Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: velvetsky01 on March 15, 2018, 08:10:55 AM
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Hi all
I was wondering if someone could help me
I have a lovely Neon Cricket players grade that I have been knocking in to be match ready for this season
Sadly I now think it is too heavy for me.
I have a few options:
1) sell it and buy a new one (it is on eBay currently but don’t want to do this as I love the grains shape and the fact iv worked hard on it)
2) send to Adam @Neon Cricket to have it reduced. Problem with this is they are very busy currently - I am happy to wait tho.
3) try and take some weight off myself - the fun option haha
So what would I need to do to take weight off myself? I have use of sanders etc as my farther in law makes kitchens for a living
But having never taken weight out of a bat before I thought I would get some advice.
Ps I know that perhaps option 2 is the sensible one
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Hi mate,
How much weight are you looking to take off, and is there a particular part of the bat you want to take it from?
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Hi chalkie
I think around 3oz to start with it’s a big old bat so I think it can be done without too much detriment to the bat.
I would say in terms of where to take it out I would say toward the bottom. But I think it could just do with all over to keep shape etc
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Here's what i do it as bat Toes even thin ones are usually quite solid take wood from the toe upto the bottom of the spine if the pick up is still to heavy remove wood equally from either side of the spine but do not remove wood from the spine.
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You'd be amazed how much wood 3oz is.
I'm a big fan of doing things yourself, but might just be easier to either send back, or get a new one.
Or, get down the gym so you can wave a real man's bat! ;)
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Do you have a round bottomed plane? You'll need one to get weight out of the back most likely. If you want to lose 3oz it is probably possible with a sander but again if there is concaving on the back you'll need a sander that can fit the shape.
For a players grade bat I'd propose to get a professional to do it quite honestly. Doesn't need to be Neon, I'm sure most batmakers would help you out. Where do you live?
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3oz to start??
That's a fair chunk of weight
Your gonna have to remove quite a bit from most of the bat to get 3oz off it
Just using a sander is gonna take a while, hence why most batmakers use planes/drawknife/cnc routers etc to get the initial shape.
If your gonna use a sander, try and remove from the whole of the bat, to maintain the balance etc
But like I said, it's gonna take a while with a sander
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Hi chalkie
I think around 3oz to start with it’s a big old bat so I think it can be done without too much detriment to the bat.
I would say in terms of where to take it out I would say toward the bottom. But I think it could just do with all over to keep shape etc
Totally agree with JK and Northern on this.
Sounds like you may have bought Adam’s lovely Blue sample that he used for his photos? Very nice (and big) bat that and nearly took it myself but it was just too heavy. Also toyed with the idea of reducing but only have a sander so decided it would be a lot of work.
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Totally agree with JK and Northern on this.
Sounds like you may have bought Adam’s lovely Blue sample that he used for his photos? Very nice (and big) bat that and nearly took it myself but it was just too heavy. Also toyed with the idea of reducing but only have a sander so decided it would be a lot of work.
Not the blue but the orange from the photos I thought it would be fine and have worked hard on it over the winter so would like to keep it
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Do you have a round bottomed plane? You'll need one to get weight out of the back most likely. If you want to lose 3oz it is probably possible with a sander but again if there is concaving on the back you'll need a sander that can fit the shape.
For a players grade bat I'd propose to get a professional to do it quite honestly. Doesn't need to be Neon, I'm sure most batmakers would help you out. Where do you live?
I will check with my father in law what kit he has you never know he may do
As I think the sander will take along time from the sound of it
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3oz to start??
That's a fair chunk of weight
Your gonna have to remove quite a bit from most of the bat to get 3oz off it
Just using a sander is gonna take a while, hence why most batmakers use planes/drawknife/cnc routers etc to get the initial shape.
If your gonna use a sander, try and remove from the whole of the bat, to maintain the balance etc
But like I said, it's gonna take a while with a sander
Maybe 3oz is abit too much to start with then from everyone’s reaction
Yes If I was to do it myself I would attempt to take it out the whole bat and maybe the edge but I think this might be a step too far for me lol
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3oz! thats alot i hope the bat is very big because your gonna make it really small taking that ammount of.
taking of 3oz with a sander you will be there all day.
If you have never done anything like this before id send it to a bat maker plenty on this forum. or do you have a local one?
