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| China Restoration |
| Hope is on the horizon for all your broken ceramic and glass items. |
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Helen McPherson specialises in the conservation of ceramics, glass, stone, plaster, enamels, ivory and semi-precious stones. She mainly restores valuable (also in the personal sense) ceramic and glass items, ranging from ancient Egyptian bowls to your relatives' chipped china plate. She has been in the business for around 9 years, and after extensive work in Europe, is currently based at her studio in Glebe, Sydney.
Repair Methods
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Cracks in a cut glass perfume bottle, for example, can be consolidated, making the object strong and stable again. This involves running the clear resin into the crack carefully, using a method not unlike that of repairing car windscreens. The resin is left to cure, then the excess is cut from the surface. Cracks in ceramics can also be consolidated. This prevents the cracks from expanding and progressing due to changes in temperature and humidity.
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A colour fill can be performed where a small piece is missing on an item. This involves first forming the resin base by mixing in a powdery silica substance with special paint pigment to match the colour of the original surface. It is then left to cure for 24 hours before being smoothed back with a scalpel blade and sanded and polished using micromesh (a fabric backed abrasive), to match the glaze.
The fix won't be quite invisible but blends in and allows the owner to use the object as normal. Invisible restoration can be performed using airbrushing techniques. However, objects fixed in this manner can't be physically used because the surface is too delicate and can't be washed, etc. They can only be used for decorative purposes.
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A simple mould is made to replace a missing area using dental wax. The wax is shaped on an area matching the broken piece. The interior surface of the mould is then painted with a separating agent (to stop the fill sticking to it). The mould is then attached to this area and the filling material smoothed into place. When dry, the mould is removed and painting and finishing is carried out as before.
Most valuable piece restored
One ancient Egyptian piece that Helen worked on while based at a London studio was worth around $600,000.
Oldest piece restored
Helen has worked on pieces dating from around 2,500 to 3,000 B.C. She has also worked on a porcelain box belonging to Napoleon and a pair of Tang Dynasty figures which are about 1,000 years old.
Restoration Advice
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Don't try and repair your broken item yourself. If you use the wrong type of resin for the object (eg, an epoxy type on earthenware or superglue) it is likely that it can't be taken apart again to improve the repair if need be. Also, even if it can be taken apart, the resin gets into the pores of the item and the joins won't look as good as if professionally repaired starting off with the clean edges.
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It's best to save all your broken pieces and wrap them up separately before taking them to a professional repairer. Otherwise more damage may be caused due to individual pieces bumping each other.
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More Info
Helen McPherson runs The Conservation Studio in Glebe, Sydney.
To make an appointment, Ph: (02) 9566 4528.
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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