Repairing a gaiwan

[Suutej_Tsaj]

So I broke the lid of my gaiwan. It currently sits in three pieces on my kitchen table and I'm wondering: how do I repair it? It's made of porcelain so I'm not sure using super glue would be the best option. Also, is there a risk that any kind of glue might melt because of the heat over long periods of time?

[jayinhk]

So I broke the lid of my gaiwan. It currently sits in three pieces on my kitchen table and I'm wondering: how do I repair it? It's made of porcelain so I'm not sure using super glue would be the best option. Also, is there a risk that any kind of glue might melt because of the heat over long periods of time?

Buy a new gaiwan!

[miig]

If you really like this Gaiwan, there is a Japanese Potter in Berlin who can do authentic Kintsugi. Its not all too expensive, if the lid is broken in two pieces, probably no more than 20€. Her homepage is tsugi.de, you can send her pictures of the damaged piece and she'll tell you how much it will cost.
If its a thin porcelain lid, Kintsugi will probably not work (I had a similar request), but she can do it very well with 2-component-glue.

[pedant]

yep, buy a new gaiwan.

if your gaiwan is special, use epoxy. many are supposedly non-toxic when cured.
for example jbweld: http://www.jbweld.com/pages/faqs
jbweld is pretty good stuff, but it cures to a dark charcoal grey color, so that might not be your top choice.

[Emily@Adagio]

I kind of agree with other posters. I would buy a new one. Unless you know a potter who might be able to fix it for you.

I'd be afraid to use any glues to fix it yourself, because you never know how those might react to heat and what chemicals might leach out when introduced to hot water.

[jayinhk]

I kind of agree with other posters. I would buy a new one. Unless you know a potter who might be able to fix it for you.

I'd be afraid to use any glues to fix it yourself, because you never know how those might react to heat and what chemicals might leach out when introduced to hot water.

I don't even trust the (supposedly) safe glues! If you buy an identical gaiwan, or one that matches, or is smaller even, then you have spare parts. If you buy a smaller gaiwan, the lid can be used with the existing gaiwan to brew a smaller volume.

[Suutej_Tsaj]

Thank you all.
I don' trust super glues myself so I'll probably buy a new gaiwan.
I'll also take a look at that Japanese potter. This was my first (and actually only) gaiwan so I'd love to see it brought back to life.