A hairline crack

[GaoShan]

GaoShan - is that crazing of the glaze or do the cracks go all the way through the clay body? (I guess if water eventually seeps then it is the clay)

I would expect crazing of the glaze as it will expand/contract at different rates, but the clay should be hardier.

I was hoping most of it was crazing as well, but I tested it again with cold water and the entire side of the teapot became damp almost immediately. After a few minutes, there was a damp patch on my tea towel on that side of the pot. I'm sure these pots are difficult/expensive to replace, which is why I'm hoping to repair this one somehow.

[pedant]

i would just use it and accept that it weeps.

[GaoShan]

i would just use it and accept that it weeps.

Is this a thing that teapots do? I thought that if one session produced this much cracking, more sessions might completely destroy the pot. Then I would be the one weeping.

[Baisao]

GaoShan - is that crazing of the glaze or do the cracks go all the way through the clay body? (I guess if water eventually seeps then it is the clay)

I would expect crazing of the glaze as it will expand/contract at different rates, but the clay should be hardier.

I was hoping most of it was crazing as well, but I tested it again with cold water and the entire side of the teapot became damp almost immediately. After a few minutes, there was a damp patch on my tea towel on that side of the pot. I'm sure these pots are difficult/expensive to replace, which is why I'm hoping to repair this one somehow.

The old rice water trick might help. I doubt it would hurt (or totally eliminate the leaking).

[GaoShan]

GaoShan - is that crazing of the glaze or do the cracks go all the way through the clay body? (I guess if water eventually seeps then it is the clay)

I would expect crazing of the glaze as it will expand/contract at different rates, but the clay should be hardier.

I was hoping most of it was crazing as well, but I tested it again with cold water and the entire side of the teapot became damp almost immediately. After a few minutes, there was a damp patch on my tea towel on that side of the pot. I'm sure these pots are difficult/expensive to replace, which is why I'm hoping to repair this one somehow.

The old rice water trick might help. I doubt it would hurt (or totally eliminate the leaking).

Could you explain what this trick is? I've never heard of it.

Edited to add: I googled this trick and it looks like it's intended to fix pieces for display rather than to make them serviceable again for drinking tea. Have you had success with this method?

[Baisao]

@GaoShan - I have never used it on a teapot but it is often recommended for weepy kettles. The idea is to make a very thin paste from water and rice, then use this thin paste to fill internal pores and cracks of kettles. It needs to be thin enough that it seeps into the pores and cracks. The rice starch dries and seals the holes.

[Bok]

@GaoShan for cracked bodies, the only thing that will provide some stability, although it won't stop the weeping, are staples. This might hold off further damage.

[LeoFox]

Before I started on my exhaustive quest to find a good Taiwanese oolong pot, I bought this wood-fired teapot that I loved, but that broke during my first session with it. There are multiple hairline cracks through which water eventually seeps, and I was wondering if there was any way to repair this pot so it's still usable. I also wonder whether, even if I repair it, the pot will keep cracking because of issues with the clay/firing.

I think the drippy glaze is beautiful and would like to rehabilitate this pot, but have limited repair skills and don't want to waste time on something that can't be fixed.

Sorry for the bad pictures; I hope you can see where the cracks are.

How can you already love this pot when you've only had 1 session - and it cracks and leaks like this?

To me, it sounds like there is something very wrong with the pot and probably not suitable for brewing tea. You can imagine if microbes start growing in those cracks and between the glaze and the clay. No good.

[GaoShan]

GaoShan for cracked bodies, the only thing that will provide some stability, although it won't stop the weeping, are staples. This might hold off further damage.

Thanks. I have a feeling this isn't something easy I can do at home. Are there professionals who do this, and how much can it cost? I got a refund for the pot, so I'd be doing it to keep something pretty and have another tea-making tool.

[GaoShan]

Before I started on my exhaustive quest to find a good Taiwanese oolong pot, I bought this wood-fired teapot that I loved, but that broke during my first session with it. There are multiple hairline cracks through which water eventually seeps, and I was wondering if there was any way to repair this pot so it's still usable. I also wonder whether, even if I repair it, the pot will keep cracking because of issues with the clay/firing.

I think the drippy glaze is beautiful and would like to rehabilitate this pot, but have limited repair skills and don't want to waste time on something that can't be fixed.

Sorry for the bad pictures; I hope you can see where the cracks are.

How can you already love this pot when you've only had 1 session - and it cracks and leaks like this?

To me, it sounds like there is something very wrong with the pot and probably not suitable for brewing tea. You can imagine if microbes start growing in those cracks and between the glaze and the clay. No good.

