Learn Something New !! Mosaics, Wood Finishing, Basket Weaving

Setting up the studio

Whether you have a small studio or are intending to work on the kitchen table, you need to make some plans and preparations before you start work. Consider the size of the area you are working in and the scale of the project you are intending to tackle. If you don't have a studio, organise space on a shelf or in a cupboard to store your equipment. Mosaic work can be messy, so cover the table and floor with plastic, old sheets, or anything that can be discarded or washed. Small shards of tiles can be vacuumed up, but when grout dries on carpet or wooden floors it is difficult to remove. Make sure you have easy access to water. When grouting and cleaning the mosaic, you will need frequent changes of water. If working indoors, make sure you have plenty of light and fresh air. Find a comfortable chair and work at a steady, leisurely pace.

Tools and equipment

Tile nippers

There are several methods of cutting tiles but the easiest is to use a pair of tile nippers. Tile nippers are the most versatile tool in a mosaicist's tool kit and arc the only major investment you will need to make. Tile nippers are available in various sizes and usually differ in quality and price. Tungsten carbide-tipped nippers are a worthwhile investment. Make sure the handles are spring-actioned and try them out first by holding them in your hand to see if they feel comfortable.

Rubber squeegee

A rubber squeegee is used to spread the grout into the gaps between the tesserae and to wipe off the excess grout. If you don't want to purchase a rubber squeegee, spread the grout with a trowel or palette knife or, wearing; rubber gloves, use your hands to spread the grout over the surface, pushing it into all the cracks.

Palette knife or trowel

Use a palette knife to spread the tile adhesive directly on the surface or on the back of individual tesserae. A trowel is useful when working on large areas.

Sponges and rags

These are used to wipe off excess grout from the surface of the mosaic and to polish the finished mosaic.

Containers

Save plastic or ice-cream containers and use them for mixing adhesive and grout. Use glass jars or plastic containers to store your tesserae and other mosaic odds and ends.

Miscellaneous

For drawing designs you'll need paper, ruler and a pencil. If you are choosing your own colour scheme, coloured pencils or watercolours are useful. Transfer designs onto the surface using carbon paper and a stylus (or blunt pencil). Carbon paper is available in sheets and one side is coated in carbon. It is usually black or blue, but buy white if you want to transfer a design onto a dark surface. A felt-tipped pen is useful for outlining pencilled designs for better visibility, and for marking on tiles. Use a compass for drawing circles and a protractor for measuring angles. Safety When working with mosaics you will need rubber gloves, protection for your eyes and a dust mask or respirator. When cutting tiles, even if you only need to cut one or two, always protect your eyes .

PREFACE

WOOD finishing today is a commercial art. With the greater appreciation of interior decoration by the great middle classes has come the realization that interior wood trim constitutes the frame of the picture, so to speak. Consequently the selection of color and texture of the finish for wood trim is being done with the same care that is exercised by the artist who chooses a frame for his painting. The tendency to consider the wood finishing in homes and public buildings simply as one element of a decorative scheme, along with the several others, such as walls, floor, furniture, drapes, rugs and accessories, is a wholesome development which is making interiors truly beautiful. The wood finisher, whether he be house painter and decorator, furniture worker or arts and crafts artisan, is confronted with an array of finishes calculated to confuse even the most experienced unless his working methods are based upon a sound knowledge of the most modern stains, fillers, varnishes and other materials. Then there has been a steady change in the kinds and grades of woods used for buildings, cabinets and furniture, calling for complete knowledge of the characteristics of present day woods. And to make the wood finisher's task even more difficult the specifications by architects and customers change constantly to keep pace with styles in furniture and decorations of standard, period and novel designs. The wish is always for something new and different. So the wood finisher must keep up with the procession in pursuit of style and vogue.

The matter of cost of producing finishes is usually the controlling factor, especially when surfaces to be finished are very large or are many times repeated, as when made up of hundreds of rooms in large office, hotel or similar structures. Then the cost of an extra coat or an extra sanding of the surface, for instance, may mean the difference between profit or loss on the job.

In this book the author has aimed to discard the old and obsolete materials and methods which are too costly in labor to be practical in this day of high wage scales. Only such materials and methods have been cited as are equal to present day demands for both practical and artistic finishes.

Have fun learning something new !!