[Wylbur]

Hi;

I have an antique counter that was once in a general store many
decades ago.

It has a solid porcelain top, about 6' x 3'.

Today, I noticed that there is a big crack in it, about one foot in from
one corner along the front edge, running diagonally to a point about
two feet from that corner along the side edge.

I don't know how it happened. I just walked into the den this morning,
and there it was.

I'm sick to my stomach.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can repair something
like this?

Thanks!!!

 

[Bud Cline]

Let me ask without offending:

Are you sure it is porcelain and not soapstone or marble or granite?

I don't suppose I have ever seen a piece that large of something that had to be fired in a kiln.

I do know that a lot of old commercial counter tops where made of marble and more-so soapstone.

 

[user1007]

That does seem like a large piece of porcelain to be fired for a countertop. It would have had to have come from someplace set up to do such things like a place that fires porcelain bathtubs, toilets and so forth. I too suspect it might not be porcelain.

Anyhow, these folks are amazing and I would call and chat with them before you panic regardless of what the material is. They are not snooty or pretentious and would be pleased to chat with you I am sure. They have repaired all sorts of things for me over the years. They have great prices on bulk, quality, silverplating twice each year too.

http://www.wiebold.com/

What you can be doing is figuring out what caused it to crack. I suspect the level of the floor changed dramatically enough, and perhaps over time, that the countertop just could not take the stresses anymore. You will want to source that and fix it before putting a restored piece in place.

 

[Ron6519]

Epoxy, whatever it is.

 

[Bud Cline]

What is the thickness?

If it is solid porcelain I would expect it to have exploded if inner tensions were that great.

If it is antique I know porcelainized steel has been around a long time but it couldn't crack.

At any rate, I agree it should probably be injected with some epoxy in a hurry, especially at each end of the fracture.

 

[user1007]

Epoxy, whatever it is.

I suspect epoxy will be the solution but the OP needs to source the cause of the crack and it will help him select the type of epoxy to use if he knows the material. Porcelain would probably just crack straight down---more or less perpendicular--whereas stone of some kind might fracture at an angle along an internal grain structure that would hide under what one saw on the surface.

 

[stadry]

methylmethacrylate crack healer from sika MAY resolve this

 

[Wylbur]

Hi all;

THANK YOU (all of you) for the great responses!

Let me ask without offending:

Are you sure it is porcelain and not soapstone or marble or granite?

I don't suppose I have ever seen a piece that large of something that had to be fired in a kiln.

I'm not so arrogant that I cannot admit that I'm a dummass about
a lot of things, and this is probably one of those things.


Please excuse my ignorance.

I do know that a lot of old commercial counter tops where made of marble and more-so soapstone.

It could be one or the other.

It's off-white, and I don't see any sort of grain in it.

I suppose I need to identify what it actually is before we can figure out
what to do about it.

I know someone who could help with this, and I might give him a call
later today ...

THANKS AGAIN.

 

[Ron6519]

You can post a photo here for identification purposes.

 

[Bud Cline]

My money says it's an old fashion soapstone top.

 

[oh'mike]

Post a picture----Milk glass was used in soda fountains and ice cream parlors for back splashes and counter fronts---I never saw it used as a counter top