Several years, my wife broke an arm off a porcelain statue.
She tried to repair the statue by gluing the two pieces but the mating surfaces didn't align correctly so now there an ugly gap.
How can I remove the glue -- I don't know if she used Crazy Glue or another type of glue -- sand down each mating surface and re-glue the two pieces?
If it was superglue, they sell a superglue solvent.
-- Todd H.
Nail polish remover, the standard stuff, has acetone and is a cyanoacrylate solvent. You definitely don't want to sand the porcelain.
RThen how can I smooth the surfaces so they'll match evenly?
The "ugly gap" is because the broken ends of the arm are uneven. How can I smooth the surfaces so they'll match evenly?
If epoxy was used, heating it will soften the glue. If you remove ALL the glue, the surfaces should fit tightly if properly positioned. I would re-glue with epoxy, positioning carefully. Wipe off excess glue before it cures, and the joint should hardly show. If there are missing bits in the break, filling with epoxy and painting or coloring with permanent markers may cover it. Acetone might help in removing the old glue. Bob
why remove it why not fill the gaps with a porcelain patch kit and re-finish it? obviously the glue your wife used is working fine.
gary spake thus:
You can't. Anything you do to try to "match" the two broken ends will only make things worse. The best you can do is remove all the glue, somehow, then reglue it properly. Good luck.
Fill the gaps with epoxy, and paint to match.
Someone rec. using acetone to remove the glue. Good advice, but I would try hot soapy water first. Neither should hurt porcelain unless it has some painted detail on it. I assume it has only fired on finish.
If it has enough mass - not a tiny delicate thing - you could drill a small hole in the center of each broken end with a Dremel. Forget which bit, but I used mine to drill a hole in the bottom of a china cup so's I could put a plant in it. Then, put a dab of clear silicone caulk (my favorite, all-purpose adhesive for sticking stuff to glass or tile) into the drilled holes, smoosh it together, wipe off excess, support with mask tape until it sets. If it is a large, heavy item, you could put a wood dowel into the center holes for support. Even plaster of paris might work.
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