Bisque Fix is AMACO's answer to a common studio problem: a handle snaps off or a crack opens after the bisque firing, and the pot is too far along to reclaim. This review covers what AMACO says the paste does, how to use it, what it does not promise, and the alternatives when it is the wrong tool.
It is research-based. We read AMACO's product page and dealer listings from Blick and Clay-King. We have not repaired or fired pieces with it, and we say so where AMACO's data stops.
Verdict
Bisque Fix is a sensible jar to keep on the shelf if you make functional or decorative pots and sometimes lose a piece at the bisque stage. It handles both bonding and filling, fires across a wide range up to cone 10, and can be tinted to match your clay.
It is not a guarantee. AMACO publishes no figures for strength, shrinkage or water tightness of a repair, and it describes the product for bisque only. Treat a mended pot as decorative until it has proven itself. The 4 oz jar typically costs about $25 to $35 at US sellers in October 2026; check the live price.
Bisque Fix specs
| Spec | AMACO | Dealer listings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | White paste | White paste | Applied with a spatula |
| Use | Mending bisque: bond pieces or fill cavities | Same wording at Blick and Clay-King | Greenware not mentioned |
| Firing | Up to cone 10, 2,381°F (1,305°C) | Cone 10 (Blick) | Fire to your clay and glaze temperature |
| Size | Not stated on the page we read | 4 oz (118 ml) | Size from Blick and Clay-King |
| Color | White; tint with metal oxides or ceramic stains | Same | Match your clay body |
| Food safety | Not published by the maker | Not stated | Do not rely on a mended food surface |
| Safety label | California Prop 65 warning for ceramic fibers | Not stated | Avoid making dust |
AMACO's Bisque Fix page gives cone 10 as 2,381°F (1,305°C). Other AMACO glaze pages quote cone values at a slower heating rate, and published cone 10 figures differ with heating rate. Check our pottery cone chart for context.
What Bisque Fix does
AMACO describes Bisque Fix as "an excellent mending material for bisque that can be used to bond pieces together or fill up broken cavities". In practice that covers two jobs:
- Bonding: reattaching a broken handle, knob, foot or chip to a bisque-fired piece.
- Filling: packing a crack, chip or small hole so the glaze firing has a solid surface to cover.
Because the paste is fired, it becomes ceramic rather than staying a glue. That is the key difference from epoxies, which cannot go in a kiln.
How to use Bisque Fix
- Make sure the bisque is clean and dry. Brush off loose crumbs over a damp sponge rather than blowing dust.
- Stir the paste. If you stored it under water, pour the water off and remix, as AMACO directs.
- Tint the paste with a metal oxide or ceramic stain if you want it to match a colored clay.
- Apply with a spatula: butter both faces for a bond, or press it firmly into a crack or chip to fill.
- Scrape away excess and let it dry.
- Glaze as normal, then fire "to the temperature of the clay and glaze that you are using", up to cone 10.
- To store, AMACO says to put a thin layer of water in the jar, recap it and pour the water off next time.
Mark repaired pots with a small dot of underglaze on the foot so you remember which pieces carry a mend, and fire them on a cookie the first time in case the joint moves.
Can Bisque Fix repair cracks before glaze firing?
Yes, that is its intended use. AMACO tells you to apply it to bisque and then fire to your clay and glaze temperature, which means the repair goes through the glaze firing with the pot. AMACO does not say whether a filled crack will stay closed, so expect some repairs to show a line, and keep the piece decorative until you are confident.
Why the crack happened matters too. Cracks from uneven drying or thick bases often return. Our pages on bone dry clay and bisque firing cover the causes.
Does Bisque Fix work on greenware?
AMACO only describes Bisque Fix as a mending material for bisque, and none of the listings we read mention greenware. Unfired clay is better repaired with clay itself: score both faces, join with slip, and dry the piece slowly. See our clay slip guide and the greenware page.
When a bisque repair is worth trying
Not every break is a good candidate. A clean break with two pieces that fit back together, a chipped rim or a small crack in a decorative piece are the jobs Bisque Fix is described for. A pot that crumbles, has many cracks, or has a split running through its base is usually better remade.
