing and applying grout. Wearing the apron with an unbuttoned long-sleeve shirt provides extra protection, but both are optional when it is hot. We use a shop vac and brush to dust off our clothing during summer months instead of wearing aprons and over-clothing.

Cleaning

After we are done grouting, we rinse out any concrete smears in the fabric outside in our back yard with the water hose. The back yard is also where we clean the mosaic tools, grouting sponge and bucket. (Excess grout could kill grass or plants, so scoop up what you can and dispose in the trash and wash away what is left with plenty of water.) We are careful not to rinse concrete down drains for obvious reasons, including the drains of washing machines.

Do not pour left over grout or grout sludge down plumbing or drains. Grout is concrete and can harden under water. Even sand can clog drains. Instead, pour your grout and grout water into an old plastic container. After it hardens, you can pour off the water and dispose what is left as solid waste.

Safety

The denim apron can be considered a piece of safety equipment because it helps keep your clothing free from cutting slivers and grout dust.

How To Make Mosaics

Dental Pick Set 4 Pieces

The Dental Pick 4-Piece Set is used for cleaning grout from cracks and pits and for removing glue residue from gaps between mosaic tile. WARNING: THESE ARE SHARP. The shape of the points can vary from the photo shown, but the tips can be bent and reshaped, and each unit has a pick at either end of the tool. The 4-piece set is better than buying an individual pick because the styles of the ends vary, and multiple picks help ensure that you have what you need.

Dental Pick 4-Piece Set

double-ended steel dental picks
4 pieces
shapes of pick ends vary from photos

The Importance of Cleaning Glue Residue

It is important that no glue residue extends up the sides of your tile. If adhesive isn’t covered with grout, then water can wick underneath the grout over time and cause tiles to pop off. You should inspect your mosaic by misting it before grouting. Any traces of glue on the sides and faces of the tile will start to turn white after a few minutes of being misted with water. You can use the point of a knife or box cutter to scrape away any glue residues you see coming up the sides of the tile to the top. However, tile in artistic mosaics made from hand-cut tile sometimes has points where tile actually touch each other at points, or the tile has extremely small grout gaps, similar to the spacing of human teeth. This makes a dental pick ideal for cleaning glue residue in these tight gaps.

How to Reduce Frustration

Tools like tweezers and dental picks can save hours of tedium and reduce frustration by allowing you to position tile without disturbing tile that you have already positioned. With these simple tools, you will be able to attempt more detailed designs than you would consider if using only your fingertips.

How To Make Mosaics

Dental Pick SHARP

Dental Pick is double-ended and used for cleaning grout from cracks and pits and for removing glue residue from gaps between mosaic tile. WARNING: THESE ARE SHARP. The shape of the points can vary from the photo shown, but the tips at each end can be bent and reshaped.

Dental Pick

double-ended steel dental pick
shapes of the pick ends can vary from the photo

The Importance of Cleaning Glue Residue

How to Reduce Frustration

Tools like thumb tweezers and dental picks can save hours of tedium and reduce frustration by allowing you to position tile without disturbing tile that you have already positioned. With these simple tools, you will be able to attempt more detailed designs than you would consider if using only your fingertips.

How To Make Mosaics

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 1-Inch IRREGULAR

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 1-Inch is for temporarily mounting 1-inch tiles on paper or clear tape for rapid installation using the indirect method. NOT NEEDED FOR BEGINNERS. Most artists glue each tile directly on the surface they are covering and do not need grids. In fact, original mosaic art looks best when tile is cut into pieces and mounted in a pattern that is not a grid.

The grid mounts 144 glass mosaic tiles (25mm size) on 1.15 square foot of mosaic mounting paper in a uniform grid of 12 x 12 tiles with a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch. The sockets in the grid are tapered to accommodate the bevelled undersides of most glass mosaic tiles. Tile without bevels (such as most stone and porcelain tile) could be used in the grid, but they might not stay positioned as securely, and so more care might be required while glueing mounting paper to those materials.

