Art Restoration: A Porcelain Teapot

Detailed information on the restoration of an antique porcelain teapot. First, do a dry run to fit the pieces together. This will avoid "lock out" and make the process go more smoothly. The adhesive used is Paraloid (aka Acryloid) B-72. You can find it online relatively easily. There are a lot of videos on how to prepare it. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in restoration projects. After that, airbrush with acrylic paints using multiple light layers. Finish with a clear coat and enjoy the results!
conservingart....

[@richardk6196]

Looks great

[@genesmith1876]

Amazing! You're a master of your craft!

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

Aww... shucks ☺️

[@Bluesky1426]

Wow! A beautiful restoration!

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

Thank you so much! I love what I do.

[@homermunoz5069]

I'm really impressed with your work! Thank you.

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

Thank you so much! It is humbling that others enjoy my work ☺️

[@jouniehsun]

thank you for sharing

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

Thanks for watching!

[@davidgmuir]

It would have been helpful to watch the actual gluing process.

[@tedivais-jw1ms]

Good afternoon, please tell me how durable is the glue in granules for porcelain, how much better is it than epoxy glue?

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

It is a decorative repair. Please do not use the teapot after repair with either B72 or epoxy. Both the adhesive and paint will fail.

[@lisac9704]

Hi there! I have just broken a porcelain teapot lid as well and I'm looking at repairing it using your method here. This video gives me a lot of hope. May I ask if there's a specific ratio you mix the B-72 and acetone and precipitated silica?

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

Search youtube for paraloid b72 and you will find helpful videos. You do not need to add the silica, but if you choose to, it is only 1/8 tsp in the mixing jar. Keep in mind that you cannot drink out of your teapot after these repairs, they are only cosmetic.

[@sanman187-]

Please post a link for B72 adhesive and other similar quality glues, ideally, glues that can be used for ceramic repairs for use rather than for cosmetics.. BTW, I did a google search, as you recommended, and saw prices from very low to surprisingly high, very high in fact. Please provide links, especially Amazon or eBay for some quality and, ideally, more economic choices.

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

Just get the 1/2 lb. It will take you many years to use it all. www.talasonline.com/Paraloid-B-72

[@spikesecho724]

Do you find B72 can be thin enough for the really tight joins necessary with porcelain?

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

You can make B72 to your desired thickness by adjusting the amount of acetone used. If you are worried about it being too thick, leave out the precipitated silica. There are several videos on preparing B72 on youtube.

[@spikesecho724]

@@valeriebutterfield4613 But for bonding purposes, it needs to be of a certain minimum concentration. I guess I haven't had luck with it for assembling a full porcelain. Even using it as a very thin barrier on surfaces before using hxtal to bond, it's caused me problems with tightness.

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

@@spikesecho724 It is true that there is no "one size fits all" for object conservation. I have not had an issue with B72, but I also use PVA. I do not like using hxtal on ceramics in case I have to readjust it (which does not always happen, but sometimes does). We all have our favorite adhesives and methods. This is only one of them.

[@spikesecho724]

@@valeriebutterfield4613 Very true, I struggle with shadow lines with hard bodied white porcelains, and that seems to be mostly a tightness issue. Ive reversed hxtal before if needing to adjust, but it's certainly not quick and easy to do

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

@@spikesecho724 Yeah, when tide lines are a problem, PVA works great for me.

[@debbiearnold5]

Is the B72 waterproof when it dries? Can the teapot be used as a teapot again for hot tea?

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

No, it is not food safe and it has a low heat temp. This is a cosmetic repair only. I do not know of any method which will allow the pot to be used again.

[@jimradz6583]

what about the clear glaze?

[@valeriebutterfield4613]

I will use different methods, depending on the break. I try to avoid an all-over topcoat whenever possible. For this repair I did have to use it all-over. I've tried "ColdGlaze" and it works pretty well with a great shine, but I think it is a little visibly yellow. For this repair I used a couple of coats of Liquitex acrylic varnish, which has a beautiful gloss. I've also used a light coat of Krylon UV archival spray and I like that a lot for textured surfaces. My best advice is to experiment and find the thing that work best for you :)

[@coolhead8686]

Good for display but really you don't want to put tea into this "glued back together" tea pot.