Frequently Asked Questions
McHugh's Restorations
1.
What types of repairs do you do?
There are usually many different options regarding repairs. Much of the
decision is usually an aesthetic one.
It is easy when someone comes in with a figurine that is missing a hand,
obviously the only choice in that matter would be to refabricate a hand and
paint the repair.
The choices become more involved otherwise. For example, if you brought in a
Rose Medallion bowl, we would probably suggest that you have it put back
together and filled if needed. At that point depending on how badly it was
chipped we would suggest just having a touch-up done on the chipped (filled)
areas. In cases such as Rose Medallion that are very “busy” the repair is
hidden naturally and an extensive
full painted repair is not necessary unless
there are large sections missing.
This option can work for MANY other items as well.
All of our repairs are done in stages.
Stage 1: Clean the glue off of the item (if it has been glued by someone
before.)
Stage 2: Bond all pieces.
Stage 3: Fill any chips or missing areas. Model or create and sculpted
pieces.
Stage 4: Paint. (this can be a touch-up or
full painted repair)
In between stages 3 & 4 we may ask you to come in and look at your item to
determine if painting is necessary or what type of painting work you would
like done. Sometimes a simple touch-up is desired, other times a full
painted repair is required and other times a combination of the two
processes is used.
2.
What types of things do you work on?
We work on ceramics, pottery, porcelain, both hard and soft paste,
earthenware, glass, crystal, jade (and other types of stone such as quartz &
marble), ivory, tortoise shell, dolls (both composition and
bisque/porcelain), bears, gold frames (not the paintings). We do not work on
metal.
We can polish chips from goblets and crystal.
We are official restorers of both Lladro and Hummel, not to mention we
are recommended by the Collectors Information Bureau for Willets items
(Thomas Blackshear figurines), Swarovski, and Boehm.
Below is only a partial list:
American Potteries: Roseville, Van Briggle, McCoy, Weller, California
pottery, North Carolina pottery, Hull, Rookwood, Newcomb.
Stoneware: German and American, Stoneware crocks, jugs, salt glaze,
all colors- red, gray, brown, blue, orange-peel.
All Chinese and Japanese ceramics: Rose Medallion, Imari, blue and
white, etc.
German porcelains: Meissen, Dresden, Strasbourg, Hummel, Goebel, KPM,
German Dolls, etc.
French: Sevres, majolica, maiolica, etc.
Italian: Capodimonte, etc.
Spanish: Lladro, Nao, etc.
English: potteries, porcelains, stonewares: Blue willow, Minton,
Spode, Lowestoft, Southwark, Bristol, Caughley, Coalport, Chelsea,
Worcester, Wedgwood, Moorcroft, Bow, Derby, Staffordshire, Liverpool,
(pearl ware, basalt, cream ware), Doulton, Royal Doulton, Irish Belleek,
majolica, and may more
Victorian: parian,
Delft, majolica, majolica, (all types of tin-glazed ceramics),
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3.
I have a doll that needs to be restrung, can you do that?
We love to work on dolls! We started in the restoration business
by first working on dolls! So you have come to the right place.
Doll repair is one of our specialties!
We can restring most dolls. Restringing prices range from $25-100.00
depending on the doll but most average about $25.00.
Obviously we can restore antique bisque doll heads. We can also repair
the cracked and chipping paint on composition dolls.
We offer free verbal consultation on your doll as well as suggestions for
their care and upkeep. We can also appraise your dolls for insurance
purposes.
Don't forget that if you are downsizing or outgrow your collection of dolls we can sell them for you. One doll or a collection!
4.
Is there anything you can’t repair or won't repair?
Unfortunately, there are a few things we cannot repair or choose not to
repair.
A. In most cases we cannot repair items that have already been glued using a
silicone based adhesive such as rubber cement, gorilla glue, hot glue, etc.
The reason for this is that there is no real solvent for these types of
adhesive. Even if we remove most of it from an item, there is always a thin
layer that is left in place. This layer makes it almost impossible to have
the pieces stay joined together.
So don’t try to glue your item first, come see us! The first time for
ANYTHING to be glued is the best time!
B. Bone china. Due to the material that the porcelain is made of and the
conditions in which it is first fired, many times when bone china breaks, it
will “spring” out of shape. This may be what look like cracks or it may be
separate pieces. Bone china pieces can line up on parts of the break and be
as much as a ¼” apart on other parts of the same 2 pieces. There is no way
to reverse this, unfortunately.
