NO OBLIGATION INITIAL ESTIMATE: FREE
I can provide an initial estimate from good, clear photographs or jpegs. Please ensure you also
send in measurements, maker's marks, full-views of the object and close-ups of the damage.
These may be emailed or snail-mailed to
me.
SENDING YOUR OBJECT:
If you choose to proceed, you should deliver or mail your item, double-boxed and insured for full replacement
value, to 'The Antiques Boutique, Tickle Trout Lodge, RR#3 Baddeck, Nova Scotia B0E 1B0 Canada'. Upon receipt of the item, I will
clean and thoroughly examine it. If further damage or problems come to light (sometimes cleaning reveals hairlines, damage or previous
restoration of which the owner was not aware) or I need to revise an initial estimate for some reason, I will discuss it with you.
You will receive a written contract detailing the scope of work and the agreed-upon price. I ask for a minimal 10% deposit upon return
of your signed contract. Full payment is due at the completion of work; return shipping with insurance is at cost or you may collect
your restored piece (by appointment, please.) It is recommended that you insure your piece for full replacement value whilst it is
out of your possession. The Antiques Boutique does not provide insurance.
TIMEFRAME:
Conservation & restoration work is currently
performed between October - May - although you may send me your item at any time of the year & I will hold it until time permits
me to work on it. Turnaround time is generally from 6 to 12 weeks from start of work, but does depend on the complexity
of the restoration. Depending on the amount of work in hand new commissions are not usually begun immediately they are received. The
restoration process, if done properly, can take a great deal of time- even so-called "simple" jobs and a client's patience is required.
MUSEUM
REPAIR: This entails: cleaning, removing stains if necessary or required, reconstructing with any saved pieces using proprietary
non-browning glues appropriate to the type of ceramic body, stabilising cracks so that they don't travel any further, filling any
missing pieces, modelling and/or moulding with a close-as-possible colour matched product, sanding. This is the most cost-effective
choice, but be aware that the repairs and patched sections will likely be visible (depending how busy the decoration on the item may
be) because a museum repair does not include inpainting or pattern matching. This is an excellent choice for a piece that does not
receive close scrutiny, or one that you want to conserve in its historic state.
FULL RESTORATION:
This is a much more extensive process. This
entails ALL the steps of a museum repair, then these additional steps: filling of cracks and joins on visible surfaces, sanding,
color matching of restored areas, inpainting of any design by hand and/or airbrush, glazing of restored areas, layer by layer recreation
of special effects such as crazing, pitting, potting defects, enamelling, etc, re-gilding if required, finishing.
FEES:
I
base my services on an hourly rate, including materials and labour. There is a minimum charge for restoration services of C$25
per item.
PLEASE NOTE:
Restoration is a painstaking & time-consuming task. I hope you understand that I will not compromise
my standards to meet a deadline. I therefore cannot guarantee completion by a specific date. But be assured I will do my best to offer
and meet a realistic timeframe.