Can I save this cracked coffee mug?
September 30, 2011 9:22 AM   Subscribe

I dropped a handmade coffee mug and it cracked but did not shatter. Can it be saved?

This morning I dropped a handmade coffee mug on the office kitchen floor. It did not shatter, but I can see a very fine crack in it. I obviously did not put any hot coffee in it, but I'm wondering if there is some kind of glue or sealant that I can use to save it. Ideally I'd like to be able to keep using it for hot coffee/tea/etc. without risking leakage or the crack spreading.
posted by misskaz to Home & Garden (4 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 


If it does break you can glue it back together with epoxy. But there isn't anything that will seal a crack that hasn't broken.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:25 AM on September 30, 2011


There is some kind of glue that can be painted on the outside. I remember seeing a video on how experts repair broken china. She taped all the bits back together and then painted some kind of clear glue on top of the cracks. That way you don't end up with a mostly glued item and a last piece that won't fit. I don't know how to find that video, though.
posted by artychoke at 10:18 AM on September 30, 2011


I would test it -- sometimes cracks just stay cracks for a long time, maybe yours will, as well. But epoxy will heal your mug. If you don't want to wait for the inevitable, pull it apart (ie break it yourself), and deploy your epoxy. I've done this with ceramic cups and bowls many times. Depending on your skill, your repair may even hold water, although after the repair the mug probably won't sound the same as before, when you thunk it down on your counter.
posted by Rash at 11:05 AM on September 30, 2011


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