Step by step video tutorials on how to make mosaics. Easy to follow guides to tools, materials and techniques. Simple mosaic projects and more advanced projects. Short tours of ancient mosaic sites and museums and inside the studio visits with mosaic artists.
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Thank you so much for this informative video! I'm wondering about 2 things. 1) Grout. Do I have to grout my outdoor mosaic if I use outdoor thinset? Smalti or shells are hard to grout...What would you recommend? 2) Marble mosaics. I read that it needs to be specially treated. Do you have the experience of marble mosaics deteriorating over time if not treated?
Slate! Yes, I have access to slate that has been replaced by new roofs where I live. I thought it might be too slick. Glad I was wrong..your videos are the best. Much Thanks from Ohio. 💚
Could I just lay my mesh over the thinset so I don’t have to try to do the design by hand? And lightly press it into the thinset? One more question, could I use tulle fabric as mesh or plastic mesh that people use for embroidery?
Yes, lots of people do it it that way. So you have the design first, then the plastic on top and then the mesh on top of that and then work with thinset. As for the type of mesh, I always use fibre glass mesh which is available from building suppliers. I assume plastic mesh is similar and would work well but I can't guarantee it!
This video was fantastic! I love how you focused on one thing and did the deep dive on it. I would love to see more of this on other things. Btw I really like all your videos and as a very inexperienced beginner you are my main knowledge base
You mix 50 per cent latex with 50 per cent water and then add that to the tile adhesive. Ie half and half (latex and water) mixed into the tile adhesive
Hello Helen, thank you for all your videos, they are very informative. I do have a question about winckelman and other unglazed ceramic tiles.. I see on certain websites recommend you use petroleum jelly on the tile before grouting to avoid the tile from absorbing the color of the grout? What is your opinion.
Winckelmans are non porous so the colour of the grout will not be absorbed by the tile. Other brands might not be fully non-porous so it would be important to check before you grout. I only use Winckelmans so I can't tell you about other brands.
I think you are the only one showing this difficult process in such clarity! As a beginner, I feel it's a constant struggle between two inner voices: One constantly says, "Oh no! What an ugly gap! That's way too amateurish!" and the other one must constantly calm the first one down: "Trust me. In the end, it will work. Grouting and a little distance will help. No one will notice!" 😃
The second voice sounds like the one well worth listening to! I often listen to the first one even though I know perfectly well that the second is by far the wiser of the two 😀
Im just getting started in mosaics,and this was exactly the information i needed. Great instructional video,many thanks. I look forward to more of your videos. Best wishes.
Absolutley! Just make sure that they are fully dried out first. I put organic things like seeds in the oven on a very low setting for a few hours to make sure that all the moisture has gone.
This has been so helpful! I’ve been wanting to do some things for outdoors but was unsure of what’s different. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I saw your link for the video using glue, that’s quite helpful too! Will be sure to watch it also!
Can I use fiberglass mesh to attach my mosaic to then bring it outside and attach to a concrete block wall? The wall is approximately 3 1/2 meters by 1 1/2 meters. Thank you for these lessons.
No, the Titebond II glue is just glue so you use a little bit for each tesserae whereas the tile adhesive is a cement based paste which you need to use quite thickly. I've done a separate video on using ordinary glue: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W_DaeN7anP0.html
I wipe it off as soon as I have finished spreading it over the mosaic and have scraped off the excess. It's a bit different with glass mosaics which you can leave for ten minutes or so and then rub with newspaper or a cloth.
Are you based in the UK? I buy mine from Ebay, but they all coming from different companies. Here are the links. Screws (M4, length 12mm): g.page/r/Cddtz-0rh9KPEAI/review Tee nuts (M4): www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291210508285?var=590364472919 Washers (6mm hole): www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383557374789?var=651934486341 D-rings (4mm hole): www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383557374789?var=651934486341
