Repairing porcelain / pottery

[Steve W]

I'm not looking for British Museum restoration standard, but can anyone point me to a guide for repairing the like of broken cups, plates, vases, etc?

I've used ordinary superglue in the past with mixed success. Would I get more success using the UV setting "glass adhesive"? Does that work with opaque pottery?

Suggestions, please.

Thanks Steve

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Steve W writes

Superglue is OK if you damp the joint surfaces with water prior to applying the glue. Presumably it blocks the pores and temporarily prevents oxygen getting to the glue.

regards

[Rick Jones]

IIRC, moisture is the catalyst that causes superglue to set - hence why it doesn't set in the bottle (although it does very slowly, esp. if the bottle is getting empty). Dampening the surface always helps.

For a stronger joint you can't (IMO) beat Araldite - the original epoxy resin version. To make it work best you need to warm the pieces being joined. I put the parts into a warm oven (50 - 70 deg C) for a while, then remove, sparingly spread mixed araldite onto one half, and press together. The araldite thins substantially when it hits the warm surface so you can get a good thin layer.

If possible put the joined pieces back in the oven to set, but you need to make sure they stay together. Often this can be done by lying or propping the piece at a suitable angle so that gravity does the work - work out how you'll do this before starting glueing!

If surplus glue is squeezed out of the join it can be cleaned off with meths provided you do it before it's fully set. It's usually OK after about 5 mins in the oven when the joint is strong enough not to fall apart but the glue is still soft.

It's a more time consuming process that superglue, but much better if any strength is required.

HTH Rick