I've done 2 tables and a nightstand. I just sanded the top and then used GE II and Weldbond to glue. They survived moving 2 times and still look as good as when I first made them!

Very pretty. Thanks for your input. I have about 1/3 of my main design cut out. It will be a deer head and then I have to figure out what my background will be. I have never done a specific design like this before. So far it is looking good........but I have 2/3's more to go!

Thank you! I can't wait to see how yours looks!

thinset to wood is not a good choice. I agree silicone or a PVA like weldbond Its also a good idea to seal your table top 1st with a mix of weldbond and kilz

I agree w/NT. If you've already started, though, what to do??? Regular Aleen's Tacky glue w/also work.

Want to add to my comment - I have used thinset on wood - on the cross on my front porch. It's covered w/the overhang. It's been hanging out there for over three years, and shows no sign of problems. I think you'll do OK on yours, but for the rest of your tess, I suggest you add some Weldbond or Tacky glue to your thinset. That's what I've done, and I think it helps the adhesion to wood.

I haven't actually glued any tess on yet. Have just been cutting out the deer design so I can use all the helpful things ya'll have told me about! Thanks so much and since I haven't actually glued anything yet does anyone have anything to add before I start? I knew I would be getting lots of good advise! By the way.......I am shocking myself as to how good the deer is looking. Hope in the eyes of you seasoned mosaicers you all will think so too! This is my first attempt at a specific design and I'm wondering what took me so long to quit being scared and just do it!

Oh GOOD, CRAFTY. Glad you haven't started yet. If you don't have access to Weldbond, then Aleen's Tacky Glue w/work just fine. It'll make the process so much easier for you. Reason I discourage you from using GE II, the fumes are very toxic, and it's such a horrible mess to clean off the tess, once it's dried. While the thinset w/glue w/work, the glass is so thin, you w/only use a little bit, and stand the chance of it oozing up between the pieces. I'll NEVER use GE II again because of the difficulty it presents in keeping the tess free of it.

Re the time it's taken you to get started, ask NT how long it took her to start a bowling ball. Lord, I thought she'd NEVER just DO IT. Glad you're enjoying the beginning. Betcha you'll become addicted REAL soon. Can't wait to see your WIP. Huuuuuuuuuuury.

hahhahahahahah

I tell all my classes that a woman on Garden web coaxed me into this art when she said "girlie, WHAT are you waiting for, just start gluing!"

Sometimes we all put off doing something because it's so intimidating and then when we finally do it, it's laughable that it's so easy!

This lady (who was out here this week to take a class so that she could make a wall hanging with half-cups) has been wanting to break them in half for years and just didn't have the courage. She positioned the wheeled nippers, squeezed her eyes shut tight, squeezed the nippers, and voila! A perfect cut! She was just flabbergasted. We laughed and laughed.

What joy she must've felt at a perfect cut.

Wish I could have some success at what I'm trying to do. Have been trying to learn soldering. My friend Tracy came and showed me how about two weeks ago. I ordered all the supplies necessary, but have been totally unsuccessful in getting a smooth finish. I have a whoooooooole pile of practice pieces - that w/be given to my granddaughter for her mosaics, but have produced nothing yet I'm willing to wear. Posting the one I worked on all morning long, after tearing off what I did on it yesterday. I simply can't seem to improve from my first day's work. Attaching a link to the mess. I'm about ready to give up.
trying to learn to solder"

This is the deer I have partially cut out to put on the table top. That is if I don't change my mind as I have found a full body deer that I actually like better. I do have another plan for this deer if I don't put him on the table.

Slow.......what's not to like on your solder pieces?!?!?!?!? I LOVE them. Looks like mighty small pieces as I'm sure that is hard to work with. I like all but have to say the first one is my favorite!

HOLY DEER!!!!!!! CRAFTY - this is fabulous. What is this business about you not having nerve to do something?????? I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!

Re the shards, I've just uploaded four that I did this morning. I saw another gillion videos on you tube and saw one yesterday that showed me what I was doing wrong. I was dragging the iron over the shard - NOT just hovering over it and dragging the solder! Big difference, and I'm now thinking w/tons more practice I'll be able to DO THIS.

Thanks Slow......I feel better with your nice compliment that maybe I CAN do this!

Holy Deer is right!!!! It is fabulous! Can't wait to see more!

Hope to start gluing the pieces down today. I have weldbond on hand was also told that stick and seal by Loctite was also very good. Has anyone ever used that with any success? I never hear that one mentioned on this site. Now the challenge to get my loose pieces to my table top.UGH! Hope to post a pic later today.

Oh boy, can't wait to see it!

Love the deer. Slow, practice makes perfect and you have a good eye for placing the shards just so! You will improve with soldering but the pieces you posted look good to me! I've been wanting to do that myself but probably won't. There's a lady on eBay who makes beautiful ones, robinsrelics.

Finally had a chance to take a pic and post! This is the other deer I decided I liked better. This one is going on the end table. Can't cut the antlers till I make a trip to Hobby Lobby and will re-cut a couple of pieces around the eyes as I'm not liking how they fit. The table top has been prepped with a mix of weldbond and Kilz . I stained the legs of the table and hoping the table will be ready for me to start gluing my tess on tomorrow. I will use the first one I started and it will be put on a TV dish with my son-in-laws brand on it to be used outdoors in the garden. Sure hope I get finished by Christmas!!!

