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Freestyle Coaster Project ~ Mosaicing your Coaster ~ |
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At this point, it's just a question of gluing the pieces you have made into any pattern you choose. Since the pieces have been cut in a random style, it almost seems more like assembling a jig-saw puzzle than creating a work of art... |
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The spacing used between tiles is up to you. This coaster has a fairly small space, only about 1/8". This spacing can be larger or more random - its your choice. Remember, it's a "freestyle" coaster! |
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A glue such as Weldbond works quite well with the polymer tiles. It has no fumes, is non-toxic, and cleans up with water. Squirt a little out at a time - use the tool of your choice to apply a bit to the underside of each tile. Use enough to cover the bottom, but not so much that it oozes out into the spaces between the tiles. If necessary, you can pry your tiles off and reposition. Weldbond dries quite hard in a few days. |
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You may choose to use your tiles just as they come, but if you find a need to trim them these tools make it very easy. The picture to the left is of a pair of traditional mosaic nippers - they work great at cutting polymer tiles to size. To make finer adjustments, a blade made to go in a heavy duty scraper is very handy. You can use the thin blade that you cut your tiles with also, but the thicker blade is easier. The edges can be sanded flat (or curved) and smoothed using 150 grit sandpaper. |
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* For best results I would encourage you to put one or two coats of a water based varnish on your tiles before grouting. This will help protect them. Some people like Future Floor Finish, but I prefer a water based finish such as Zip-Guard gloss. Sculpey also makes a finish. |
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Here is a picture of the finished mosaic coaster before grouting. It was fun and easy to do! What will yours look like? |
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Go to part three - Grouting your Coaster Return to part one - Making your Tiles This tutorial copyright - Tina Barnes 2005. |
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