glass mosaic tile art studio of william j enslen jr
| Copyright © 2008-2012 by William J. Enslen, Jr. All rights reserved. Any use - including the reproduction, modification, distribution, transmission, republication, or display - of the content (text and illustrations) is strictly prohibited. |
| Remember, creating beautiful glass mosaic tile art is easy. You can do it! My eBook teaches you all the details that other books and websites don't. Start your fun and exciting journey into the wonderful world of glass mosaic tile art today! |
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Mosaic Art Supply sells mosaic tile online and has free online instructions written by our professional artist. They have a wonderful selection of tools and materials, and great prices, too (I'm a customer).
Gustin Ceramics for ceramic sculpture, clay art, and home interior ceramic tile for fine interiors.
Mosaic Tile USA imports glass, steel, and marble mosaic tile for interior and exterior design applications, including kitchen, bath, living room, and pool areas.
Commercial Carpet Squares for select from over a quarter million square feet of guaranteed first quality commercial carpet squares at Carpettileking.com.
Solid Wood Flooring for Nagle Flooring supply a wide variety of solid wood flooring at lowest prices. We stock wooden floorings from Boen, Karndean, Quickstep, Pergo, Tarkett and Nature Floorings.
PDQ patterns for free and custom patterns for stained glass, window clings, mosaics, pysanky, cross stitch, quilting, and more.
Gospelglass is a site for those who like to create "worship" with your hands, making stained glass panels, needlepoint and cross stitch, and many other crafts.
Xinamarie Mosaic Shop for an enormous range of mosaic tiles, tools, kits, glue, bases, and more. Everything for mosaic making.
Mosaicsupply.com offers the most comprehensive, unique selection of mosaic supplies in the world! Products include Kaleidoscope Vitreous Glass Tiles, Micro Mosaic, Aventurine Tiles, China, Beach Glass, Art Glass, Mosaic Tools,
and Supplies.
Mosaic Classes and Kits has a huge range of original kit designs and offers classes for beginners through experienced mosaicists.
WitsEnd Mosaic features the finest mosaic tile from around the world. Glass and millefiori from Italy, unglazed porcelain from Portugal, and beautifully glazed porcelains from Japan.
Arctic Mermaid Mosaics is your Alaska line for mosaic tile and supplies, specializing in high quality glass mosaic tile at affordable prices.
Cyclops Tile is your source for affordable 22-carat gold tile, broken dishes, millifeori, metallic and iridescent vitreous tiles, ceramiic tile, and abalone and beach glass.
Gustin Ceramics for ceramic sculpture, clay art, and home interior ceramic tile for fine interiors.
Mosaic Tile USA imports glass, steel, and marble mosaic tile for interior and exterior design applications, including kitchen, bath, living room, and pool areas.
Commercial Carpet Squares for select from over a quarter million square feet of guaranteed first quality commercial carpet squares at Carpettileking.com.
Solid Wood Flooring for Nagle Flooring supply a wide variety of solid wood flooring at lowest prices. We stock wooden floorings from Boen, Karndean, Quickstep, Pergo, Tarkett and Nature Floorings.
PDQ patterns for free and custom patterns for stained glass, window clings, mosaics, pysanky, cross stitch, quilting, and more.
Gospelglass is a site for those who like to create "worship" with your hands, making stained glass panels, needlepoint and cross stitch, and many other crafts.
Xinamarie Mosaic Shop for an enormous range of mosaic tiles, tools, kits, glue, bases, and more. Everything for mosaic making.
Mosaicsupply.com offers the most comprehensive, unique selection of mosaic supplies in the world! Products include Kaleidoscope Vitreous Glass Tiles, Micro Mosaic, Aventurine Tiles, China, Beach Glass, Art Glass, Mosaic Tools,
and Supplies.
Mosaic Classes and Kits has a huge range of original kit designs and offers classes for beginners through experienced mosaicists.
WitsEnd Mosaic features the finest mosaic tile from around the world. Glass and millefiori from Italy, unglazed porcelain from Portugal, and beautifully glazed porcelains from Japan.
Arctic Mermaid Mosaics is your Alaska line for mosaic tile and supplies, specializing in high quality glass mosaic tile at affordable prices.
Cyclops Tile is your source for affordable 22-carat gold tile, broken dishes, millifeori, metallic and iridescent vitreous tiles, ceramiic tile, and abalone and beach glass.
Order my ebook Now!
Is Thin 1/8-Inch Hardboard an Acceptable Base Material for Mosaics?
NOTE: Read this article in conjunction with my other article about designing a mosaic using a stained-glass pattern and framing the mosaic with a ready-made open-back frame.
Hardboard makes a good foundation for your mosaics as long as you limit the size of the overall mosaic, limit the tesserae size, and don't display the mosaic in a wet environment. Avoid hardboard for
outdoor applications because of the potential for deterioration. Especially if your tesserae are small (e.g., about the size of a quarter or smaller), it's surprising how flexible the mosaic is, even with
grout, which means it can withstand some warping before the grout cracks or glass pieces pop off. Over the years making many wall mosaics that are 24"x24" or less, I have found that my favorite
foundation is 1/8-inch hardboard. It's the dark-brown stuff that pegboard is made from but without the holes. It's slippery smooth on one side and rough on the other. I use this material only for
dry, indoor, wall mosaics that will not be exposed to moisture. I use this material because it's: 1) Relatively thin, 2) Relatively lightweight, and 3) Rough on one side so the glue grabs hold of it well.
