Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Bat Care => Topic started by: Buzz on May 27, 2020, 08:28:23 PM
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So I have now had a couple of good hits with my chase bat (a £65 bargain bin jobbie) picture below a a reminder.
So let's cut to the chase, it is a lovely bat, a shape I like and for the most part goes very well, especially at destroying half vollies.
However the bit below the stain is hard and shocks the hands a bit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/T2HSXVH8/IMG-20191223-125232.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w3LFXmpF)
The question is, can you soften a hard bar somehow?
I suspect the answer is no, but am interested in what people think.
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Not sure from a technical point of view, but I have definitely in the past had bats that have had that new hard bar shock feeling you describe, only for it to disappear over time.
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So I have now had a couple of good hits with my chase bat (a £65 bargain bin jobbie) picture below a a reminder.
So let's cut to the chase, it is a lovely bat, a shape I like and for the most part goes very well, especially at destroying half vollies.
However the bit below the stain is hard and shocks the hands a bit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/T2HSXVH8/IMG-20191223-125232.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w3LFXmpF)
The question is, can you soften a hard bar somehow?
I suspect the answer is no, but am interested in what people think.
I think they will always have a harder feel but the initial shock you describe on an aldred I had went away after a bit more mallet work and a few nets. I guess it depends on the depth of the hard bar and the staining.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/4N704YrY/IMG-20191223-125310.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4mGPBx4G)
As you can see the stain is bigger on the back.
If it does soften up then it is going to be a tremendous bat. I will give it a bit more of a bash at some point...
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Oh I see, the stain rather than an actual hard bar? That will definitely soften up over time, in my experience with butterflies it's pretty common for the stain to feel a bit rubbish at first but it always comes good. Had similar with a Chase cleft I shaped for a teammate over the winter, he said it took a lot of knocking in but absolutely flew once ready.
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Buzz drop me a message on Facebook I'll explain what i do
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Sorry for my ignorance but what do you mean by 'hard bar'?
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Sorry for my ignorance but what do you mean by 'hard bar'?
When the ball hits the hitting zone of the bat it feels really nice.
When the ball hits up near the butterfly stain the impact feels hard and shocks my hands. That is the hard bar
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If you stick the whole bat in the bath for about 2 -3 hours then bang it on radiator it will soften right up.
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What am I putting in the bath with the bat? Water, white spirits? Some Legend batting pads?
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Just the bat, you and a spot of Michael Buble. :D
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When the ball hits the hitting zone of the bat it feels really nice.
When the ball hits up near the butterfly stain the impact feels hard and shocks my hands. That is the hard bar
Does the ball respond differently from that area? I always thought hard bars provide extra punch (if located right on top of the face)...might be different if it’s a bit deeper into the wood. I sanded down a hard bar once - and the bat lost that nice crispy ping in that area.
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When i was with Alex at GN, pretty sure he said a hard bar that goes smooth when pressed into the blade perform better
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As you can see from the picture, in this case it is quite high on the bat so I am not sure I am expecting the ball to fly off it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/MGZq9kFZ/IMG-20200528-135353.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/v4KJmKyC)
Anyway I have a plan thanks to the master of a butterfly, Mr Vulcan himself so will let you know how I get on.
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What’s the plan? Would like to know. Cheers
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Personaly I think this stain will not soften up but other butterfly stain which doesn't have hard bar will soften up by oiling and knocking in with mallet many a time.
Anyways best of luck with it
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So phase one is to remove the scuff sheet and clean it up. Which I have done (and gave my other bats a clean up too as I had the kit out.)
(https://i.postimg.cc/1z51M63V/IMG-20200528-152317.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/cvjzLvYd)
Phase two will be to give the bat an oil, putting extra over the stain.
I have had to order some oil as I have only used Lord Sheriton for ages, then I will leave it for a day or so and clean off the excess and give it a smash with the mallet.
Then repeat the process of I need to.
The fact is I really like the bat and it is a top performer, so I think it will be worth the effort.
My suspicion is that these efforts will a waste of time and it will be impossible to soften it but I will let you know.
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Worked for me for years takes time but it works won't happens over night ..but what do I know .. time time to not say anything !!!!
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One thing we do have here is time.
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Some bat that for 60! Is the actuall stain itself softer than the area under?
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You've just said it's a top performer, so what's the issue? Why bother?
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You've just said it's a top performer, so what's the issue? Why bother?
My experience of these is that the rest of the bat can be fantastic but the stain is rock hard and doesn't perform as well as the rest of the bat.
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You've just said it's a top performer, so what's the issue? Why bother?
Why not, if someone said I could do some trick to make a bat go better I'd try it.
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My experience of these is that the rest of the bat can be fantastic but the stain is rock hard and doesn't perform as well as the rest of the bat.
When new yes, given time the stain goes just as well as the rest. That's my experience, anyway.
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This isn't about performance, the stain is high up the bat, it is about stopping the vibrations when the ball hits higher up the bat.
I don't see why linseed oil won't help soften the fibres.
Some bat that for 60! Is the actuall stain itself softer than the area under?
The stain is hard, as is the willow upto about an inch below, after that it is perfect.
And yes for the price I paid i am very happy with the bat.
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Have yet to see one of those Chase bats from the sale that haven't been at least decent. Regretted selling mine to my club enough that I picked up a Chase harrow to try which is a beaut for a 'junior' bat.
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When new yes, given time the stain goes just as well as the rest. That's my experience, anyway.
I never quite understood how you properly press a bat with this sort of stain. I get the fact that very cleft is different so you have to press it individually to get the best performance from it, but I didn't understand how that works when you have a bat with areas that are harder than others when you have to press the whole bat with the same amount of pressure.
Have you softened yours through using the mallet in the effected area or just through playing it in?
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Have you softened yours through using the mallet in the effected area or just through playing it in?
Just through playing them in, I'm not patient enough with a mallet! Suspect half of it is in the handle loosening up anyway so it just feels a bit better.
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Just through playing them in, I'm not patient enough with a mallet! Suspect half of it is in the handle loosening up anyway so it just feels a bit better.
When I started playing, the advice from the senior players was 6 hours with the mallet and I have carried on doing this. Only had a few bats with heavy staining but have never managed to soften up the stained areas sufficiently.
For the price, the Chase deal is very good value though but I certainly wouldn't pay some of the prices that butterflies seem to be going for now
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OK. Here is an update..
The oil has worked. The bat has softened up by the stain.
I just need to bash it a bit and put a new scuff sheet on.
Oh and glue and clamp the crack I put in the edge before I put the scuff sheet on.
I am not saying the bat is perfect, but it is going to be a good bat.
(https://i.postimg.cc/yNTQ9wXm/IMG-20200604-215845.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mctyWpnk)
(https://i.postimg.cc/QMDYFX5N/IMG-20200604-215854.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CRvstpm9)
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@Buzz, what was the oil approach? Copious amount of oil in one setting or multiple treatments over many days/nights?
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I oiled the whole bat (it is largely new and only had a coat of bat wax on) then 24 hours later I oiled the stained area only. I then left it to dry for 48 hours.
I put about teaspoon maybe a bit more on first time an about half that the second time, wiping off any residue.
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If that's anything like the few butterfly I've been netting with, it'll be a gun. Utter bargain at that price too.