A few Questions About Tile Coasters

[mandypandy]

I'm getting ready to make a few sets of these tile coasters for Christmas gifts. I already have the tiles & Staz On. I want to make the unsealed tiles so they are absorbant (a must for these hot Virginia summers!). Do I wash the tiles? If so, how long do I let them dry before I can stamp on them? I've seen varied times and tempatures for baking the tiles after stamping to set set them. Which is correct 30 minutes at 350, 15-20 minutes at 325???

Thanks!

[mholles]

I made some a couple of weeks ago. I just wiped the tiles with a damp cloth and let dry for a few minutes before I started stamping. I baked mine at 350 for 20 minutes and let them sit in the oven to cool after I turned the oven off. I've been using one now for a couple of weeks with no problems. Can't wait to give the rest as gifts - they turn out so well.
Melanie in NC

[jukeboxgraduate]

I'm not an expert here, but let me tell you what I did. I used the unsealed tiles, and stamped 'em with staz on, and heat set them with my heat gun. You can then seal them w/polyurethane, if desired. I don't always seal them because they are more absorbent without the polyurethane coating, IMO.

No need to wash them before stamping, unless you want to just dust them off with a cloth, as needed.

When I've made a mistake with the stamping, I use the stazon remover to get the ink off, like an eraser, and start over.

Colleen

[music1]

1-where do you get "un"sealed coasters?

I've use the ceramic tiles from Lowe's (rialto white or beige) and after using stazon (which I figured would eventually wear off after many uses of a glass bumping on it) I sprayed with fixative then Krylon Trip.Thick C.C. Glaze (aerosol) but it seems to blur the image/words. The best I've found so far is sharpies coloring in and they don't blur.

So..2) do I even mess with sealing ceramic tiles?

[Karma]

I made several sets this year for gifts and after washing them and drying with paper towels I just stamped with Staz-On. I didn't seal mine or heat set them as I was told there was no need with Staz-On. I've been using one for several months that was done this way and the image is still good.

[mholles]

[QUOTE=music1]1-where do you get "un"sealed coasters?QUOTE]


They are tumbled marble floor tiles. Sorry I threw the box away so can't tell you the name. They come nine to a box. I got mine at Lowes.

Melanie in NC

[PaperRapt]

No baking is necessary when only using Stazon inks. They are permanent and good to go as is. If your ambient humidity is high, then you can use a heat tool to speed the drying process along. Also the new SU journaling markers and the EK success memory pencils can be used to color in images WITHOUT having to seal the tile. They are permanent as well. I make tiles like this for my friends that live in humid places so their tiles work for their sweaty drinks!

The whole baking this started ages ago before the Stazon product was available. We had to use pigment inks. Those inks needed to be heatset so that you could color the tiles.

HTH
Annette
http://stamponthis.com

Annette

[stampinCPA]

The ones I got are called botticcino I think. Got them at Home Depot for $5.95/sq yd (9 tiles). I used Staz-on and Sharpies to color them. They are really dusty when they come out of the box so I washed them. When I use the chalk ink I heat set to make the chalks permanent.

[mgal]

Thank you for all the advice on the tiles. I'll be baking mine with craft ink and clear embossing! I'll have to let you know how it turns out...;)

[mgal]

Oh, and I'll try and upload a picture. I'm planning a gifts galore class which will include tiles, magnets, mini-composition book...etc.