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How to make tiles

Porcelain makes one of the most elegant tiles. That`s because its consistency creates marble jewelry-like surface. That's because of porcelain clay -- unlike tiles made from stone, which have more earthy look. Because material is so unique and glazed. it needs more attention when making it till firing it.

Make A Plain Square Tile

When taking first steps, remember the bigger tile will be, the easier you can make it for the first time. So, try to make 5 inch or bigger to create better understanding of what you need to do.

  • Lay out a clean square as a work surface with covering outside the perimeter. Take 1 1/2 lbs. of porcelain clay, roll it into a ball and placeĀ  it in the middle of the canvas to make a tile more smooth. Using the hand, pound the clay and place it onto the whole surface. Set one strip of wood on either side of the clay, making sure the distance between the two are no farther apart than the width of the rolling pin.

  • You dont need to create big pressure, roll back and forth over the porcelaine until the pin makes direct contact with canvas. The clay slab is now 1/2 inch thick.

  • Remove the wood parts and lay the 90-degree triangle on the surface of the slab, making sure not to dent the surface. Run the knife to clean the remainings out of the tile.

  • Measure 5 1/4 inches on each side, make a dot every time to divide the tile. After you place all the dots, run the knife from top to bottom connecting dots and using ruler to create more smooth line.

  • Pick up the knife and align the edge of the blade on top of one of the incised lines on the clay slab. Hold the putty knife straight up and down then slowly press down until the blade meets the surface of the table. Repeat this until you have a perfectly chopped square tile.

  • Gently pull away the leftover from the square tile. Smooth the edges of the tile with a sponge soaked in water before letting it sit for 24 hours. (cover the tile with plastic of some kind to minimize air getting inside).

  • Repeat steps 1 through 6 for each additional tile.

Drying Porcelain Tiles

  • Plastic needs to be lifted to get some air inside. You dont want to warp your tiles so be aware tiles can be damaged even because dried too fast. You need to check them regularly and look for any warping. The drying process must progress at a small rate. Cover the tiles back up with plastic at any time the drying needs to be slowed to maintain the flatness of the tiles.

  • Watch for the tiles entering the leather hard stage. When a tile can be picked up by the edges and the clay maintains its shape, it's leather hard. Peel the canvas away from the back of each tile and set each one on a piece of plaster drywall. Lay a second piece of drywall on top of the tile, gently placing a weight on top of the board.

  • Remove the tiles from between the wallboard when they look dry but not chalk-white. Set them on cookie cooling racks for the final stage of drying.

  • Start loading the porcelain tiles into the kiln, laying each one flat on the shelves when they feel bone-dry to the touch and are chalk-white.

Bisque And Glaze Firing Porcelain Tiles

  • Set the porcelain tiles flat on shelves in the kiln and close the lid. Slowly increase the temperature of the kiln. A bisque firing should take six to eight hours depending on the size of the kiln and how many tiles are in it. Just as a tile needs to be dried slowly, a porcelain tile needs to be fired slowly, too.

  • Cool the kiln for 16 to 24 hours.

  • Take the fired porcelain tiles out of the kiln and begin brushing liquid glazes on to the surface of each one. The color and design options are endless.

  • Let the raw glaze dry thoroughly. Check for any raw glaze that's flowed down on to the sides or bottom of the each tile. Take a damp synthetic sponge and wipe off any glaze on the sides or bottom of the tiles. Load the tiles back into the kiln, making sure no tile touches another. Fire to the recommended glaze temperature, which takes six to eight hours.

  • Cool the kiln for 16 to 24 hours before taking the tiles out of the kiln.

handmade ceramic mosaic tiles