Here is a series of photos of bowls I am repairing. The problem is the glaze blistered in the wood firing. kintsugi glaze repair
The photo above shows the first application of jinoko and lacquer in order to help build a smoother surface.
Blistered glaze kintsugi repair
The photo above shows the bowl with jinoko and lacquer after the blistered glaze has been sanded off.
Blistered glaze kintsugi repair
The photo above shows jinoko and lacquer mix on the bowl.
Blistered glaze kintsugi repair
The photo above shows one of the bowls before I did anything to it.
Blistered glaze kintsugi repair
In order to get a defined line to sand you can draw a line that marks your outer edge of the sanding surface.
Blistered glaze kintsugi repair
After this marking and before applying the jinoko and lacquer you need to sand the blisters down to make a smooth surface. It doesn’t have to be completly smooth as lacquer adheres better to a dimpled surface.
I sometimes get questions about polishing gold and why I don’t use an agate stone polisher.
Here are some photos of pieces with either powdered or numbered gold that has been polished or not with an agate tool.
number 3 gold before polishing kintsugi
The photo above shows #3 grind gold that has been ‘hardened'(see link https://www.kintugi.com/?page_id=225 , steps 1-4) Using an agate tool does do some smoothing. You can get a better finish if you use polishing stones. After using agate I suggest finishing it with the regular powders and lacquers outlined here, https://www.kintugi.com/?page_id=225 from about step 5.
The photo at the bottom of this series shows the same piece after it has been smoothed some.
fine powdered gold after polishing kintsugi
The photo above shows keshifun, fine powdered gold, with a small spot polished with agate. This is one way to finish keshi if you feel it is necessary. It is possible to ‘tamp’ it down with agate. It changes the nature of the appearance of the gold and makes it more ‘gold’ like. I prefer for keshifun to have the unpolished finish which is why I don’t use agate.
fine powdered gold before and after polishing kintsugi
The photo above shows the bottom of a very old Imari piece that is finished with keshifun and then parts of it have been polished and others not. I prefer the more subdued look of the unpolished gold.
fine powdered gold before polishing kintsugi
The photo above is the same bowl as in the first photo after it has had a small area polished with agate.
number 3 gold before and after polishing kintsugi
The photo above shows #3 grind gold that has been ‘hardened'(see link https://www.kintugi.com/?page_id=225 , steps 1-4) with the entire line polised using agate. The cup is an antique that someone glued back together with a modern epoxy and I have done the best I can to smooth that and apply lacquer and gold over it but some of the epoxy is still visible. Using an agate tool does do some smoothing but it is not easy to see in the photos. You can get a better finish if you use polishing stones. After using agate I suggest finishing it with the regular powders and lacquers outlined here, https://www.kintugi.com/?page_id=225 from about step 5.
Here is a video showing polishing of fine gold powder.
There is no audio on this video. It shows the first step in using kintsugi techniques to repair blistered glaze. Sanding the glaze down to as smooth as you can get it is important. This bowl will be finished with either lacquer or a metal finish.
This video has no audio. It shows the first application of lacquer to a ceramic bowl that had bad blistering because of placement in a wood fueled kiln. I first used a grinder to knock off the blistered glaze and make the surface somewhat smooth. I will finish the piece with a gold or silver finish using kintsugi techniques.
This is another project I am doing. It is a wood fired bowl that has blistered glaze on the side that was facing the flame flow. I have the blistered areas partially filled with lacquer and sanded. The next step will be another application of glaze to even out the uneven surface. Blistered glaze repair with kintsugi.
Blistered glaze repair with kintsugi.Blistered glaze repair with kintsugi.
Here is a cup I am working on right now. It was broken when it got to me. I am about to finish the sanding of the middle layer and filling some of the hairline cracks. There haven’t been any problems with this cup, it went back together easily and fit well.
