hummels
Tree41235
figurines? on the East Coast preferably -- but I will settle for anywhere.
Thanx
Mari miller
Ridge, Las Cruces, NM 88001-4639. ph 800-827-3721 or 505-522-3721. Says
he specializes in restoring Bossons and Hummel figurines. Good Luck,
mari
13 Ghosts
God, Mari, I am impressed, a real on topic post.
But, I don't know. What do you think? Is this
poster going to best be served sending his
Hummel all the way to Las Cruces?
Hell, isn't one of our contributors from Las
Cruces? Who is it? Maybe we can get the inside
dope.
Here is a question for you. Why is it hard
to find a good ceramics repair person?
That ought to be a good on topic thread, eh?
13 Ghosts
"Crack up in Las Cruces"
Michael Murphy
See the rec.antiques unofficial FAQ!
http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/u2b4/index.html
--
Free audio & video emails, greeting cards and forums
Talkway - http://www.talkway.com - Talk more ways (sm)
Mike Wilcox
Actually it is a good idea T/13, we have only two Ceramic restorers in
my area and they are booked 6-8 months ahead with work. I took a meat
platter that belonged to my inlays in for repair and was quoted $625.00
for a $ 130.00 job, I laughed so hard I damn near dropped it right then
and there.
--
Mike Wilcox
Wilcox & Hall Appraisers Online
http://www3.sympatico.ca/appraisers
Esengo
>Actually it is a good idea T/13, we have only two Ceramic restorers in
>my area and they are booked 6-8 months ahead with work. I took a meat
>platter that belonged to my inlays in for repair and was quoted $625.00
>for a $ 130.00 job, I laughed so hard I damn near dropped it right then
>and there.
Speaking of "inlays"......:-D
I was in the wine shop on Christmas Eve and I am approached by a man I know
(and try to steer clear of) and he wants to know (remember...it's Christmas
eve) if I will sell a table for him on Ebay.
I am getting quite deft at repelling these types of requests so I explain
to him that selling things on Ebay is time consuming and I have decided not to
do it for anyone. He describes his wonderful inlayed table that is currently
in three pieces and I again explain to him that I am not interested.
Later I am thinking about this conversation and I clearly recalled a
conversation with his wife about 6 months earlier. This same man (she told
me) had taken this table from his father's estate when no one was looking
because he felt it should be his. I know this stuff happens ALOT (sneaking
stuff from estates) but I was amazed that a mere 6 months later this same man
would be hocking the stolen goods (through an innocent) on Ebay.
See ya!
LF
Btw earlier in the day I had a woman at the nail salon try to sell me an
armoire....and so it goes. Still have to go look at that one.
Carol Millar
repair person who will take on more work?"
I have one friend who is great at repairing ceramics, but she is so busy
buying and repairing her own stuff to sell that she hasn't time to take
on outside work. The same holds true for another friend who is a
furniture/misc.wood-items refinisher. He now does this full time, but
is kept so busy by three or four regulars that he cannot take on any
more work either.
I have never heard of a class teaching the art of ceramic repairs in my
area, but maybe we should start promoting this idea whenever possible.
Unfortunately the down side of having repairs done is that the price
goes up to cover the repair cost. As an example, my refinishing friend
charges 25USD an hour for his time. So, if you have a "cutesy" primitive
wooden box redone it could take 3-4 hours depending on its condition,
and now you have a 50-75USD box that you have to put way over 100.00 on
to make any profit at all.
Other than learning to do-it-yourself, what can you do?
To answer your question with one possibility, maybe there are a lot of
them out there, but anyone who uses a "good repair person" probably
keeps it a secret so they can still get their own stuff done. :-)
Carol
13 Ghosts wrote:
>
>snip
Doris Bialas
I took a meat platter that belonged to my inlays in for repair and was
quoted $625.00 for a $ 130.00 job, I laughed so hard I damn near dropped
it right then and there.
I think I'm in the wrong profession.
And you would have to wait how long
for this bargain?
