Tile memorial for fallen deputy

[Jim Doane]

Wanted to share a project I just finished last month with the pros on this site . I had the honor and great privileged of being asked to build a 17 foot diameter tile badge for a one year end of watch ceremony for a deputy that was killed in central florida while he was responding to a car burglary call. A designer with the HOA came up with a sketch and contacted a local tile supplier asking if it was possible. The only catch was I had just 15 days to build it from dirt to the night of the ceremony.

[Houston Remodeler]

Very nice Jim,

can't wait to see the final pictures.

[Jim Doane]

I am going to post a little more every night and go thru step by step how it all came together .

[Davy]

Yep, looking forward to seeing it, Jim.

[Gary K]

Nice Jim, looking forward to seeing the pictures.

[Jim Doane]

Designer scanned a deputys badge and than tile supplier picked out 3 colors of porcelain tile that matched as close as possible. Layout of tile and joint size was determined. Scan of badge and design went to water jet company to cut all the tile to make up the pattern of the badge. I had water jet company make me a exact template of what they where cutting to so my concrete forms would be spot on as every piece of tile will be precut . I laid out template at warehouse to get a feel for it next morning at job site built a temporary suspended badge to set forms to

[Kman]

Thanks for posting your project, Jim.

Looks like it's all in the planning and details, eh?

[MNTileGuy]

Awesome project, Jim. Please do keep the pics coming.

[dhagin]

Sounds like a great project to be a part of. Lookin forward to the next installment of photos.

[Jim Doane]

Kevin , I wish there was more planning but I made it happen. I was told about the project on a Friday .The next Wednesday night at 6pm I received the template of the badge. The first pic is me at 11pm in my warehouse figuring it all out. I started that Thursday and had 15 days left. The community had existing sidewalks with a circular area of grass in the middle where the badge would go.First challenge was they wanted actual stones to walk on like the sketch, I changed that because they would always have moved being set on just the dirt and hard to maintain. So had water jet company cut a 18 inch diameter circle out of a square piece of porcelain , used sono tubes for my round forms and poured a footer under each stone connecting them so they would never move

[ceramictec]

Awesome work Jim !

[Executive Flooring]

That's a pretty awesome project you got there Jim.

Looks like it's moving right along, great work!

[cx]

That is some impressive layout and forming, Jim. Hope it works out well.

[HS345]

Wow.....just wow.

[Jim Doane]

First pic shows how batter boards where set to get the badge on a straight plane. The surrounding circular sidewalk was not even close to level. Near the trees was 13 inches lower than the side near the parking lot. Badge was set 4 inches above highest point of sidewalk so all ground water from the high sidewalk area would run away from badge and not over the surface. 5 1/2 yards of 4000psi concrete , reinforced with 1 1/2 pound of poly fiber to reduce shrinkage cracks and with a water reducing agent added as i had to start installing tile on it 48 hours latter to meet the February 11th deadline