WARNING IRREGULAR

These grids are made for mounting beveled tiles placed face up in the grid and cannot hold 1-inch tiles placed face down in them because the beveled sockets are actually smaller than 1 inch. That means you can use these with mounting tape (to pick tiles up by their faces) but not mounting mesh (to be glued to the backs of tiles placed upside down in the grid).

If you place tile upside down in the grid, the tile would need to be 22mm (7/8 inch), and the resulting gap would be approximately 5/32 inch, which is wide. Fortunately when you place 1-inch beveled tile in the sockets face up, the resulting gap is approximately 1/16 inch.

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 1-Inch

For beveled tiles placed face up. Cannot hold 1-inch tiles placed face down.)
grid size: 12 tiles x 12 tiles.
grid area: approximately 1.15 square foot.
grout gap: approximately 1/16 inch. (When beveled tiles are placed face up.)
tile size: 1 inch. (When beveled tiles are placed face up.)

The Indirect Method

Mosaic tile can be glued one at a time DIRECTLY to a surface, or you can lay your mosaic out on a temporary surface in what is called the “Indirect Method.” Temporary surfaces can include things like fiberglass mesh, paper, adhesive contact paper, or trays filled with lime putty. Our grids were made to work with self-adhesive mounting tape and mounting paper that is temporarily glued to the faces of the tiles.

Why Use The Indirect Method

Why would you want to use the Indirect Method? It is easier to lay up your mosaic design at your work table than it is to lay it out on a floor or a wall or some other vertical surface. Also, you can work for days or weeks at your work table laying up the mosaic without tying up the location where the mosaic will actually be installed. Again, none of this is necessary for a beginner laying up a small craft project like a trivet or a mosaic mirror.

Use In Mosaic Art

The following is how to do the indirect method using our grids and mounting paper:

Place glass mosaic tile into the grid face up, filling up the grid with your design.
Dilute water-soluble glue such as Elmer’s Glue with 3 parts water to 1 part glue.
Paint the water soluble glue onto the mounting paper using a small artists paint brush. Use a light coat to avoid wrinkling the paper.
Lay mounting paper onto the face of the tile, careful to avoid wrinkles.
Allow sheet to dry completely and remove from the grid.
Spread thinset mortar or mosaic adhesive on the surface to be mosaiced.
“Butter” the bottom of the sheet of tile with the same mortar or adhesive. Of coarse, you butter the bare glass bottoms of the tile, not the paper.
Press the sheet of tiles into the adhesive-covered surface with the PAPER ON THE OUTSIDE.
Allow the thinset or adhesive to cure for 24 hours.
Mist the paper until it is soaked and peel it off the tiles.
Grout the mosaic.

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.

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 15mm

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 15mm is for temporarily mounting 15mm tiles on paper or clear tape for rapid installation using the indirect method. NOT NEEDED FOR BEGINNERS. Most artists glue each tile directly on the surface they are covering and do not need grids. In fact, original mosaic art looks best when tile is cut into pieces and mounted in a pattern that is not a grid.

The grid mounts 400 glass mosaic tiles (15mm size) on a 1.15 square foot piece of mosaic mounting paper in a uniform grid of 20 x 20 tiles with a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch.

Note that the sockets of the grid are contoured to match the bevels on the bottoms of the 15mm glass mosaic tile we sell. The grid might not work as well for tile which is completely flat on the bottom, such as most stone and porcelain tile. With the flat-bottomed tile, you might have to be a little more careful to keep the tiles from popping out as you apply the mounting paper because the flat-bottomed tile doesn’t sit as deeply in the sockets.

This grid is NOT suitable for the 15mm Colored Mirror Tile we sell because those tiles have mold flashing on the sides.

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 15mm

grid size: 20 tiles x 20 tiles.
grid area: approximately 1.15 square foot.
grout gap: approximately 1/16 inch.
tile size: 15mm.