Doris
"Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough to
make them all yourself." unknown
Mike Wilcox
Three months Doris!, the funny thing is it's really not that hard to
learn, it's just like most things Practice, practice ,practice! I have
been toying with taking it up, just for my own pieces ( I got A's in
ceramics), but it's a matter of finding the time for me.
A2Gumbo
>to find a good ceramics repair person?
>
>That ought to be a good on topic thread, eh?
Hope you don't mind if I answer this. From my point of view it is because it
is not an easy skill to learn, and the classes and getting set up for business
are expensive. The first thing you are taught is respect for the piece you
working on and that you are to restore it without altering it. The goal is to
bring it back as closely to its original state as possible and do nothing that
can't be undone. I've had two courses and still don't feel I would try to do
it for anyone else because I haven't worked on enough of my own pieces yet.
You are required to know all about the various properties of the piece such as
hardness, porosity, fragility. You learn about making molds for lost pieces
and casting and sometimes you actually have to sculpt a piece if it is a
figurine and a finger or hand or petal on a flower has been lost.
Then there is learning how to clean the item properly and what type solvent or
agent to use. You always start with the least aggressive. From least to most
these are warm water with a few drops of Joy or Dawn, alcohol, acetone, mineral
spirits, lacquer thinner, Zip-Strip, and hydrogen peroxide. Many of the
chemicals we use can be dangerous and we wear smocks which cover our bodies as
well as masks which keep out the fumes. In school we were taught when working
with certain chemicals, as soon as we finished working to wash them and take a
shower. Some of the chemicals used include xylene and toloune. These are also
used when trying to undo a bad glue job by someone last year or 50 years ago.
Here too, you have to determine what type of glue was used and again you start
with the least aggressive method and keep going until you are finally able to
get the pieces apart. Once the pieces are apart and washed and swabbed you can
sit for hours with a dental pick getting the last remnants of the old glue off.
You work with a magnifying glass to do this. This is very tedious but unless
every vestige of old glue is gone you will never be able to get a smooth join
when you start putting a piece back together.
Now it is like putting together a jigzaw puzzle and you work from the inside
out. Sometimes you may glue several small pieces together and then place those
into the larger piece. Depending on the type ceramic will determine what type
"glue" you use to repair. To do it properly, you don't just open a tube of
Elmer's or Crazy Glue. You use epoxys which you mix in various ratios
depending on the piece and add various compounds such as kaolin or titanium to
prevent the epoxy from yellowing.
Once the piece is glued comes the painting. This I find to be the most
difficult. An air brush is used but matching the colors is really difficult.
Would you believe there are hundreds of shades of white? Whites have
undertones of gray, green or blue glaze. Colors have to be mixed and matched
to the glaze on the piece whether it has a white background or even if it is a
solid color. (I use glass slides. Mix a little of the paint and place on the
slide, then hold the slide on top of the piece to see how close you are to the
original color). The proper way of mixing paints is with dry pigments and mixed
with various mediums, again depending on if you are working on a piece with a
high glaze or a piece like Roseville or a Hummel with a matte finish. (If a
restorer says they use automobile paints, take your item and get out fast!) A
good restorer will only paint the areas that have been restored and never ever
paint over any other part of the piece. Small paint brushes are also used
depending on what the design is. From start to finish can take several months
of tedious work to do a piece properly because of the all the steps and the
time required in between the stages for curing.
To sum it up, you need to be a historian (to understand the piece you are
working on), a chemist, an artist, a psychologist (for dealing with the people
who will bring you Aunt Blabby's vase with 48 pieces in a bag and not
understand why you can't restore it for $25.00) and a lawyer to deal with the
people who take their newly restored piece and run it through the dishwasher
even though you told them the piece should now be used strictly for display!
Ashley
A2Gumbo
always tell a potential buyer the piece has been restored even if you can't
tell it which is the goal of all restorers. Thus, the price would be less than
for a perfect piece.
