Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Cricket Manufacturers / Brands => Ayrtek Cricket => Topic started by: Ayrtek Cricket on May 10, 2010, 11:26:50 AM
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right having received the 2x G1 clefts they having a starting weight of 3.8 and 3.9 each which is recommended to come down to 2.8/9 each apparently!!!
Looking forward to getting cracking on them and seeing what comes out as an end result....would be great to have travisher(s) required now from those who kindly offered to lend me one :)
Used our bat in the picture as a template shape on my 1st effort to see how it goes...may be a little more experimental with the 2nd one ;)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/37d9ef6e.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/dc959f2f.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/af336023.jpg)
Any tips/hints etc welcome ???
Will update with pics as the shape progresses towards something resembling a bat!!!
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It will be with you tomorrow morning Tom - sorry!
I prefer the one on the end with the stickers :D
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You will enjoy shaping them and seeing a bat like shape appear, you'll also become extrememly frustrated when your trying to get the edges the same or straighten the spine of the bat.
Good luck!
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haha yeh got the feelin it will become frustrating yet an enjoyable experience!
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Who did you get the clefts off and how much? They both look really nice. It's handy that the potential weight is on as well, gives you a target.
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clefts came off of a seller on eBay as haggled for a gd price for g1 clefts considering what had been offered for g2/3 previously...not that it will make much difference if i balls it right up and ruin both of them!!!
been particularly lazy today and not bothered with a proper vice so going to splash out on now tomorrow as don't want to completely (No Swearing Please) it up!!! as you can see iv made a fair effort already as below....
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/29fc2beb.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/d26bedcd.jpg)
for an hours wittling i didn't think it was too bad personally..I'm sure others will think/comment otherwise lol the toe seems to be the real bugger at 3 inches thick to narrow down to something less girthy (refrain comments please)....
back to the bad boy tomorrow with a vice and a new enthusiasm for reducing wood ;)
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Great start - the travisher will be a great help as it should smooth out the scuffing from your plane! A new batmaker on the forum :D
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Thats nothing a bit of sanding won't sort out!
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oh god no mate more gashes than city road in bristol......and thats a few for those who know the area ;)
managed to get the handle down to something that looked like an oval so was happy with that but muchas work to do on the toe/middle etc when i crack on with it to get anything close to a bat, think having a vice/grip will help as black and decker work bench was as much use as t*ts to a nun today!
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might just call it a day and wade out with it in its current state on saturday... as Dr Pepper says "whats the worst that happen"
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oh god no mate more gashes than city road in bristol......and thats a few for those who know the area ;)
haha a classic tom!!!
surely you cannot pick that lump up yet thomas, with your weedy frame ;) therefore more whittling will be required!
and on the worst that can happen!! am i right in beliving you have a dodgy shoulder, and this is still a lump! Probably the worst that can happen (as a duck is on the cards anyway :D)
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Yeh it a bit hefty still mate for my guns to lift!! Guide weight is 2.8 so should be right up my alley so to speak!! Will whittle it down abut more tomorrow and await a travisher to concave the bad boy a bit ;)
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Tom I would prefer a new, ready made one ;)
They both look good, better than my current one!
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Colsey so ur saying u don't want a 3.8??? Quite frankly I'm dissapointed :(
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I'm sorry, even my guns couldn't use that, 2.9/2.10 in about right ;)
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Lol uv let me down Joseph as well as urself!! Thought I'd be hitting many a 6 with that beast...who needs sandpaper...rough and ready is the way forward!!!
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Bowlers may use the scuffed up ball for swing ;)
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I can see matty at h4l is viewing in admiration thinking how did he acieve such results in only 60 mins...think of me as the claire sweeny of the bag shaping world with my 60 minute makover! That's as close to a finished article as il get slap a grip n stickers on and she's gd to go :)
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I'm so glad someone supplies your bats and you don't make them ;)
I just hope the new one lives up to expectations and perhaps beats the recently deceased :(
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Thanks for the vote of confidence mate ;) lol I'm sure ul manage as lad at Somerset banged 94 with his on Saturday and has been taken on contract I'm sure Gareth will vouch for his lol
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Gaz his 51 off 17 scoring shots, Ben's yet to get a league run with his. My last innings with mine I got 1 :(
All about a 2007 GM Purist 808 on Sunday ;)
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I know it's not finished but I always find I have to shape the shoulders more aggressively than I initially anticipate. Don't go crazy though!
Looks like a great start, obviously the truth about KP is that he's really come home to pick up his bat. I can't believe they thought we'd buy that "he having a baby" line.