The Indirect Method

Mosaic tile can be glued one at a time DIRECTLY to a surface, or you can lay your mosaic out on a temporary surface in what is called the “Indirect Method.” Temporary surfaces can include things like fiberglass mesh, paper, adhesive contact paper, or trays filled with lime putty. Our grids were made to work with self-adhesive mounting tape or mounting paper that is temporarily glued to the faces of the tiles.

Why Use The Indirect Method

Use In Mosaic Art

The following is how to do the indirect method using our grids and mounting paper:

Place glass mosaic tile into the grid face up, filling up the grid with your design.
Dilute water-soluble glue such as Elmer’s Glue with 3 parts water to 1 part glue.
Paint the water soluble glue onto the mounting paper using a small artists paint brush. Use a light coat to avoid wrinkling the paper.
Lay mounting paper onto the face of the tile, careful to avoid wrinkles.
Allow sheet to dry completely and remove from the grid.
Spread thinset mortar or mosaic adhesive on the surface to be mosaiced.
“Butter” the bottom of the sheet of tile with the same mortar or adhesive. Of coarse, you butter the bare glass bottoms of the tile, not the paper.
Press the sheet of tiles into the adhesive-covered surface with the PAPER ON THE OUTSIDE.
Allow the thinset or adhesive to cure for 24 hours.
Mist the paper until it is soaked and peel it off the tiles.
Grout the mosaic.

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.

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 3/8-Inch 10mm

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 3/8-Inch (10mm) is for temporarily mounting 3/8-Inch tiles on paper or clear tape for rapid installation using the indirect method. NOT NEEDED FOR BEGINNERS. Most artists glue each tile directly on the surface they are covering and do not need grids. In fact, original mosaic art looks best when tile is cut into pieces and mounted in a pattern that is not a grid.

The grid mounts 841 mini glass mosaic tiles 3/8-inch (10mm) on a 1.15 square foot piece of mosaic mounting paper in a uniform grid of 29 x 29 tiles with a standard grout gap of approximately 1/32 inch.

Note that sockets of the grid has bevels at the edges which match those on the bottom edges of glass mosaic tile, such as found on most varieties of 3/8-inch metallic glass and vitreous glass tile. In other words, the grid might not work as well for 3/8-inch tile which is completely flat on the bottom, such as usually found on stone tile and porcelain tile. With the flat-bottomed stuff, you might have to be a little more careful to keep the tiles from popping out as you apply the mounting paper.

Mosaic Tile Mounting Grid 3/8 Inch

grid size: 29 tiles x 29 tiles.
grid area: approximately 1.15 square foot.
grout gap: approximately 1/32 inch.
tile size: 3/8 inch (10mm).

The Indirect Method

Mosaic tile can be glued one at a time DIRECTLY to a surface, or you can lay your mosaic out on a temporary surface in what is called the “Indirect Method.” Temporary surfaces can include things like fiberglass mesh, paper, adhesive contact paper, or trays filled with lime putty. Our grids were made to work with self-adhesive mounting tape or mounting paper that is temporarily glued to the faces of the tiles.

Why Use The Indirect Method

Use In Mosaic Art

The following is how to do the indirect method using our grids and mounting paper:

Place glass mosaic tile into the grid face up, filling up the grid with your design.
Dilute water-soluble glue such as Elmer’s Glue with 3 parts water to 1 part glue.
Paint the water soluble glue onto the mounting paper using a small artists paint brush. Use a light coat to avoid wrinkling the paper.
Lay mounting paper onto the face of the tile, careful to avoid wrinkles.
Allow sheet to dry completely and remove from the grid.
Spread thinset mortar or mosaic adhesive on the surface to be mosaiced.
“Butter” the bottom of the sheet of tile with the same mortar or adhesive. Of coarse, you butter the bare glass bottoms of the tile, not the paper.
Press the sheet of tiles into the adhesive-covered surface with the PAPER ON THE OUTSIDE.
Allow the thinset or adhesive to cure for 24 hours.
Mist the paper until it is soaked and peel it off the tiles.
Grout the mosaic.

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.