Custom Bats Cricket Forum

Equipment => Bats => Bat Making => Topic started by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 02:21:44 PM

Title: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 02:21:44 PM
As the title says, how wide is a middling bat please?
Title: Re: Width of a Middling Bat
Post by: tim2000s on January 14, 2013, 02:27:29 PM
2.5-3.5 inches as per the recent topic on this that I can't find.
Title: Re: Width of a Middling Bat
Post by: joeylough on January 14, 2013, 02:30:32 PM
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=21270.msg341275#msg341275 (http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=21270.msg341275#msg341275)

Are you looking to make one yourself from an old bat I guess?

If so get some pics of the before and after.....please
Title: Re: Width of a Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 02:42:46 PM
thanks. I'll rename this topic now.

I'll take some pics when I do it. Might go reasonably wide as I want to do some proper netting with it.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 02:58:55 PM
Here's the bat I'm going to use. I brought it off Redders but didn't mis-sold, lied, conned understand it was a harrow. Redders had a good butcher, hack, sand down of the bat. In light of being ripped off it's dimensions I have decided to have some fun with it.

Only joking Redders!

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xhi-mw46h88/UPQbeiUof6I/AAAAAAAAHtY/q3LL2F73hu0/s766/20130114_145103.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7csnBkPkRlA/UPQbkAWGHHI/AAAAAAAAHtk/nSV4JhpXxOs/s679/20130114_145118.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xShjikEsBe0/UPQbpVFioxI/AAAAAAAAHtw/vT13Y2cAdqs/s679/20130114_145143.jpg)

more later.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: smokem on January 14, 2013, 03:03:12 PM
Will you be adding weight to that after you cut the sides down?
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 03:16:29 PM
yes, but I haven't worked out how.

Bat's roughly 4.5 inches wide and I'm reducing it to 3.5 inches so I'm losing approx 23% of the weight not allowing for the handle. Handle weighs 4/5 oz? so it's around 32oz of actually willow (bat weight it 2'6oz) less 23% =  so we are looking at 2'0 with grip.

I could either do something with the discarded willow, sand down and stick on the back or get some heavy wood/metal strips and nail into the spine.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: Bruce on January 14, 2013, 03:24:02 PM
Some lead tape would do the trick too
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 03:29:02 PM
Some lead tape would do the trick too

good idea, can you get it in b&q/homebase?
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: Bruce on January 14, 2013, 03:30:49 PM
More of an eBay job I think. It comes in varying thickness' I believe.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: Ryan on January 14, 2013, 03:41:36 PM
Think you'll struggle tbh.  I'll send your frankenstein bat down if you like.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 03:48:33 PM
Think you'll struggle tbh.  I'll send your frankenstein bat down if you like.

you maybe right, but it will be fun. Keep the Frankenstein, it's a great advertisement for your batmaking skills.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: Ryan on January 14, 2013, 08:02:50 PM
Any update nick? I'd love to see how far you've got.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 08:09:57 PM
started off with some measuring:-

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4GxWWSRcgMU/UPQfWU-1rNI/AAAAAAAAHvE/7XgjP-M9_mw/s815/20130114_150730.jpg)

And then some sawing, I don't really have the tools for the job and a circular saw would've been handy:-

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ncAUhGn_y9M/UPRjVatoN1I/AAAAAAAAHzw/lBTfa8E_38g/s1087/20130114_195709.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t5WDwwDNa9w/UPRjbNCsNtI/AAAAAAAAHz8/41FB91n73EM/s1087/20130114_195719.jpg)

Next step is to plane down the rough edges and sand smooth. Better buy a plane first, forgot about that I thought I had one!

Currently around 2.75 inches at the smallest point which was why I gave myself a much wider starting point. Weight is currently 30.65 oz before grip. After planing it'll be close to where I thought.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: Ryan on January 14, 2013, 08:15:19 PM
Looks like you did we'll with the bread knife  :D

Actually done a decent job nick. Be completely different again once planed.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 14, 2013, 08:19:43 PM
biggest problem was trying to keep the blade straight, the angle of the spine can't dragging the thing off but I had leeway for this reason. Cheapest block plane looks like £11 from b&q.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: 19reading87 on January 14, 2013, 08:28:35 PM
For £10 it was a £§}€ing bargain!!!
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: Blazer on January 14, 2013, 11:29:06 PM
Not sure if this is of any help , Wilkinson sells planes for less than 10 quid instore Nick .
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/search?q=plane&pdxttype=Planes (http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/search?q=plane&pdxttype=Planes)
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: uknsaunders on January 16, 2013, 01:48:13 PM
funny enough the wife mentioned that the power planer we had actually worked and was in the bottom of the toolbox. Shows how often I do DIY lol

Had a go to finish it off in my lunch break:-

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qSgg8eoEVCU/UPal0Bjnc2I/AAAAAAAAH1c/tXVKyI_2tlA/s766/20130116_130545.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Uxx2Y_XVID0/UPal5VCaeBI/AAAAAAAAH1o/yZTdSs0u9w4/s679/20130116_130608.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UZmnvXrL94E/UPamE9hfxwI/AAAAAAAAH2A/GltqEUW7hvc/s679/20130116_130647.jpg)

It's down to 2.5 inches and approx 30oz (1'14) so needs some extra weight. To be honest I had to plane it more than I hoped due to my earlier rubbish sawing. It's still a little uneven in places and I also managed to take a little chunk out of the side when planing. Only really noticed how uneven it was when the scuff went on and showed where the edge should've been lol. Had the wife volunteered the power planer info before I would've gone for using that from the start. It might of taken longer but I could keep it in better shape without having to lop loads of wood off.

It'll do for the odd training session.
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: trypewriter on January 16, 2013, 01:58:45 PM
It'd be great if you are in one of those situations where there is abundant 'sledging' to signal for a new bat and have that one bought out!
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: RossViper on January 16, 2013, 08:47:13 PM
Looks like you did we'll with the bread knife  :D

Actually done a decent job nick. Be completely different again once planed.

Ha, ha!!!! a bread knife, turned out all right though in the end!!!
Title: Re: My DIY Middling Bat
Post by: joeylough on January 16, 2013, 08:56:41 PM
A bread knife came in handy when I broke a slat in a bed on holiday once. Cut some wood down with that wonderful bread knife.