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Shoulders.......i hate shoulders.......i've watched a couple professional batmakers just flick the shoulder shape in two or three pulls with a spokeshave.....i've found shoulders to be a real pain, beach what do you use for the shoulders and what shape do you prefer to go for?
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I try to make them flat as possible using drawknife, rasp, file, basically anything I can use effectively. Then I sand it down closer to the shape, getting them even is so hard.
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little update for all u boys who are waiting in anticpation to see whats come from todays 60 minute makeover!
any adivice on the toe? will the travisher make my life a bit easier to shape it up to make it look a bit better...havent used any sandpaper on it as yet so still rough and ready...managed to keep the 30mm edges as per our normal profiled bats but as you say making the sides look even and the spine straight is not easy :(
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/df272cbd.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/5f8c2676.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/e6f09778.jpg)
Any toe tekkers advice welcomed :)
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Toe looks thin......
Nice profileeee
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is a bit on the slim jim side mate as got a bit heavy handed with the drawknife :( hoping to beef it up a bit when sanding and adding some shaoe with the travisher.
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time for an update...after recieving a no. 4 travisher from SS i set to work adding some shape to the back of the bat to get the weight down at bit closer to what i was after....eventually got the hang of it after a while and ended up with the below...
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/8369027b.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/50e9cd01.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/f786a8e7.jpg)
Learnt some lessons whan making this one in regards to the edges as its got a bit of a curve of one side after getting a bit carried away with the spokeshave to remove a dent.
Given it a quick sand but hoping to tidy up/even up the edges tomorrow as trying to limit myself on time to an hour as iv got other stuff to do lol
Feedback welcome but be gentle.... :-[
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Not bad Tom, must admit I'm surprised, can I see it later? ;)
What do you play to do with this bat?
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thanks joseph...i think???
yeh ill bring it over for you look at and hold in admiration lol ill prob end up leaving it in a dark corner somewhere lol
getting used to the tools and technique is prob the most difficult part and having a good eye to judge whats even etc is where the difficulty lies i think....as you can see im pretty useless at all of the above!
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You could always use it as a net bat, or take the edges off and use it as a middling bat ;)
You can see my bat repairing efforts lol, it's very, very special!
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Tom, that looks like a different bat from yesterday :D In a good way! I see you've employed the SAF offset edge technology, shame the toe is a little thin but apart from that i think you've done really well, much better than my first effort!!!
By the way - have fun binding the handle
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Tom, that looks like a different bat from yesterday :D In a good way! I see you've employed the SAF offset edge technology, shame the toe is a little thin but apart from that i think you've done really well, much better than my first effort!!!
By the way - have fun binding the handle
I'm sure Offset Edge Technology [OET] is patent pending!
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You better be quick or you know who might patent it before Oscar even gets his paws near any form :D
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What's ofset edge mean?? If I have done it it's very much by accident!! Or do u mean slanting the edges on the back of that bat?
I'm confused
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Where the highest point of the swell is at a different place to the highest point of the edges
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I assume Oscar will want a helmet for use of his OET
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2nd bat took it's form today...used my scat as a profile template and found it much easier to get to grips with the tools after attempt número UNO. Got to bind the handles on both now...any advice or method for those of us without a lathe to spin the bat for us??
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Just got to wrap it around as tight as you can, using watered down PVA to stick it... takes ages!
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Yeah didn't know if I cud hook it up to a drill and rotate the bat to get the binding done a bit better rather than trying to do it by hand as it cud be rather tedious and difficult to do properly!
I'll put my inventive cap on and see what I can think of to solve the problem ;)
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Haha, its not difficult at all, just very tedious... and your hands get VERY sticky!
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he'll be used to that im sure :D
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Few pics of my 2nd batmaking effort.....
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/fd756365.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/1b6d813d.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/66f9bd76.jpg)
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Looks better than Excalibur :'(
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shaped this one based on my Scat still a bit of work to do on it yet to smooth out the edges/shoulders/handle and generally tidy it up a bit.....
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I assume you're making them from already handled clefts Tom? What equipment are you using out of interest?
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Good effort again!
I see you went for the 'raw state shoulder' look! Nice looking clean face on the bat though, not the worst grade 1 i have seen!
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Yeas mate pictures of the part mades are on page 1......got hold of a few tools from Hit4Six a while back as wanted to give it a bash out of curiousity. Tools i used are a drawknife, spokeshave, rasp, blunt plane :( and #4 travisher as borrowed off of SS.
