Martha Stewart's field trip to Center Art Studio, broadcast March 4th on Martha Stewart Living television.
	Martha approached Lansing Moore, proprietor of Center Art Studio, to repair two antique vessels--a terra-cotta urn and an enormous Italian flower pot. The studio generally does not hide an object’s repairs since they will become part of its history. And it is essential that a repair is able to be reversed so the object can be better restored as new techniques develop.

				Lansing notes that one of Martha’s pots was repaired with metal staples about a hundred years ago. Today the same repair might have been made using glue and putty.
			For most projects, Lansing and his staff use water-soluble wood glues, so that the restoration is reversible. Harder glues like epoxies and silicone adhesive can be difficult to undo.

						Duct tape holds the pieces together while the glue dries. Since a severe break can change the shape of a pot, Lansing examines the reassembled piece looking for gaps and cracks.
				Using Dap Spackle tinted to match the pot, he fills in the areas as needed; the tinted putty assures that the fill-color appears uniform even if scratched.
							After the fill dries, Lansing sands and sculpts the surface, then seals it with a protective silica seal.
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