Whats the best glue to repair pottery

Discussion in 'Pottery, Glass, and Porcelain' started by MR Treasure Hunter, Sep 12, 2019.

  1. MR Treasure Hunter

    MR Treasure Hunter Well-Known Member

    Hi I have a stoneware flagon that's broken around the top area in 3 places and I would like to see if I can glue the pieces back together.

    I'd need a slow drying glue so that I'm able to get the pieces situated into place before the glue sets.

    Whats the best glue to use?

    I'm based in the UK

    Thanks.
     
    judy likes this.
  2. AmericanGeode

    AmericanGeode Well-Known Member

    Have had similar challenged, and used sealant called E6000 with success. I assume available in UK, on-line if not. Good luck.
     
  3. Greg D

    Greg D New Member

    2-P10 excellent adhesion!
     
  4. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    If you can assemble the whole thing without glue and keep the pieces in position, the best repair would be with superglue. Just 'dot' or 'spot-weld' the cracks here and there with the superglue (not too much; a little goes a long way!) and if you can, press the pieces together firmly for about 10 seconds. Your repair will be permanent and as invisible as it can be.
     
  5. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

  6. say_it_slowly

    say_it_slowly The worst prison is a closed heart

    If you're looking for a reversible adhesive that would be for a shelf piece then Paraloid/Acryloid is pretty good and used by museums.

    If you're looking for an adhesive that can be more permanent and provides a strong more usable bond then you might consider hxtyl nyl. It is a very slow drying two part epoxy that has good low-yellowing properties.
     
  7. MR Treasure Hunter

    MR Treasure Hunter Well-Known Member

    Thanks everybody for your recommendations, I haven't had the chance to glue the stoneware flagon back together yet as I've been very busy. I have some JB Weld that I use in my restorations of old Corgi and matchbox cars so I may use that on the flagon then a small bit of air dry clay to fill in any chips or gaps. I'll take a photo of the broken flagon and do some before and after photos.

    Another thing I'm thinking of doing is making a print for it using some tattoo transfer paper or decal transfer paper and some clear coat spray but I haven't decided yet. I have already designed a brewery Victorian print on the computer. First thing is to get the flagon glued back together.
     
  8. MR Treasure Hunter

    MR Treasure Hunter Well-Known Member

    Here are some pictures of the broken flagon, I have also put the pieces in place so you can see roughly what it will look like once glued.

    There will be a lot of cracks to fill in afterwards with some more work after that to hide the break as best I can. I'll also need to mixed a bit of paint to match the color of the brown glaze to paint over the repair area.

    n flagon 1.png
    n flagon 2.png
    n flo4.png
    n flo5.png
    And just a side note, if anybody buys things like this on ebay UK always ask the seller to not use MyHermes because this is what happens.
     
  9. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    If it's all together like that, you won't get a better fit than if you use superglue ..other glues will increase volume and you may have difficulty matching up the final pieces due to the extra glue in the cracks.
    If this were mine, I'd superglue it as it is then fill the missing bits in with some other gipe.
     
  10. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    It think that shape is called a jug rather than a flagon.
     
  11. MR Treasure Hunter

    MR Treasure Hunter Well-Known Member

    The reason why I can't use super glue is because once I have fitted the big piece in place its very hard to get the other small pieces to fit properly and super glue dries to quickly and its the same if I glued the small pieces in place first.
     
  12. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    Ah yes, you can't use superglue on the surface and THEN try to assemble because as you say, it dries too quickly.

    This is the most common error people encounter when using superglue.

    NEVER apply superglue to the broken piece then try to put it in place - it will stick immediately, more than likely in the wrong position!!

    You should always COMPLETELY assemble a superglue project DRY (no glue anywhere and ALL pieces in place) then use tape/plasticene/whatever to support the assembly (if it needs support). Now, with everything in place, open the superglue and just "dot" it here and there along the length of the cracks. You don't need to give it a bath, a little goes a long way.

    The glue will be drawn into the cracks by capillary action and make a permanent bond. It is the most invisible of all repairs, however superglue has no gap-filling qualities and only works when surfaces are in intimate contact.

    If you have to fill a missing piece, (if it isn't too large) you can use dry baking soda to fill the void (good on pottery and porcelain) then dribble some superglue on to the powder. Repeat as necessary to bring the patch above level, then trim to shape.
     
    MR Treasure Hunter likes this.
  13. gregsglass

    gregsglass Well-Known Member

    Hi Blooey,
    I use baking soda and white glue with pottery. I use corn starch with white glue on porcelain. The corn starch makes a smoother finish on porcelain.
    greg
     
    MR Treasure Hunter and blooey like this.
  14. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    Greg, good fillers all of them - I use quite a bit off Duckhams Water putty mixed with a dot of white glue and water on a lot of stuff - ..also use gouache to tint the mix sometimes ..flour will even work in a pinch, eh?
    For rebuilding bits of picture frames Fimo is my weapon of choice!
     
  15. gregsglass

    gregsglass Well-Known Member

    Hi,
    I use Durhams water putty for all my wood pieces and picture frames. Takes stain and gold leaf and ease wash up.
    greg
     
    blooey likes this.
  16. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    That's right Greg, "Durhams" not "Duckhams" - that's 10w 40 motor oil, right!!!:eek::D:D

    For complex moldings on antique gilt frames, I think Fimo works best for me.
     
  17. MR Treasure Hunter

    MR Treasure Hunter Well-Known Member

    I've been thinking about doing a design print to put on this flagon to make it look a little more exciting. I've always wanted a collection of London brewers printed flagons but there aren't a whole lot of them about.

    Here is a sketch of one I drew out for an idea WP_20201004_15_01_11_Pro.jpg
     
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