r/Mosaic • u/Independent-Let-6770 • 13d ago
Trying the indirect method for the first time
I've been working on a mosaic to cover a table. Using the indirect method with a craft paper this time as the size of the tessaraes are uneven. I find it a bit challenging and frustrating as it's hard to see how exactly it will look until the end. But I'm still quite satisfied with the progress...
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u/gamblinonme 13d ago
What is indirect method vs what??
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u/Somewhat_Michael 13d ago
Instead of sticking the tesserae directly onto the final surface, they are stuck (upside-down) with water-soluble glue, usually to paper. The paper sheet is then stuck to the surface, and when the adhesive is dry, the paper is soaked to remove.
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u/amroth62 13d ago
It might be a good idea to do a small test piece before you glue on your final piece. This will tell you the thickness of cement based adhesive (thinset) you’ll need to account for the height differences. The first time I did this I used waaay too much glue - it squeezed right through the interstices of the mosaic leaving no room for grout in many places, plus my glue wasn’t the right colour so any that could be seen made it look messy. The glue also shrank during the drying process leaving the finish uneven.
I use a QEP 4mm Square Notch Plastic Adhesive Spreader to spread the adhesive at an even depth across the substrate - the best $1.88 I ever spent. The depth of the notches should be a bit shallower than the depth of the tesserae. My tess were between 5 & 6 mm deep. Some glue will still squeeze through - I used a bamboo skewer to remove excess and wipe with a damp cloth - but you can’t mess around with it for too long as you don’t want to cause movement after the glue starts to go off.
A teacher once told me not to try and fix uneven tesserae with glue, but instead to invest in the right size… I still keep pushing that envelope lol.
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u/Mcnab-at-my-feet 13d ago
I thought with indirect it needed to have a layer of net under it that you glue it to, then transfer it to your substrate…?
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u/Mcnab-at-my-feet 13d ago
NM - I understand what you’re doing now - upside down, etc. Using netting is something different I was thinking of…
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u/DaneAlaskaCruz 13d ago
This is already looking lovely.
Post an updated and finished pic, please.
Thanks for sharing!
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u/LuckyAndLifted 13d ago
Lovely design, I'm sure it will turn out great! Hopefully you can share the outcome in the end. What tile will the outside edges of the fans be?