Pottery (wheel throwing)
Center a ball of clay on a spinning wheel, open it and pull up the walls. A beginner course at a community studio supplies the wheel, the clay and the kiln.
What it is like
Wheel throwing is shaping clay on a spinning potter’s wheel: a ball of clay rising into a cylinder between two hands. Once learned it is fast: the wheel let potters make many more pots per hour than by hand (Wikipedia). The first weeks, though, go into one move, centering, pressing the spinning clay until it runs true. Off-center clay gives distorted shapes and pots that collapse or crack later, as the University of the Pacific’s open ceramics textbook puts it.
A common way in is a six-week course at a community studio. The two we checked cost $300 and $350, with 25 pounds of clay included and the wheels provided; taken back to back, courses at that price come to about $215 a month, the monthly figure on this page. A wheel of your own can come later. Thrown pots then follow the same slow road as all fired pottery: drying to leather-hard, trimming, slow drying to bone-dry, a bisque firing, glazing and a glaze firing.
The skill is in the hands and in the timing. Wet hands, a medium speed and steady pressure center the clay; one hand inside and one outside raise the walls; and trimming, done when a thumbnail just marks the base, can turn a heavy pot into one that is a pleasure to hold, in the words of the potter Richard Phethean. Left until the trimmings come off like iron filings, the clay is too dry to trim.
- A session
- A class is usually two and a half to three hours (6:00 to 8:30 or 6:00 to 9:00 at the two studios we checked).
- A week
- One class a week for six weeks; some courses add open studio hours for practice.
- Season
- All year, indoors.
Indoors · Solo, For two, A club
Kinds and styles
A motor turns the wheel head and a foot pedal sets the speed, like a sewing machine. The common choice in craft studios and schools, and many can turn either way.
A heavy flywheel at floor level is kept turning by the potter's foot, leaving both hands free. Human-powered wheels are still preferred by some studio potters.
A small electric wheel that sits on a table, with a hand lever or a pedal. Makers rate them for 20 to 25 pounds of clay, far more than a beginner throws at once.
The first form taught, because every other shape starts from it: walls pulled straight up from a centered, opened ball.
Opened wider, then curved from the inside against a hand on the outside, and trimmed later with a foot ring.
Opened wide and shallow on a thicker floor that is compressed with fingers or a rib, so it does not crack in an S shape as it dries.
Is it for you?
You will probably love it if
- You want round, even pots (mugs, bowls, cylinders) and like repeating a motion until it is right
- A weekly evening class at a studio fits your schedule
- Wet, slip-covered hands and splashed clothes do not bother you
Maybe not, if
- There is no studio or wheel class within reach; a wheel of your own comes later, not first
- You want a finished piece the same week; drying and two firings take time
- You mostly want to sculpt figures or square forms; throwing makes only round, symmetrical shapes
What to buy first
- 01Six-week beginner wheel course, 25 lb of clay includedWheel use, teaching and a bag of clay; the two studios we checked also include open studio time or the glazing and firing$325
- 02Pottery tool kit, 8 piecesWire cutter, needle tool, ribbon (loop) tools, wooden tools and a sponge, if the studio does not lend themFind it on Amazon$13
- 03Elephant ear spongeA fine natural sponge for smoothing rims and soaking up water that pools inside a potFind it on Amazon$5
- Everything you need to beginAbout $215 a month after that$343
Typical US prices for entry-level gear, rounded. Last checked October 2026. How we get the numbers
The Amazon links open a search for that type of item, not a product chosen for us, and the prices in the list are our typical figures, or the listing of the shop a line names, not Amazon's price for any listing. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
What to buy next
- 01Loop trimming toolsA sharp steel loop pares away leather-hard clay; Phethean prefers wire loops, also called ribbon toolsFind it on Amazon Trimming your own feet
- 02Plastic batsA bat is a thin slab that supports the pot while it is shaped; check the bat pin spacing of the wheel you use (Speedball's Boss wheels take the universal 10 in spacing)Find it on Amazon Wide bowls and plates
- 03CalipersTo measure a rim and size a lid or a foot ring to itFind it on Amazon Lids and sets
- 04Studio membershipWheel time by the month after the course; check how much clay and firing it includes Once the course ends
- 05A wheel of your ownSee the comparison below; a tabletop wheel for small pieces, a floor wheel with a pedal for everything else Throwing every week at home
No prices here on purpose: these are later buys, and what to spend depends on how far the hobby has taken you. The Amazon links work like the ones above: a search for the type of item, and a possible commission for us at no extra cost to you.
