Repairs:- Updated 01/09*

Locating pot lids at any time is difficult. When they do turn up excitement, jubilation and a reach for the checkbook tend to overtake fair judgment. Age and the material of manufacturer dictate a large percentage of this particular collectable are probably dug and damaged. Usually damage is to the outer areas with the rim and lip areas being repaired reasonably easily. Be sure to check these areas first when looking at any new purchase. Many an article has been published on how to create a mould and repair minor damage reasonably easily. On many occasions damage is minor so always check under the price sticker or auction number, a place that seems to frequent me.

Repairs come in a number of forms. These are normally pursuant to the rarity of the lid and the cost to perform adequate restoration. The more common lids can be repaired via a plaster of paris or similar material copying the contours of the lid and applying a filler. Simple economics warrants no further action and achieves a reasonable restoration, undetectable by most. At the other end of the scale are professional repairers of fine china who repair shape coupled with graphic artists who repair the transfer. The resulting then has a room temperature glaze applied, or in some cases re-fired making detection almost impossible. With this in mind, how does one spot repairs?

A method that has worked well for me is from the outset consider every lid offered repaired. Subsequent observations should be made to prove otherwise. Build your own case on observations to prove its as manufactured. Occasionally at shows you see some of the older collectors sticking their tongue on a lid. This is not something I recommend but some swear it’s the best way to determine if a lids been cleaned in acid. I start by running a fingernail over the face and sides of the lid looking for uneven areas. It’s amazing what this process finds that one’s eyes do not! Irregularities point to repairs and this is one of the most effective tests I have found. It is very difficult to maintain  the contour and antique glaze crazing once repaired. Particularly if the lid has been resealed with a room temperature glaze. These new glaze compounds are quite thick and difficult to achieve a uniform thickness. I use a low tech way to check for these. Hold your lid in the vicinity of some good old venetian blind slightly opened. The light that reflects across the glaze should be uniform from the straight edge shadows of the blinds. Re-glazed / recovered lids will show considerable wavy shadows across the repaired areas.  

The most conclusive way to check for repairs of all is under a microscope. This is an instrument that no repairer in the world can hide from! These come in all forms, Some collectors now carry a small USB version with their laptop to assess prospective purchases. A more practice means for a road / show  warrior is a strong magnifying glass and ultraviolet light. Most genuine pot lids are over 100 years old and have some degree of crazing. That is the minute cracking of the glaze. It is often easy to repair but impossible to reproduce to my knowledge. I have not seen a repair to date with artificial crazing but be aware that some repro`s are aged by opening the kiln door while the lid is still hot. Others use chemicals the heavily etch in crazing. Noticeable crazing is an unwanted characteristic when buying any lid. Always examine fully to ensure any visible crazing is consistent with other antique lids you have seen of the same age. After checking crazing move back to the glaze and review under ultra violet light in a darkened area. The use of this tool is a subject in its own. Despite the following lid being sold as original. the below shows a world of difference under ultraviolet. Other issues with the potential to be seen under UV can be found on the repros page.

Depending on the light used a number of  outcomes are possible. Viewing the above, despite being totally white in normal light this image shows an obvious area of repair and the lighter areas surrounding are of a finish applied (these days usually urethane) to waterproof the repair.

Stepping up the detection of repairs to the technically inclined, the above is something I found recently playing with images for this website. Adjusting the various base color channels and saturation can display aspects that the naked eye cannot. May well be time to trade in the traditional collection of purple lights to a basic digital camera? This particular image retouch was done via adjusting Cyan +20% and reducing Magenta and Yellow 80% in Photo impact, a particularly good image manipulation program for under $80. Depending on the image these values will most certainly change however give it a shot, this concept is new. Particularly useful reviewing online auction items listed with oversize images!!!!

 I cringe when a seller tells me they have bathed a lid in bleach for a quick clean up. Be ware the pink tinge! Plenty of horror stories out there of those who did not get the mix quite right or the poor old end purchaser who went to check on the investment a few years down the road and found a pile of white dust. Unless you are a distinguished industrial chemist with deep pockets just don't attempt. The following is the perfect example of what can happen. Yep, got rid of that rust BUT !!!!

Any new lid I purchase has a couple of months in water as a security blanket.  Firstly to identify unreported repairs but more importantly to flush out any chemicals that my destroy the lid as time goes by. It is important to change the water regularly to leach any impurities and view with HP paper or similar to ensure neutrality. Most pet stores have this paper or chemical drops that achieve the same.

This process sounds like a lot of work however one of the most common house hold utilities can help. The toilet system tank is a convenient destination for immersion. (Be sure to warn the wife to cease use of those blue lou tables during cleaning to guard against some unwanted variations, been there done that) Every flush changes the water and aids in cleaning. On inspection those leaching chemicals usually exhibit small lumps indiscriminately across the lid. If this happens it is important to prolong the process and measure there after in a more defined manner. Promote this lid to immersion into rain or distilled water and measure the PH regularly changing the water until neutral.