We have had situations where the item is very important to the owner and
they have decided to have us at least reinforce the unsightly cracks so that
the piece is stable and they can continue to own it.
C. Glass that has large missing sections. Unfortunately, there are no real
reliable glass filers out on the market at this time. The glass fillers that
do exist tend to yellow and become unsightly. There is no way to hide the
repair in glass, it is transparent after all and any repairs will show.
Remember though, that glass/crystal can be put back together, and we can
also polish chips out of it (chips can be polished from rims for $22.00 per
stem).
D. We won’t repair what is considered normal ware. Such as repainting the
gold rims of antique plates because it has worn off over the years. We will
paint those areas if it is within a painted repair such as a filled chip. We
don’t recommend that you try to make your antique look like new, it isn’t
and part of the charm and authenticity is the age marks and ware that it has
received.
5. My figurine is missing a huge section, you can’t fix
that can you?
Well, actually yes. We can recreate missing areas, preferably from some type
of reference but if need be we can work within the parameters of what is
appropriate to that piece.
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6.
What is a touch-up?
A touch-up is hand painting on an item that has been bonded and
filled. A touch-up is not an invisible repair and can be detected if you are
looking for it. The museum standard, 2 feet - 4 feet rule should
apply. At 2 feet (in most cases you have to get closer than 2 feet) you
should be able to detect the repair, at 4 feet (Such as when a plate is
hanging on a wall) you should not be able to detect the repairs.
The time frame for a touch-up is very short, sometimes a matter of days, it
greatly depends on what the first stages of the repair require.
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7.
What is a full painted repair?
A full painted repair is in most cases an invisible repair. Meaning that
it cannot be detected upon visual examination. We guarantee our color
matching 100%. The only exception to this is gold. Since we do not
refire anything that we repair, the gold can match very closely but cannot
be matched completely. Gold on porcelain is achieved through a chemical
process that occurs when the item is initially fired.
In some cases a painted repair can be 6 months to 1 year from start to
finish. Obviously the later is for an extensive painted repair. Nothing
leaves our studio until we are happy with it.
We guarantee that our painted repairs will not fade or change color when
exposed to UV lights like lacquer paints do. We use paints that have been
specifically designed for the use in porcelain restoration.
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8. How do I care for my restored treasure?
There are a few rules once an items has been restored.
You should always use a little extra care with any item that has been
repaired.
1. A repaired item can never be put into the dishwasher!
2. It is recommended that if a repaired item does need to be cleaned or
dusted, that it be wiped off with a damp cloth and not soaked or immersed in
water. In cases where there are small parts that could be knocked off by a
cloth, try using a hair dryer set on cool-low to blow off any dust.
3. Painted repairs are durable for decorative use only. They will not
withstand daily use such as on dinner plates. You should never scrub at a
painted repair, you may damage it.
4. Just use common sense and you will be fine. Remember we don’t refire
anything, and one thing we believe very strongly about is that no repair
should ever do permanent damage (or be irreversible) to any item. All of our
repairs are
reversible. So without
care you can damage the work that has been done.
We are not responsible for items that have been put
into the dishwasher. The dishwasher will undo ANY repairs.
Items are guaranteed for reasonable lengths of time.
9.
What do you mean by all repairs are reversible?
Most of us have seen bad repairs. We certainly have seen many
different styles, techniques, attempts etc. The saddest repair to us is one
that can’t be undone or that has caused irreversible damage to the item. For
example, we have had items come in that have been to other “professional”
restorers who have done horrible jobs. Pieces have been bonded and not lined
up properly. Instead of taking the pieces back apart and starting over, they
have sanded down the edges to make them smooth. This causes huge gouges and
scratching on the items when we have to redo it. This is sad.
We believe that if there comes a time that our repairs must ever be taken
apart
that they can be removed and you should be able to tell that we had ever
worked on the item. This is something like a medical motto, “Do no harm….”
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10. I just don’t know if my item is worth it, can’t you
tell me what to do?
Sorry, but no. We stay out of value. This is a decision you will have to
make on your own, if need be you can take it home and think about it. Your
repair is priced the same whether you have a 1 of a kind priceless antique
or a ceramic cow your daughter made you. Sentiment makes up about 90% of our
business, if you didn’t care about it, why would you bother getting it
fixed? You can’t put a price on sentiment.