Pottery wheels compared
Six wheels from three makers, from small tabletop models to studio floor wheels. Centering capacity is the most clay the maker says the wheel can center; a beginner works with one to two pounds.
| Model | Type | Specs | Who it suits | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shimpo Aspire | Tabletop wheel | 100 W DC motor; 20 lb centering; 7 in wheel head with bat pins, two 9¾ in bats included; 0 to 230 rpm; hand lever, foot pedal kit sold separately; turns counterclockwise as standard, clockwise must be ordered; 25 lb; 5-year warranty | Throwing small pieces at a table, or a hand lever instead of a pedal | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Speedball Artista | Tabletop wheel | 1/3 HP motor; 25 lb centering; 11 in wheel head; 0 to 220 rpm hand control; two-part splash pan; sold in right- and left-handed versions, and the direction cannot be changed later; 5-year warranty | Small pieces at home; pick the handed version when ordering | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Shimpo VL-Lite | Lightweight floor wheel, belt drive | 100 W reversible motor; 25 lb centering; 12 in wheel head; 0 to 250 rpm; remote foot pedal; two-piece splash pan; 51 lb, light enough to carry; 5-year warranty | A pedal wheel that can be moved between rooms | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Speedball Clay Boss | Floor wheel | 0.5 HP motor; 100 lb centering; 14 in wheel head; 0 to 240 rpm foot pedal; reversing plug for left- or right-handed throwing; two-part splash pan; 68 lb; 10-year warranty | A full-size home wheel with room to grow | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Brent Model B | Floor wheel, belt drive | 1/2 HP DC motor; up to 150 lb of clay; 14 in wheel head with bat pins; 0 to 240 rpm; forward and reverse switch; splash pan and a 14 in bat included; 10-year warranty | Big pots; Brent says it handles 150 lb continuously | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Shimpo VL-Whisper | Floor wheel, direct drive | 1/2 HP (400 W) brushless direct-drive motor, no belt; 100 lb centering; 14 in wheel head drilled for bat pins; 0 to 250 rpm, both directions; legs come off for tabletop use; 120 lb; 5-year warranty; Shimpo warns it may be harmful to a person with a pacemaker | A very quiet studio wheel, for anyone without a pacemaker | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
How we put this together. All figures come from the makers' own product pages (Shimpo, Brent by AMACO, Speedball), read on 26 October 2026; no prices, because they change. We have not thrown on these wheels side by side. Skutt's Thomas Stuart wheels are not in the table: we did not read their model pages for this version. Checked on 26 October 2026. There are no prices in this table: the Amazon link searches for the exact model, and we may earn a commission if you buy through it.
From a ball of clay to a trimmed bowl, step by step
Throwing has the same three moves almost everywhere: center the clay, open it, then raise the walls (Wikipedia). This guide follows one ball of clay from wedging to a trimmed, fired bowl, with the choices at each step. It assumes a studio course: the wheel and the kiln are the studio's.
Warning: Before you start Dry clay dust contains crystalline silica, which OSHA links to silicosis and lung disease: clean the wheel, splash pan and floor wet, with a sponge or mop, and never sweep dry clay. Shimpo warns that its VL-Whisper wheel, which uses a magnet-based direct-drive motor, may be harmful to a person who has a pacemaker; anyone with one should ask a physician before using a direct-drive wheel. Kilns are run by the studio; this page does not cover firing your own.
Knead the clay on the bench to spread the water evenly and push out the air. Start with a ball of one to two pounds; a smaller ball is easier to center.