The 1/8-inch thickness allows the finished mosaic to fit in a standard pre-made frame. My glass tesserae are about 1/8-inch thick, so the total thickness of the finished mosaic is only about 1/4-inch.
This allows me to buy a ready-made open-back frame that's very inexpensive. I plan my indoor wall mosaics to be 16"x24", 18"x24", or 24"x24", which are common sizes for pre-made frames. If I
were to use 3/4-inch plywood or MDF as the foundation, I would then have to use a custom frame with enough depth to cover the entire thickness of the mosaic (i.e., 3/4-inch wood foundation
plus 1/8-inch tesserae equals almost a 1-inch thickness). Custom frames cost up to five times more than standard pre-made open-back frames. For example, by taking advantage of their biweekly
50% sale at my favorite hobby store, I can get a pre-made open-back 18"x24" frame in a lovely style and color that best suits the mosaic, have the mosaic installed in the frame, have the hanging
wire installed, and have paper backing installed, all for less than $25. That's right! Less than 25 bucks. A custom-made frame might cost as much as $150.
Not only do I save on framing costs, the hardboard is cheap compared to 3/4-inch plywood and MDF. I buy a pre-cut section of hardboard instead of a full 4'x'8 sheet. The pre-cut section is
24"x48". Knowing the height of my indoor wall mosaics is typically 24" (which is the width of the pre-cut section), this allows me to cut the hardboard giving me a 16", 18", or 24" width for my
mosaic foundation. For example, suppose I want my mosaic to be 18"x24". The pre-cut width of the hardboard I buy is 24". I measure and cut 18", which results in a piece of hardboard that's
18"x24". The piece fits perfectly in a standard 18"x24" pre-made frame. I measure and cut the hardboard using a standard circular saw and a "rip fence" that I make by clamping a 3-foot level to the
hardboard with two C-clamps. The rip fence allows me to push the saw along the straight edge of the level to ensure a straight and accurate cut.
I prepare the hardboard foundation by painting it with two coats of white primer. The main reason for painting it white is to get a white background onto which the glass tesserae will be adhered
(Note: I always adhere the glass to the rough side of the hardboard). Although I usually use opaque glass, the white background helps brighten it up. The dark-brown color of the hardboard makes
the glass pieces appear dull and dark, even though the glass is supposed to be opaque. The secondary benefit of painting the hardboard with primer is that it seals it. I don't know if sealing
hardboard does anything, but it makes me feel better believing it's sealed. I don't know the material or chemical properties of hardboard and how it's manufactured, so I don't know if it needs to be
sealed, but painting it gives me a nice, warm-and-fuzzy feeling. I have a habit of sealing everything whether it needs it or not.
After applying the tesserae and grout, you'll be surprised at how flexible the mosaic is without causing glass or grout failure. When I first used 1/8-inch hardboard as the foundation for a mosaic, I
experimented and found that I could bend the mosaic a full two inches without affecting the glass and grout (i.e., I used small tesserae no bigger than the size of a quarter). I was too afraid to
bend it more than two inches. After the experiment, I assumed if the mosaic can bend a whopping two inches, then it can survive any warping that might occur. Then, after the mosaic was
installed in the pre-made open-back frame, I realized that the mosaic was installed in such a manner to inhibit any warping at all. The mosaic was pressed and held in-place with the little fasteners in
the back of the frame to keep it from falling out. The only way the mosaic can warp is if it's strong enough to cause the frame to warp with it. I've never had a problem with any indoor wall mosaic
warping when using 1/8-inch hardboard installed in a standard pre-made frame.
1/8-inch hardboard is also lightweight enough so the weight of the overall mosaic isn't so heavy that you have to remodel your home to create a support structure stout enough to hold the weight
of a mosaic. Generally, my 24"x24" (or less) mosaics are light enough to adequately hang by means of a picture hook and nail installed in drywall. I don't have to cut into the drywall to install 2"x4"
pieces between the studs and then replace the drywall. This is extremely advantageous, especially when selling or giving away the mosaic (i.e., you won't lose customers that you might otherwise
lose if you tell them they have to hang the mosaic by doing something more than pounding a nail into the wall).
NOTE: Read this article in conjunction with my other article about designing a mosaic using a stained-glass pattern and framing the mosaic with a ready-made open-back frame.
