Make Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile can be a beautiful addition to your home or garden. It begins with just a lump of clay, which is mixed with other ingredients to create a medium by which to form the tiles. Pigments and designs are added before glazing to add color and texture. If you love working with your hands, making your own ceramic tile can be fun and rewarding, especially if you intend to use it in your own home or garden. Aside from purchasing a kiln for firing your tiles, most ingredients are fairly inexpensive and some can be made from materials in your own home. Making ceramic tiles takes only a bit of creativity and time.

Steps

  1. Begin with good clay, such as that designed for sculpting and that has small- and large-sized grog (fired and ground up clay).
  2. Check the temperature at which you will fire the clay.
  3. Ensure that the clay you use will mature at that temperature.
  4. Work the clay when it is fairly dry.
  5. Ensure that your clay tiles are at least 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) thick.
  6. Roll a slab of clay onto a hard working surface from which your clay can be easily removed.
  7. Use a slab roller to flatten the clay.

Using a Wheel

  1. Calculate the diameter of a ball of clay that is needed to reach your tile's size, including shrinkage.
  2. Use a magic marker to mark that size on your bat.
  3. Throw to the mark.
  4. Determine the weight of the clay ball that ended up to be the correct dimensions of your tile and use that weight for the rest of the clay.

Using a Press

  1. Construct a bottomless wood frame.
  2. Pound the clay into the frame.
  3. Cut off the excess clay.
  4. Allow the clay to dry slightly or use a spray lubricant to avoid having it stick to the wooden frame.
  5. Push the clay out of the frame's bottom using a strong material the same size as the clay.

Forming Tiles Directly From a Block of Clay

  1. Purchase a clay-cutting device, which is similar to a cheese slicer, or make your own.
  2. Ensure that the device is at the specific thickness for your tile specifications.
  3. Put the device wire evenly through the block of plugged clay (ground clay that is kneaded with water and becomes more elasticized) to slice off tile pieces.

Cutting the Tiles

  1. Make a metal or wooden template.
  2. Cut the tiles out after the clay has dried to a leathery consistency.

Drying

  1. Cover the tiles with plastic
  2. Place the tiles between two pieces of sheetrock, plywood or fire-proofing board to help draw out the moisture or dry the tiles on a wire rack or plastic grids.

Firing

  1. Incise a slab of clay with a 3.94-inch-long (100 mm) line.
  2. Fire the slab at the appropriate temperature.
  3. Measure the line after firing to determine shrinkage rate.
  4. Stack your tiles atop each other or place the tiles in a tile setter for bisque firing or place tiles on a flat surface for glaze firing.
  5. Create a moat to protect your tiles and ensure even firing using bars of clay.



Tips

  • Keep your slabs of wet clay flat while working with it. Do not peel the slabs off the working surface as this will tend to make the clay warp later.
  • Waxing your tile's edges before drying will help the tiles dry evenly.
  • You can purchase clay roller that has 2 rollers, 1 for each clay surface, so that the clay can be rolled out evenly on both sides.
  • Warping of your tiles during firing can be very disappointing after all of your work. To avoid warping, ensure that you have the correct equipment, quality of clay and specifications of your kiln.
  • Clay tiles that are too thin will tend to warp more than thicker tiles.

Warnings

  • Be sure to use the tile for its intended purpose. Some tiles are intended for walkway and floors, while others are for walls, showers and decorative accents. Be careful to not place highly glazed tiles on a walkway as they can be slippery.

Things You'll Need

  • Clay
  • Hard, flat surface on which to work with the slab
  • Kiln
  • Roller, wheel, press or slicer
  • Templates for cutting tiles
  • Cutting tools
  • Sheetrock, plywood or fire-proofing board
  • Wire rack or plastic grid
  • Plastic wrap
  • Oil

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Make_Ceramic_Tile&oldid=357508"