March 6, 2010
How repairable is a soapstone sculpture?
Megan asked:
I work for a moving and storage company and recently one of our packers had an accident with a whale tail soapstone sculpture. When she laid it on the paper the tip of one of the tails broke off. Is soapstone really that breakable? Inside was not all crystal blue like the rest of it, one part was brown and looked as though it was glued together before. Anyhow, these people are telling me that it is not repairable and will continue to deteriorate because of the damage. Can anybody give me any insight?
Relocate to Atlanta
I work for a moving and storage company and recently one of our packers had an accident with a whale tail soapstone sculpture. When she laid it on the paper the tip of one of the tails broke off. Is soapstone really that breakable? Inside was not all crystal blue like the rest of it, one part was brown and looked as though it was glued together before. Anyhow, these people are telling me that it is not repairable and will continue to deteriorate because of the damage. Can anybody give me any insight?
Relocate to Atlanta
Filed under Relocate to Atlanta by .
Leave a Comment
Comments on How repairable is a soapstone sculpture?
10:30 pm
Relocate to Atlanta
Sometimes it can be repaired. I found an article for you that discusses this and is very easy to understand.
If you think the sculpture has been broken before, make sure that your customer is not trying to get you to pay for previous damage. You might need to get a third party or expert involved to settle the dispute.
4:00 am
Relocate to Atlanta
You can glue it- with epoxy in the color of the stone–JB Weld is good and then sand it down– but it will most likely not be quite the same–depending on the break– the finish and the care that you take with the epoxy and sanding– good luck!
2:02 pm
Relocate to Atlanta
Soapstone is a relatively soft stone.And very brittle. Personally,if you have insurance or if you can afford it take it to a art restorer you may end up making matters worst trying to repair it yourself. It may get by initially but if the right glues and procedure aren’t followed it will show..I tried carving a small piece of soapstone once,it may not have the best quality stone. but it was a pain and I eventually tossed it. Pieces kept breaking off. But here is a link: