Warping can be a problem in any drying situation, but especially for tiles and large, flat items as the drying air comes in contact with the top surface but is unable to reach the bottom as it sits on a surface. The top will contract as it dries causing deformation, which the clay will remember in the glaze firing.
Many people sandwich their tiles between two pieces of drywall and flip them regularly, others use sealed bags of sand to weigh down the tiles to keep them flat, but I was making low-relief tiles and had no time nor patience for these methods.
Credit goes to my tile teacher, Mike Skiersch, who discovered an inexpensive solution in the building department of a hardware store. A ceiling panel called “egg crate” costs about $13–20 per 2 × 4-foot panel. When propped up, so air can circulate under it, tiles or even trays and other large, flat items can be laid on this so that they dry evenly and without requiring a lot of time-consuming attention. I raise my panels on 2×4 boards or stacking baking racks (1), then just set my tiles on there and forget about them (2). I work in porcelain, which is particularly sensitive to uneven drying, so it is important to be careful not to bend or curve your tile much as you are picking it up or moving it.
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Warping can be a problem in any drying situation, but especially for tiles and large, flat items as the drying air comes in contact with the top surface but is unable to reach the bottom as it sits on a surface. The top will contract as it dries causing deformation, which the clay will remember in the glaze firing.
Many people sandwich their tiles between two pieces of drywall and flip them regularly, others use sealed bags of sand to weigh down the tiles to keep them flat, but I was making low-relief tiles and had no time nor patience for these methods.
Credit goes to my tile teacher, Mike Skiersch, who discovered an inexpensive solution in the building department of a hardware store. A ceiling panel called “egg crate” costs about $13–20 per 2 × 4-foot panel. When propped up, so air can circulate under it, tiles or even trays and other large, flat items can be laid on this so that they dry evenly and without requiring a lot of time-consuming attention. I raise my panels on 2×4 boards or stacking baking racks (1), then just set my tiles on there and forget about them (2). I work in porcelain, which is particularly sensitive to uneven drying, so it is important to be careful not to bend or curve your tile much as you are picking it up or moving it.
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