Two-part epoxy is the best all-around glue for repairing ceramic figurines. It creates a structural bond that can handle stress, temperature changes, and long-term display, curing to a strength of 3,600 PSI or higher depending on the product. Super glue works for quick, clean-break fixes on smooth porcelain, but epoxy is the safer choice for most repairs.
Two-Part Epoxy: The Most Reliable Option
Epoxy comes in two tubes or syringes that you mix together right before applying. Once mixed, it chemically cures into a solid bond that essentially becomes part of the object rather than sitting on the surface. This is why professional ceramic restorers rely on it for everything from porcelain figurines to modern Kintsugi repairs.
The biggest advantage of epoxy for figurines is its ability to bridge small gaps. If your break isn’t perfectly clean, if tiny chips are missing along the fracture line, epoxy is viscous enough to fill those voids and still hold strong. Super glue can’t do this. It only works when both surfaces meet with absolute precision.
Epoxy also resists sideways force (shear stress), which matters for figurines with protruding parts like arms, wings, or tails. A figurine arm that gets bumped from the side needs a glue that won’t snap under lateral pressure. Products like JB Weld offer shear strength around 4,400 PSI and set in about five minutes, so you need to work quickly once it’s mixed. Full cure takes 24 hours.
The trade-off is visibility. Epoxy leaves a thicker glue line than super glue, and some formulas yellow over time. If you’re repairing a white or light-colored figurine, look for a clear epoxy specifically marketed for ceramic or porcelain repair, and test a small amount first.
When Super Glue Makes Sense
Super glue (cyanoacrylate) creates a nearly invisible repair line, which makes it tempting for figurine work. On a glazed porcelain piece with a clean break where both halves fit together perfectly, it can produce a bond you’d struggle to see. Initial bonding happens in 10 to 45 seconds, with full cure in 24 hours.
But super glue has real limitations on ceramics. It resists direct pulling but is brittle under sideways stress, so it tends to snap if the figurine gets knocked or handled. Over time, it yellows and can migrate into surrounding material, permanently staining areas around the repair. This is especially problematic if you plan to touch up the repair with paint later, since the staining can show through or compromise the paint layer.
The biggest issue comes with porous ceramics. Unglazed surfaces like terracotta or bisque pottery absorb super glue before it can form a proper bond, leaving the repair weak or incomplete. If your figurine has any unglazed areas at the break, skip the super glue entirely.
Porosity Matters More Than You Think
Ceramic figurines fall on a wide spectrum of porosity. Dense porcelain absorbs less than 0.5% of its weight in water, while earthenware and terracotta can absorb over 6%. This difference changes how adhesives behave.
On dense, glazed porcelain, both epoxy and super glue can bond effectively to the smooth surface. On porous materials, you need an adhesive thick enough to avoid getting sucked into the clay body. Epoxy’s viscosity keeps it sitting on the surface where it can actually bond, while super glue wicks into the pores and disappears. If you’re unsure how porous your figurine is, put a drop of water on an unglazed area. If it absorbs quickly, treat it as porous and use epoxy.
Filling Missing Chips and Gaps
If your figurine is missing a small piece, like the tip of a finger, a chip from a base, or part of a nose, you need an epoxy putty rather than liquid adhesive. Epoxy putty is a two-part material you knead together by hand, then sculpt into shape before it hardens. Apoxie Sculpt is a popular choice among ceramic artists and takes 24 hours for a full cure.
You can tint epoxy putty with acrylic paint before it cures to roughly match the color of your figurine. Mix a small amount of fluid acrylic into the putty while it’s still workable. This gets you close enough that a thin layer of touch-up paint afterward can blend the repair seamlessly. For larger fills, prop the figurine in a container of sand or PVC pebbles to hold everything in position while the putty cures.
Preparing the Surface
Cleaning is the step most people skip, and it’s the one that determines whether your repair holds. Oil from your fingers, dust, and old adhesive residue all weaken the bond. Before applying any glue, wipe every broken surface with 91% isopropyl alcohol using a soft cloth or soft-bristled brush. This removes hand oils and fine dust that would otherwise sit between the adhesive and the ceramic.
If you’re re-repairing a figurine that was previously glued, you’ll need to remove the old adhesive first. Acetone dissolves most dried adhesives, but test it on an inconspicuous area first. Acetone will instantly damage paint, varnish, or any polymer-based coating. On porous surfaces, dissolved adhesive can absorb into the clay and leave permanent stains, so work carefully and use as little as needed. For stubborn epoxy residue, you may need to gently scrape with a razor blade.
How to Get a Clean Repair
Dry-fit all pieces before mixing any adhesive. Hold them together and make sure you know exactly how they align, because once epoxy starts setting you won’t have time to figure it out. For multi-piece breaks, number the fragments with small pieces of tape and plan your gluing order from the inside out.
Apply a thin, even layer of mixed epoxy to one side of the break only. Press the pieces together firmly, then wipe away any squeeze-out immediately with a cloth dampened with alcohol (for epoxy that hasn’t begun to set) or carefully trim it with a razor blade after it cures. Thicker epoxy lines are the most common cosmetic complaint, so use just enough to coat the surface without excess.
Support the figurine while the glue cures. A container filled with sand works well for this, since you can nestle the piece at whatever angle keeps the repair stable without clamps. Avoid moving or handling the figurine for the full 24-hour cure time, even if the glue feels firm after a few hours. Early handling is the most common reason repairs fail.
Quick Comparison
- Two-part epoxy: Best for most figurine repairs. Fills gaps, handles stress, bonds to porous and non-porous surfaces. Thicker glue line. 24-hour full cure.
- Super glue (gel formula): Good only for clean breaks on glazed, non-porous porcelain. Nearly invisible bond line but brittle, yellows with age, and fails on porous clay.
- Epoxy putty: Use for missing pieces and chips that need to be rebuilt. Sculptable, tintable, 24-hour cure. Not a substitute for liquid epoxy on standard breaks.
For a figurine that sits on a shelf and rarely gets touched, even super glue on a clean break will hold for years. For anything that gets handled, moved, or displayed in a spot where it might get bumped, epoxy is worth the extra few minutes of preparation.