Making Oval Shaped Tiles for Interior Decoration Purposes By Using MDF as Medium

A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass, generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops,almirah panels,kitchen cabinet,etc Alternatively, tile can sometimes refer to similar units made from lightweight materials such as perlite, wood, and mineral wool, typically used for wall and ceiling applications. In another sense, a tile is a construction tile or similar object, such as rectangular counters used in playing games (see tile-based game). The word is derived from the French word tuile, which is, in turn, from the Latin word tegula, meaning a roof tile composed of fired clay.

Tiles are often used to form wall and floor coverings, and can range from simple square tiles to complex mosaics. Tiles are most often made of ceramic, typically glazed for internal uses and unglazed for roofing, but other materials are also commonly used, such as glass, cork, concrete and other composite materials, and stone. Tiling stone is typically marble, onyx, granite or slate. Thinner tiles can be used on walls than on floors, which require more durable surfaces that will resist impacts.

On the other hand, ceramic tiles are plain clay tiles. The process simply involves molding the clay into the shapes of tiles and then cooking them inside a kiln. The heat forms the hard structure of clay's. Later, the tiles are coated with glaze so that they become water resistant.This entire process is time consuming and cumbersome.

A few days back one of the prominent interior decorator who specializes in providing customize kitchens to their clients, asked me to design oval shaped tiles to be used in decorating the solid wood kitchen cabinet doors and panels as the persons on whose demand they are making a classic kitchen and the family is quite in a hurry. I have been given only 15days times for purpose.Then while planning and experimenting ,the idea cropped up in my mind to use MD F( Medium Density Fire board) instead of using ceramic medium. As designing and making ceramic tiles in large number was time consuming and it was not possible to deliver the tiles in 15 days .

Medium-density fiberboard (MD F) is an engineered wood product made by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibers, often in a defibrillator, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure. MD F is generally denser than plywood. It is made up of separated fibers, but can be used as a building material similar in application to plywood. It is stronger and much denser than particle board. The name derives from the distinction in densities of fiberboard.

Although similar manufacturing processes are used in making all types of fibreboard, MDF has a typical density of 600-800 kg/m³ or .022-.029 lbs/in³,

• · Some varieties are less expensive than many natural woods
• · Isotropic (its properties are the same in all directions as a result of no grain), so no tendency to split
• · Consistent in strength and size
• · Flexible. Can be used for curved walls or surfaces.
• · Shapes well.
• · Stable dimensions (won't expand or contract like wood)
• · Easy to finish (i.e. paint)

1. 1. Very first step involves the cutting of MD F in desired shape, in this case Oval.

I then applied a coat of Acrylic Primer over the tiles

A high gloss acrylic white paint is applied over primed tiles using a spray gun

The tiles are left for 24 hrs ,to get the paint completely dried up.

In the next step I made sketch of basic drawing , in this case I draw fruits, as the requirement is for the kitchen decorations.

Then the tiles are painted over, using the good quality artists acrylic paint.The finished drawings presented a marvelous art piece.One can use different kind and size of brushes according to the size of the required tile.In this case I have used fine sable hair brushes because the over all size of the tile was 11cmsx5cm.

In the final step a protective layer of Acrylic Varnish is applied over all the tiles.This coating made the tiles water resistant as well as scratch resistant.In the entire process of making oval shaped tiles took me only 8(eight) days.I completed the project in record time and earned lots of praises along with my professional fees.