You could send it back to neon but im sure he would then have to take it back to his bat maker
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Why not invest in Neon's shares offer, sell your bat as is on EBay and take advantage of the kit-for-cost-price deal to buy a new bat of the weight you prefer.
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When reducing weight, everyone always take it off of the back of the bat (me included)
Would it not make more sense to take it evenly off the face? Would make the bat lighter, whilst keeping the exact same shape and (in theory) keeping the same balance etc.
There may well be a reason people don't do it like that, but it seems like a much easier solution.
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You don’t press the back of the bat...
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3oz! thats alot i hope the bat is very big because your gonna make it really small taking that ammount of.
taking of 3oz with a sander you will be there all day.
If you have never done anything like this before id send it to a bat maker plenty on this forum. or do you have a local one?
You could send it back to neon but im sure he would then have to take it back to his bat maker
yes it is a big bat
Weight 2.12lb
Edges 40-42 mm
Spine 60-62mm
Toe 30mm
Shoulder 20mm
here are photos
(http://i63.tinypic.com/2mfc2tl.jpg)
(http://i64.tinypic.com/sg4m4n.jpg)
(http://i63.tinypic.com/2hoiatv.jpg)
(http://i67.tinypic.com/255m4k1.jpg)
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You don’t press the back of the bat...
Ahhh.
Seems obvious now!
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Try the airing cupboard for a few weeks, see if you can get a bit of weight off that way!
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Try the airing cupboard for a few weeks, see if you can get a bit of weight off that way!
doesnt that compromise the lifespan of the bat?
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I know you've put a bit of work into that bat, but it's way to nice to hack away at and possibly ruin.
Just to give you a rough idea of weight removal, if you sawed an inch of wood from the bottom of the bat, that piece would be roughly 1.5 to 2oz
So to remove 3oz by sanding would take ages, and quite a bit of skill
My advice would be to either move it on, or get it to a batmaker for them to re profile it
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This is the conclusion i am coming to
I am happy to wait for @Neon Cricket to help but Adam did say they are very bus at the moment @LEACHY48 has offered to help too
You are right it’s too nice for the likes of me to be hacking at it haha I just wanted to get some views before I did ao
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doesnt that compromise the lifespan of the bat?
Quite possibly, though in this case it looks a decent lump of wood. I'm just keen that the bat looks as good after weight reduction! My initial efforts were quite rustic, and my guess is that bat cost a good few quid.
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Hi chalkie
I think around 3oz to start with it’s a big old bat so I think it can be done without too much detriment to the bat.
I would say in terms of where to take it out I would say toward the bottom. But I think it could just do with all over to keep shape etc
I am opposed to bat surgery, it messes up the balance. Reducing size by sanding off millimeters may impact the performance.
Have you thought about a trade-in with the vendor?
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I am opposed to bat surgery, it messes up the balance. Reducing size by sanding off millimeters may impact the performance.
Have you thought about a trade-in with the vendor?
I disagree, so long as it’s done properly. I had the better part of 2 oz taken out (by Paul) from my Aldred a couple of years ago which turned it from a nice bat that was too heavy for me to an absolute belter, and its balance afterwards was fantastic
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For all that is holy, don't try doing it yourself. Not on that bat. With all respect, it'll be carnage and you'll be sad. 3oz removal is serious surgery. Get any pro podshaver on here to do it for you, or trade it in.
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No I have already decided against that lol
@Neon Cricket have been in touch and we are going to try and sort something out so I would like to publically thank them for that.
It might be that this bat is for sale and I just get a new one or i return it to neon and get a replacement. If anyone is interested then let me know as I am sure Adam would like this being one being used lol its a real belter
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I disagree, so long as it’s done properly. I had the better part of 2 oz taken out (by Paul) from my Aldred a couple of years ago which turned it from a nice bat that was too heavy for me to an absolute belter, and its balance afterwards was fantastic
I meant DIY - "bat surgery" which can mess up a bat.
Paul is good. Did he take some off the handle as well to balance the bat? Do you know?
A friend had a L&W Signature whittled down by Laver. He didn't like how the bat turned out - not much ping. He ended up buying another Signature.
I'd be curious to know if the cleft chosen by the batmaker with a certain final weight in mind and would deviation (later bat surgery or weight reduction) actually impact the performance. In your case it worked out fine but does it generally?
