How To Repair Clay Pots

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Terracotta pots are an asset to many dwelling gardens, only not when they're cracked and broken. Earlier you pick upwardly a new pot from your local gardening shop, check effectually your home for a few simple repair supplies. Within a day or so, you might go your favorite terracotta pots back in working order once again!

1. one

   Move your pot to a well-ventilated area. Epoxy fumes are no joke, and are no fun to breathe in. Detect an open, well-ventilated space where you can repair your pot so you don't have to inhale whatever nasty chemicals.^[one]

   • A room with several open windows tin work, or you tin repair it outside.

2. 

   2

   Wipe downwards the cleaved shards with a cloth to remove whatsoever dirt. Take hold of a make clean material and castor off any obvious dirt or grime from your terracotta pot and so the pieces fit together snugly. Information technology's okay if your pieces are still a little dusty afterwards—you'll probably be filling your pots with soil, anyway.^[2]

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3. 

   three

   Stir equal parts of epoxy and hardener together. Cascade a blueberry-sized amount of both epoxy resin and hardener on a newspaper plate or dish. Grab a toothpick and mix them both together before yous beginning reconstructing your pot.^[three]

   • Check the instructions on your epoxy packages beforehand. Some glues might come pre-mixed, so you don't have to worry near stirring them together.
   • Silicone caulk is besides a practiced option for repairing a broken terracotta pot. You tin can also buy caulk in a color that best matches your pot!^[4]

4. 

   4

   Mix colored dirt powder into the epoxy mixture and so it matches your pot. Scoop a small-scale spoonful of powdered dirt and mix it in with the epoxy. This helps the epoxy alloy in well with your terra cotta pot, creating a more seamless stop.^[v]

   • You lot tin observe powdered clay online, or at your local ceramics or craft store.

5. v

   Spread the epoxy over the cracked edge with a toothpick. Dip a clean toothpick into the epoxy mixture and spread it along the base of operations section of the crack. Continue dipping and spreading the epoxy in a sparse layer forth the fissure, so your broken shards have no trouble sticking together.^[half-dozen]

   • You merely need to spread epoxy on the lesser portion of your pot.
   • Don't worry if you use besides much epoxy—yous can always wipe off the backlog with an acetone-soaked towel or cloth.^[7]

6. 

   6

   Press the cleaved piece into the glue and concord it for several seconds. Take hold of the broken section and center it exactly over the epoxy, as though you're putting together a puzzle. Hold the shard in place for several seconds with your fingers, or secure information technology in place with a metallic clamp.^[8]

7. 7

   Permit the epoxy dry overnight so it can cure completely. Double-bank check the instructions on your epoxy bottle to run into how much fourth dimension it needs to dry and cure. Some products need at least 1 nighttime to cure completely.^[9]

   • Don't use your pot until the epoxy is completely dried and cured.

8. 

   8

   Sand downward the surface with fine sandpaper to make information technology shine and flat. Take hold of a sheet of super fine-dust sandpaper and rub along the glued seam of your pot. Piece of work away any imperfections or inconsistencies, and then your pot feels smooth and seamless. At this point, you'll be ready to apply your pot over again!^[10]

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1. i

   Grit off the pieces of your pot with a clean textile. Go over the sides and edges of your terracotta pot with a rag, cleaning away whatever leftover dust and grime. Sometimes, dirt gets stuck in the broken cracks and makes the pot more tricky to repair.^[11]

2. 

   ii

   Fit the broken slice of terra cotta into the correct spot. Arrange the broken shard advisedly, lining up the cleaved edges exactly with the bottom of the pot. Check that the piece is steady before removing your hand.^[12]

   • Depending on the break, you may need to hold the broken shard in place.

3. 

   3

   Pencil in dotted marks on both sides of the terracotta crack. Mark each dot nearly ¹⁄₄ to ¹⁄₂  in (0.64 to 1.27 cm) abroad from the broken seam. Space out these dots virtually ane in (2.5 cm) or so apart, like you're sketching out a row of eyelets on a pair of shoes.^[13]

   • Essentially, yous'll be threading the wire through these marks to "sew" the pot back together.

4. 

   4

   Drill into the pencil marks with a ^one⁄₈  in (0.32 cm) masonry drill chip. Install a sparse masonry bit in your drill and drill into each dot. Set your drill to a high setting, so you don't take any difficulty getting through the terracotta.^[xiv]

   • Don't employ a standard drill bit for this—you don't want to damage your equipment or pot.

5. 

   v

   Cut a length of copper wire into several 3 in (7.6 cm) pieces. Lay out a section of copper wire, measuring and mark every 3 in (7.6 cm). Snip off these short sections of wire with a pair of wire cutters, and set the pieces aside.^[fifteen]

   • This wire volition exist the "thread" that sews your pot back together.

6. 

   vi

   String the wire through ii holes above and below the fissure. Slide 1 end of the wire through the top hole, and the other end into the lesser hole. Keep the wire fifty-fifty while y'all thread it, so even pieces of wire are going through the pot. Echo this process with each gear up of drilled holes along the broken seam.^[16]

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   7

   Twist the wires together along the inside of the pot. Grab a pair of pliers and twist the wires together into a coil. Do your all-time to make this as tight as possible, so the pot stays together.^[17]

8. 8

   Push the twisted wires confronting the inner edge of the pot. Press along the coiled wires until they're snug confronting the inner wall of your terra cotta pot. This way, your pot is much more probable to stay together!^[18]

   • Once y'all've twisted and pushed in all your wires, you tin use your pot again.

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• If your terra cotta pot is shattered into many pieces, it might be worth getting a new pot.

• Some people observe that gorilla gum works well for repairing pots. You can apply this but like the epoxy.^[19]

• If your terra cotta pot is only croaky, y'all tin fill in the cracks with several layers of articulation compound. Then, yous can sand over the dried chemical compound and spray waterproof sealant on height.^[twenty]

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• E'er clothing safety goggles when you employ ability tools.^[21]

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Things You'll Need

• Epoxy (resin and hardener) or silicon caulk
• Cloth
• Toothpick
• Powdered dirt
• Fine-grit sandpaper

• Clean cloth
• Pencil
• Electrical drill
• Masonry drill bit
• Copper wire
• Wire cutters
• Pliers

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Repair-a-Terracotta-Pot

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