Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Bat Care => Topic started by: Silver Bullet on September 17, 2014, 04:06:49 AM
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Just noticed quite a few cracks near the surface on my bat. Can someone help me diagnose and determine next steps please ? Two games left in the season and I don't have an alternate bat.
Thanks
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/16/40b4c8dc15f873dca8389bfceafa1aaa.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/16/78c588d387fcec6eef3038d6bcc9c0a9.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/16/b976f59043dbdc4fe4e96a63712e65d6.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/16/623d91876edcd58a897e54210aa63fbf.jpg)
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Some of the best bats I have owned went like that it is possibly previous linseed oiling that has caused the lift.
Give it a light sanding followed by a light oiling apply a scuff sheet when the oil has dried and your bat should be fine.
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The pictures don't do it justice but the cracks are deep enough that any sanding will not get rid of the crack.
Also with two games left in the season. Should I continue using it or should I repair the bat first ?
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The pictures don't do it justice but the cracks are deep enough that any sanding will not get rid of the crack.
Also with two games left in the season. Should I continue using it or should I repair the bat first ?
Bind with tape until the end of the season, then id be tempted to get some glue in there and clamp it down overnight at the end of the season.
Once the glue has dried give it a good sand and a couple of coats of oil, should be fine after that.
If you don't fancy doing the repair yourself PM me about a refurb ;)
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Bind with tape until the end of the season, then id be tempted to get some glue in there and clamp it down overnight at the end of the season.
Once the glue has dried give it a good sand and a couple of coats of oil, should be fine after that.
If you don't fancy doing the repair yourself PM me about a refurb ;)
Thank You.
The cracks span the middle of the bat. Would tape have a significant impact on performance ? If so, I might as well repair it now.
Second question - taking off the current scuff sheet would probably make the current cracks slightly worse and take some wood off the face crack. Are there any special precautions I should take ?
Lastly, would edge tape have prevented these cracks ? What do you reckon caused them in the first place ? I didn't oil the bat this season, I strictly used batwax at the start of the season and applied a scuff sheet. Haven't touched the bat since then.
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Thank You.
The cracks span the middle of the bat. Would tape have a significant impact on performance ? If so, I might as well repair it now.
Tape is so thin you wont notice a difference in performance at all. It's the same as adding a scuff sheet, theoretically reduces performance but its so minimal you don't notice.
Second question - taking off the current scuff sheet would probably make the current cracks slightly worse and take some wood off the face crack. Are there any special precautions I should take ?
Go slowly, side to side not down the grain, and if the other edge isn't damaged go from that side to avoid any unnecessary damage/unplanned wood removal
Lastly, would edge tape have prevented these cracks ? What do you reckon caused them in the first place ? I didn't oil the bat this season, I strictly used batwax at the start of the season and applied a scuff sheet. Haven't touched the bat since then.
Looking at the crack I doubt edge tape would have prevented it, just hidden it from view. Did you strike the edges at 45 degrees while knocking in? It could be ball damage, but from just the pictures it's hard to tell in this case.
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The cracks are much worse than they appear in the pictures - just something like this warrant reaching out to the bat maker ?
The bat is one season old.
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The cracks are much worse than they appear in the pictures - just something like this warrant reaching out to the bat maker ?
The bat is one season old.
If they're local you could always pop in and show the to get an opinion.
If it involves posting it off to them you've virtually comminuted to paying for a refurb/repair.
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If they're local you could always pop in and show the to get an opinion.
If it involves posting it off to them you've virtually comminuted to paying for a refurb/repair.
Ie. this is not a manufacturers defect - it's essentially wear and tear. I can't claim to have received a substandard stick and ask for a refund/replacement.
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Ie. this is not a manufacturers defect - it's essentially wear and tear. I can't claim to have received a substandard stick and ask for a refund/replacement.
It's aa tricky one with bats mate.
Willow is a natural product so things like this are always going to happen.
However, if the bat is less than a year old it "might" be eligible for a repair free of charge.
I can almost certainly say if you asked for a full refund after a seasons use you'd be told to stop taking the piss though.
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It's aa tricky one with bats mate.
Willow is a natural product so things like this are always going to happen.
However, if the bat is less than a year old it "might" be eligible for a repair free of charge.
I can almost certainly say if you asked for a full refund after a seasons use you'd be told to stop taking the piss though.
I agree. I asked because the guy I took it to for a repair insisted I reach out to the manufacturer and insist for a refund/replacement.
I am not local or even on the same continent so don't think sending the bat across the ocean for a repair would make much sense. Will attempt a repair myself.
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I agree. I asked because the guy I took it to for a repair insisted I reach out to the manufacturer and insist for a refund/replacement.
I am not local or even on the same continent so don't think sending the bat across the ocean for a repair would make much sense. Will attempt a repair myself.
Fair enough mate, If you want any advice on the fix feel free to PM me
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Update - after removing the scuff sheet the cracks look a lot worse.
Two questions
1. How do I get rid of the residual glue from the scuff sheet
2. How do I get glue into these cracks. They're tiny...
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/20/67a266804bb27fa5420c28e2564fed34.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/20/2e3979dc07e9fd99e4b0e979f8ec801d.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/20/4bbc8ad42e0e58c56bfae06bee47df32.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/20/8aee345096de4185937ec0da220b8c5a.jpg)
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1) white spirit on a rag will remove the residue
2) For the cracks on the face watered down PVA on top of the cracks, leave the bat face up and let gravity do it's thing. For the crack on the edge use a syringe to get the glue in as deep as possible, then clamp tightly and leave 24 hours.
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If you get that to me by Tuesday (wednesday at a push) i will have it back to you for the weekend. :)
Edit, just read the words 'across the ocean' - maybe i can't get it back to you inside a week!
It is an easy enough repair, happy to provide some advice/help.
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Do I water down the glue for the edges or regular glue would do a fine enough job ?
Thanks for all the help
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If you get that to me by Tuesday (wednesday at a push) i will have it back to you for the weekend. :)
Edit, just read the words 'across the ocean' - maybe i can't get it back to you inside a week!
It is an easy enough repair, happy to provide some advice/help.
Jake? I thought you knew your stuff!
The bat is healthy. Could perhaps do with a bit of edge tape, but that's all.
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Do I water down the glue for the edges or regular glue would do a fine enough job ?
Thanks for all the help
I don't personally see the benefit in watering down glue, it just weakens the bonding/adhesive quality.
The face cracks i wouldn't be worry too much about, you can leave some glue sat on top of them overnight, and the glue will work it's way in. From there you can sand off the excess.
As for the edge cracks, i would attempt to prise them open a little further using a Stanley knife or similar. From there i use a printers ink needle to inject the glue as far as i can into the gap. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-10ml-set-Syringes-Blunt-needle-for-Refilling-Refill-ink-printer-cartridges-/281435909667?pt=UK_Computing_Ink_Refills_Kits&hash=item4186e32e23 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-10ml-set-Syringes-Blunt-needle-for-Refilling-Refill-ink-printer-cartridges-/281435909667?pt=UK_Computing_Ink_Refills_Kits&hash=item4186e32e23)
Once the glue is in there, the crack needs to be closed up. Tightly wrapping parcel tape around the bat would be the easiest way, proper clamps can be tricky on the edge of a bat. Leave overnight again and then remove the tape, sand off the excess. Done. :)
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Jake? I thought you knew your stuff!
The bat is healthy. Could perhaps do with a bit of edge tape, but that's all.
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/20/4bbc8ad42e0e58c56bfae06bee47df32.jpg)
I would definitely want to give that some attention. It's hardly the worst damage i have seen, but a repair will prolong the life of the bat.
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OK. But you explained 'opening up' beautifully elsewhere! I'd be happy if a bat of mine was starting to look like that.
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Personally I wouldn't water down PVA glue as it will weaken the bond strength of the glue. I would try using full fat pva and use your finger tips to massage into the cracks (use as much glue as you like). You can also use a drinking straw to blow the glue into the cracks which is very effective.
