Custom Bats Cricket Forum

Equipment => Bats => Bat Making => Topic started by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 03:22:42 PM

Title: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 03:22:42 PM
After getting a cleft off Sam about a month ago, I've been on and off trying to get the cleft somewhere near looking like a cricket bat. Armed with just a spokeshave and a sander, I set to it.

I didn't really have a set shape in my head, I kind of liked the Laver concept on things of taking wood from high on the back and leaving as much wood in the hitting area as possible. Even though the bat's ended up looking nothing like that lol!

Here are the pictures anyway, and I welcome all comments good or bad, and anyone with any advice would be very much appreciated as I have a couple more on there way :).

Fairly happy with it for my first attempt, and as I haven't picked up a woodwork tool since I left school five years ago it's not to shabby!

Here goes, be kind :D

(http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx149/wilkie113/IMG_0116.jpg)
(http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx149/wilkie113/IMG_0117.jpg)
(http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx149/wilkie113/IMG_0119.jpg)
(http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx149/wilkie113/IMG_0120.jpg)
(http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx149/wilkie113/IMG_0122.jpg)

Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: Ryan on March 26, 2012, 03:24:42 PM
bit of a beast that one mate lol

Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 03:25:23 PM
Doesn't weigh a lot mate! Only about 2'13
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: ProWannabe88 on March 26, 2012, 03:27:42 PM
Looks like a right brute that wilkie. Big bad boom stick  :D

Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 03:28:43 PM
Haha!

When you said that at the batoff I was like that is he on about!

Cheers mate, I'll be using it tonight see what she goes like!
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: scottish_slogger95 on March 26, 2012, 03:32:23 PM
Good for a first attempt mate. Looks like a full size mongoose
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 03:33:43 PM
Cheers mate :)

If it goes anything like that mongoose of Mikes I'll be pleased lol
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: Buzz on March 26, 2012, 03:36:04 PM
Brilliant - Jumbo mees TT - I think this is a really good first go, i am really impressed.
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: Burdy on March 26, 2012, 03:37:16 PM
Looks decent! Im guessing it will go like the clappers.
Looks like a mash-up of of Mongoose, TT and Jumbo.
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: Burdy on March 26, 2012, 03:37:42 PM
Brilliant - Jumbo mees TT - I think this is a really good first go, i am really impressed.

Beat me to it!  :o
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 03:42:00 PM
Cheers Buzz :) very much appreciated! Cannot wait to give it a go

Need to thank Ryan as well for putting up with me sending him pictures of it all the time to see if it looked okay haha!


Cheers Burdy, I'm hoping it will go like the clappers! I'm sure some people at nets will wonder what the hell it is later on :)
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: tommo256 on March 26, 2012, 03:48:31 PM
Where you get your spokeshave? and what other tools would you like?
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 03:50:32 PM
Got a couple of cheap silverline spokeshaves from toolstation and just kept them sharp.

Hoping to get a drawknife so I can shape conventional shoulders on the next bat, need to get a better vice/work station as the Black and Decker fold out work bench is utterly terrible!
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: Ryan on March 26, 2012, 04:03:25 PM
Cheers Buzz :) very much appreciated! Cannot wait to give it a go

Need to thank Ryan as well for putting up with me sending him pictures of it all the time to see if it looked okay haha!


Cheers Burdy, I'm hoping it will go like the clappers! I'm sure some people at nets will wonder what the hell it is later on :)

no problem mate, anytime  :D
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 04:04:35 PM
Hopefully it goes like a cat with it's tail on fire at nets tonight :D
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: scottish_slogger95 on March 26, 2012, 04:06:48 PM
Got a couple of cheap silverline spokeshaves from toolstation and just kept them sharp.

Hoping to get a drawknife so I can shape conventional shoulders on the next bat, need to get a better vice/work station as the Black and Decker fold out work bench is utterly terrible!

Yup I am using a black and decker at the moment too! its useless. I have to sit on it while shaving the bat to stop it moving its very annoying!
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 04:08:27 PM
Yup I am using a black and decker at the moment too! its useless. I have to sit on it while shaving the bat to stop it moving its very annoying!

Pieces of crap aren't they lol! I've piled loads of stuff on the step on mine so it weighs it down a bit
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: tushar sehgal on March 26, 2012, 04:22:42 PM
Nice looking first attempt mate, Were the shoulders TT by design or just happened to be that way ;)...very impressive
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 04:24:58 PM
I got tired of trying to do them normally with the spokeshave (school boy error) so just did them like the TT :D
Completely intentional Tush ;)
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: tushar sehgal on March 26, 2012, 04:26:15 PM
haha nice work :)  how is the pick-up?
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: scottish_slogger95 on March 26, 2012, 04:27:17 PM
If you sit on the bench when the bat is clamped in the it stabilizes it completely but limits the amount of work you can do! But yeah they are so bad I need to get a new one.
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 04:31:06 PM
haha nice work :)  how is the pick-up?

Picks up nicely surprisingly, seems as theres so much wood at the bottom of it lol!

If you sit on the bench when the bat is clamped in the it stabilizes it completely but limits the amount of work you can do! But yeah they are so bad I need to get a new one.

I've weighted mine down with some odd bits of crap I've got in the garage. just lay it across the step mate
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: Simmy on March 26, 2012, 05:53:51 PM
what did u make that with lad a knife and fork?
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 06:04:35 PM
Spoon it was simmy! Nice big table spoon
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: Ryan on March 26, 2012, 07:14:42 PM
Spoon it was simmy! Nice big table spoon

like lol

good come back wilkie
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: 109notout on March 26, 2012, 08:10:36 PM
thats good for a first attempt! Im surprised its picks up well, look a bit sledgehammer esque at the bottom, but all in all for a first attempt, its good, wish I could do something half as good as that, I would end up with a hole through the middle of mine :P lol
Title: Re: First attempt
Post by: wilkie113 on March 26, 2012, 09:42:23 PM
like lol

good come back wilkie

Cheers mate :D, Simmy gets you to do all his bat making, I think he should have a go too!

thats good for a first attempt! Im surprised its picks up well, look a bit sledgehammer esque at the bottom, but all in all for a first attempt, its good, wish I could do something half as good as that, I would end up with a hole through the middle of mine :P lol

Cheers mate :) very much appreciated, I was going to use it tonight, but after hitting it with a mallet few times I decided against it lol, using the mallet and getting a few surface cracks probably wasn't a good sign, give it an hours knocking in first i reckon
Title: Beginning of the second bat :)
Post by: wilkie113 on April 08, 2012, 09:22:40 PM
Started my second stick yesterday, here is where I am so far!

(http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx149/wilkie113/da25b674.jpg)
Title: Re: Beginning of the second bat :)
Post by: junter97 on April 08, 2012, 09:48:24 PM
Ooh this shape looks nice :) what's the weight on this one at the moment then? I look forward to seeing more TT esque shoulders Wilkie!
Title: Re: Beginning of the second bat :)
Post by: wilkie113 on April 08, 2012, 09:51:54 PM
No TT shoulders on this one sorry bud!

It's around 2'13.5 at the moment just need to finish the shoulders and tidy up the edges then it'll be finished after binding obviously :)