Mosaic Tools - What do you really need? Part 1

This is a tough topic in the mosaic world. Everyone uses different tools for different reasons. As my motto states, find what works for you and stick with it.

The very first tool that you will need is a cutter of some sort. There are wheeled cutters, basic nippers, hammer, and tile saws. All of these work well with different types of tesserae. The wheeled cutters are, by far, the best tool for working with glass. They cut pretty precise with some practice. Here is a tutorial on how to use the wheeled cutters. See my blog below called Getting A Straight Cut With Glass Tile.

There are several brands out there to choose from. I have tried most of them and have found that they are really all the same. The only big difference is if the wheels are stationary or if they wobble freely. The stationary wheels are the best. The wobbly wheels give you wobbly cuts. If you happen to have a set of these cutters, simply place a washer beneath the wheels. This will give the wheels a tighter fit.

Other than the color of the handles they all work the same and have the same type of wheels. When your cutters don't seem to be working as well loosen the bolt and turn your wheel slightly. This gives you a brand new cutting surface.

There is another type of wheeled cutters called Starretts. They have a different handle set up. I haven't used them myself but have recommended them to my clients with severe arthritis. They are supposed to make cutting tiles so much easier on your hands.

Then there are the basic nippers. These are good for cutting ceramic, marble, and porcelain. They are much harder to use though. Don't use the entire cutting surface as this will shatter your piece. Place your tile on the front corner or back corner of the cutting teeth to get a cut. The nippers are not meant to "cut" the tile, but to direct the breaking of the tile. So place your teeth in the direction you want the break and then squeeze. These take some practice as well. Once again, these are all pretty much the same, just different handle colors. However, I have seen a pair at Lowe's that have a nice ratchet system that will make breaking so much easier.

A hammer is an awesome tool to have laying around. When you have a huge plate, bowl, or ceramic tile, you can use the hammer to break it down to a workable size. Be sure to place a towel over the top of the item first. You don't want your glaze to pop off with the break.

A tile saw is really only necessary when working with large ceramic tiles and marble. You can get some great cuts with it. It is very good for cutting your marble into strips so they can then be nipped into small tesserae. Keep in mind that a wet saw is very messy!

So that is all of the basic cutters. I am sure there are others that I have left out. Feel free to let me know what I have forgotten.

Cutters are the most important tool but what else do you need? A sponge if you wet grout, paper towels if you dry grout, buckets for grout water, plastic containers for mixing thinset and grout, plastic spoons for stirring, utility knife for cutting surfaces, notched trowel for spreading thinset, gloves, safety glasses, fiberglass mesh, etc. etc. etc. There are lots of tools needed for different projects. Research before getting started to make sure you have it all ready to work with. We will go into more detail in our next blog.