How Far Can You Repair An Exploded Bisque? Want To Kintsugi It

[moh]

I'd like to make some use of this carving piece I've spent a lot of work on.

This piece apparently had an air bubble and exploded during bisque.

 

For now I've stuck some of the larger exploded pieces with Magic Mud.

I'd like to make a kintsugi out of this with bright gold luster, but seeing that there are large chunks missing from the piece, what do you think is the best way to approach this?

 

Ideally I would build up the missing chunks with Magic Mud, bisque, glaze, then gold luster the cracks.

Building up, meaning have the surface be somewhat level all around.

 

Would Magic Mud achieve this? Or a different material?

 

Thanks for your input.

[Mark C.]

I do do believe it had an air bubble but more likely it was just not dry enough and exploded.

That said the I personally think you should just move on a make another. Let it dry twice as long as this one before firing-On thick work like this the kiln needs to candle as well (go slow at the start)  Kintsugi works better in very small cracks and since so much is gone I think its a poor match.

sorry for the loss.

[Marcia Selsor]

That is an unfortunate loss, but I can see at least where one air bubble developed where two levels of clay went together on the lower right. Yes, better to start over. Make the inside layer thinner and put pinholes on the inside.

Marcia

[MatthewV]

I teach beginners. I let them make mistakes. Yet I have not lost a single piece in the bisque kiln this year. The way the kiln was fired is why you lost this piece. sorry.

 

 

If you fire all the pieces to temperature -- no glaze -- they should mostly fit back together with epoxy.

But nothing will really make it whole again for a firing.

[1515art]

Garden... all my broken pots or just ones that did not live up to the dream become garden decorations. They look very nice among the plants and rocks and you can still admire the work you put into carving or whatever. Just avoid making mosquito hotels.

[moh]

Thanks everyone. I'll still glaze fire this, if anything for personal reminder to never fast fire.

It had been drying for 3 weeks, so I thought that would be enough, guess not. I did hear that sculpture pieces automatically means SLOW fire.

Live and earn.

 

Completely closed work is relatively new to me. Would a pint hole be absolute requirement for this type of work?

[Chilly]

If it was hollow and completely closed, as the others have said, it wasn't dry enough.  

 

The clay starts drying from the outside and shrinks at the same time.  

 

As the outside shrinks more, it sets and makes it harder for the moisture in the inside to escape.  

 

No matter how dry and warm the outside feels, it is highly likely that the inside surfaces are still damp.  

 

A pin hole isn't there to stop the air from expanding, it is there to let the moisture escape from the inside.