Ceramic gap‐fills for ceramic restoration

The use of substitute materials to fill missing areas in ceramic objects is well established in ceramic conservation and restoration. Substitute materials such as plaster of Paris and acrylic‐based fillers are generally used to fill voids in soft and porous ceramic objects, and epoxy and polyester resins in the case of dense, vitreous ceramics such as porcelain (Buys and Oakley 2000). The use of ceramic material to conserve and restore ceramic objects is less well established. This article describes a methodology to create ceramic replacements that overcomes the technical difficulties connected with the shrinkage of clay during drying and firing. The advantages, disadvantages and ethical considerations of using ceramic replacements are discussed. Two different methods for making ceramic replacements are presented for porous and vitreous ceramics, respectively. The technical problems of creating ceramic fills for porous ceramics can largely be eliminated, which offers the possibility of using a relatively simple method for creating ceramic fills. A different technique is required for making fills in vitreous ceramics because of the extensive shrinkage during firing.