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Calcimator

Shrinkage Rate Calculator

Calculate the final fired size and total shrinkage percentage from wet dimensions, wet-to-dry and dry-to-fired shrinkage rates.

Inputs

in
%
%

Results

Final Fired Size

8.84 in

≈ 3 credit cards

Bone-Dry Size9.4 in
Total Shrinkage11.64%
Total Size Lost1.16 in
Wet Size to Hit This Final11.32 in
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Measure and enter the wet size of your piece in inches (the dimension you care about when freshly formed).
  2. Enter your clay body's wet-to-dry shrinkage percentage — run a test tile to measure this, or use 4–8% as a starting estimate.
  3. Enter the dry-to-fired shrinkage percentage for your clay fired at your target cone.
  4. Read the bone-dry size and the final fired size in inches.
  5. Note the total shrinkage percentage and the total size lost to plan your mold or forming dimensions.
  6. Use the 'wet size to hit this final' output to work backward from a target finished dimension.

How the result changes with Wet Size

Wet SizeFinal Fired Size
108.84 in
3530.93 in
6557.43 in
9079.52 in

What each input means

Wet Size
The measurement of the piece when freshly formed (wet clay). Measure in the dimension you care about.
Wet-to-Dry Shrinkage
Percentage the clay shrinks from wet to bone-dry. Typical range is 4-8% depending on clay body.
Dry-to-Fired Shrinkage
Percentage the clay shrinks from bone-dry to fired. Typically 4-8%, higher at higher cone temperatures.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Wet Size = 10, Wet-to-Dry Shrinkage = 6, Dry-to-Fired Shrinkage = 6 = 3 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Final Fired Size
    Final Fired Size
    8.836 = 8.836
  3. Calculate Bone-Dry Size
    Bone-Dry Size
    9.4 = 9.4
  4. Calculate Total Shrinkage
    Total Shrinkage
    11.64 = 11.64

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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