Pot making idea: ceramic tiles bonded together

[Insect]

Being in need of 2-3 pots at the moment, I was thinking, and hope that your experience can be useful for the following plan.

1) Get ceramic tiles, split them to dimensions as panels for the 4 sides plusbottom
2) Split off triangular corners from bottom for drains
3) Bond the 5 pieces together with mortar, clay, epoxy... you tell me, while keeping the decorative side out.

This would offer a thinwall pot of utility and some beauty. What 'mortar' can keep the sides together well? Any thoughts? Why am I not seeing this technique on the internet? I am a machinist, not really skilled in pottery, yet I did a floor once.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Tile glues are usually strong enough to stick them to walls and floors, but not strong enough to keep odd shapes together.
Cement pots are used, and can be done in a matter of days as well. But when I'm short on pots I make some scrap wood boxes.

 

[AZbonsai]

People make pots out of everything why not tile. I would think you would need some kind of epoxy.

 

[sorce]

I would use floor tiles. Wall tiles may not be strong enough.

Amen to epoxy the corners.

Sorce

 

[Insect]

Thanks, I agree that floor tiles are best, partially because the size and styles are conducive to this project. As far as epoxy, I would go with T-88, it is a versatile one well behaved in wood as well.

There is also this:

Custom Building Products 1.5 lb. White Tile Repair Mortar-TRMW1 - The Home Depot

Find the Tile Repair Mortar 1.5 lb. Powder Mortar TRMW1, resists mold and mildew fast-setting formula helps you perform same-day grouting at The Home Depot

www.homedepot.com

As a mortar, it's a bit more homogenous to the tiles' characteristics and appearance in joints, there is an orthogonal bracing angle to each joint, so I hope it would hold, I may try both, idk.

Also looking at using mini-bricks such as this.

 

[sorce]

Nice . But someone needs to blow up that ugly ass lighter!

Sorce

 

[HorseloverFat]

Nice . But someone needs to blow up that ugly ass lighter!

Sorce

Yeeeah! *imitates “breathy” explosion*

Also... to @Insect ... I agree with Sorce about “Floor tiles”...
Try it!

Keep us updated!

 

[leatherback]

I would say, look for outdoor glue to put natural stone pavers on concrete.

 

[sorce]

FYI...check the dumpster behind the tile shop.

Sorce

 

[Insect]

I made it. It took about 45 minutes, and one $7 tile sized 24x12. It was porcelain floor tile (not ceramic). They have some styles now that look just like marble, which is neat. I went with a grey slate look, and used the adhesive in the photo which matches the color well.

I heated the tiles to 150F and the adhesive to about 90F prior to work, to help adhesion.

 

[BonsaiJames1986]

I made it. It took about 45 minutes, and one $7 tile sized 24x12. It was porcelain floor tile (not ceramic). They have some styles now that look just like marble, which is neat. I went with a grey slate look, and used the adhesive in the photo which matches the color well.

I heated the tiles to 150F and the adhesive to about 90F prior to work, to help adhesion.

Fantastic Idea, I am making some cement pots currently. Never thought of tile.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Fantastic Idea, I am making some cement pots currently. Never thought of tile.

Cool! @Crawforde digs holes in relative sizes, pours the concrete in, waits then digs them up... REALLY cool stuff.

I myself am about to start my kilnfire.

 

[Crawforde]

I made another couple cement pots recently with some spare thinset and grout from doing my bathroom. I went big with fat walls this time for taller trees so I don’t have to worry so much about them getting knocked over by the wind or squirrels or the little velociraptors running around the yard.

 

[HorseloverFat]

little velociraptors running around the yard.

*talking to animals voice* They are SO cute, yeah!

 

[Crawforde]

People think chickens are cute and all. But watch when one catches a little snake or lizard and the whole flock turns bloodthirsty for a bit.
heavy pots are sometimes a good thing.