Page 1 of 2

Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 10th, '13, 03:00
by Maitre_Tea
So I figured I'd start a new topic, rather than clog the Show Off page with irrelevant information. So there's a pretty big chip missing from the spout. It pours fine (surprisingly enough), but is there anyway to make it more presentable? I.E. wrap some sort of metal around it?

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 10th, '13, 06:50
by MarshalN
Did you use one of those bone/wooden sticks to try to clear the spout, and ended up with a broken one? As I always say - toothpicks are the way to go there.

If it's pouring ok, I'd just leave it. Your only real options are glue, or filing it down, but this is pretty far down to file. The third option is to try to get some other clay, etc, but that's a pretty complicated process and it might not come out right anyway.

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 10th, '13, 09:02
by gasninja
If you have the missing chip you could use tingjunkies patented jb weld maine edition yixing repair method.

If not kintsugi.
http://listeningtoleaves.blogspot.com/2 ... aware.html

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 10th, '13, 10:15
by tingjunkie
A few ideas...

1) Brandon fixed a gaiwan lid with some silicone caulk and it worked pretty well. Since the silicone is non toxic and food safe, you could theoretically insert a straw into the spout temporarily, and then build up the wall by shaping the silicone around it. Once it dries, remove the straw, trim the silicone, and then wrap some half-round silver wire around it for looks. If you did that, you'd probably want to turn the spout into a flat-ended canon style so the wire would wrap around evenly.

2) If you have access to a kiln or jewlers blow torch, you could try using silver clay to make a cap for the spout. Roll out a sheet, wrap it around, smooth the seams, and trim the excess. I've never worked with this stuff, but have always wanted to give it a try. No guarantees that the pot wouldn't crack. I'd try it though.

3) For a more steampunk look, you could take a food safe metal sheet, wrap it around the spout, and use tiny bolts to hold it on place.

All depends on your mechanical skills.

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 10th, '13, 10:17
by tingjunkie
Or, to be a total bad ass, you could find a hollow animal bone or ivory key from an old piano and carve a spout cap out of it. Then just attach it with the silicone caulk.

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 10th, '13, 10:37
by Maitre_Tea
MarshalN wrote:Did you use one of those bone/wooden sticks to try to clear the spout, and ended up with a broken one? As I always say - toothpicks are the way to go there.
Perhaps by the original owner, but he (my grandfather) doesn't remember or is too embarrassed to admit it. :oops:

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 10th, '13, 12:24
by Drax
I would also recommend a kintsugi type of repair -- kintsugi can handle large missing chunks like the one you have. You'd probably have to find a decent kintsugist, though (yes, I made that word up).

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 11th, '13, 02:16
by Tead Off
Drax wrote:I would also recommend a kintsugi type of repair -- kintsugi can handle large missing chunks like the one you have. You'd probably have to find a decent kintsugist, though (yes, I made that word up).
Kintsugitist or Kintsugitiste. Gold is expensive these days. Silver might be the way to go.

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 11th, '13, 08:23
by Maitre_Tea
Tead Off wrote:
Drax wrote:I would also recommend a kintsugi type of repair -- kintsugi can handle large missing chunks like the one you have. You'd probably have to find a decent kintsugist, though (yes, I made that word up).
Kintsugitist or Kintsugitiste. Gold is expensive these days. Silver might be the way to go.
Just curious, how expensive is a kintsugi type of repair? And how would go about getting such a repair, in either the United States or Asia (Taiwan)?

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 11th, '13, 08:33
by paul haigh
Do you have the pieces that are missing?

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 11th, '13, 09:50
by Tead Off
Maitre_Tea wrote:
Tead Off wrote:
Drax wrote:I would also recommend a kintsugi type of repair -- kintsugi can handle large missing chunks like the one you have. You'd probably have to find a decent kintsugist, though (yes, I made that word up).
Kintsugitist or Kintsugitiste. Gold is expensive these days. Silver might be the way to go.
Just curious, how expensive is a kintsugi type of repair? And how would go about getting such a repair, in either the United States or Asia (Taiwan)?
Yellow Pages? Kintsugitism?

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 11th, '13, 10:55
by Maitre_Tea
paul haigh wrote:Do you have the pieces that are missing?

No, it went missing way way long ago

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 11th, '13, 23:39
by tingjunkie
Forget affording kintsugi. You'd be lucky just to find someone who could do it.

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 12th, '13, 03:59
by jayinhk
I would avoid silicone sealant for health reasons: a press fit would be much safer. Perhaps a good potter could make you a perfect replacement spout out of porcelain. I was at a very fancy Chinese crafts store yesterday and saw a Yixing teapot with a wenge handle and spout. Never seen anything like it!

Re: Fixing Teapot's Spout

Posted: Feb 12th, '13, 09:09
by gasninja
I am thinking about giving the silver clay a shot.
I have an older shui ping with a broken spout ,a torch and a kiln.
I'll post pics when I give it a shot.