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11.
How long until my repair is completed?
Since there are various types of repairs it is expected that the
turn-around time for each would be different.
We try our hardest to return items back to you in a reasonable time
frame.
For example, an item that just has to be put together (bonded), may be 1-2
weeks. The same item if it had glue on it that needed to be cleaned
before we could repair it may take as long as 3 months. This will vary
depending on how easily the glue comes apart and how quickly the item dries
out. We can not re-bond it until it has completely dried from being
cleaned.
If an item has any painting work to be done, that will add additional time to the
repair. A figurine that has to be bonded, filled and with a
touch-up only could take as little
as 2-4 weeks (sometimes less!), but if that same piece needs a
full painted repair it
could take as long as a year if it is major.
So, as you can tell, this can be complex trying to give an accurate
estimation of time. We can give you a better idea based on your
individual items at the time they are left with us.
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12.
When I come to see you with my items, how does it work?
When you first come to see us you should bring the items with you that
you are interested in having repaired.
You do not need to make an appointment to see us. In cases where there may be inclement weather, it would be a good idea to call us first and make sure we are open however.
We will examine each of your items and give you our opinion on what types of repairs will work best for each piece and the cost involved. The verbal estimate is free. We will explain fully the process that the repair will entail. This may vary completely from item to item. We should be able to give you a time frame as to their completion at this point.
When you agree to leave your items with us, we require a 50% deposit for all in town (in Richmond) work. It is 100% for out of town (outside of the Richmond area). You may pay using cash, Visa or MasterCard, or a personal check. You will receive an invoice receipt detailing all of the work involved, cost and what you have paid.
We will contact you when your items are completed.
Normally we wait until all items on an invoice are completed but if you
request we can contact you after a particular item is finished. We
will call you and if you are not reached we will send a post card.
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13.
Is restoration very expensive?
Our costs vary depending on the item that is being repaired. We
have a $50.00 minimum per invoice (this does not necessarily mean per item).
The exception to our minimum cost is crystal polishing
and the repair on Swarovski crystal pieces. It normally cost $22.00 per
glass to polish the rim chips in a goblet or glass. Swarovski prices
vary depending on the number of pieces to be reglued. We CAN NOT get
replacement parts for your Swarovski pieces.
Each item will be given a separate cost after it has been evaluated.
Our prices are based on the amount of time that we estimate will be spent
working on that item.
Our estimates are firm, meaning that if we underestimate the amount of time
spent, we will not charge you extra when you come to pick your item up. We
also cannot negotiate on our prices.
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14. I need an estimate for my moving company (cleaning
service, etc.), can you give me one?
We certainly can provide you with an estimate needed.
Each person is given a free verbal estimate for repair.
In the instances when a written estimate is needed for a moving company, cleaning service or for any other reason we charge a $50.00 written estimate fee. This can include a basic value quote as well. Written estimates are limited to the calendar year they are written in.
If you are going to leave the items with us for repair that day but still need to submit the invoice/estimate we do not charge the written estimate fee, but a 50% deposit is required for all work to be started.
In large fire damage or moving claims the estimate fee
will vary depending on the number of items involved. Please call for
details.
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16.
How do I get my item to you, I live out of town?
You can ship your items to us if you do not live within a drivable
distance or feel you cannot come to our shop.
Please read our How to Ship Page for instruction
on ways to get your items to us!
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17. Where are you located?
We are located in Richmond, Virginia and have been since 1980!
Our address is 5708 Patterson Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, 23226.
Map of our location:
Map of 5708 Patterson Ave
Richmond, VA 23226-2010, US
18.
How do I contact you, do you have regular hours?
We are open Monday - Friday from 10AM - 5 PM and on Saturdays from
10AM - 3 PM.
We are not open on Sundays. We are open many Federal or bank holidays
with the exception of days such as Memorial day, 4th of July, Labor day,
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Days.
Our Christmas/New Years weeks schedule will vary depending on where those particular days fall within the year.
If we are closed for a Holiday our voice mail will indicate our schedule. We are occasionally closed due to inclement weather, if bad weather is called for, please phone us to confirm that we are open- this type of closing may or may not be on our voice mail.
Our phone number is 804-353-9596.
Email us:
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