Mug restoration

Is it possible to restore a mug that has a chip? Are there professionals out there that do this sort of thing? Does it effect the value/integrity of the piece? How risky is it if it needs to be refired? That prospect sounds kinda scary to me, I don't know if I'd take the chance of it breaking. I have this Steven Crane Ku mug that has a chip on his lower lip, you don't really see it till you tip him upside down, but I'd like it to not be there. I have looked at the archives and only found one thread that talks about it, there were really no "This is how you can fix it" answers. Any tips or ideas on what direction I could go with it would really be appreciated. Anyone?

There are people who do porcelain and china restoration. An antiques dealer could probably direct you to one. A friend of mine who makes porcelain dolls did some restoration work on some broken figurines for my sister-in-law.
Don't know how that would affect the value of the mug though.

Thanks for the tip PJ, that sounds like a good place to start. The lips look like they're cold painted so I was hoping
no firing would be necessary. But do they need to fire the patched area? I don't know. I bought this piece to sell, but...that probably aint gonna happen. His smile/grimace has kinda grown on me. The chip is something I could live with. I am just looking into the idea of restoration. Seeing what possibilities are out there. Since there is such a large group of people here that do collect mugs I thought maybe this might be a topic that should be discussed further. Yes? No?

[ Edited by: DawnTiki on 2005-01-17 13:51 ]

I think this is a subject worth discussing.

Just recently, I took an urn belonging to my boyfriend's mother to a porcelain restorer. Her work is basically $50.00 an hour, BUT she did an amazing job gluing the broken part back together. Proir to my visit to a restorer,I had no idea about the intricacies of porcelain, especially that there were diferent kinds.Can't afford the "restore to perfection" price, but it may be worth it if the value is that high to a person.

Also, the restorer was doing lots of work for antique dealers to make peices like new. So I would guess that it would only help the peice to fully restore it. The better question is if the pricetag of restoration worth the selling price.

[ Edited by: I dream of tiki on 2005-03-05 18:55 ]

More info. This may not be specifically to tiki mugs, but gives a vague layman's idea.

Say the to-be-restored part is a chip or a small peice broken off that you want the restorer to recreate. The price tag vastly depends on the amount of man hours for completion.
He/she determines whether the peice is made from hard porcelain or soft porcelain. (Will research what that means in terms of firing, if necessary.) When the gap is filled, shaped, etc., the restorer, who really is an artist, will paint to match and glaze. Very rough details, I know.

So, it can be done. I was shown many peices that you have no idea that they were ever damaged. However, it is a very labor intensive process to make like new.

Which brings up the two kinds of restoration. I had the basic gluing and minor paint done to the urn I took in. This is equivalent to museum quality. The collector, on the other hand may prefer it to look like it was never broken, thus the labor intensive work and the HIGH price that goes along with that.

A good restorer will gaurantee their work.

Not meaning to highjack a thread, how have our fellow tiki collector gone to have a better quality peice? Would you rather buy it again in better condition or take the hit to restore it to impecably new?

[ Edited by: I dream of tiki on 2005-03-05 19:17 ]

do any of you know if, for purely visual purposes, you could replace a substantial area of a broekn mug with sculpey or something like that? i was wondering what material would harden and not shrink substantially. mahalo, j$

I'd recommend using epoxy putty. I have repaired numerous ceramic items with it and it works well. Hardens like stone, and if you have the skills to match the paint and finish, you can achieve results that are nearly impossible to distinguish from new.

The inside of the mug would be the hardest part to repair visually, but the exterior is fairly easy.

Ahu

mahalo kukuahu, i assume this is in the hardware store along with the crazy glue etc.? i'll have to look. i'll post some before and afters once i get to it.

Yeah, I've seen it at some hardware stores. I always bought a variety from a hobby shop though. What you are looking for is a gray substance that is like modeling clay in consistency and comes with a seperate hardener chemical.

It's easy to work with, but I suggest you buy a couple packages depending upon the size of the container, and practice working with it first. If you have experience with Bondo or any other epoxy products then you will be fine.

If not, like I said, practice working with it. You'll need to have a good idea of how much hardener to add to get the working time that you want and still get it to "kick" fully. You don't want to be in the middle of working the shape of the putty into a perfectly smooth repair and then have it go off and turn to stone.

I think you'll be pleased and amazed at what you can repair in this fashion. I've been able to fix items to the point that if I were to prime them a solid color, you would not be able to find a repair. The problem is that you need to match the finish and color after your patch job. That is the hardest part to nail.

Good luck, and if you need advice, let me know.

Ahu

Also, since you will presumably be filling a hole in a mug, the trick is to tape over the hole from the inside and maybe even reinforce it so that you may work against a smooth surface from the outside. You know, like a mold or guide. When the putty kicks, you just peel away the tape and reinforcing and you should have a smooth surface inside as well. Avoid duct tape for the base layer though, as it tends to leave a "burlap" looking surface. You can sand epoxy though, just do it carefully and use light grit paper.

As I said above, the inside is the hardest part to repair perfectly.

[ Edited by: KuKuAhu on 2005-03-08 17:40 ]