6 Ways to Fix Handles That Crack as They Dry The key to drying mud handles without cracks is to dry them slowly and evenly. Mud handles often crack at the joint because it is difficult to dry them evenly. So what should you do if your handle cracks at the joint? Here are simple ways to prevent mud handles from cracking when drying.
Repair Process: Vinegar and Mud Mixture Ingredients: A small amount of completely dried mud (the amount of mud depends on the size of the crack) The same clay mixture you use in ceramic products Vinegar (ordinary clear vinegar can be used) Spoon and bowl Wood modelling tool Steps: 1. Dried Sludge Preparation: Using the clay mixture from the ceramic products used, crush a small amount of completely dried clay. Alternatively, a spoon and bowl will do. 2. Vinegar and Mud Mixture: Grind the crushed sludge into a powder, it is okay if there are small pieces. Slowly add the vinegar to bring the mixture to a pasty consistency. It is important to obtain a dense paste, not liquid and fluid. 3. Crack Preparation: Apply vinegar around the crack with a sponge. Make sure that the mud does not get too wet, only slightly moisten it. 4. Paste Application: After applying the vinegar, apply a little of the prepared vinegar and mud mixture to the crack. Using a wooden modelling tool, gently work the putty into the crack, then smooth the surface. 5. Repetition and Conclusion: The crack will probably open a little as it dries. In this case, fill the cracks by repeating the process. With each repetition, the crack will become a little smaller and eventually close completely. With this simple method, you can repair cracks in your ceramic products yourself and restore their aesthetic appearance. Seeing the cracks heal with each repetition will increase your motivation. Remember, patience and repetition are key factors in this repair process.
2. Method Magic Water If your mud is quite dry, a vinegar paste or liquid mixture can be a good solution. However, if your mud is still a little wet and workable, magic water may be a good option to fix the cracks. What you need for Magic Water: 200ml Water Tablespoon of liquid sodium silicate (9.5 grams) ½ teaspoon soda ash (3 grams) Apply the magic water to one side of the cracked joint. It is not necessary to scratch the surfaces. Simply press the surfaces together, gently press firmly and shake. If the mud is slightly plastic, there is enough elasticity in the mud to move and shake the handle. Soda ash and sodium silicate are both deflocculants. Therefore, unlike vinegar, magic water is a deflocculant. This causes the mud particles to repel each other. The magic water separates the mud particles from each other, allowing them to move and mix with each other. Sodium silicate contains silica, which is a glass former. It is sticky when wet and hard when dry. Therefore, the magic water forms a sticky surface on the mud when wet. When the mud and magic water dry together, they form a hard bond.
3. Method: Paper Mud Liquid / Magic Mud Paper mud liquid is also known as Magic Mud. This can be used if the handles crack as the mud dries. It can also be used as a liquid when fitting the handles for the first time. It forms a strong bond and can prevent the joint from separating at the initial stage. What You Need for Paper Sludge: Several sheets of toilet paper White vinegar Mixer with a stick A mixing bowl Crushed dry bone-hard mud With a mixer, tear off a few sheets of toilet paper, add the vinegar and mix with a stick mixer until the consistency of dough. Add crushed bone dry clay to the mixture and mix until you get a thick paste. Remember to use the same clay as the clay you used to make your work. You should be careful not to mix different types of mud. Put the mixture in a plastic bag and leave it for a few hours. Then plaster and score the ends of the broken handles, and plaster and score the surface of the mug to which you want to attach the broken handles. If only one end of the handles is cracked, you may need to cut off the other end. This allows you to remove the handle completely and plaster it well. You can then reconnect it completely. Alternatively, you can soften the handle and the mug again. This will make the handle flexible again. When it is flexible, you can remove the cracked end far enough away from the cup so that you can plaster and scratch it without removing it completely. One way to soften your pasty ceramic again after it has become leather-hard is to use a moisture box.
4. Method Damp Box Another way to fix cracked handles is to re-moisturise your product to repair cracked handles as the mud dries. One of the best ways to humidify your artefact is to use a humid box. A humid box is any closed box in which moisture is trapped to keep the air moist. A simple humid box is very easy to make. In short, you can pour a few inches of wet plaster mix into a plastic storage box. Once the plaster has hardened, you keep it moist by adding water to it. place your ceramic on the plaster and close the lid of the box. There should be enough water on the plaster so that it is moist. However, your product should not sit in a puddle of water. The water in the plaster will keep the air in the box moist and, within a few days, will allow the dry clay to become moist again. Once the cracked part is re-humidified, you can use slip, magic water or paper mud to weld the handle. Getting the handle and the mug body to a similar moisture level makes it less likely to crack again. If you don't have a damp box, there are other ways you can dampen your mug ceramics to repair the handle.
5. Method. Soaking the Cup and Handle - Cloth / Paper Towel Another way to re-moisten your product is to wrap it in a damp cloth and cover it with a plastic bag. It is better if the cloth has a light texture. This reduces the chance of leaving the impression of fabric on your work. Generally, ceramicists wrap their work in damp paper towels. For this, you must be careful that the towel does not dry out. Otherwise it can also dry out your work. Once the clay is workable again and has reached a uniform moisture level, you can weld the cracked handle and then reattach it to the body of the mug.
Method 6: Spooze Magic water is good if your mud is still a little wet, but Spooze works well if your mud is dry. Like paper mud, Spooze has a thick, pasty mud consistency. It has a remarkable reputation for forming strong bonds between dry mud cracks and can be used to form a thick layer to fill wider gaps rather than just repairing fine cracks. What you need for Spooze: 1/3 white vinegar 1/3 cheap syrup (Karo syrup or corn syrup types are suitable) 1/3 dried and ground sludge A little peroxide The powdered ground clay should be the same as the clay body you use in your work. Make a thick paste by mixing the dried mud with vinegar and syrup. Some recommend adding a few drops of peroxide. Peroxide inhibits mould growth and allows you to store the unused mixture. To use the Spooze mixture, spray both surfaces you want to combine with vinegar. Then apply a little Spooze to both surfaces and bring them together. Hold for half a minute and then leave the joint to dry. After the joint has dried, it may be necessary to sand off any Spooze that has seeped through the joint. If you have a large crack, you can also use Spooze to build up in layers. Simply apply some Spooze to the crack surface and allow it to dry. Then repeat the process until you have filled the gap. When the layers fill the gap, you will need to sand the surface to make it smooth.