Ashley
Carol Millar wrote:
>Unfortunately the down side of having repairs done is that the price
>goes up to cover the repair cost. As an example, my refinishing friend
>charges 25USD an hour for his time. So, if you have a "cutesy" primitive
>wooden box redone it could take 3-4 hours depending on its condition,
>and now you have a 50-75USD box that you have to put way over 100.00 on
>to make any profit at all.
>
>Other than learning to do-it-yourself, what can you do?
>
>To answer your question with one possibility, maybe there are a lot of
>them out there, but anyone who uses a "good repair person" probably
>keeps it a secret so they can still get their own stuff done. :-)
>
>Carol
>
>13 Ghosts wrote:
>>
>>snip
>>
>> Here is a question for you. Why is it hard
>> to find a good ceramics repair person?
>>
>> That ought to be a good on topic thread, eh?
>>
13 Ghosts
> To answer your question with one possibility, maybe there are a lot of
> them out there, but anyone who uses a "good repair person" probably
> keeps it a secret so they can still get their own stuff done. :-)
>
> Carol
I think so too.
There is a legendary restorer who's supposed to be
a Japanese fellow who lives in Los Angeles that I would
love to be able to find. And I know people who know who
he is too but nobody is talking. ;)
On the plus side, I have found that since I got some reading
glasses, I don't buy as much chipped merch.
;)
13 Ghosts
Doris Bialas
all those things you spoke about. I better
put my Elmer's glue back and take down my sign . Thanks for the
education.
Carol Millar
fact that an item has been repaired. Once they start giving out the
name of the repairer, they get so much work that they have no time for
the original customer.:-)
Carol
A2Gumbo wrote:
>
> Actually, Carol, it is just the opposite. A reputable dealer or restorer will
> always tell a potential buyer the piece has been restored even if you can't
> tell it which is the goal of all restorers. Thus, the price would be less than
> for a perfect piece.
>
> Ashley
> Carol Millar wrote:
>
> >Unfortunately the down side of having repairs done is that the price
> >goes up to cover the repair cost. As an example, my refinishing friend
> >charges 25USD an hour for his time. So, if you have a "cutesy" primitive
> >wooden box redone it could take 3-4 hours depending on its condition,
> >and now you have a 50-75USD box that you have to put way over 100.00 on
> >to make any profit at all.
> >
> >Other than learning to do-it-yourself, what can you do?
> >
> >To answer your question with one possibility, maybe there are a lot of
> >them out there, but anyone who uses a "good repair person" probably
> >keeps it a secret so they can still get their own stuff done. :-)
> >
> >Carol
> >
Carol Millar
Oops, no it's a different restorer who hasn't been "discovered" yet.
Ashley, once you "open for business" do we all get first dibs?
Carol
A2Gumbo wrote:
>
> T wrote: >Here is a question for you. Why is it hard
> >to find a good ceramics repair person?
> >
> >That ought to be a good on topic thread, eh?
>
> Hope you don't mind if I answer this. From my point of view it is because it
> is not an easy skill to learn, and the classes and getting set up for business
> are expensive. The first thing you are taught is respect for the piece you
> working on and that you are to restore it without altering it.
major snip
>
> Ashley
Mike Wilcox
>
> T wrote: >Here is a question for you. Why is it hard
> >to find a good ceramics repair person?
> >
> >That ought to be a good on topic thread, eh?
>
> Hope you don't mind if I answer this. From my point of view it is because it
> is not an easy skill to learn, and the classes and getting set up for business
> are expensive. The first thing you are taught is respect for the piece you
We very much follow the same schedule as the ceramics restorers,
washing, removal of glue, matching colour & sheen, repair. All of it
after a very good long look at the piece in question. The Platter I was
referring to was a very ordinary Ironstone piece dating 1880, it had
three small chips, none in any of the decorated areas, damage that even
a hobbyist with a little practice could handle. In this case it was a
matter of one individual cornering the local market rather than a
difficult repair ;~))
Maryann
Your piece on restoring ceramics was wonderful.
