repair help for Mdina fused piece

Siyeh · Post by **Siyeh** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 9:03 am

Hi all,

I apologize in advance for requesting cold help on the kilnworking board, but I didn't know where else to turn. I have been asked to repair a 20" Mdina glass platter from Malta which was dropped, broken into lots of pieces--some big, some shards--and then mostly glued back together with a glue of unknown type. The platter is 1/4" clear glass with opal streaky colors "painted" in designs on the surface. I have posted a photo at http://www.siyehstudio.com on the Mdina repair tab.

I have tried contacting Mdina glass to get info on the glass and colorants they use to no avail. The owner just wants it to look good enough to hang on a wall (which shouldn't be too difficult as it is highly patterned and you can't really see where it is glued) so I have pretty much ruled out trying to re-fuse it.

The problem comes in the areas where there are actual holes. I need to fill them with some clear substance, then paint them with colors approaching the ones in the patter, then topcoat them for shine. Any ideas what I can use as filler? Am I way off-base in my chosen solution? Care to redirect?

Thanks very much for suggestions/assistance!

Brenda Griffith
Siyeh Studio

_______________________________________

If I have to do everything perfectly, why even start?

Perfectionism and procrastination go hand in hand--they feed one another
and ask us to compromise our creativity.

rosanna gusler · Post by **rosanna gusler** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 9:16 am

i would get some clear casting resin from a craft store. put clear tape over the voids from the back. mash the tape really well to make a seal. mix up a couple of teaspoons of resin, (try to get some with an easy ratio like 1:1 or 2:1) let it just start to thicken up and paint it into the voids. you will probably have to do multiple layers to bring it up to grade. use cheap brushes. clean up with laq thinner or acetone. rosanna

rosanna gusler · Post by **rosanna gusler** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 9:18 am

you know, any cheap clear 2 part epoxy would work. just do not try and fill the whole hole at once. rosanna

Bert Weiss · Post by **Bert Weiss** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:34 am

Part of the "value" of glass is it's fragility. I would tell your clients to buy a new piece.

charlie holden · Post by **charlie holden** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 5:08 pm

This sounds really hard to me. I wouldn't even attempt it.

I have taken broken pieces with sentimental value and re-fused them into completely different shapes. It is safer when the client understands that the piece will look like a new piece.

Almost all clear epoxies will yellow. Cheap ones will yellow very quickly. Thick epoxy looks much yellower than thin.

ch