![]() ![]() This mosaic is now secure in place, flush against the wall, and level. Also, be sure to file the corners down to prevent injury if someone walks into it, or secure it high on the wall where it can’t be disturbed. If you use a metal frame like this, choose aluminum over steel because it is lighter and easier to work with. ![]() “Energy” mosaic art mounted both secure and flush against the wall. “Energy” mosaic plaque by Natalija Moss mounted against the wall with the french cleat system. ![]() Once you’ve gotten this far you’re ready to hang the mosaic. Also, notice the level make sure things are lined up nicely before permanently attaching the wood to the wall. There aren’t any pictures, but after putting this into the wall I added a couple extra screws to the middle of the wood that just went into the drywall. Lighter mosaics can be affixed to the drywall, but for heavy projects like this it’s good to use the studs themselves and long screws into them. Use a stud finder to locate one or two studs. The second piece of moulding should be secured to the studs behind the drywall. That means that the screws need to go 4.25″ below the desired height of the top of the mosaic on the wall. In the above example, you can see that the top of the frame is 4.25″ away from the middle of the moulding when it is slid into the mosaic. Then you’ll need to figure out the vertical offset for the wall piece. Once you have the mosaic’s piece installed figure out where on the wall you want the mosaic. The wall side piece of the moulding needs to be set a few inches below the ideal top position of the mosaic. Don’t use deeper screws because you could puncture the mosaic’s surface. Use the same screws for the frame’s french cleat moulding as were used for the frame itself. These screws are long enough to go through the wood, but not so long that they would go all the way through the CBB and hit the glass. Another option is to use a wider upper frame piece and cut the corner off of that before making the mitre cuts. It is placed evenly between the left and right, and flush against the upper frame piece. You can see above the moulding for the mosaic is installed inside the wooden frame. The first piece of moulding has been affixed to the back of the mosaic. The proper way to affix the moulding is one piece on the wall with the angled side facing up and one piece on the mosaic with the angled side facing down. Mount one of the pieces to the frame, the other will go on the wall. You can use a table saw to cut a piece of wood to be used for the french cleat. Cut a corner off of each piece of wood using a 45° angle with the table saw. The two pieces of wood shown above are scraps from when the wood backing was built onto the above mosaic. One piece of wood will be affixed to the back of the mosaic and the other will be fastened to the wall. This mosaic is going to get a french cleat attachment on the back. This tutorial is intended for artists who are already familiar with table saws, and who are looking for a solid way to wall-mount a mosaic. Ask them for help, if you tell them it’s for a mosaic art project they will probably think that’s really cool and offer to make the pieces for you, saving you time and preventing any risks. Instead, you probably know somebody who is a carpenter or who does woodworking in their spare time. If you don’t have much experience with a table saw, don’t try to learn on this project. Safety glasses and gloves should be worn when using the drill. Always have someone help you when using a table saw. Table saws are extremely dangerous, wear a dust mask, safety glasses, and hearing protection when using the table saw. Proper personal protection equipment (PPE) should be worn when using power tools. A level and ruler are needed to position the mosaic art properly on the wall. To make french cleat wall mounts you need a table saw, screwdriver, screws, and a drill. Mosaic art built with a wooden frame structure on the back can be securely mounted flush against a wall using the “french cleat” system. If you built a frame on the back of your mosaic as described in this tutorial, then french cleat moulding is a good hanging option. In addition to its strength, the french cleat also allows mosaic art to be mounted flush against the wall and makes leveling it easy. The “french cleat” is a type of wall moulding that can be used to securely affix heavy mirrors, cabinets or artwork to a wall. However, larger mosaics will need more robust mounting hardware. Most mosaic wall art can be mounted on a wall with a simple hangar and wire. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |