Porcelain is usually a ceramic material, which is made by heating some raw materials like clay, kaolin. This is done in a large pot with a temperature of 1,200 degrees. The porcelain is tough, translucent and has lot of strength. The name porcelain is derived from the Italian word porcellana, as it has the slightest resemblance with the surface of shell.
Porcelain is mostly known as ‘china’ in all the English-speaking countries. This china is used for making kitchen, table, sanitary fine arts and tiles. In the areas of high resistance of electricity, porcelain acts as a great insulator. Dentist for making false teeth, crowns and caps use porcelain.
The china is made in three steps as follows:
- Form: it has comparatively low plasticity and hence, the shaping of clay becomes difficult.
- Glaze: most of the porcelain objects do not need glaze. There are specific types of glaze, which are created for porcelain like iron-containing glaze.
- Decoration: it is a must to decorate the porcelain materials under the glaze of certain pigments like copper or cobalt.
- Firing: in this the porcelains are heated at a high temperature, to make their shape permanent.
Chinaware is very delicate and one must take care of the expensive china. After a while, there are cracks developed on the porcelain. Here are some simple and easy steps on how to repair china.
Things Required:
- Disposable cup
- Epoxy glue
- Masking tape
- Acrylic paint
- Clear gaze
- Glue stick
- Masking tape
- Paintbrush
- Razor blade
- Oven mitts
- Wooden or plastic cutting board
- Toothpick
- Milliput
- Paint powder
- Sandpaper
Steps:
- For chips: take milliput and roll equal quantities of it. This milliput comes in a small kit with two tubes. Mix them together in a ball until the two colors are fused together. Milliput is easily available at supply stores; it is a kind of modeling putty.
- Now, take this mixture of milliput on the chipped area with the help of a toothpick, and then place the chip in its original place.
- To hold the chip in place, you can use a masking tape held taut across it. Let the chip set for at least six hours and then you can take out the masking tape.
- Sand that area with sandpaper until the milliput is completely flushed with the surface. Make sure that you do not damage the decoration or glaze of your china.
- If there is any damage, you can apply some acrylic paint. Brush up with clear glaze; this is easily available at supplies store. The glaze will give a glossy look to your china.
- For cracks: take the cracked piece of china and place it in the oven at a low temperature of 150 F.
- Mix some epoxy glue in a disposable cup or glass. Take a matchstick and dip it in any paint powder, which matches the color of your china. Mix it well until the color is right.
- Now, take the cracked item out of the oven and keep it on the wooden or plastic cutting board. The heat provided by the oven will widen the crack.
- You will have to fill the crack completely with a mixture of tinted glue; do this with a small stick. Keep it to dry for the next 24 hours. The crack will start condensing as the china cools.
- Take out all the hardened glue with the help of a blade or razor.
Tips and Warnings:
- Make sure that you use a paint powder, which matches your china.
- If you are planning to send your china to the restorer then pack each piece with bubble wrap separately. Always remember that the restorer may take a long time to do your work.
The restored china will not be as strong as the original one. So, make sure that you do not use it often.
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