“ I broke my wife’s favorite vase! Can you help?!” You can substitute “wife” for “girlfriend” or “boyfriend” and “vase” for “doll” or “plate” or “cup”, etc.
We get a lot of these questions every day. After all, at Luel Restoration Studio we specialize in mending those damaged cups, soup tureen lids, collectible toys, porcelain pots, clay figurines… you name it. Well… maybe mending is not too good a word for what we do. Mending means repairing. We we specialize is “invisible repair”. That means no one would be able to see that the item had been damaged or broken after we restore it. At least not with the naked eye, no matter how sharp or discerning. And maybe not even under ultraviolet light. A client and dealer in New Jersey, with whom has worked for ten years, told us that an ultraviolet light has been shined upon some of our restored items and revealed no sign of restoration.
What if already tried gluing your broken figurine or bowl and mangled it further with a horrible glue job? No problem. In most cases, we can unglue the pieces and prepare them for restoration. Here’s our advice, though. DO NOT GLUE YOUR DAMAGED ITEMS IF THEY ARE DEAR TO YOU! Ungluing and cleaning the pieces is a job in itself, so the restoration will cost you more than what you would have paid had you not tried gluing the pieces. Even if you don’t have the financial means of paying for a professional restoration at the moment, wait until you save up some money. It’s better than destroying your broken item further.
One more important caveat. You won’t be able to use your glass, cup, plate, bowl or any other item for eating or drinking. Display only. Why?
Professional repair requires gluing and bonding with various epoxies, painting, airbrushing, glazing. The materials used for restoration can be health hazards. Plus, if you keep washing your repaired bowls or cups, the restoration will eventually come off.
Here’s our recommendation. If the damaged item is dear to you, has a sentimental value, something you can’t part with, then we suggest you contact a professional restorer. If your item is worth quite a bit of money, then you turn to a professional restorer. The same goes for an item that’s worth a lot of money. Remember that our ceramic and china restoration is invisible, though we encourage our clients who want to sell their items after they’ve been restored to tell potential buyers that the item had been damaged at one point.
Treat your pieces gently and carefully after restoration. No washing, no hi heat, no bleaches, no detergents. Try to keep the items clean. If you need to pack the restored item, put a piece of tissue (a a piece of toilet paper will do) over the area that has been repaired to keep it from coming in contact with anything that might damage or darken the restoration.
Contact Luel Restoration Studio for all your repair and restoration needs:
Email: luba@luelstudio.com
Phone: 347-673-8831 or 646-251-5593
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