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OK. But you explained 'opening up' beautifully elsewhere! I'd be happy if a bat of mine was starting to look like that.
I did say that i wouldn't be worrying too much about the face cracks. The very same cracks are appearing down the grain on my own GN Vortex, I have sealed them with glue but only because i had nothing else to do and it's the end of the season, so did a quick refurb at the same time. It isn't necessary to do anything with this kind of 'damage' but it won't hurt to seal it.
The edge cracks i would definitely want to address sooner rather than later, with the method i have suggested above.
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If only wanted down the glue for the face so it gets into the cracks easier. The drinking straw method or rubbing the glue in are probably better options.
As for the edge damage I would use non watered down glue so the bond was as strong as possible.
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If only wanted down the glue for the face so it gets into the cracks easier. The drinking straw method or rubbing the glue in are probably better options.
As for the edge damage I would use non watered down glue so the bond was as strong as possible.
Rubbing or blowing it in will work yes. I personally just let gravity do its magic. I leave way too much glue sat on the crack, almost like a sticky puddle. This is a bat i repaired last week. Obviously it is a much more complex repair, but the 'puddles' of glue that are not the main focus of the pictures let you know what i mean for a much smaller/less serious crack.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxrVwquIIAEZWAI.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxqE5l6CcAAFr4o.jpg)
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Straws, rubbing, Gravity. Take your pick!
Like you Jake, I like to let gravity work it's wonders. Why make additional work yourself when nature does it for you??
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Tried clamps... Don't think it's gonna work out. All they did was damage the back of the bat. They keep slipping off the edge and/or don't exert enough pressure.
Will try jakes method tomorrow.
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Parcel tape is excellent for things like that buddy
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Tried clamps... Don't think it's gonna work out. All they did was damage the back of the bat. They keep slipping off the edge and/or don't exert enough pressure.
Will try jakes method tomorrow.
If you use clamps you need to use wedges of wood to spread the load. Another option is cardboard, cut into strips and folded over, maybe folded twice if you can.
A clamp isn't essential for this, and like you have found, is actually quite tricky. Wrapping tightly with a stretchy parcel tape will work much better in this case i believe.
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If you use clamps you need to use wedges of wood to spread the load. Another option is cardboard, cut into strips and folded over, maybe folded twice if you can.
A clamp isn't essential for this, and like you have found, is actually quite tricky. Wrapping tightly with a stretchy parcel tape will work much better in this case i believe.
Thanks my concern is it won't impart enough force to close the crack since it takes significant force to close it with my hand.
One other option is to use thin quick set glue and close the crack with my fingers. Not sure how effective that'd be. I'm probably going to use the parcel tape method first.
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Thanks my concern is it won't impart enough force to close the crack since it takes significant force to close it with my hand.
One other option is to use thin quick set glue and close the crack with my fingers. Not sure how effective that'd be. I'm probably going to use the parcel tape method first.
Parcel tape will work on cracks like those, believe me. The tape doesn't have to close the cracks to the level you can achieve when using your fingers, just as long as it holds the wood tightly in place whilst the adhesive sets.
The problem with quick setting adhesives/epoxies/superglues etc is that they dry to a very brittle finish. PVA wood glue sets with some elasticity to give the repair a better chance of holding together when struck by a cricket ball.
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(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/20/c0a28e78954e69e668cc1d3b477c86f0.jpg)
Packing tape worked better than I expected. Now it's just wait and see.
Thanks for all the help everyone.
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(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/21/b321116e64fa5f25d225fef3a0be8eb8.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/21/7636f0a1f8a747dd1744263cad129741.jpg)
Some sanding left and I'm all done.
One last question - I have some cracks at the bottom of the bat that I can't tell, if they extend to the toe, because of the shoe goo. How do I take off the shoe goo ?
Thanks
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Never used shoo goo but I'd take a guess at using some rough sandpaper would remove it fairly efficiently
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Repair looks great, well done :)
Shoe goo should just peel off in one go, you may need to get underneath it first with a flat-head screwdriver or a knife.