Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Bat Making => Topic started by: Beachcricket on March 26, 2009, 06:40:47 PM
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Just finished making a bat and...
it's gone very wrong. I was conservative and careful, I had an idea in my head and tried to work to it.
The piece of willow was not the best but it had potential. I was asked to make a bat with a low middle and decided on a M&H solution style (I'm obviously not as good as them). No matter how much wood I removed the weight was not coming down and now its a twig that weighs too much.
I'm actually too ashamed to post a picture! Any advice or similar horror stories would be appreciated.
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go on! post a pic!
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I was fortunate that the first bat I did I had a couple of skilled batmakers standing behind telling where to take weight off. I have found it's not the taking wood off which is difficult, it's taking it off in the right places.
How thick are the toe and shoulders? Do they need some thickness taking out?
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what weight was the cleft when you started out?
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The cleft was 3.10, the edges are by no means thick maybe 22mm at the thickest point. The toe is similar thickness to most bats and the shoulders are slightly above average, but I did that to try and get some balance.
I felt that with the last bat I made I'd turned a corner in the learning process however now I'm stumped.
Perhaps a picture will be posted... :'(
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Sorry about this but I'm a forum photo virgin.
I can't post the horror pictures, How is it done?
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upload it on photobucket and copy the img code onto your post
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how much does it weigh now?
it doesn't look that bad, just a bit skinny as you say!
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that is an interesting shape...
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It actually does look a little like the m&h solution in profile....i wouldnt be so harsh on yourself, i think you've made a decent go at it!! I would be chuffed if that was my second bat i had attempted to make! What you going to do with it now? Have you tapped it with a mallet yet?
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if I can help pm me Beachcricket....
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That is actually quite a good effort but as they say it is skinny indeed my friend.
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i actually quite like the look of that bat tbh if it wasnt so skinny and the middle slighlty higher looks a lot like a woodworm wand
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whats the ping like ?
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Doesnt look bat at all - I'd be proud to have made that! Middle just needs to be a little higher.
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Here's the first bat I made which was good enough to use, the other ones kept the fire going during winter :)
(http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss147/Beachcricket_photos/Image060-1.jpg)
(http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss147/Beachcricket_photos/Image061-1.jpg)
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Eesh, i gotta say but they be some mighty thin edges, would definetly not suit my style of batting!!! Looks like a good middle though! you looking to take bat-making seriously or just having a go?
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is that a knot in the back by the middle ?
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Pinch-Hitter
It's the edge of a knot I think, can't be sure as I'm no expert. It's like two bits of wood, the front is clean and the back has stains. It has a good middle though.
SillyShilly
I see it as a hobby at the moment but take want to be able to make decent bats, it's fun seeing the cleft transform. Batmakings a hard skill though and really easy to get it wrong, I've got a pretty free summer so I'm going to try and really improve.
Have the batmakers like Hell4leather, Redback, Fusion, Bulldog been taught or have they honed their skills quietly?
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The guys you mentioned above (with the exception of Bulldog) I think are self taught up to a point, in the sense they haven't served apprenticeships. Although there has been advice or help offered from other batmakers to them.
Bill from Fusion I know was a cabinet maker before bat making and I think Gary (Redback) did guitars. I may be wrong with the last bit though. So they do have a skilled background.
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Thanks for the info Tom, it doesn't surprise me they have woodworking backgrounds as they make some nice bats!
I love having a go at making bats despite my shortcomings with the skills needed. When James Laver worked for M&H, he would work at the shop at Grace Road and I would go and watch him make bats. It's a shame he's no longer in the UK.
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i am a carpenter by trade, i'm pretty much self tought ,but have had some help along the way, It is a pretty hard skill to learn,havin a woodworking backgound really does help.It's almost a closed shop when you approach a batmaker for help,like they dont wont to 'give away 'there trade secrets , which is fair enough but it is a dying art which needs to be passed on to the next generation !
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i would love to make bats for a career, with my college course i'm hopefully getting 10 days work experience with millichamp and hall. that would be great!
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That would be amazing if you get to do that, they make some phenomenal bats.
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i went into their shop today to talk about work experience, and i had a look at some of the bats which look awesome at the moment. especially the solutions, very nice profile, weight and stickers...
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Merry Xmas to all.
Ian did you do the work experience with M&H?
I've just bought 2 grade 3 clefts from Matt at H4L so I can have yet another go at butchering some willow.
Anyway, my question to bat makers is how do they know when a cleft is finished being shaped? Do you stick to a weight?
Because I always seem to go too far thinking " I can get this lighter if I just take some off here... Ooops! "