I'd probably try something like a paintable modelling clay that dries hard (after taping over the hole from the inside). Not sure how you'll match the sheen, guess it'll take some trial and error to get both the paint on the clay and the sheen to blend in. Def. a labor of love however you go about the repair. :)

It is a labor of love, but if it doesn't work, not much lost. I actually had painted this so I have extra paint to do another coat...

Thanks for your thoughts, ghostlyvision...

Good luck Penny, and let us know how it goes.

Are you saying the object I'm seeing was already painted by you before it broke? I'm asking because I bought a soup tureen on ebay, it arrived broken. Now I wonder if I can glue it together to display in my cabinet. What kind of paint did you use?

Hi C Marlin...yes I painted it then broke it :( I found it in a consignment store but it was bright yellow. I've long been wishing for Blanc de Chine things but sadly too expensive for me, so I just sprayed it with glossy paint for a similar look.

If the pieces are cleanly broken, then, yes, glue it. I've had success with super glue, but the pieces will either take it, or absorb it, so you have to do a test. In my research on using filler, I found a ceramics website that says to use simple Elmers white glue....

If you have any bits that the ceramic is missing, like mine, you'll have to fill and sand first. I'm using JB Weld epoxy putty that my hubs found in the garage. You cut a piece off and work it until it's mixed and then you have 25 minutes work time. I'm filling the chips and holes and then letting it dry (an hour). Then you can sand it. Then paint it.

I'm pretty dangerous with a can of spray paint...I haven't found anything it won't stick to....

If your soup tureen arrived broken, they should refund you what you paid for it as it should be insured by them...Last time that happened to me, I offered to send it back, but they told me to keep it and refunded me my cost.

So far, I'm happy with the results....the first picture shows it glued together and my patch job...(the white blob in the upper piece surrounded by yellow is where the significant hole was)

the second picture shows it after I hit it with a quick spray of paint--I find that flaws really show up after painting so it's best to give it a spritz so you can see what you have to work on a bit more...

I'll coat it properly with paint in the next couple of days.

Look pretty good Penny :-)

That's coming along very nicely Penny, love the idea of the epoxy putty too.

Amazing repair so far!

Finished product...I'm rather pleased with how it turned out :)

Penny, holy moly that looks amazing!

What did you use to construct the big missing chunk? And how did you adhere it in there?

Hi, pool!

The big hole (still have no idea where that piece went...) I needed to back with something for support. And it needed to kind of mold to the inside (luckily it's hollow and my finger fits). So I used a screen door patch which was metal and bendy. I needed to stick it down with duct tape, but I took that part off when it was done.

I used jb weld epoxy putty to fill this hole and the other chips. I shaped it as best I could and then added where I had missed and then sanded it all to match. Then sprayed gloss enamel.

Easy peasy. And thank you!

Brilliant! I love it even more now :) What a great find! and repair job :)

Love it, I did get my money refunded, it does have missing spots, but I thought I might keep it to repair enough for it to sit in my china cabinet, but not use for soup. What sheen paint did you use, it looks fantastic.

That's wonderful, it looks brand new - great job!

Thanks all!

C, I used a gloss sheen, but due to the weather (maybe) it's not that glossy...Other stuff I've sprayed has come out perfectly glossy though so ymmv...

I also read that you could use spackle to fill in some spots if they're not big...maybe you could try that? It's very easy to sand down..

I asked because I have another soup tureen that has too much color for my china cabinet. Your post made me think I can spray it white!

Absolutely....The yellow you can see on mine is because I had been heavily sanding it, plus it hadn't had time to cure.

I would practice on something and see how you feel about it. I'm finding that the spraying distance greatly effects the sheen...too far and it dries almost before it reaches the item so it's not glossy enough (weather will also affect this)...too close and you get drips.

I'm thinking a trip to the thrift store is in order for me as I need a couple more pieces that I can spray paint for my buffet :)

Show us before and afters! Before you know it, you'll be painting everything that doesn't move!

Penny, You MacGyvered it! Great job!

My, you're talented, penny! Looks fantastic.

Awesome work. Gives me hope I can repair something I broke....

Wow! Penny, you are a patient person and very clever! Nicely done.

Your piece looks as good as new to my eye. Nice work!

I've been wondering how it might look to spray paint a ceramic lamp, so I'm glad I opened this thread.

Thanks everyone!.. You're so kind to comment. It was, actually, fun for me. I love doing things like this (not enough to go around smashing things, tho..)

Seajay, I tend to go more by "feel" when using sandpaper, so I couldn't say the number, but it was fine. I didn't go too high when sanding the finished piece because, since it was a glossy finish, I wanted it to have a tooth for the paint to adhere to.

I will say, though, that the JB weld sands beautifully. It created a very hard surface that, when sanded "felt" the same as the original finish. Sometimes if the repair material I'm using (on other repairs) is softer or harder than the surrounding, when painted, you can still see a difference because of the texture.

Please do a show and tell, Seajay...Are you just painting or are there repairs involved, too?

Those are stunning Seajay...I wish woodworking was something I picked up..my dad had a lathe and was quite talented at marquetry. He's old school, too and would never use electric sanders or water based poly...Just hours and hours of hand work.

Do you sell your stuff? There's nothing quite like the satiny feel of well-finished wood..I very much appreciate what you did there. Show more if you like :)

Beautiful seajay! I’m super impressed!

I dated a guy years ago who did wordworking. I loved tinkering in his shop while he was working on something.

He made me this cabinet that’s technically to hold a fish tank but I never got a tank setup. So it’s been used for other purposes. My sweet DH has let it move with us 4 times now. There are no screws or anything, it’s all wood joints. And there’s a secret compartment under the bottom drawer where I hide things. I should take better care of it bc it’s a very nice piece of artwork.

:-)