Securing Broken Pieces in Ceramic and Sculpture Repair – Techniques for Proper Alignment
Achieving strong adhesion and perfect alignment is essential when using epoxy cement for ceramic, pottery, or sculpture repairs. Holding pieces by hand during curing is often impractical and imprecise. This guide explores effective methods to stabilize broken parts until the epoxy cures completely.
At Lakeside Pottery Studio, we use a variety of effective methods, from adjustable jigs to PVC pellets and more, to secure broken parts during the curing process. These techniques, illustrated below, help maintain perfect alignment and maximize bonding strength.
Gravity is your best friend
In most cases, we use container with PVC / Resin pellets to hold broken segments in place to positioning the pieces using gravity where no temporary bonding is require
Resin or PVC pellets are most effective for us. Alternatives like rice or sand can also be used; however, rice may absorb moisture, which can be problematic with Urushi, and sand can be messy, sticking to surfaces and being harder to clean.
We place the pellets in containers of various sizes with rigid walls. We avoid filling them to the top to prevent spilling when pressing objects in for better stability.
Dry run proper placement of the two parts needing cementing
When it stands on it own, place the epoxy on
Where to get the resin pellets: Search web under "Resin pellets" and purchase from Ebay or Etsy. The sharp edges type (as shown above) work better than the totally round pellets
Other methods
At times, using gravity alone to secure broken segments in place may not work. Few temporary bonding techniques are shown below (tape, clay, glue-gun)
If you are unsure it will stay, you always add tape
Often we use clay as shown here or below
There are cases that it is difficult or impossible to place balanced using gravity.
In such case, we use clay to keep the parts matched until the epoxy cures
If clay is not available, tape can be used
Glue gun is also an option although it is a bit harder to remove once the epoxy cures
Using clay where other methodes do not work
Small pieces do not hold well on the resin pellets. This example shows how we use clay to position the segments on clay
Segment A is oriented anchored on the clay until segment B can stand on it's own in the correct location
Some more examples of keeping pieces in place
Example A
Example B
Example C
In this example, we use both, clamps and pellets
In this example, we are using double jointed vice to place the plate in the proper orientation - see vice on left
Clamp swivel vise
With heavy and large items, we use, ropes and winches
By employing the above methods, you can ensure proper alignment and adhesion during the curing process, leading to successful repairs. For more detailed guidance, refer to our step-by-step repair lessons, starting with this fundamental tutorial covering mending, filling, and sanding (click below)
When Is It Safe to Handle Mended Pieces? Understanding the Behavior of PC Clear 5-Minute Epoxy at Room Temperature and in a Heated Chamber
The following video demonstrates the behavior of PC Clear 5-minute epoxy at 75°F room temperature. Curing times increase at lower temperatures. To expedite the process, we place the epoxy cartridge in a 140°F wax warmer and the cemented object in a heated box set to the same temperature, significantly reducing cure time. Watch to timer closely