Found the drawknife was my main tool of choice and using the spokeshave to fine tune smaller part around the handles/spine etc. Prob not the best having a fairly blunt plane as im sure a sharper one would make life easier when trying to get smooth flowing lines for the edges. Will straighten them out easily enough though i hope!!!
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SS yeah got to take the shoulder down a bit but ran out of time to do them for now.....will look to finish it off sometime this week and get them bound up and gripped to use for propping open doors etc
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Glad to hear the tools are getting some use! They were only sitting in my workshop gathering dust. The bats are looking good mate, and fingers crossed this is something you could offer on your website... Custom made bats and helmets ;)
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Finally got around to finishing off one of the bats I started months ago! Found it difficult to keep everything symmetical in regards to the edges etc but didnt turn out to badly in the end i think with 29mm at its thickest point and a steady 2.9oz in weight with a grip on it....the worst part i have to say was binding the handle!!!
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/91647100.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/6ea167c4.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/11401345.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/29734bed.jpg)
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Looks very good Tom! Is this something you're likely to keep going with or just a dabble?
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Not sure to be honest....depends if anyone wants to buy a hand-made bat I guess!! People like ShillyShilly are far more capable than me I just wanted to give it a try to see just how skilled the job is.
Making the shape is the easy part from what I learnt its the finishing and ensuring the edges are the same width etc that requires the skills!
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Few more pics that worked a bit better when outside in the natural daylight....if anyone should fancy (or be brave enough to fancy) purchasing the bat im open to offers.
Happy to add a faceguard to it as well as some Ayrtek stock green stickers for the right price :) Its made from a G1 cleft and the middle sounds and feels pretty good as you can see if situated as a mid/low profile. there is a fair bit of concaving on the back of the bat as wanted to keep the spine height intact but get the bat down to 2.9 when bound and gripped.
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/CIMG2118.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/CIMG2119.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/CIMG2120.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/CIMG2121.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/CIMG2122.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/CIMG2123.jpg)
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top effort tom!!!
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I can hear the shudder of fear from the top batmakers around the globe now lol ;)
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You cab start making your own now then mate and offer the full bespoke experience to customers custom bat and labels
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Ill be fine if the customers are partially sighted mate :) think I can handle a bit of lightening of bats etc and a refurb! would need some more clefts and practice before I could charge anyone full price for a custom handmade bat though i feel!! We all have to start somewhere though as they say ;)
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I see you have gone with the SAF offset edges aswell very bold for a first attempt
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I still have no idea what an "offset edge" is so if i have I can assure you its purely by accident than intention! Ill get Andy after me for infringing his IPR rights if you carry on...and im already in his bad books today over stickers ;)
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Ha more retailers after you sorry mate
I think it's where the highest point of the edge is in a different place to the highest point of the middle but may be wrong
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I still have no idea what an "offset edge" is so if i have I can assure you its purely by accident than intention! Ill get Andy after me for infringing his IPR rights if you carry on...and im already in his bad books today over stickers ;)
Whilst I like SAF stickers the best I believe SAF will not mind you using the Offset Edge Technologies [OET] by accident. By accident I assume your drawknife slipped whilst listening to an interesting debate on Radio 4 [the radio station of choice for bat makers]
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pm'd ya
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Talking of slips of the drawknife i have gone back to my 1st backmaking cleft that went wonky and made a hybrid of all sorts of styles and bat designs......weighing in at a whopping 2.6oz with 2 grips!!! ill get some pics of of "frankenstein" shortly!
No raido 4 im afraid mate had to make do with a playlist from my iphone :( perhaps thats where im going wrong!
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Behold...Frankenstein....a mixture of body parts from various things of beauty!
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/1360d0b6.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/a45c74b8.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/b0c98f5f.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/905daa3b.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/3b61f89e.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/e0c90f8f.jpg)
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You should either be arrested for cruelty to wood or hailed as a genius for creating a new t20 style bat
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haha yeh the shoulders were uneven as it was my 1st cleft to try out dont think having blunt tools helped and thought i may as well go a bit crazy and see what happened to it when chucking in a few different features!
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That is very very odd but cool at the same time.
What sizes are the edges??
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I am strangley draw to that and it makes me feel kind of dirty :-[
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After a few Pm's enquiring about the proper bat i thought I may as well bang some stickers on it and give it a coat of salix bat wax to make it look a bit smarter and presentable at least.....
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/aa8087c3.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/c889d722.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/7d07b997.jpg)
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That is very very odd but cool at the same time.