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You would do a lot worse then asking @Vulcan Cricket to see what Dean can do with regards to weight reduction and highly skilled he is too, remove the toe guard would remove a bit could also try a thick spiral grip to aid pick up but 3oz is a hell of a lot of willow even from a 40mm edge bat
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I’ve got a 3lb BAS bat that my mate bought a few years ago, that’s way too heavy for him.
Once I figure out picture uploading, I’ll do a before and after of weight removal.
The bats a similar profile, but a little bigger.
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Try the airing cupboard for a few weeks, see if you can get a bit of weight off that way!
Removing the fibre edge tape, the toe guard and the stickers will drop perhaps 1-1.5oz. Along with a bit of time spent back downwards on a radiator to remove moisture from the back of the bat, will get you close. Playing with a thinner grip will drop another fraction of an oz, but won't make it feel any lighter (how much is psychological? Does it need to be 3oz, or can you get away with 2oz less?). Given the toe thickness, I suspect you could drop perhaps 1-1.5oz there to make it pick up 2-3oz lighter. Shame to lose bulk from the middle or compromise the pick up - get a pro to make any wood off.
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Removing the fibre edge tape, the toe guard and the stickers will drop perhaps 1-1.5oz. Along with a bit of time spent back downwards on a radiator to remove moisture from the back of the bat, will get you close. Playing with a thinner grip will drop another fraction of an oz, but won't make it feel any lighter (how much is psychological? Does it need to be 3oz, or can you get away with 2oz less?). Given the toe thickness, I suspect you could drop perhaps 1-1.5oz there to make it pick up 2-3oz lighter. Shame to lose bulk from the middle or compromise the pick up - get a pro to make any wood off.
A section of those kids foam swimming pool noodles makes a great sanding block for sanding a concaved bat. Pick them up cheap in those cheap shops over here.
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(https://s26.postimg.org/d7i53l2ed/1_E49_E036-279_B-4_BC7-92_CD-16_CC90878390.png) (https://postimg.org/image/d7i53l2ed/)
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(https://s26.postimg.org/d7i53l2ed/1_E49_E036-279_B-4_BC7-92_CD-16_CC90878390.png) (https://postimg.org/image/d7i53l2ed/)
Oh is that you mate? I friended you on FB yesterday. Nice work! :)
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Ha ha yeah
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This might be of interest - was tidying up the workshop earlier and thought I'd weigh the pile of willow shavings I ended up with... This is what 4oz of willow looks like after its been removed from a cleft, 3/4 of an IKEA paper bin, or a carrier bag full:
(https://s9.postimg.org/kinanb5ov/IMG_20180317_122557.jpg)
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If you attack the bat bottom up you may need less wood off as it should help pickup. Better to lose 1-1.5oz off the toe than 3oz across all the hitting area. Toe could be trimmed down to 25mm without affecting durability, particularly if you go for a round toe and lose the toe guard (it will drop off in a few weeks anyway). Also angling the toe to avoid feathering will make the bat more durable and lose a little more willow. Losing the stickers might save 0.5oz, scuff a little more. Not helping pickup but another 0.2-0.3oz would be to slope the shoulders a touch, not quite shoulderless but between where they are now and shoulderless. Outside that, just take a mm or so off the edges and job done, each mm is an oz roughly.
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If you attack the bat bottom up you may need less wood off as it should help pickup. Better to lose 1-1.5oz off the toe than 3oz across all the hitting area. Toe could be trimmed down to 25mm without affecting durability, particularly if you go for a round toe and lose the toe guard (it will drop off in a few weeks anyway). Also angling the toe to avoid feathering will make the bat more durable and lose a little more willow. Losing the stickers might save 0.5oz, scuff a little more. Not helping pickup but another 0.2-0.3oz would be to slope the shoulders a touch, not quite shoulderless but between where they are now and shoulderless. Outside that, just take a mm or so off the edges and job done, each mm is an oz roughly.
Agree with all of this, but I do think that it's worth having a first go with an old bat you no longer care about, rather than diving right in on your pride and joy!
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Hi all thank you ever so much for all your comments and suggestions
Just a quick update on this
I returned the bat to Adam last night and am awaiting a replacement which should be with me in a few weeks
So.....not sure what Adam was planning on doing with it but there is a rather nice looking orange Neon going spare if you ask Adam nicely 😜
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(https://s19.postimg.org/5ws40mr8f/IMG_3139.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/5ws40mr8f/)