| A. Broken Antique Lizard vase Repair Filling Missing Pieces and Coloring |
B. Broken Antique Plate Repair, Filling Missing Pieces and Coloring (See Video | YouTube) |
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Broken antique plate
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Vise with soft clamps
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Mix well 2-part clear epoxy
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Apply epoxy
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Place1st piece - push hard
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Check for perfect alignment
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Fiberglass repair is required to provide the strength needed when the repaired object material is brittle or too many pieces are missing. The process is very similar the boats repair methodologies. When cutting the fiberglass sheet, be sure to cut pieces large enough to cover all the broken area plus an additional 1" on each side of the joints. Use a respirator mask when working with the fiberglass resin as recommended by the resin manufacturer and work in a room with good air circulation. Don't bother cleaning the brush - use a low cost one and dispose when done.
Fiberglass used for reenforcement
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Cut to size to fit on glued areas
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Mix quick dry fiberglass resin
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Apply resin over glued area
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Use glue gun to keep in place
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Back view
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Clean epoxy on other repair areas
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Apply glue on 2nd piece
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Place tightly
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Align perfectly
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The fiberglass resin is applyable only for about three minutes, once it starts to get "jelly like" do not apply anymore - it will not cure properly. Note that the fiberglass resin will generate heat as it cures. Once cured, it is very hard to work with (e.g.., sanding) and it is not paintable unless the surface is roughened.
Place fiberglass over 1st resin coat
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Brush a 2nd resin coat
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Repeat on second vase part
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Cured fiberglass repair
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With a pintool, feel alignment
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Use glue gun to keep in place
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Scrape excess epoxy - front
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Scrape excess epoxy - back
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Mix white epoxy filler
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Fill in missing pieces w / epoxy
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Once the resin is cured, repeat the two-part clear epoxy process above to connect the larger parts. Note that each broken pot has it's own puzzle attributes and the steps shown here will probably be different for each situation. When the two-part epoxy is settled (about 20 minutes later), use a sharp knife to scrape the glue that squeezed out to the surface. If you wait too long, and the epoxy is completely hardened, scraping the extra cured cement will become a more difficult task.
Glue two vase parts with epoxy
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Vase all glued together
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Scrape all excess epoxy glue
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Mix epoxy filler (quick dry)
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| Use 2-part epoxy filler to fill cracks and missing parts. Use gloves and a respirator mask when applying and sanding. The epoxy filler will be ready for sanding within 20 minutes. When sanding, graduate to a very fine sandpaper to insure no sanding marks are visible. The best way to verify surface smoothness is by gently running the tips of your fingers over the worked areas. Clean all surfaces thoroughly with a damp cloth.
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Spread epoxy
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Sandpaper epoxy
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Use fine sandpaper (Dremel)
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Polish surface
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Fine polish surface
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Clean and ready for coloring
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Wait until surfaces are completely dry and wait at least 10 hours before applying color. Mix colors and additives until satisfied with color match and luster. Wait until applied color (s) are completely dry before starting the "antiquing" process.
Apply color and wait to dry
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Use antiquing tools / techniques
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Antiquing process
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Finished restoration
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