Slap the ball down in the middle of the wheel head or bat, wet your hands, run the wheel at medium speed and cone the clay up into a tall shape and back down several times, elbows braced against your body, until it spins with no wobble.
Press your thumbs into the center to make a hollow, leaving a floor about a quarter inch thick.
With one hand inside and one outside, squeeze gently and lift the walls slowly upward. Compress the rim after each pull to keep it level.
Slow the wheel, slide a wire tool under the base and lift the piece off. It dries to leather-hard before anything else is done to it.
One ball of clay through the throw
Top to bottom: the same clay centered, opened, pulled into walls and, days later, trimmed upside down.
- A Centered Coned up and down Spins with no wobble. Step 3 →
- B Opened Floor about ¼ in Thumbs into the center. Step 4 →
- C Walls pulled Even thickness One hand in, one out. Step 5 →
- D Foot trimmed At leather-hard Upside down, loop tool. Step 7 →
Steps 1-2Before the wheel
- Step 1 of 9 · Before the wheel
Join a course with wheels
A six-week beginner course is a common start: at Adrian Center for the Arts it includes 25 pounds of clay and open studio time; at Hattie Weselyk Studio, 25 pounds of clay, glazing and firing, and each participant has their own wheel.
- Step 2 of 9 · Before the wheel
Wedge a small ball
Wedging evens out the water and removes air and lamination (Wikipedia). Make balls of one to two pounds: small balls are easier to center while you learn.
Goes wrong: Air and lumps. Poorly wedged clay wobbles on the wheel however well you center it.
Steps 3-6On the wheel
- Step 3 of 9 · On the wheel
Center the clay
Warning: CAUTION Dry clay dust contains crystalline silica, which OSHA links to lung disease. Clean the wheel and splash pan wet, never sweep dry clay, and do not sand dry pieces indoors.
Slap the ball down as close to the middle of the wheel head or bat as you can, wet your hands with water or slip, and run the wheel at medium speed. Cone it up into a tall shape and press it back down several times, elbows braced, until a fingertip feels no bump.
Goes wrong: A wobble. It comes from uneven pressure or poorly wedged clay; wet your hands and cone up and down again.
- Step 4 of 9 · On the wheel
Open to an even floor
Press your thumbs into the center to make a hollow and widen it gradually, leaving a floor about a quarter inch thick.
Goes wrong: The floor. Too thin, and it cracks or is trimmed through later; too thick, and the pot is heavy.
- Step 5 of 9 · On the wheel
Pull up the walls
One hand inside, one outside: squeeze gently and lift slowly, several times, keeping the walls even. Compress the rim after each pull.
Most people: cylinder (the first form).
Start here CylinderBest forThe first form
Walls pulled straight up; every other shape starts from it.
BowlBest forAfter a few cylinders
Opened wider, then curved from the inside against the outside hand, at a slower speed.
PlateBest forLater
Opened wide and shallow on a thicker floor, compressed so it does not crack in an S shape.
Not for a first tryGoes wrong: A collapse. Uneven walls and too much water weaken the form; sponge out pooled water.
- Step 6 of 9 · On the wheel
Cut it off
Slow the wheel, slide a wire tool under the base and lift the pot carefully aside to dry to leather-hard.
Steps 7-9After the wheel
- Step 7 of 9 · After the wheel
Trim at leather-hard
When a thumbnail marks the base but a fingertip does not, set the pot upside down on the wheel head, tap it into center, and pare away clay with a loop tool at medium speed to form a foot ring, roughly a third to a half of the rim's diameter (Phethean).
Goes wrong: Too dry. Trimmings like iron filings mean the clay is past trimming; cover pots loosely so they firm up slowly.
- Step 8 of 9 · After the wheel
Dry slowly to bone-dry
Dry pieces slowly and evenly, loosely covered, until they reach bone-dry: near 0% moisture, ready to fire and extremely brittle (Wikipedia).
Goes wrong: Cracks. Uneven walls and fast drying crack pots as they dry.
