Additional Info on Making Mosaics

The grout sealer automatically is absorbed into the grout
lines as you paint the whole piece, and you do paint the
whole piece because it would be too time consuming to just
try and paint all the interces-another name for the gaps
between the tiles- that we fill with grout.

Because the tiles or glass or other things you may use do
not have the same absorbency- or virtually none at all, the
grout sealer just sits there or pools on their surface. Your
objective is to just remove the excess that has not been
utilised or needed by the grout. Wiping over the whole
piece will not remove the sealer from the grout, just the
addtional that we don't require. Sometimes I get lazy and
forget to do this and it is okay- other times I find that
the grout sealer has left a hazy residue on the surface of
the glass. So in short it is to make sure you have a lovely
end result.

Liquid nails is a good product, but if you are going to be
sitting for a time and making things, the fumes often are
hazardous. I don't use it. This product is also expensive in
comparison to the thinset, and as thinset is cement based
and you are using it on cement- it is always going to have
better adhesive properties than liquid nails.

In Australia, I use a premixed flexible adhesive that I buy
in a 90 litre tub. This was the product they used where I
did some classes, and because I have long term proof that it
works I am happy to trust it. They had made huge big round
cement planters mosaiced using this adhesive and they have
been there for 10 years and are still okay.

When I joined the yahoo group I am in- mainly americans-
they said no no no don't use that adhesive it is all wrong-
blah blah blah.... I continue to use what I trust. It is an
Australian product. I am sure you have the equivalent- I
think the call it Mastic, they say (the mosaic head
honchos..) Mastic is NOT to be used in mosaics. Because I
cannot tell you by comparison if your mastic is the same as
my adhesive I won't recommend it to you. I will only
recommend what I know works. They all use thinset there- all
the american mosaic makers. Thin set works well in all
climates and can be used indoor and outdoors.

.....the gloves I referred to in the pother post are those disposable ones they
use in food preparation- 20pairs in a box. They are better
than regular dish washing gloves, because you need to use
your finger tips to feel the edges of the glass without
pushing the grout around....