Think about load as well. A mended handle on a mug carries weight full of hot liquid, and AMACO publishes no strength figures for a repair. A mended knob on a lidded jar or a filled chip on a vase asks much less of the joint.
Glazing over a repair
Bisque Fix is white, so it will show under a transparent glaze on darker clay unless you tint it. An opaque or breaking glaze hides a seam better than a clear one. A fluid glaze can also move over the joint during firing, which helps cover it but adds drip risk, so fire the piece on a cookie.
After the glaze firing, look closely along the repair for a hairline gap or a dry line where the glaze pulled away. If you see one, keep the piece for display rather than daily use.
Tinting Bisque Fix to match your clay
AMACO says the paste "can be colored to match the bisque using metal oxides or ceramic stains", but it does not publish ratios. Start with a very small amount of colorant, mix it in fully, and add more in small steps, writing down what you used. Red iron oxide is the usual choice for buff and brown bodies, and a stain in your clay's color suits colored clays.
Colors change in the kiln, so smear the tinted paste on a scrap of the same bisque, glaze it as you would the pot, and fire the scrap first. Oxides are concentrated, so handle them with gloves and wet cleanup, and keep a separate spatula for mixing.
Bisque Fix vs glue
Glues and epoxies are applied after the final firing and never go back in the kiln. Bisque Fix is applied before the glaze firing and becomes part of the fired piece. If your pot is already glaze fired, Bisque Fix is the wrong product; a cold repair is the only option, and you should follow that product's own label on food contact.
Common mistakes
- Using it on greenware, which AMACO does not describe.
- Firing above the clay's own cone just because the paste is rated to cone 10.
- Leaving a white seam under a clear glaze on dark clay instead of tinting the paste.
- Putting a mended mug straight into daily use without watching the joint.
What Bisque Fix does well
- One paste for both bonding and filling.
- Fires across a wide range, up to cone 10, so it suits low-fire and stoneware work.
- Tintable with oxides or stains to blend with colored clay.
- Stores well under a thin layer of water, per AMACO.
Weak points
- No published strength, shrinkage or absorption data for a finished repair.
- Food safety of a mended surface is not addressed by AMACO.
- Bisque only, as described; it does not replace good joining at the greenware stage.
- Small 4 oz jar, priced like a specialty product.
- Prop 65 warning for ceramic fibers, so dust from sanding or scraping needs care.
AMACO Bisque Fix
Picked because it is the best-known fired mending paste for bisque at US pottery suppliers, and AMACO publishes clear directions for applying, firing, tinting and storing it.
- Form: White paste, 4 oz (dealer listings)
- Firing: Up to cone 10, 2,381°F (1,305°C)
- Use: Bond bisque pieces or fill cavities
- Tint: Metal oxides or ceramic stains
Pros
- Fires into a ceramic repair
- Bonds and fills
- Wide cone range
- Tintable
Cons
- No published strength data
- Bisque only
- Small jar
Who should skip it: Anyone repairing greenware, or fixing a fired pot that will hold food or drink.
Safety notes
AMACO's page carries a California Prop 65 warning for ceramic fibers "of respirable size". Do not sand a dry repair without a NIOSH-approved respirator, wet wipe your bench, and never dry sweep. See clay dust safety. A mended pot used for food or drink is your own risk: AMACO makes no food-safe claim for the repair.
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
Buy Bisque Fix if you lose the odd handle, foot or rim chip after bisque firing and the piece matters to you, or if you teach and want a quick way to save a student's work. Skip it if most of your breakage happens in greenware, where slip joins are free, or if the damage is on a finished, glaze-fired pot.
Alternatives
- Greenware: slip and scoring, described in our clay slip guide.
- Badly damaged pots: start again and recycle the clay before bisque with our clay reclaim guide.
- Glaze-fired pieces: a decorative repair such as kintsugi pottery repair, which uses no kiln.
Sources: AMACO Bisque Fix product page (shop.amaco.com); dealer listings for AMACO Bisque Fix at Blick and Clay-King. Research-based, not hands-on. Specs checked October 2026.