How much clay do I need?
Pick a form (or enter your own throwing weight), set the quantity and how much you lose to trimming, and get the total in pounds and bags.
You need
57.0 lb (25.9 kg)
≈ 2.3 standard 25 lb bags — buy 3 to be safe.
Typical throwing weights
Starting points for common functional forms — your own weights depend on style and trimming habits. Total = weight × quantity × (1 + waste%).
| Form | Clay (g) | Clay (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso cup | 250 | 0.6 |
| Tumbler | 350 | 0.8 |
| Mug | 450 | 1.0 |
| Cereal bowl | 650 | 1.4 |
| Side plate | 700 | 1.5 |
| Serving bowl | 1400 | 3.1 |
| Dinner plate | 1100 | 2.4 |
| Small vase | 900 | 2.0 |
| Large vase | 1600 | 3.5 |
| Pitcher | 1500 | 3.3 |
| Casserole + lid | 2200 | 4.9 |
| Teapot + lid | 1200 | 2.6 |
Why the waste percentage matters
Between trimming scraps, throwing slop, handles that crack, and the piece that goes wonky, production potters commonly plan 10-20% over the raw math. Reclaim gets some of it back, but not in time for this run — so buy for the waste, reclaim for the next batch.
Planning a whole production run?
Claybench turns "60 mugs by the fair" into a week-by-week plan — clay totals, drying windows, kiln loads.