Years ago I bought a Moser cup and saucer at a flea market for $1.00
the saucer is perfect but the cup had been broken and badly glued back
together. Lots of glue sticking out. However, after looking it over
carefully it looks as if everything that should be there is there - no
enameling missing etc. The cup is in about 3 pieces. It is a
beautiful piece - cobalt blue with lots of gold and enameled flowers.
i wonder if it would be worth having this restored? I didn't buy it
for resale but I wouldn't want to put a lot of money in it if it is
not worth while. What do you think?
Maryann
Gillam Kerley
13 Ghosts wrote:
>
> There is a legendary restorer who's supposed to be
> a Japanese fellow who lives in Los Angeles that I would
> love to be able to find. And I know people who know who
> he is too but nobody is talking. ;)
That's funny. Whenever one of our local auctioneers is trying to sell a
piece of broken pottery, he says there's this Japanese fellow in
Chicago. . ... and nobody can find him either. ;-)
GK
A2Gumbo
>
>Carol
>
Absolutely. I have two rooms set up in my house already for my studio. One
room is for the restoration part (which can get quite dusty) and the other room
is for painting. Of course, both are now full of boxes and other junk because
I'm much too busy selling antiques in the store and on eBay now. I have sworn
that this summer I will dedicate myself to restoring everything I've purchased
broken, cracked, and chipped. By the time I finish with my own pieces I'll be
ready to hang out my shingle!
Ashley
A2Gumbo
you can decide if it is worth restoring. However, I will tell you that both
instructors in the courses I took told us we shouldn't even sit at our table
for less than $35. To explain to all regarding expense, the first class I took
was $1600 plus motel and food expenses for 5 days. The second course I took
was in Appleton, Wis. at the university there. That class was an intense one
week and we lived and ate at the school. (How do those kids sleep on those
thin mattresses?!) That class was $1800 plus air fare. On top of that I paid
for an air compressor, the proper attachments for doing air brushing, and lots
of other equipment that was needed. As I said in my earlier post, this is not
an inexpensive craft to learn. And sure you can learn by trial and error but I
guarantee if you haven't learned proper techniques and how to mix epoxys with
just the right amount of additives it isn't going to look good. You add
different substances in varying amounts depending on whether you are repairing
bone hard paste, soft paste, pottery, etc.
Getting back to your cup, if the glue is a dark yellow, almost brown, it was
probably glued with something like Elmer's. If you want to write me privately,
I'll help you through the steps on how to take it apart and how to at least
glue it back properly. You really don't have much to lose if you can see the
glue, do you?
Ashley
Marshall Schuon
_______
Fascinating stuff, Ashley. Thanks.
Marshall
Pat
>
> Doris Bialas wrote:
> >
> > Mike wrote:
> > I took a meat platter that belonged to my inlays in for repair and was
> > quoted $625.00 for a $ 130.00 job, I laughed so hard I damn near dropped
> > it right then and there.
> >
> > I think I'm in the wrong profession.
> > And you would have to wait how long
> > for this bargain?
> >
> > "Learn from the mistakes of others.
> > You can't live long enough to
> > make them all yourself." unknown
>
> learn, it's just like most things Practice, practice ,practice! I have
> been toying with taking it up, just for my own pieces ( I got A's in
> ceramics), but it's a matter of finding the time for me.
Can I be your first customer.....I now know never to mix soft paste and
ironstone in the same cupboard. At least not in an old house where
nothing is stable.
I had a wonderfully colorful arrangement in my tiny kitchen corner
cupboard of soft paste plates and heavier ironstone Spatterware plates.
I don't know how but for no apparent reason the door of the cupboard
closed causing a chain reaction that caused the ironstone that was
standing upright in the back of the cupboard to fall on top of the soft
paste cup plates that were lying flat on the shelves....I now have
several zip lock bags full of pieces of early Adams Rose and Blue edged
Leeds toddy cup plates. Wouldn't that make a nice first challenge???
Let me know when you're ready. I can't wait for Ashley she has entirely
too many other projects in the works. ....Ashley don't you have a novel
to write before you do the ceramics repair thing??? and what about the
Bed and Breakfeast business???