Too often we tend to look at manufactured products today, and we simply assume they were made using some kind of complex machinery or processes that are beyond our reach. However, the truth is that this is often not the case, and clay roof tiles are a good example.

No gas oven required

Would you believe that you can make your own ceramic products in the same way that they have been made for centuries and, in fact, you don’t even need a gas oven? It is the same way that bricks and tiles are still made to this day in wood-fired ovens in Mexico.

You need to find a cheap source of clay

The first thing you will need is a voluminous supply of good quality clay, and if you are willing to look around in the area where you live, chances are you will find a natural source somewhere. Just dig it up, load it into garbage bags, and take it home in the back of a truck.

It has to be worked well before it is formed

Clay has to be worked well before forming, and this is traditionally done with your feet in some kind of large container or holding area. To make the tiles, it is then spread out on a table, using ¾-inch sticks on each side as guides to regulate the thickness.

After spreading the sheet, the next step is to use a plywood template to trace and cut out the general shape of the clay tiles you plan to make. If they are going to be flat, stack them to dry. If they are to be curled, place them on a curved drying surface.

Use a template to cut out the clay tiles

After they have dried for several days, the next step is to place them in small piles so that they do not break. After that, the dry firewood is placed around the piles of tiles, taking care not to damage the unfired ceramic pieces.

Build a brick kiln around your product

Then the way they do it in Mexico is to build a brick kiln around and on top of the tiles. So where do they get the brick from? The answer is simple. They form them with molds of the same clay with which they make the tiles. They then light the wood and allow the clay tiles to light.