- Step 9 of 9 · After the wheel
Bisque, glaze, glaze fire
The studio bisque fires the bone-dry pot; you glaze it, and the second firing melts the glaze on (Wikipedia). Then choose what is next.
Most people: another course (bigger forms and lids).
Start here Another courseBest forBigger forms and lids
A second course adds bowls, plates, handles and lids.
Studio membershipBest forPracticing on your own
Wheel time by the month; check what clay and firing it includes.
A wheel of your ownBest forThrowing every week
See the comparison of wheels on this page; the firing still happens at a studio.
In shortIf it goes wrong
- Air and lumps.
- Step 2 · Wedge a small ball
- A wobble.
- Step 3 · Center the clay
- The floor.
- Step 4 · Open to an even floor
- A collapse.
- Step 5 · Pull up the walls
- Too dry.
- Step 7 · Trim at leather-hard
How you get better
- Weeks 1 to 2Centering and opening
Small balls of one to two pounds, coned up and down until they spin without a wobble, then opened to an even floor.
- Weeks 3 to 4Cylinders
Walls pulled up evenly in several pulls, the rim compressed after each one.
- Weeks 5 to 6Bowls and the first trims
Bowls shaped from the inside, cut off, dried to leather-hard and trimmed upside down with a foot ring.
- Months 2 to 3Plates and bigger balls
Wide, compressed floors, and the clay size raised gradually as centering becomes reliable.
- After thatSets and tall pots
Matching mugs, lids, and pots too tall for one ball, thrown in sections and joined.
- Wedging clay
- Centering
- Coning up and down
- Opening to an even floor
- Pulling walls
- Compressing the rim
- Shaping a bowl from the inside
- Cutting off with a wire
- Judging leather-hard
- Trimming a foot ring
- Throwing on bats
- Glazing
Small things that help
- Start with balls of one to two pounds and go bigger only when centering is reliable.
- Keep your hands wet with water or slip, but sponge out water that pools inside: too much water weakens the walls and loosens the pot from the bat.
- Brace your elbows against your body while centering, and run the wheel at a medium speed.
- Compress the rim after each pull to keep it level.
- Use a bat between the clay and an aluminum wheel head; Shimpo warns that acidic clays can pit the aluminum.
- Measure the floor before trimming, so the loop tool does not go through the bottom.
Beginner mistakes
- 01Too much waterWater pooling inside softens the floor and walls until they slump, and a wet base slides off the bat. Sponge it out.
- 02Wheel too fastA very fast wheel is hard for a beginner to control; a very slow one does not center. Start at medium speed.
- 03Uneven pressurePushing harder on one side throws the clay off center and starts a wobble. Keep steady, even pressure and recenter if it wobbles.
- 04Floor too thin or too thickAim for about a quarter inch when opening. A thin floor is easily trimmed through later - a horror most potters have met, says Ceramic Arts Network's editor.
- 05Trimming too lateClay that gives trimmings like iron filings is too dry to trim; cover pots loosely so they reach leather-hard slowly.
Is it ready to trim?
Trim a pot as soon as it is stiff enough to handle without bending, says the potter Richard Phethean in Ceramic Arts Network's trimming guide. His tests:
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| A fingertip leaves a dent in the base | Too soft: wait |
| A thumbnail marks the base, a fingertip does not | Ready to trim |
| Trimmings like grated cheese, that just stick together when squeezed | Ready to trim |
| Trimmings crumbly, like grated chocolate | Borderline: trim right away |
| Trimmings like iron filings | Too dry to trim |
Why people quit
- 01Centering will not comeEverything else depends on it. The University of the Pacific's open ceramics textbook suggests practicing with one- to two-pound balls and spending whole sessions just coning up and down.
- 02Pots collapseThe same textbook names uneven walls and too much water as the usual causes: compress the base and walls, and sponge out water that pools inside.
- 03Sore wrists and backPoor posture and pushing with the wrists instead of the whole arm cause the strain; sit stable, brace the elbows and take breaks.
Words you will meet
- Throwing
- Shaping a pot from clay on a potter's wheel.
- Wedging
- Kneading clay by hand to even out the water and remove air.
