Clay forming

Clay forming is a crafting method that allows the player to place tiny cubes (voxels) of clay in layers that form a shaped container, which is then fired in a pit kiln to finish the item. The forming mechanic is similar to knapping stone tools, where voxels must be added or removed to create the desired object.

Required Materials

To form clay items a player needs blue clay or fire clay , as well as dry grass, sticks, and firewood /peat for a pit kiln .

Left: Blue Clay. Right: Fire Clay

Acquiring Clay

Clay deposits are commonly found in temperate climates and can be harvested with bare hands or a shovel. There are different types of clay in the world, blue clay and fire clay. For tool molds and items like bowls and pots, either kind of clay may be used, but the bloomery must be built with fire clay bricks .

Shaping Molds and Items

Clay mold recipe dialog box.

1. Select clay in the active hand.
2. Aim the white crosshairs on a solid surface and open the clay forming menu and select the item to be crafted.
3. The clay forming grid will appear on the selected surface. To craft the chosen mold or item, the 'green' colored voxels must be filled and clay removed from any 'orange' colored voxels to create each layer of the form. As each layer of the clay item is completed, the next layer will appear above the last. It's helpful to sit on the ground (press G) while shaping clay.
4. When all layers of the item or mold are completed, the dialog box will disappear and the formed items will jump into the inventory of the player who placed or removed the last voxel of clay. Formed items can be placed on a surface before firing and picked up . Breaking will not destroy an item.

First clay layer.

Clay Tool Modes

To change the number of clay voxels added or removed (1x1, 2x2 and 3x3), press F and select the 'brush size' as indicated by the first three menu options. The last tool menu option,'Copy' allows a player to duplicate identical layers of clay voxels. When this menu option is selected, the added "layer" of clay will match the pattern of voxels directly underneath the current layer "under construction".

Clay Oven

See also Clay Oven.

This specific item can only be formed with fire clay, and requires a hefty amount of it. It can be used without firing afterwards, and is necessary for cooking bread and pies.

Pit Kiln

Once the form is complete, the clay items must be baked in a pit kiln , as well as requiring dry grass, sticks, and firewood or peat. The one exception to this is the clay oven.

Pit kilns generally take about 20 in-game hours to complete. Once fired, pottery items can then be used.

Using Finished Pottery Items and Molds

Many of the items made with clay are containers used in other types of crafting. Most baked items can be placed on the ground, and many pottery items can be picked up again with an empty hand.

Using Items

The cooking pot and bowl are used in cooking, while the watering can has a use in farming. Crocks and Storage Vessels are containers used in food preservation. Shingles can be used to construct clay shingles blocks , Flowerpots and Planters are containers used in decorating. Lamellae are used as components in crafting armor .

Using Molds

For more information and instructions when using molds to cast metal ingots, tools and weapons, see separate pages on: crucible , molds and casting .

Clay Required to Create Items and Molds

Name	Item/Mold	Quantity of clay	Quantity of produced items
Bowl	Item	1, 4	1 or 4
Cooking pot	Item	4, 16	1 or 4
Crucible	Item	2, 13	1 or 4
Crock	Item	2, 14	1 or 4
Flowerpot	Item	4, 23	1 or 4
Jug	Item	5	1
Planter	Item	18	1
Shingles	Item	7	12
Storage Vessel	Item	35	1
Watering Can	Item	10	1
Anvil	Mold	28	1
Axe head	Mold	11	1
Hammer head	Mold	12	1
Hoe head	Mold	12	1
Ingot	Mold	2, 5	1 or 2
Lamellae	Mold	8	1
Pickaxe head	Mold	12	1
Prospector's Pick	Mold	13	1
Shovel head	Mold	11	1
Falx blade	Mold	12	1
Clay Oven *	Other	69	1

*Does not need to be fired to function

Video Tutorials

Explanation of clay firing v 1.15	Alternative Explanation of clay firing since 1.15