Yes it will stay together without grout. If you want to grout it you will need to clean out the groutlines that are filled with silicone. I dont use silicone because I could forsee that problem. I use wellbond for everything.
Usualy when I grout 99 % of the glue on the surface is wiped off by the act of grouting. Any tiny bits left that dont clean off in the polishing stage I pick off with dental tools. My dental tools are the valauble tools I own when assembling a mosaic. I use them for precise placement oif the glass. For scraping any dried glue out from under the piece im placing and for scraping any glue off the surface.

Thanks Barrell! I'll definitely look for some dental tools now.
Anyone else has ideas on this?
Thanks!

Razor blade takes the excess off large places and my fingernails. I quit using that stuff for that reason, and the fact that it's poison to one's system. A well-known artist is dying from years of using it.

Slow, Do you use Weldbond then? How is it different to use that it wouldn't be evident (after use) as the silicone is?

You don't have to grout anything if you don't want, but it will definately last longer. Weldbond works wonderfully if it doesn't get wet.

I did an experiment with a mailbox and used silicone. Covered it with glass and didn't grout it on purpose because I wanted to see how long the glass and marbles would stay on. I put it outside and it is still there six years later. I live in Iowa and with our exptreme weather, we get everything...heat, extreme cold, wind, rain, blizzards... So far it is still out there. But not much left on as the pieces slowly fall off.

So why go to all the work of putting it together and not grout?... make it last for years is my suggestion.

Becky

Becky, Wellbond says on the bottle it is for indoor or outdoor use. What experience do you have outdoors with it that you disagree. Im about to do a mailbox. What type mailbox did you start with. I just paid $70 for one at Home Depot that must wheigh 40lbs. I figured the heavuwheight steel it is made out of would prevent flex and would expand and contract less then a lightwheight $20 mailbox.

barrel, weldbond will rehydrate. silicone or thinset are your best bets outside.

for the silicone qualities indoors I now use polyseamseal, its thick and sticky but no silicone or fumes

We use Weldbond on outdoor mosaic tables and birdbaths. As long as you allow it to dry and cure properly there are no outdoor issues.

Uh huh, ROBIN: Tell that to my ONLY disaster - a mosaiced terra cotta pot that I sealed w/Weldbond. All the pieces fell off in sheets over last winter, and I had used thinset for adhesive and grout The pieces were adhered together w/the thinset, but the pot was slick as a button - it was the Weldbond coat w/which I'd sealed the pot. You must live where it never rains or freezes to use it on exterior projects.

I have a hard time believing Weldbond can be submerged in a birdbath.

this is a quote from Linlee's test

"After the glues finally dried, actually 1 glue, the Weldbond took forever. I plunged the test into water for a total of 3 days.

The SiliconeII looked the same coming out as it did going in...kinda murky with bubbles. Of course it was still as removable as always using a blade. Also note that this is the only one of the three that can be used for leveling.

The Weldbond pretty much slid off of the glass at about 3 hours into the water bath. But note that when it actually dried it was very clear.

The Mac dried fast and clear. That milky haze eventually went away. At the 3 hour mark the edges of the glue that were squished out of the test piece did start to get a milky edge. At this point it was really easy to pull this overflow off with my finger nail. But even after the 3 day mark I couldn't pry that thing off without fear of shattering the test plate."

We live on St. Simons Island, off the coast of Georgia. It freezes in winter, not always a hard freeze but occasionally down to the upper 20's. We get lots of rain. I have birdbaths that have been filled with water for 6-7 years that I used Weldbond on. Every glass tile has held fast. I also use Weldbond out outdoor tables and haven't had one problem. I use the Weldbond very sparingly and generally allow a week or so before grouting the glass in. I also seal stained concrete with Weldbond (1 part Weldbond 5 parts water) with great success.

Very interesting Robin! I stick to good ol' outdoor silicone adhesive myself. Luisianna Grettings sent me a tube of some really awesome stuff in my tesserae exchange and I've been using it to make glass totems and WOW do I LOVE it, it dries clear too Yeehaw!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Whats it called Jane?

The totem is delightful!

wow thats sound excellent, maybe LAgreetings can tell us where its available