Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Gingerbusiness on October 25, 2013, 08:25:10 PM
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Hi all,
I just wanted to share with you a bat I have been working on. I brought it from Asad at Uzi Sports - A 2lb 13oz Malik Limited Edition Laminate for £99. With a bit of elbow grease, I removed the horrible screen print stickers from the bat (which took ALOT of hardwork and elbow grease!) and I concaved the back so now the bat weighs in at 2lb10.5oz but still retains its 46mm edges.
I then got in touch with Keiron over at Bulldog Cricket, trying to get hold of some of his Spirit20 stickers which look a million times better than the Malik ones. The grips and toe guard came out of the sports direct sale and I will be finishing the bat off with a Helicopter Anti Scuff Sheet which I got from MattW.
All in all, the bat has cost £125. I wanted a great quality net bat which will give me confidence before taking my match bats into the middle and I believe I have found it. Have a look and let me know what you think.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img708/2264/t3yz.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img39/6238/lig.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img19/7305/qj6i.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img546/6857/o80c.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img163/4277/n4dz.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img191/9792/aacu.jpg)
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wow that looks awesome. much better then my match bat let alone one just for netting.
if you ever decide you dont like im sure i could give it a new home lol :D
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Looks great Phil.
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Hi Keiron,
Thanks for trusting me with your stickers.
As a brand, I know the worry of selling me stickers and me putting them on a plank of a bat is a worry, but I hope I have repaid the faith somewhat.
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Hard work and elbow grease? it would have taken 5 mins with a hair dryer and little white spirit!!
The bat looks awesome by the way
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I tried that Buzz, I even tried meths and a heatgun. There was some plastic sealant over the screen print which took ages to take off.
Thanks though! :D
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Hard work and elbow grease? it would have taken 5 mins with a hair dryer and little white spirit!!
The bat looks awesome by the way
Cheap (Pakistani) stickers are a nightmare Buzz. As the OP has mentioned above, they have a horrible plasticy layer that just will not budge. I burn through a lot of sandpaper getting rid of this crap every week.
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You can't even call them stickers... Some (Pakistani) bat makers are finding new, innovative ways of messing up the styling of their own cricket bats these days!
... I really hope they don't realise that you can brand/scorch on branding next... Or worse, lazer etch... Because the majority of designs are, and my apologies here, awful.
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There not stickers on my mb Malik laminate. Definately painted straight onto the bat. Then an entire lair of something over the bat.
It all cracked during knocking in.
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This was the bat before the change. If you look closely, the 'labels' just are such an awkward way of doing it.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img203/8048/fz83.jpg)
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Nice grains and good work removing the excess weight.
Original "sticker" looks like a print directly onto the bat and then a scuff sheet on top.
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Is that some M&H Original stickers on the work top as well?
Bat looks good mate, good work keeping the spine straight whilst concaving the back of the bat.
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They are Millichamp stickers, but not originals. They are for a refurb of my own millichamp match bat which I am being very careful about doing.
I think people would be amazed how you can successfully concave a bat if you have time and some skill with the right tools.
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Great job. I think patience is the key because it doesn't take a huge amount of skill for BASIC (I stress basic) refurb jobs.
Personally I think the LE/ Bubber Sher are of the better designs MB do. By no means classy but then hardly any Pakistani bats are try to be classy. It's what sells in the Asian markets.
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Great job. I think patience is the key because it doesn't take a huge amount of skill for BASIC (I stress basic) refurb jobs.
Personally I think the LE/ Bubber Sher are of the better designs MB do. By no means classy but then hardly any Pakistani bats are try to be classy. It's what sells in the Asian markets.
I agree. I definitely wouldn't try concaving etc without any practice and experience. It's just not worth ruining a good bat, plus you can lose the balance of the bat if you are not careful.
LE and bubber sher labels are better than most. Though I quite like the CA 15000 and 12000 TRD stickers, but barring those, style is not to most western taste. Would be very interesting if an Asian bat brand could bridge the gap. SS do an 'ok' job, but I'd love to see an attempt at a M&H, Newbery, Salix etc quality and class of labelling.
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I agree. I definitely wouldn't try concaving etc without any practice and experience. It's just not worth ruining a good bat, plus you can lose the balance of the bat if you are not careful.
LE and bubber sher labels are better than most. Though I quite like the CA 15000 and 12000 TRD stickers, but barring those, style is not to most western taste. Would be very interesting if an Asian bat brand could bridge the gap. SS do an 'ok' job, but I'd love to see an attempt at a M&H, Newbery, Salix etc quality and class of labelling.
(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af230/ch4d0m4n/SS.jpg) (http://s1010.photobucket.com/user/ch4d0m4n/media/SS.jpg.html)
I quite like those SS labels. :)
Good job on the weight reduction! I wish I had the confidence and tools to do some, the only way I can reduce weight is by sanding, and that takes ages! The grains on the face look lovely, I would have possibly even gone as far as going for the more minimalist Bulldog stickers, but I understand that you may want to cover the back part of the bat more!
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I like the minimalist look too but I wanted a less obvious laminate (if that's possible!) - bulldog stickers were the perfect shapes.
Ooooooo I like that SS! :D
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Started tapping up the laminate, and this happened;
(http://imageshack.us/a/img209/1686/kb4f.jpg)
The thing was seriously flying till that happened!
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Put a fine split in the end that goes in the hole, fit a thin wedge that will spread the split (but only put it in position as yet), add wood glue all round, put handle with wedge sticking out into the hole and smack it in tight.
The wedge will spread the top of the handle as it's all driven together and if you've got it right it will never come out. Get it wrong and the handle wont go in properly.