Repair guide
How to attach a fibreglass ornament to a glazed ceramic base
Glaze is the difficult half. It is glass-hard and completely non-porous, so the bond depends entirely on abrading it back to a matt key and using a gap-filling two-part epoxy.
The short answer
Abrade the glaze where the ornament sits until it is visibly matt, key the fibreglass the same way, then bond with a two-part epoxy. Glazed ceramic gives an adhesive nothing to grip unless you break the glossy surface first, and epoxy is the right family because it fills the small gap left by two curved or uneven faces without shrinking.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time needed
- 20 minutes work, 24 hours cure
- What you need
- Two-part epoxy, 120 grit abrasive paper or a small abrasive stick, isopropyl alcohol, masking tape or modelling clay, pencil, mixing card
Anything glued to a glaze without abrading it is relying on adhesion to what is effectively glass. Some adhesives manage that for a while, none of them manage it under load, and the usual result is that the piece comes off cleanly with the glue still attached to it.
Fibreglass has a different problem. The moulded surface carries release wax from manufacture, and gel coat is smooth enough to behave a bit like the glaze. Abrading it removes the wax and exposes the resin underneath.
Because the two faces are rarely a perfect match, the joint usually has a gap somewhere. Epoxy is happy filling up to a couple of millimetres and keeps its strength doing it, which cyanoacrylate cannot. If the gap is larger than that, use a thickened or gel epoxy rather than piling up the standard sort.
Step by step
- Mark the contact area on the ceramic with a pencil while dry fitting.
- Abrade inside the pencil mark with 120 grit until the shine is gone and the area is uniformly matt.
- Abrade the bonding face of the fibreglass the same way to remove gel coat sheen and any release wax.
- Wipe both with isopropyl alcohol and let it evaporate fully.
- Mix two-part epoxy to the ratio on the pack, using a gel or thickened grade if the faces do not meet neatly.
- Apply to both faces in a thin layer, then a slightly thicker bead on whichever face has the gap.
- Press the ornament into place and support it so it cannot slide while curing. Modelling clay or tape works.
- Leave it 24 hours before handling and a further day before it goes anywhere it can be knocked.
What to avoid
Do not glue straight onto an untouched glaze. The bond will look fine and fail the first time it is picked up.
Do not use hot melt glue. It has almost no grip on glaze and creeps under its own weight.
Do not fill a big gap with ordinary runny epoxy. Use a thickened grade or the joint sags and cures with voids in it.
If the ceramic is antique or valuable, test your abrading on the underside first, because the matt patch is permanent. Wear gloves with uncured epoxy and keep dust out of your eyes when abrading glaze.
The full bonding guide
Everything about gluing GRP / fibreglass to Glazed ceramic
Last reviewed 13 September 2026.