Pouring a Ceramic Tile Mold

Making your own ceramic tiles in bulk saves money and allows you to create custom colors and textures. To make and bake ceramic slip -- the liquid mixture poured into molds -- you will need a special mixing machine and a ceramic kiln. Inquire at a community art center or make-your-own-pottery studio to gain access to this expensive equipment. You can purchase molds, dry clay powder and glazes from art supply and ceramic stores.

Slip mixer
1 1/3 ounces dry soda ash
1 ounce dry barium carbonate
33 pounds dry Kentucky ball clay, cone 4
33 pounds dry Tennessee ball clay, cone 4
4 to 6 ounces liquid sodium silicate
100 pounds talc 2882
Ceramic tile molds
Kiln
Low-fire ceramic glaze (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Pour 9 gallons of warm water in a slip mixer. Dissolve the soda ash and barium carbonate in the water.
- 2
  Run the mixer and add the Kentucky and Tennessee ball clay. The mixture should become quite thick.
- 3
  Add the sodium silicate and talc slowly with the mixer running. Continue running the mixer for at least an hour until the slip is smooth and uniform. Turn off the mixer and allow the slip to rest for eight hours.
- 4
  Pour the slip into the ceramic molds. Set the molds in a stable, dry, cool area and allow the clay to dry out as much as possible before baking.
- 5
  Remove the tiles from their molds carefully and set them on the kiln shelf. Set the kiln to cone 4.
- 6
  Remove the tiles from the kiln carefully and allow them to cool thoroughly before glazing. Bake the glazed tiles at the cone level specified on the glaze container.

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