- Centering
- Pressing the spinning clay until it runs true on the wheel with no wobble.
- Coning
- Squeezing centered clay up into a tall cone and pressing it back down, repeated to center it.
- Opening
- Pressing a hollow into the centered clay, leaving the floor.
- Pulling
- Lifting the walls upward between one hand inside and one outside.
- Wheel head
- The flat spinning disc the clay sits on.
- Bat
- A thin slab of wood, plaster or plastic that supports a pot while it is shaped, pinned to the wheel head.
- Slurry
- Clay suspended in water, thinner than slip.
- Leather-hard
- Partly dried clay, about 15% moisture: firm, only slightly pliable, the stage for trimming and handles.
- Trimming
- Paring clay from a leather-hard pot on the wheel, usually to form the foot; also called turning.
- Foot ring
- The raised ring a bowl or cup stands on, trimmed from its base.
- Centering capacity
- The most clay a maker says its wheel can center.
Questions people ask
Do I need my own wheel to start?
No. Both six-week courses we checked include 25 pounds of clay and the use of the studio's wheels; one of them also includes glazing and firing.
Is a tabletop wheel enough?
For mugs and small bowls, yes on paper: Shimpo and Speedball rate their tabletop wheels for 20 and 25 pounds of centering, while beginners throw one to two pounds at a time. Floor wheels give a pedal and room for big pieces.
Which way should the wheel spin?
In most traditions the wheel turns counterclockwise with the right hand outside the pot; Japanese potters throw clockwise. Electric wheels often turn either way; Speedball's Artista is sold in right- or left-handed versions instead.
Kick wheel or electric?
Motor-driven wheels are the common choice for craft potters and schools; human-powered kick wheels are still preferred by some studio potters.
When do I trim?
At leather-hard, about 15% moisture: when a thumbnail marks the base but a fingertip does not, and the trimmings are like grated cheese.
How big should a foot ring be?
Phethean's rough guide is between a third and a half of the rim's diameter, depending on the shape of the bowl.
Where to go next
- 01Pottery (hand-building)Hand-building with the same clay and firings - handles, slabs and coil pieces that the wheel cannot make. $66 to start
- 02Air-dry clayClay at home without a kiln, for decorations rather than mugs. $48 to start
How it compares
| Pottery (wheel throwing) | Pottery (hand-building) | Air-dry clay | Gourd crafting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start cost | $343 | $66 | $48 | $48 |
| Each month | $215 | $20 | $10 | $5 |
| Space | A studio wheel | A wipeable table | A table | A table outdoors |
| Noise | Low | Quiet | Quiet | Low |
| First result | Within a 6-week course | 2 to 3 weeks | A weekend, with drying | 1 weekend |
| Mess | Slip and splashes | Clay and slip | Clay and water | Dust |
Where to learn more
- 01Ceramic Arts Network, wheel throwing techniquesFree articles by working potters on centering, throwing and trimming.
- 02University of the Pacific, Ceramics (open textbook), chapter 5Centering, basic forms and troubleshooting, step by step.
Sources: Wikipedia, Potter's wheel (history, throwing steps, direction, electric and kick wheels) · Wikipedia, Pottery (throwing, word origin, plastic, leather-hard and bone-dry moisture) · Wikipedia, Glossary of pottery terms (bat, slurry, throwing, wedging) · University of the Pacific, Ceramics, 5.2 Centering · University of the Pacific, Ceramics, 5.3 Cylinders, bowls, plates · University of the Pacific, Ceramics, 5.4 Troubleshooting · Ceramic Arts Network, Richard Phethean: tips for trimming bowls · OSHA, crystalline silica · Adrian Center for the Arts, Beginner Wheel Throwing, 6 weeks ($300, 25 lb of clay) · Hattie Weselyk Studio, 6-week wheel series ($350, 25 lb of clay, glazing and firing) · Shimpo, Aspire, VL-Lite and VL-Whisper product pages · Brent by AMACO, Model B · Speedball, Artista and Clay Boss
Researched and written by the Fjords Team.