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Equipment => Bats => Bat Making => Topic started by: buddyb on December 13, 2020, 05:05:39 PM

Title: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 13, 2020, 05:05:39 PM
So I thought I would create a new topic and try and regularly post what I am up to and what is happening in the workshop. I would also like to try and make it a place where questions can be asked as well.

We shall see where this goes.

But to kick things off, I shall start with the following for those who haven't yet seen it, the promo video I recently created.

https://youtu.be/Erv444RZA54

(I will look to take photos of the bat's I am currently working on during the week)

Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: Ayrtek Cricket on December 13, 2020, 05:39:30 PM
Top work RJ 👏
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: thegowerwaft on December 13, 2020, 05:59:14 PM
Great video. A very enjoyable watch. Thank you!
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: SOULMAN1012 on December 13, 2020, 08:10:34 PM
Top video mate and a lovely set up you have going on. Will certainly look to pay a visit one day.

Chris
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: alba caerulea on December 13, 2020, 10:55:17 PM
Lovely video. Find it quite satisfying to watch that process even sped up!
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 22, 2020, 09:53:10 PM
Top video mate and a lovely set up you have going on. Will certainly look to pay a visit one day.

Chris

More than welcome to visit 👍
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 22, 2020, 10:04:16 PM
So a little update as been meaning to do a post the last couple of days. Since the last post, I have made and sent out over 50 bats (some of these for other brands as blank). As people are aware, I do a lot of bats for other brands to their design, specs and shapes without you really knowing. I will never name who they are but you may already be using one, or know someone who is. You would probably be shocked how many I make for.

However this weekend, I finished a few more of the Christmas backlog orders, and getting them ready to go out today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJEgDHEB6V1/?igshid=1unzn8tjnajp7 (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJEgDHEB6V1/?igshid=1unzn8tjnajp7)

In January, I will be starting to organise the workshop a bit more with the arrival of new machines and preparing clefts for pro bats.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: six and out on December 23, 2020, 08:18:54 AM
So a little update as been meaning to do a post the last couple of days. Since the last post, I have made and sent out over 50 bats (some of these for other brands as blank). As people are aware, I do a lot of bats for other brands to their design, specs and shapes without you really knowing. I will never name who they are but you may already be using one, or know someone who is. You would probably be shocked how many I make for.

However this weekend, I finished a few more of the Christmas backlog orders, and getting them ready to go out today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJEgDHEB6V1/?igshid=1unzn8tjnajp7 (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJEgDHEB6V1/?igshid=1unzn8tjnajp7)

In January, I will be starting to organise the workshop a bit more with the arrival of new machines and preparing clefts for pro bats.

Hi RJ,

I have a question that I have always wondered regarding brands that make for other brands.

How do you prioritise your orders/workload? By this I mean you obviously have an order from X brand for a number of bats but what happens if you then get a number of orders for your own RJ bats, which I presume must take preference, are you allowed to drop everything and make those to satisfy your customers?
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 23, 2020, 08:47:42 AM
Hi RJ,

I have a question that I have always wondered regarding brands that make for other brands.

How do you prioritise your orders/workload? By this I mean you obviously have an order from X brand for a number of bats but what happens if you then get a number of orders for your own RJ bats, which I presume must take preference, are you allowed to drop everything and make those to satisfy your customers?

My stuff naturally is a priority, but I work on a next order on the list basis, which I think is the fairest way. The majority of blank bats I send is a generic shape which I will tweak according to their shape, which I have a load pre made pretty much ready to go and then make up the ones I don't have. But it has happened in the past where I've had about 100 bats from a couple of brands come in all at the same time. It happened after the first lockdown. Everyone cancelled their orders because they didn't want to pay out (which is expected due to the uncertainty at the time), as soon as the government announced cricket was safe to play, within 24hrs I had people chasing me for thier orders.  The only priority customers I guess are pro orders, as I may have to turn them around in a couple of days, if they have broken some or going out on tour.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: Guyfawkes on December 23, 2020, 07:33:03 PM
Love the video mate. A set up to aspire to!
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 23, 2020, 10:25:27 PM
Love the video mate. A set up to aspire to!