Hardboard makes a good foundation for your mosaics as long as you limit the size of the overall mosaic, limit the tesserae size, and don't display the mosaic in a wet environment. Avoid hardboard for
outdoor applications because of the potential for deterioration. Especially if your tesserae are small (e.g., about the size of a quarter or smaller), it's surprising how flexible the mosaic is, even with
grout, which means it can withstand some warping before the grout cracks or glass pieces pop off. Over the years making many wall mosaics that are 24"x24" or less, I have found that my favorite
foundation is 1/8-inch hardboard. It's the dark-brown stuff that pegboard is made from but without the holes. It's slippery smooth on one side and rough on the other. I use this material only for
dry, indoor, wall mosaics that will not be exposed to moisture. I use this material because it's: 1) Relatively thin, 2) Relatively lightweight, and 3) Rough on one side so the glue grabs hold of it well.
The 1/8-inch thickness allows the finished mosaic to fit in a standard pre-made frame. My glass tesserae are about 1/8-inch thick, so the total thickness of the finished mosaic is only about 1/4-inch.
This allows me to buy a ready-made open-back frame that's very inexpensive. I plan my indoor wall mosaics to be 16"x24", 18"x24", or 24"x24", which are common sizes for pre-made frames. If I
were to use 3/4-inch plywood or MDF as the foundation, I would then have to use a custom frame with enough depth to cover the entire thickness of the mosaic (i.e., 3/4-inch wood foundation
plus 1/8-inch tesserae equals almost a 1-inch thickness). Custom frames cost up to five times more than standard pre-made open-back frames. For example, by taking advantage of their biweekly
50% sale at my favorite hobby store, I can get a pre-made open-back 18"x24" frame in a lovely style and color that best suits the mosaic, have the mosaic installed in the frame, have the hanging
wire installed, and have paper backing installed, all for less than $25. That's right! Less than 25 bucks. A custom-made frame might cost as much as $150.
Not only do I save on framing costs, the hardboard is cheap compared to 3/4-inch plywood and MDF. I buy a pre-cut section of hardboard instead of a full 4'x'8 sheet. The pre-cut section is
24"x48". Knowing the height of my indoor wall mosaics is typically 24" (which is the width of the pre-cut section), this allows me to cut the hardboard giving me a 16", 18", or 24" width for my
mosaic foundation. For example, suppose I want my mosaic to be 18"x24". The pre-cut width of the hardboard I buy is 24". I measure and cut 18", which results in a piece of hardboard that's
18"x24". The piece fits perfectly in a standard 18"x24" pre-made frame. I measure and cut the hardboard using a standard circular saw and a "rip fence" that I make by clamping a 3-foot level to the
hardboard with two C-clamps. The rip fence allows me to push the saw along the straight edge of the level to ensure a straight and accurate cut.
I prepare the hardboard foundation by painting it with two coats of white primer. The main reason for painting it white is to get a white background onto which the glass tesserae will be adhered
(Note: I always adhere the glass to the rough side of the hardboard). Although I usually use opaque glass, the white background helps brighten it up. The dark-brown color of the hardboard makes
the glass pieces appear dull and dark, even though the glass is supposed to be opaque. The secondary benefit of painting the hardboard with primer is that it seals it. I don't know if sealing
hardboard does anything, but it makes me feel better believing it's sealed. I don't know the material or chemical properties of hardboard and how it's manufactured, so I don't know if it needs to be
sealed, but painting it gives me a nice, warm-and-fuzzy feeling. I have a habit of sealing everything whether it needs it or not.
After applying the tesserae and grout, you'll be surprised at how flexible the mosaic is without causing glass or grout failure. When I first used 1/8-inch hardboard as the foundation for a mosaic, I
experimented and found that I could bend the mosaic a full two inches without affecting the glass and grout (i.e., I used small tesserae no bigger than the size of a quarter). I was too afraid to
bend it more than two inches. After the experiment, I assumed if the mosaic can bend a whopping two inches, then it can survive any warping that might occur. Then, after the mosaic was
installed in the pre-made open-back frame, I realized that the mosaic was installed in such a manner to inhibit any warping at all. The mosaic was pressed and held in-place with the little fasteners in
the back of the frame to keep it from falling out. The only way the mosaic can warp is if it's strong enough to cause the frame to warp with it. I've never had a problem with any indoor wall mosaic
warping when using 1/8-inch hardboard installed in a standard pre-made frame.
1/8-inch hardboard is also lightweight enough so the weight of the overall mosaic isn't so heavy that you have to remodel your home to create a support structure stout enough to hold the weight
of a mosaic. Generally, my 24"x24" (or less) mosaics are light enough to adequately hang by means of a picture hook and nail installed in drywall. I don't have to cut into the drywall to install 2"x4"
pieces between the studs and then replace the drywall. This is extremely advantageous, especially when selling or giving away the mosaic (i.e., you won't lose customers that you might otherwise
lose if you tell them they have to hang the mosaic by doing something more than pounding a nail into the wall).
I've made shopping easy for you!
I found the basic mosaic supplies and resources you'll need to get started and I grouped then in the following categories. Click on the link for a category and
browse what's available. When you see something you want, simply click on the icon and you'll be taken directly to Amazon.com where your purchase will be
quick, easy, and safe!
I found the basic mosaic supplies and resources you'll need to get started and I grouped then in the following categories. Click on the link for a category and
browse what's available. When you see something you want, simply click on the icon and you'll be taken directly to Amazon.com where your purchase will be
quick, easy, and safe!