Making Ceramic Tiles

The first thing is to start with a good clay body for tiles.

Making ceramic tiles.

The first thing is to start with a good clay body for tiles. The clay should be heavy duty as it will need to be durable and most importantly completely waterproof when fired. To make the basic frame of the ceramic tile you need to create equal sized pieces from the kneaded clay. Roll out small pieces of clay using the pin.

Some people swear by clay bodies that have a mixture of large and small sized grog. Ceramic tile can be a beautiful addition to your home or garden. Wet clay was fashioned into shape sometimes with the help of a wooden mold and then left to dry in the sun or fired in a small brick kiln. Ceramic tiles were once made by hand.

Generally this means tiles that have a high amount of grog. Clays designated for sculpture and raku are usually good clays for making tiles. Having the right type of clay body is important when making ceramic tiles. Ensure that the rolled out clay is at least 0 25 inches thick.

Using a knife cut the rolled out clay in the required shape. The key factor is that the clay has a high amount of grog a material in clay which contains a high quantity of silica and alumina. While a few artisans still craft ceramic tiles by hand the majority of ceramic tiles made today go through a process known as dry pressing or dust pressing. Pigments and designs are added before glazing to add color and texture.

But if you don t learn how to make ceramic tiles correctly you could have problems with warping shrinking and more. Most of my tiles are press molded in plaster molds but if you don t use molds for your tiles just roll out clay slabs directly onto a piece of drywall drywall makes a great work surface just make sure to seal all of the drywall edges with duct tape to contain that nasty drywall dust using wooden spacers or dowels beneath the rolling pin for the desired thickness. Clays designated for sculpture and raku are usually good clays for making tiles. If you re interested in finding out more about making ceramic tile and ceramic tile art you ll find information on all aspects of the craft here.

It begins with just a lump of clay which is mixed with other ingredients to create a medium by which to form the tiles.