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Q. What types of
repair Services do you offer?
There are three main types of repair I am asked to do on
items.
Museum Repair - This is
where an items is carefully consolidated and repaired but
with no attempts made to hide the repair, an example is the
Ancient Roman pots you see in museums where missing areas
that have been filled can be clearly seen.
Generally the least costly repair option.
Tidy Repair - This
repair is a very good quality repair and no less effort is
made in the repair process, but the finished repair is not
guaranteed invisible.
Where gilding is required powdered Gold's are used instead
of real gold leaf.
Less costly than an Invisible repair.
Invisible Repair - The
very best level of repair where the damage is no longer
visible and the item looks as it did before it was damaged.
Q. What should I
do now I have broken my treasured item?
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A. Carefully
pick up all the pieces and individually wrap them in tissue
or bubble wrap. Carefully place in a container and seek a
Professional Restorer to repair the piece.
Don't try and attempt a repair yourself as the results can
often be disappointing and sometimes even result in damaging
the piece further. If it is worth restoring in the first
place find a professional and get an estimate for repairs.
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Q. Is it worth
repairing?
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A. A question I get asked most frequently.
I never make judgements either way as to whether an item is
"worth repairing", as often the sentimental value of an
object to the client is far greater than any financial one,
and as far as I'm concerned if they are willing to pay to
have it restored, then its obviously worth it to them which
is really all that matters.
Q. How much will
it cost?
A. The cost of repair depends on the work involved and not
on the value of the item, so can be different for each
piece, Composition of the ceramic, nature of the damage,
colours, gilding etc all have a bearing on the cost of
repair.
My minimum charge is £40 for a Tidy repair and £60 for an
invisible repair.
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Q. What is the
difference between Restoration and Conservation?
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A. Conservation preserves a piece as is and prevents further
damage, the repair is usually visible.
Restoration involves repairing the piece and then concealing
the repair by painting over the area, the repair is usually
invisible unless museum repairs.
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Q. How do I send
my item safely?
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A. Packing your
item safely is very important, make sure your item is packed
well enough for its journey through postal depots and on the
various vans, cages, conveyors etc, if the item is very
fragile it is advisable to double box.
Use plenty of bubble wrap and if you can get them, poly
beans are also very good for packing.
For a box, try and choose one that's approx two thirds
bigger than the actual item inside it and make sure its big
enough for the item to be returned in once repaired.
I would advise for sending your item, pack with at least two
inches depth of packing material between the item and the
box edge, even more depth is better if you can.
I always advise sending items Special Delivery, that way it
is fully insured in transit.
Do not send items via carriers, there are none that cover
the transportation of ceramics.
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Q. How do I find
a good Restorer? And how do I know they are any good?
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A. Search the
internet or Yellow pages or ask the stall holders at
Antiques fairs or in Antique shops. Many dealers will be
only too happy to recommend a good restorer if asked.
Find out from the Restorer, how long they have been
Restoring? What associations do they belong to? Where were
they taught?
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Q. How long does
it take and why?
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A. The time
needed for Restoring items can vary, some pieces can take
anywhere from two to six months, some pieces much longer
than that.
It can depend on many factors, the work, the type of ceramic and the processes required and the
amount and nature of the damage on the piece.
The work can vary from repairing a small hairline crack or a
tiny chip, to manufacturing a missing hand or rebuilding an
item broken into many pieces.
Cleaning and preparing a piece for restoring is as important
as gluing and painting and it is never wise to try and rush
the work as the outcome will often be a poor quality job.
Many of the latest materials produced for restoration have
long cure times and this can all affect the time required
for the work. One of the epoxies I sometimes need to use can
take a full 7 days to set. These materials often give a much
better performance and last longer so it really is
worthwhile taking that extra time. Nearly all epoxy resins
yellow over time, one that sets in 5 minutes will generally
yellow a lot faster than one which takes 7 days to set.
Painting a piece to an invisible repair can often involve
successive thin coats of different colours to achieve that
final colour match.
Polishing down a piece with micromesh can be very time
consuming especially if it is a large area.
All these factors and many more not mentioned can all add
days and weeks onto the time required to give you a quality,
lasting restoration.
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Q. Are there any
restorations you don't do?
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A. I have not
found a piece so far that I wasn't prepared to do, the way I
have always looked at it is, if a client has a piece they
want restoring with a massive amount of work required, if
they are prepared to pay for it to be done I am always
willing to take it on.
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Q. How should I
care for my Restored item?
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A.
1. Avoid handling objects by handles, rims, finials etc as
repairs will be weaker than the ceramic and could fail.
2. On re bonded or hairline cracked plates do
not use spring loaded hangers.
3. Adhesives, paints, and fillers used in their repair are
easily degraded by warm liquids. Cleaning should be done
using a damp cloth or duster. Never use abrasive cleaners on
your restored item.
4. Restored items may be bonded with water soluble adhesive
so must not be soaked in water or bleach.
5. Due to the synthetic nature of materials used in
restoration, problems with yellowing paints, fillers and
adhesives are accelerated by ultra violet light. Keeping the
piece out of direct sunlight will reduce this.
6. To increase the life of the repair, extremes of heat and
humidity should be avoided.
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