– What works best to cook at home is modern porcelain that is hard and not so porous. Examples of this are more contemporary pieces from Rörstrand or Gustavsberg,” says porcelain conservator Margareta Roszkowska.
Customers often bring her older porcelain, such as antique figurines and urns. But also objects made of clay, ceramics, alabaster and plaster. These are items that are more difficult to repair at home and require individual assessment before being repaired.
– I like to think of myself as a doctor who has to look at each patient’s needs. But it’s very difficult to say exactly how to repair a specific item, because it differs depending on the material, the quality and the surface,” she says and continues:
– To be able to cook the porcelain yourself, it is important that it has a nice accent and that the pieces fit together. Ideally, there should be no more than two pieces, but if you are good, you can get it nice even if there are more. If there are splinters, it is also more difficult.
Getting a good looking repair at home can be challenging. Often when repairing porcelain objects at home, we make the mistake of using the same type of repair method for all materials and surfaces, or we use glues that yellow over time.
– If the porcelain is glued together incorrectly from the start, it will also be more difficult and expensive to repair the item professionally at a later date.
What can’t you cook at home?
– Antique objects that can be ruined if not done professionally. The same goes for ceramics where you want to repair the glaze itself and make it look new. Sometimes you need to use a kiln to fire certain objects,” concludes Margareta Roszkowska.
Making porcelain with milk and gold?
If you’ve been unlucky enough to have a crack in your item, or it’s even broken, it can be good to know that others have had the same experience. After a bit of research online, more dubious methods may emerge that can be exciting to try, but which do nothing for the actual repair. One example of something that many people are prepared to try is trying to cook the porcelain shards with hot milk. Something that unfortunately doesn’t work, however practical and environmentally friendly it would have been.
One popular technique that actually works well is to repair porcelain cracks with gold. Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese method of repairing ceramic shards with glue and gold to highlight the cracks instead of hiding them. In this way, the damage becomes something beautiful – worth showing off. Kintsugi is something you can do at home using a ready-made kit. Then you don’t have to worry about the cracks showing, because that’s the whole point.
Guide: how to repair your porcelain or ceramic object
- Start by examining your object. Is it porcelain? Ceramics? An object that you want to use again as a utility item? Is it just a scratch on the edge? Something that needs painting afterwards?
- Find the right glue or varnish for your material – craft glues or quick-drying glues are available in art and craft shops. If it’s a tile, it may need to be sealed with porcelain filler.
- Once you have found the right method, make sure to collect all the small pieces and splinters of your item.
- Check that all parts fit together.
- Smear glue on one of the shards. It’s important not to apply too much glue, but to make sure it’s really thin. And if you’re using quick-drying glue, make sure it’s transparent.
- Bring the pieces together so that they fit perfectly against each other. It’s important to work quickly here so that it doesn’t dry out before you get it in place.
- Hold the pieces together as long as indicated for each glue.
- Carefully set your item down and remember to let it rest for a few days before using it.
- If there is glue around the crack itself, you may be able to wipe it off with acetone – but very quickly so that it does not penetrate the actual repair.
- Depending on where the crack is, it may affect how you can use your item. You may not be able to carry anything heavy or hot in the item. Some adhesives can be washed by hand, but can be destroyed if you wash them in a dishwasher.
Buy ceramics & porcelain on Tradera
On Tradera you can buy beautiful Swedish ceramics & porcelain from well-known brands such as Rörstrand, Upsala Ekeby and Höganäs but also foreign ceramics & porcelain such as Bavaria and Arabia, known for their characteristic Moomin mugs.
Text and photo: Amanda Blennborn, freelance journalist