JEESE!!!! I just re-read what you all was so kind to tell me and don't know why I thought I read mix weldbond with kilz to seal table top in preparation to glue tess! Do you think that will work? or do I need to sand that off and do the weldbond and thinset? I must be loosing it!

Your mix of Kilz and Weldbond w/be fine. One of them w/have been fine too. Use Weldbond for the gluing - or any other white glue. Just be careful when grouting not to get it too juicey that it loosens the glue.

Glad you said what I did will work.........because within the next hour I hope to start gluing. The one and only pattern I had is under the deer. Went back to the print shop that enlarged for me and HOPE the new copy they enlarged for me will be the same size, or at least close enough. Only thing I can figure out is to use carbon paper and trace it on the table to have a guide as to where to glue. Boy I sure have learned a lot working on this table and have made a plenty of wrong choices along the way. Hopefully I have learned from my mistakes and can do better next time.

Have been working on this again as Christmas is getting here fast and I NEED to have it done in time! I have drawn in where 3 more trees will go and am hoping I don't run out of brown glass as I don't have time for a 60+ mile trip to get more. I already, see that I didn't choose the placement of my trees correctly but can't change that now so will have to continue on. All the background I plan to use small pieces of green to fill in. I'm not sure how I should do the very bottom. Should I put hooves on him or just have his feet in the leaves? Cut off working on the gray tree till I figure out if all the bottom should be as leaves. This has truly been a learning experience and I 'm not quite sure what made me crazy enough to think I could do such a major project for my first try! Though I gotta admit it has been fun. Any advice will be greatly appreciated as I won't get to work on it again until Monday. Any grout color suggestions?

Forgot to add.........I am open to critical suggestions as to what I should have done differently from placement to color choices or anything else because I truly want to learn from this and I know I am asking the best. My feelings will NOT be hurt as I am asking for everyones honest opinion. Wish I could take some classes but I can't so I'm going to depend on ya'll to critique me.

fantastic!!!

It's beautiful. Here's something to consider ... he could be standing in snow. Sunk up to his ankles. Then you wouldn't have to worry about his hooves. Just a thought.

Lady - there isn't ONE thing I'd advise you on here. This is an outstanding job. Whatever you decide w/be perfect. If I could, I'd give you a huuuuuuuge, deep southern lady bow. This is FABULOUS. WHAT have you been hiding all this time - huuuuuuge talent.

Excellent cutting on your deer and you nailed the coloring on the birch tree! Looks like you know exactly what you are doing!

That is looking fantastic!what a wonderful job

Thought I'd ask another question or two! To glue or not to glue the bottom portion? Real undecided how to finish off the bottom part. I still have to fit them together a little better. Is the piece with lots of white in it too white? Should I cut a new piece with darker colors? If I don't glue whats laid out I would finish it off with the little pieces. All the white area will be filled in so it will be the same all the way across. Hope I can get this finished by Tuesday! Being I'm running short on time and I have never grouted more than one color would I be making a HUGE mistake by grouting it all off white? Thanks for all input!

I think the piece with lots of white in it looks okay - you could either leave it, or replace it with darker.

My opinion about grout color is that whenever I grouted something white, I felt like I ruined it. I just hate white grout. I only use it when no other color will work. I recommend pale brown grout, called bone, or sand.

It is looking really, really good!

My husband would love this deer. Great job!!!

My husband would love this deer. Great job!!!

Thats looking great! I agree with silvamae about the grout, a sand or bone would look better than white :)

been out of it for a while but I love love love what you are doing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is AMAZING and I'm begging you NOT to use white or any other color that is lighter than your tess. please please. This is so gorgeous and using a light color will accentuate your grout lines and make the appear larger and more forward to your eye than the glass.

medium gray will be a safe neutral choice.

Here's a closeup of my stairs where I used pale brown grout (probably called "Sand") and the colors of glass that you are using.

Before grouting

{{gwi:130292}}

After grouting

Sorry it took me so long to finish posting. The holidays were soooo hectic. Good news is that I did finish it on time and it was wrapped and under the tree for daughter and family!! They loved it and was very surprised. They kept saying they couldn't believe I did it.......I was chiming in right behind them that I couldn't believe it either! The colors in the pre-grout picture shows up nicely don't know what happened to the colors on the grouted pic. I ended up using biscuit colored grout. I liked it better than if I would have used white. Many THANKS for all the wonderful advise and opinions I received from everyone, couldn't have done it without all of you behind me. Will be asking for more advise soon as I have another big project I'm about to start and I am so excited. Will post pics soon. Again THANKS to everyone.

Looks wonderful great job!

This is beautiful! You did a fantastic job on this and I can't wait to see what you are going to do next...you are a natural at this!

Absolutely amazing. CRAFTY - you've been holding out on your talent. Truly, this is a fabulous piece of art. Dito what CRAFTY LADY said. It's rather addicting, isn't it. Anxious to see your next WIP.

I saw this on junk and am thrilled to read about the process in this thread. Masterful creation.
I'm sure your family is thrilled!
Kathy

That is garden junk forum that I saw it. This darn kindle fire won't let me correct!