What sizes are the edges??
The edges arent anything to write home about as they are only 29mm :( does pick up well though and would like to give it a bash in the nets to see how it goes...shame the toe got so slimline!
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Sod the SCat...... I want a Milsom :)
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haha not sure I can charge £400 for mine though mate.... £4 maybe meaning quite a large loss on the price of making it!
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You drive a hard bargain Tom.....but think I may be able to just about stretch to the £4 you're after!
Go on then, bag it up for me then! :(
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haha i thought your bat buying budget was blown too mate?!?! might see if mike has any clefts about and try and make a proper bat having learnt a few things from these two....that said it doesnt seem the best time to be selling bats!
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Not at all fella! End of season and everyone seems to be selling and changing!
But good effort chap - keep practicing! 8)
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Yeah perhaps if this one sells and Frankenstein is purchased as a seal club ill be able to afford another couple of clefts to give a bash! Does seem to be a popular time for people to start accumilating next season/winter nets kit though....certainly hope it is anyway as cant get any more kit into the stock room so need to start shifting it!!!
Still got our own bats to sell as yet too ;)
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haha i thought your bat buying budget was blown too mate?!?! might see if mike has any clefts about and try and make a proper bat having learnt a few things from these two....that said it doesnt seem the best time to be selling bats!
Its football season now.......
maye you could make a nice set of clogs lol
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it may well be footy season but I had to bow out of that in my prime back in 2002 so winter is a quiet time on the weekends....more likely to be making myself scarce when the GF realises she preferred it when i wasnt home at the weekends!
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ill buy it tom to use in nets like :D
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I'd like to see you make up some special stickers for the 'frankenstein' please!Instead of 'BIG EDGE' perhaps you could have 'SLIMLINE TOE'??
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Maybe Slimeline Toe sticker instead?
It would go with the name.
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Will get onto the printers but think they may only ever be printing one set of them!!! ;)
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please do, can't wait for the finished product- don't let us down now! perhaps next in line could be a model with a really really thin middle, aimed for the amateur player or cricketer who thinks he's could but is actually rubbish? If i were a podshaver I would waste sooo much willow making silly bats...
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haha yeh expensive hobby to up-keep if your not going to actually make anything that can be sold on afterwards!!!!
Did get a sticker on the front on it tho all be in a version for a size 4 bat we had printed and got to get the rear one sorted out tomorrow as the bat wax wasnt making it too easy to attach it yesterday!!
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"Fun time Franky" as he is now affectionately know has had a coat of wax and a few stickers to finish him off!
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/c705a31c.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/4a030994.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/ec2b2663.jpg)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/39802054.jpg)
Perhaps sizing him down a bit may increase the thickness of the toe!!
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It looks brilliaaaaaaant!!! still want slimline toe a la big edge sticker if poss? or how about doing a laminate jobby to give extra power to the toe- no one will notice, honest.
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golders im putting you down to purchase this if the slimline toe stickers go on it!!! ;)
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What the???!! You would have to pay ME to use that! Joke... still think the laminate idea will solve any issues,or even laminate shoulders? Go to town, I would :D
but genuinely, it's far better than I could ever muster, especially the other bat. The frankenstein reminds me of a time when i decided to cut my own hair, couldn't get it level, and had no option but to end it with a shaved head! Not a good look when ur quite short and round and hairy, i looked like a hairy budda :(
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pics are as above for those who asked about Frankenstein :)
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Lol that is the craziest bat I have seen in a while.
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yeh tell u what tho is picks up really well....looking forward to giving it a crack in nets :D needs a bit of knocking in yet tho!
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Wait a min you knock in a bat I'm sure I didn't see any pigs flying
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hence the "needs" mate lol im not going to do it thats for sure ;) thought that was ur job!!!
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Well getting a new mallet off mike as have to knock in the kids uber grain ayrtek bat so can do it along side that still can't believe it has 19 he is getting better stuff than me
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haha well we aim to keep all the kit high quality mate so a 19 grain size 5 if par for the course ;) well wouldnt want ur new mallet going to waste so u can do my new one as well if u like!?!
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Gives me an exuse to use it I suppose but dare I touch a Milsom original don't know if I am worthy
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Well I'll let it slide this time as there maybe a couple more popping up soon :)
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You got the bat making bug mate but where will you find the time then again it is winter so plenty of free time to perfect your skills
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Having a relaxing week so may see what I can do tomorrow....watch this space for some other ugly characters....shrek and esmeralda still to come lol ;)