Mending ceramics

[TimW]

I have knocked over a vase. It was cracked top to bottom and has now come cleanly apart into two large pieces and one small triangle. They dry fit nicely back together so I am going to attempt to glue them back how they were.

Is superglue the way? Any tips? the white clay is 5mm wide and looks quite porous. If I do the little piece first I will then have a broken edge of about 750mm length to bond. Is it glue one side only and quickly position? I am thinking rubber bands might hold it together. Is that what professionals do? How do I clean off any smears or drips?

TW

[Andy Burns]

Araldite, I'd have thought ...

[spuorgelgoog]

Blame the cat?

I think professionals make a scratch along the edge of the pieces to accommodate the glue thickness.

Owain

[Chris Bartram]

I'd use araldite and masking tape, personally. Superglue not so hot on pourous stuff.

[Chris Hogg]

+1

Apply less rather than more.

[Harry Bloomfield]

I did wonder if it is not to hold water, if superglue might be enough? I have used it and it worked fine.

I thought - put the pieces together, held with an elastic band(s) so the edges are tight, then dribble the superglue along the joint. It will be pulled into the crack, so not so obvious as Araldite. Surplus should rub of with the likes of a pan scrub, once set up.

[Bill Wright]

You'll use a lot of superglue. Is it a gigantic urn?

Bill

[Harry Bloomfield]

Bill Wright explained on 14/03/2019 :

£1 for a pack of 7 in Poundland type places.

[TimW]

It's a vase. It's about a foot tall and 4" across and it's split in two halves from top to bottom. 300 + 100 + 300 + a bit is 750mm. TW

[TimW]

surprisingly confused. Glue with silicone? and I got distracted by a Fred Dibnah episode. TW

[TimW]

Slightly worried by the quantity and the squeeze-out and the pressure needed to close the join and the need to be tidy.

I need to get it back into one piece looking clean as poss. It doesn't need to hold water or go in a dishwasher.

TW

[Chris Hogg]

Hence my comment about less rather than more. For mending ceramics like yours (actually porcelain dolls' heads), my late wife used to apply the Araldite with a pin.

[newshound]

I always have this worry that epoxy will be too thick especially compared to superglue, but I have to say that in practice I have normally got away with it. I believe that *professional* ceramics restorers hate the bodges that amateurs do with araldite but I don't know what they use. The way to get a thin epoxy layer of course is to warm it up a bit. Cook it too far and it bubbles and then sets instantly but warmed to the runny stage and fitted as quickly as possible is good.

[The Natural Philosopher]

epoxy,. mixed carefully and stoved at around 90C

Fill holes with milliput

[alan_m]

The same method I often use with superglue on small objects where I only want the glue on the area to be joined. Squirt out a drop of superglue onto a piece of plastic, dip in the point of the pin to pick up a minute amount of glue and apply to the area to be joined. A _very_ small droplet will form on the sharp point of the pin.

[alan_m]

Or with a quick rub over with Acetone (nail varnish remover)

Note that some nail varnish removers no longer contain Acetone

[alan_m]

Having just used some poundland glue - the first 2 tubes didn't produce any superglue. The third one did but once the tube pierced the plastic nozzle and cap stuck themselves firmly together and wouldn't budge a few hours later. Probably best to treat these tubes of glue as open, use immediately and chuck the tube away.

[Pamela]

[Pamela]

Araldite Standard (blue and white) is workable for an hour.

[Dave W]

On the BBC TV programme 'The Repair Shop' they had special cement but Googling doesn't bring up anything obvious. I did find this site showing how to repair ceramics, with photos using two-part epoxy.