How to Measure Your Pottery Wheel (With Batt Pins)
If your pottery wheel has batt pin bolts those small metal bolts that stick up from the surface of the wheelhead then this is the guide for you.
Getting the measurements right is the most important step in ordering a batt system that actually fits. It isn’t difficult, but there are a few things worth understanding before you reach for the tape measure.
Why this matters more than you might think
When we make a batt system for a wheel with batt pins, we drill precision holes into the batt so it sits over the bolts. Those holes have to line up exactly.
If the position or size is even slightly off, the batt won’t fit or if it does fit it will spin off center which makes it very off putting when trying to center and throw on the batt. That’s frustrating for you, and it’s avoidable. Accurate measurements mean a batt that drops straight onto your wheel first time.
The other thing worth knowing: don’t rely on your wheel manufacturer’s stated specifications. Wheelheads vary — even within the same model. Always measure your own wheel directly.
What you need
- A good metal ruler or tape measure that is bigger than your wheel so that it is long enough to span the full diameter of your wheelhead
- For bolt head diameter: a metal ruler, a Vernier caliper, or our Batt Pin Measuring Gauge
The measurements you need to take
There are four measurements in total. Think of them as four points across the wheel left edge, center of batt pin 1, center of batt pin 2, right edge labelled A, B, C, D.
Measure through the centre of the wheel, through both batt pins. All four measurements must be taken along the same straight line.
A to D – your wheel diameter
The full width of the wheel from edge to edge. Measure to the outer edge, if your wheel has a chamfered (bevelled) edge, be aware this can affect the reading. You must measure from the edge of your wheel to the other side and vertical edge of the wheel.
A to B – left edge to centre of Batt Pin 1
From the left edge of the wheel to the exact center of the first batt pin bolt head.
B to C – centre of Batt Pin 1 to centre of Batt Pin 2
The distance between the two batt pin bolt centres. This measurement is typically 250mm or 254mm / 10″ or 148mm for wheels less that 300mm / 12″ diameter.
C to D – centre of Batt Pin 2 to right edge
From the centre of the second bolt to the right edge of the wheel.
Quick check: add (A to B) + (B to C) + (C to D) together. The total should equal your wheel diameter (A to D). If it doesn’t, re-measure before placing your order.
Measuring the batt pin bolt head diameter
You also need to know the diameter of your batt pin bolt heads. This tells us how large to cut the holes in your batt.
The most common sizes are 9mm and 10mm, but don’t assume. Measure yours directly.
Place a ruler straight through the center of the bolt head and read the diameter. You can also use a Vernier caliper for a more precise reading, or our Batt Pin Measuring Gauge, which takes the guesswork out of it entirely. The measuring gauge can be found in our tool section – https://hartleyandnoble.co.uk/product/batt-pin-measuring-gauge/
If you use our gauge: place the bolt head through the plastic measuring gauge. The bolt head should be a snug fit and not move excessively. You should find it fits nicely into either the 9mm or 10mm hole. If not then you can also use the printed measuring guide mentioned below.
Using our printable measuring tool
If you’re unsure about your batt pin positions, we’ve made a printable tool that helps you check whether your wheel takes a 250mm or 254mm batt pin spacing.
- Print the Batt Pin Location Measuring Tool PDF at ‘actual size’ not ‘fit to page’. Check this setting before you print.
- Once printed, verify the 250mm line actually measures 250mm with a metal ruler. If it doesn’t, reprint at the correct scale.
- Cut along the cut line to separate the 250mm and 254mm guides.
- Use a hole punch to create the batt pin holes, or cut slots if you don’t have one.
- Place the guide over your wheel and line up the holes with your batt pin bolts. The bolts should pass through cleanly and the paper should lie flat.
- If it fits correctly with no wrinkles or stretching required then the holes that fit indicate your spacing. If neither fits cleanly, contact us and we’ll work through it with you.
- Click here to download the printable measuring guide –> wheel-measuring-guide
- Click here to download the printable measuring tool –> Batt Pin Location Measuring Tool
Once you have all your measurements
Select the matching size on the product page. We have listed the standard wheel sizes and the standard batt pin sizes and positions. These are listed below for your reference.
Standard wheel sizes
- 250mm
- 300mm
- 12″
- 305mm
- 310mm
- 340mm
- 350mm
- 14″
- 355mm
Standard Batt Pin sizes and positions
- 9mm @ 250mm
- 9mm @ 254mm / 10″
- 10mm @ 148mm
- 10mm @ 250mm
- 10mm @ 254mm / 10″
If your exact wheel size isn’t listed, please select the diameter that is closest to your wheel size. The batt can be slightly larger or smaller than your wheel, this wont affect the performance of the batt or batt system.
The really important measurement to get right is the position of the batt pins. If your batt pin position isnt listed then please select the Bespoke size option and enter your batt pin details in the box. This detail will then be added to your order and we will make the batts for you.
Include the batt diameter and the measurements listed below
- A to B
- B to C
- C to D
- A to D
That’s everything we need to make your batt fit precisely.
A note on accuracy
We will manufacture your batt system based on the details provide by you in order, please do you best to get accurate measurements, if you struggle just let us know and we will be happy to help. Responsibility for the accuracy of your measurements lies with you, we can help to verify remotely from photographs but we will need you to confirm you are happy with your measurements. If you’re unsure about anything, please just reach out before you order.
We’re genuinely happy to help you get this right. It’s much easier to answer a question before an order than to remake something afterwards.
Email us at [email protected] or call +44 (0)1933 273 873. We’re here Monday to Thursday, 9 to 5.
