You need :
 

• A cardboard or plastic box with lid to dry out your piece.
• Urushi, *red urushi for gold metal colour , black urushi for silver metallic colour is recommended.
• Pallet to mix urushi.
• A fine paintbrush for urushi
• Spatula
• Pure gum turpentine / turps to dilute urushi
• Isopropanol to clean urushi and oil.
• Metallic powder. *Brass, silver and gold leaf powder are common. Brass powder is not recommended for direct contact with food. There is no need to apply metallic powder simply for a repair. Metallic powder is for embellishment.
• Dusting brush
• Silk wadding / silk floss

 

Prepare the humid box by placing a cup of water or a wet cloth in the box. Keep the lid on.

Put two drops urushi on the palette. Dilute with one or two drops of turpentine to try. Mix with the spatula. 

Apply urushi along the break or chip to seal glue and putty. To obtain a nice smooth surface, you can apply thin urushi layers 3-4 times 12 hours apart for each application. 

Place the piece in the humid box. Leave about 15-30 minute before brass powder application, 20-45 minutes for silver and gold leaf powder application.
​This timing varies and is dependent on thickness of urushi, temperature, humidity etc. 

Remove from the box. Apply metallic powder using the dusting brush like tapping  off cigarette ash.
​Once urushi is covered with powder, dust off excess powder using the tip of the dusting brush gently. To avoid breaking the surface of the urushi. Return to the box.

Remove from the box after approx. 30 minutes to 1 hour. Make a firm small ball out of silk wadding, and stroke gently over the surface of metallic powder to remove excess and to polish.
​You need to polish twice or three times within 24 hours. * No need to keep in the humid box after 24 hours, but store safely. 

One week later, wash off excess powder with soapy. 
Silver and gold finishes need vanish. See page “Sealing, Polishing silver and gold finish"