# Glue



## REMEMBERME (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm a newbie with a new passion.  What is recommended as the best glue in repairing that you don't have to hold an hour while it dries?


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## AntiqueMeds (Jan 21, 2011)

You mean for like a bottle or ceramic plate?

 You can use Elmers glue and masking tape to hold it while it dries. Benefit is it is soluable in hot water so you can UNDO anything you do.

 If you are permanently repairing glass you can use HXTAL for a flawless repair but its not for beginners.

 Take your time, have patience, have fun.


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## REMEMBERME (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks Matthew.  I tried Elmer's and held it forever until it got even a little sticky!  Never even thought about masking tape.  I did end up buying (after trying MANY) a box of tubes called 527 multi-glue.  It sticks the pieces pretty fast--says it glues everything.  To answer your question, I'm using it on glass and china.  I have come up with some weird shapes when rebuilding a cup or bowl because of the rounding factor.  Many times the last piece is to the lip and the matching piece isn't anywhere near to joining.  Thank you so much for telling me about water soluble so I could redo, but when I went to look at my glue label, it says "water proof" so I guess I'm stuck with whatever I stuck together!! I think I'll use the rest of the box up on my bottles that just need a quick fix and not try to "rebuild" anything round.  It was so great because it dried so fast.  Oh well!

 Thanks for your help,
 Maureen


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## Ratzilla (Jan 22, 2011)

For ceramics, I use carpenters glue, held with blue painter's tape(comes off easy, doesn't leave any residue, even when you forget something and leave it there for six months), or rubber bands on round items like bowls.  It's water soluble, so if you mess up or find another piece after you already glued it(aaargh!), you can just soak it in warm water & start over.   I've found that super glue works well on glass, but often takes longer than the promised few seconds to set. I've never tried the epoxies, but some people swear by them.


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## REMEMBERME (Jan 23, 2011)

Tom, doesn't carpenter's glue dry brown? Like the idea of the painter's tape also.
 Thanks, Maureen


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## REMEMBERME (Jan 23, 2011)

Tom, I saw your other recent comment with the pictures showing your use of the blue painter's tape.  Is that carpenter's glue you used?  Did you have to wipe the glue before you placed the tape on?  you're being a great help to me--thanks

 Maureen


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## Ratzilla (Jan 23, 2011)

If you get the joint good and tight and wipe off all the excess glue before it dries, you won't see the glue so it doesn't matter what color it dries. If the joint isn't tight, you'll still see the crack anyway, so again the glue color doesn't matter.  The prep work, thoroughy cleaning the shards you want to reassemble, is critical, it's a good idea to dry fit all the pieces together first to see if there's still any crud on the breaks. You can also use regular Elmer's, but I've found it tends to soften up in high humidity conditions, which can lead to things falling apart on hot summer days - (not an issue if you have central air).  The carpenter's glue holds up better.


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## NYCFlasks (Jan 23, 2011)

A trick for china shards is a sand box, can allow you to keep pieces in strange positions while the glue sets. Then you assemble the pieces into larger ones.  Getting the curve right is very tricky-if you have all of the rim, try going from the rim down.  Carpenters glue is good for china/pottery.
 I have used the carpenters glue on stoneware with very good results.  To glue a crack, make sure you get ALL the dirt out of it, and it is dry.  Get yourself some "giant" hose clamps (I have some up to 18 inches in diameter).  I use 4 or 5 on a crock.  Get glue into the crack, and tighten up the clamps from the Bottom to the Top, going a little at a time on each one, until the crack is pulled closed.  Wipe off any glue that may show, allow to dry for a day or two.  Any glue which was under the clamps can be "shaved" off with a razor scraper (like to get old registration stickers off your windshield, or paint off the glass).  Have done several dozen crocks over the years.


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## AntiqueMeds (Jan 23, 2011)

> A trick for china shards is a sand box


 
 good idea, never tried that.  Would be good for plates.

 items like snuff jars can be a real biotch to glue together.


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## REMEMBERME (Jan 24, 2011)

Thank you, so many great suggestions.  I'll give them all a try.  OK let's see--blue painter's tape, carpenter's glue, hose clamps, love the idea of the sand (I've been trying to brace my piece on whatever I can find--not so great).  Lobeycat, I'm not sure what I'm looking at?  I love how the threads work--many of you seem to be acquainted.


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## REMEMBERME (Jan 24, 2011)

Lobeycat, I can tell what the Xtall in the bottles is (antique meds suggests maybe not for beginners, but worth remembering when I'm not)  Just don't know what the two objects in front are used for, i.e., the black box and a scale (?)  Open to all ideas


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