It was my first serious, expensive, aesthetically pleasing clay teapot, so while "loved" might be a bit of an exaggeration, I was unhappy when it broke. I also thought it made good tea, though having had only one session with it, that might have been my imagination.

I never considered that microbes could get into the cracks. Maybe this pot will have to be ornamental.

[Bok]

GaoShan for cracked bodies, the only thing that will provide some stability, although it won't stop the weeping, are staples. This might hold off further damage.

Thanks. I have a feeling this isn't something easy I can do at home. Are there professionals who do this, and how much can it cost? I got a refund for the pot, so I'd be doing it to keep something pretty and have another tea-making tool.

Ya, not easy to do by yourself and not recommended to first time try with an object you hold dear.

I don’t know about where you live but I imagine it running into half of what you likely paid for this pot including shipping it back and fourth…

But as Leo mentioned, it might not be worth it as it sounds like the pot has been misfired.

Usually new Taiwanese pots will not immediately perform well, so I think it might have been wishful thinking…

[LeoFox]

Before I started on my exhaustive quest to find a good Taiwanese oolong pot, I bought this wood-fired teapot that I loved, but that broke during my first session with it. There are multiple hairline cracks through which water eventually seeps, and I was wondering if there was any way to repair this pot so it's still usable. I also wonder whether, even if I repair it, the pot will keep cracking because of issues with the clay/firing.

I think the drippy glaze is beautiful and would like to rehabilitate this pot, but have limited repair skills and don't want to waste time on something that can't be fixed.

Sorry for the bad pictures; I hope you can see where the cracks are.

How can you already love this pot when you've only had 1 session - and it cracks and leaks like this?

To me, it sounds like there is something very wrong with the pot and probably not suitable for brewing tea. You can imagine if microbes start growing in those cracks and between the glaze and the clay. No good.

It was my first serious, expensive, aesthetically pleasing clay teapot, so while "loved" might be a bit of an exaggeration, I was unhappy when it broke. I also thought it made good tea, though having had only one session with it, that might have been my imagination.

I never considered that microbes could get into the cracks. Maybe this pot will have to be ornamental.

You could test if cooler water - less than 80 C, still leaks. If not - you could repurpose this as a water cooler for Japanese teas.

Or you can use it as a decanter for alcohol

[GaoShan]

GaoShan for cracked bodies, the only thing that will provide some stability, although it won't stop the weeping, are staples. This might hold off further damage.

Thanks. I have a feeling this isn't something easy I can do at home. Are there professionals who do this, and how much can it cost? I got a refund for the pot, so I'd be doing it to keep something pretty and have another tea-making tool.

Ya, not easy to do by yourself and not recommended to first time try with an object you hold dear.

I don’t know about where you live but I imagine it running into half of what you likely paid for this pot including shipping it back and fourth…

But as Leo mentioned, it might not be worth it as it sounds like the pot has been misfired.

Usually new Taiwanese pots will not immediately perform well, so I think it might have been wishful thinking…

I figured it would be expensive. This was one of a batch of pots that were priced around US$160 and being offered at 50% off during Black Friday. I was thrilled that I might actually be able to own a wood-fired pot for that amount. When it broke and I complained, the vendor said I was the only one to have problems and the other pots were fine. Nonetheless, I was given a refund. Who knows if the other buyers are still happily using their windfall pots and counting their pennies!

[GaoShan]

How can you already love this pot when you've only had 1 session - and it cracks and leaks like this?

To me, it sounds like there is something very wrong with the pot and probably not suitable for brewing tea. You can imagine if microbes start growing in those cracks and between the glaze and the clay. No good.

It was my first serious, expensive, aesthetically pleasing clay teapot, so while "loved" might be a bit of an exaggeration, I was unhappy when it broke. I also thought it made good tea, though having had only one session with it, that might have been my imagination.

I never considered that microbes could get into the cracks. Maybe this pot will have to be ornamental.

You could test if cooler water - less than 80 C, still leaks. If not - you could repurpose this as a water cooler for Japanese teas.

Or you can use it as a decanter for alcohol

I tested it with cool tap water and it did leak, though relatively slowly. It might still work as a water cooler.

[LeoFox]

It was my first serious, expensive, aesthetically pleasing clay teapot, so while "loved" might be a bit of an exaggeration, I was unhappy when it broke. I also thought it made good tea, though having had only one session with it, that might have been my imagination.

I never considered that microbes could get into the cracks. Maybe this pot will have to be ornamental.

You could test if cooler water - less than 80 C, still leaks. If not - you could repurpose this as a water cooler for Japanese teas.

Or you can use it as a decanter for alcohol

I tested it with cool tap water and it did leak, though relatively slowly. It might still work as a water cooler.

I'm curious- how did you use the pot during your first session? Did you take this into consideration:

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