Cheers. 👍 It's constantly changing and always bringing in new machines. I probably have too many, but trying to get it to the level where one machine does one job.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: InternalTraining on December 23, 2020, 10:49:04 PM
Great video!
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: billyb on December 24, 2020, 01:53:46 AM
This is so interesting, @buddyb! How long does it actually take to make one bat? Great video.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 24, 2020, 09:29:22 AM
This is so interesting, @buddyb! How long does it actually take to make one bat? Great video.

It probably takes about an hour and a half to 2hrws per bat from a raw cleft all the way through the production stages
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 28, 2020, 05:49:41 PM
Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Took a little trip to the workshop today to drop a few bits of and to take a few measurements for a couple of new jigs I am making up. Couldn't resist the urge to quickly shape this one up, in a new profile I have been working on for another brand.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJWYwuMhKjC/?igshid=nn465zq8coqr (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJWYwuMhKjC/?igshid=nn465zq8coqr)

Let me know your thoughts.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: procricket on December 28, 2020, 06:34:19 PM
I like that shape another inch higher middle would look similar to the VK Aus version I bet it will pick up well.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 28, 2020, 07:28:57 PM
I like that shape another inch higher middle would look similar to the VK Aus version I bet it will pick up well.

Ah cool, do you have any pictures of that shape? Someone else has said a similar thing with the VK shape.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: SurreySam on December 28, 2020, 07:36:47 PM
Here you go.

(https://i.postimg.cc/MHXMwMHX/Kohli.png)
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 28, 2020, 09:02:45 PM
Here you go.

Cheers. Seem what you mean, a little higher and slightly more duckbilled. 👍

(https://i.postimg.cc/MHXMwMHX/Kohli.png)
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: SOULMAN1012 on December 28, 2020, 11:03:52 PM
Lovely shape @buddyb would certainly try that shape out as love a mid/high Middle
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on December 28, 2020, 11:25:52 PM
Lovely shape @buddyb would certainly try that shape out as love a mid/high Middle

May have to introduce it in as a stock range shape @SOULMAN1012
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on January 02, 2021, 11:47:02 AM
Tomorrow I will be doing a Instagram live in the workshop, shaping up a bat for a customer. So if you fancy watching live in action, I will be starting at 1pm.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on January 10, 2021, 05:07:47 PM
For those who missed the Instagram live day last week, I received a load of messages to pot the video up. Sadly due to it being over 2hrs long in the end with all the questions etc afters, I made another video and popped it up onto YouTube. So if you fancy watching me in action shaping up a bat it lasts about 25mins.

https://youtu.be/aev7dvN2EYg
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on January 31, 2021, 09:54:48 AM
apologies for not posting an awful lot on her recently, as been quite busy. However, the other day I was contacted out of blue by an international pro to make some bats up for them, after seeing what I have been up to and on the back of some bats I made for his teammates in oz. Bit of a surreal experience, to think a little batmaker in Norfolk is being talked about at the highest level.

Anyway, here is one of the bats That I have made for them to try out.

25mm toe
40mm edges
14mm shoulders
63mm spine
Full profile.

PS I won't name who the player is as they aren't on my books.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKraBePhmA6/?igshid=18f0iq09kd7g0 (https://www.instagram.com/p/CKraBePhmA6/?igshid=18f0iq09kd7g0)
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: alba caerulea on January 31, 2021, 10:32:00 AM
Thats brilliant @buddyb well done.

Might have to get in touch soon for one myself!
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: ch1p on January 31, 2021, 10:48:03 AM
Good on you mate! That profile looks immense 😊

Keep grafting away!
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: SurreySam on January 31, 2021, 02:42:48 PM
Nice, that toe looks rather large for 25mm.
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: procricket on January 31, 2021, 02:45:29 PM
May I ask what weight that would finish at please looks good
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on January 31, 2021, 10:46:46 PM
Thats brilliant @buddyb well done.

Might have to get in touch soon for one myself!

@alba caerulea cheers mate. No worries at all know where I am. (Not that I am pushing a sales admin)
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on January 31, 2021, 10:49:22 PM
Good on you mate! That profile looks immense 😊

@ch1p cheers. It's basically a larger version of my standard stock sort of shape. Just a few tweaks needed to raise the middle up a little more.

Keep grafting away!
Title: Re: Behind the Robert James bench.
Post by: buddyb on January 31, 2021, 10:50:09 PM
May I ask what weight that would finish at please looks good

@procricket he wants it to finish about 2.9/5 once stickered up