Whats the best glue to repair pottery

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.

 

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

 

2-P10 excellent adhesion!

 

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.

 

Conservators use Paraloid (Acryloid) B-72. It is available as the resin beads, or as a pre-made adhesive from some conservation suppliers.
http://www.preservationcare.com/shop/hmg-paraloid-b72
http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_34/section34_16.htm
It is reasonably slow to set, and remains stable over time, and reversible in ethanol or acetone. You will want to practice the assembly without adhesive, so you can determine the best order to fit the pieces in.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.





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.

 

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.

 

It think that shape is called a jug rather than a flagon.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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!

 

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

 

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

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

 

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