Flat tiles?

Jan 18, 2006 3 Replies

I am attempting to make some test tiles for glaze testing. I made a 1/4" slab from various clays, then cut 3"x3" tiles. I even remembered to put a hole in each for later organizing, and to partially texture the face of each tile.



My problem: when the tiles dried, they curved. I dried them flat on a sheet of newspaper on a plywood surface. At first, everything was covered with plastic sheeting, but they wouldn't dry at all that way. I *loosely* covered them, and even turned each over every day. Still, they warped.



I'm thinking of drying the next batch on a wire grille so air can circulate underneath. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.



Fred


dry them between 2 pieces of drywall with a weight on top.

or even just put a board on top and dry a little more slowly

Or don't worry about it--they're only test tiles. If you wanted to make real functional tiles, any of the methods mentioned will help keep them flat, including the wire mesh. Also some pottery supplies make special tile clay which has a lower shrinkage rate and perhaps more coarse material (grog) to keep them stiff when drying. Brad Sondahl

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