Speedball 14 Inch Round Universal Pottery Wheel Bat, Orange, for Ceramics and Clay Work Review (2026)

Why choose the 14 inch size

At 14 inches across, this is Speedball's larger universal bat option, built for wide platters, big serving bowls, and other forms whose base diameter would leave little clearance on a 12 inch bat. The larger surface gives a piece more room to spread during throwing without the rim of the form running close to the bat's own edge, which matters most for flatter, wider pieces rather than tall narrow forms. Potters who mostly throw mugs and small bowls likely do not need this larger size, while those regularly making platters or wide serving bowls will find the extra diameter genuinely useful rather than excessive.

Universal pin spacing

Like Speedball's 12 inch bat, this 14 inch version is built to fit a range of wheel head pin spacings around the common 9 to 10 inch centers used across many wheel brands, rather than being locked to Speedball's own wheels only. That universal fit is the main reason to choose it over a brand-specific bat when your wheel is a different make, though as with any universal bat, confirming your own wheel head's exact pin spacing before ordering avoids a mismatch. A bat that does not seat securely on the pins can shift during throwing, which risks ruining a piece mid-session.

Material, ribbing, and the Easy Lift Rim

The bat is made from injection-molded plastic with ribs on the underside that add strength without adding excessive weight, which matters more at 14 inches than at 12 since a larger flat plastic disc needs the extra structure to resist flexing under a wide, heavy piece. Speedball's Easy Lift Rim design carries over from the smaller bat, allowing the finished bat to be lifted off the wheel head in one motion rather than pried loose, which matters even more with a large, wide platter where any jarring movement risks warping the rim. The mounting holes again do not penetrate the surface, so the underside of a piece stays unmarked.

Fitting a larger bat on a smaller wheel

Because 14 inches is larger than many standard wheel heads and splash pans, this bat can overhang the edge of a smaller wheel setup, which is worth checking before buying if your wheel is a compact tabletop or beginner model with a narrower head or a tight-fitting splash pan. An overhanging bat is not necessarily unusable, since the extra edge simply sits past the wheel head, but it does mean less clearance around the wheel during throwing and something to be mindful of if working in a tight studio space. Measuring your wheel head and splash pan opening before ordering avoids an awkward fit once the bat arrives.

Buying more than one

As with the 12 inch version, this listing covers a single bat, so anyone throwing multiple wide pieces in a session, or running a classroom where several students need large bats at once, should plan to order several rather than assuming one bat will cover ongoing production. The orange color is part of Speedball's multi-colored bat line, which also makes it easier to visually sort bats by size at a glance if a studio keeps several diameters and colors in rotation. Buying a mixed set of 12 and 14 inch bats in different colors is a practical way for a busy studio to size pieces correctly on sight.

Frequently asked questions