wolfie50 Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 I've read the posts on here about sandwiching the tiles between sheets of drywall board and I did that...worked wonderfully...until...I did some mishima decorating on each tile and painted a little on each tile. When I came back to check if they were dry enough, I found they had warped...some more so than others. I've misted them lightly (backside) and have sandwiched them between the drywall again. Should have I left them longer between the boards. I'd say there were soft leather hard. Is it important to let them dry completely under the drywall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makingmosaics Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 I've read the posts on here about sandwiching the tiles between sheets of drywall board and I did that...worked wonderfully...until...I did some mishima decorating on each tile and painted a little on each tile. When I came back to check if they were dry enough, I found they had warped...some more so than others. I've misted them lightly (backside) and have sandwiched them between the drywall again. Should have I left them longer between the boards. I'd say there were soft leather hard. Is it important to let them dry completely under the drywall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makingmosaics Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 I find they need to be btwn boards, if I have to leave my work I put spacers btwn my boards (tealights are great) and wrap the whole lot up so it dries slowly, then it goes back btwn boards when surfaces are touchdry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie50 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 I find they need to be btwn boards, if I have to leave my work I put spacers btwn my boards (tealights are great) and wrap the whole lot up so it dries slowly, then it goes back btwn boards when surfaces are touchdry. Thanks for replying. Do you mean between the boards after they're painted and decorated? with just enough space that the boards don't touch but still can't warp too much? Is thicker better? Can I ask how thick you make yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura A Strike Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 The idea of the plaster is to keep them flat. Handling them makes them warp. Paint them flat on the board. Once they are leather hard , you can let them finish drying. I like to glaze mine when they are dry. I glaze them flat on the boards. The next day I clean the edges with scouring pad ( the green ones), laying the pad in the table and rubbing the tile across it. This way i only have to fire once. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAY Posted March 13, 2012 Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 Handling them makes them warp. Ideally, tiles start their life by passing thru a slab roller. (or two sticks and a rolling pin) This aligns the particles, and any further handling of the clay can un-align them. Always use boards (drywall) and newsprint to flip tiles, rather than fingers. Once leather hard they can be picked up without fear of warping. Think of a freshly iron shirt- as soon as you put it on, and move around, the wrinkles appear. You cannot "unwrinkle" cotton or clay, without going back to the starting line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted March 13, 2012 Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 This has nothing to do with the warping issue, and I don't know how you're planning on finishing your coasters, but there's another problem with most ceramic coasters I see: they are not absorbent. The idea of a coaster is that is prevents the glass from sweating on the table. If the coaster is glazed, all that condensation just puddles on the coaster and as soon as you pick up your glass is drips all over the table anyway, or the coaster sticks to the glass and comes up with it. Coasters must be absorbent to truly function well. I recommend to my students that they use low fire clay so they are still porous, and put a cork backing on them to prevent damage to the table. If you want to decorate with color use underglazes, or just decorate with texture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie50 Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 thanks for all the tips!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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