Print

[hit4six]

Grade 400 sand paper is generally used for finishing the bats and will not take much wood off. I would buy some high quality grade 60/80 sandpaper and then once happy, fine sand.

[SillyShilly]

hit4six wouldnt you say 60 is a little too coarse to use on cricket bats, tends to gouge the willow in my experience.

[hit4six]

In my previous experience, I find if you use it correctly, you can take alot of wood off quickly, and from the refurbishment side, I can get the bat down to a white wood relatively quickly. Obviously, sometimes, some bats dont need this coarse sand paper, however, the older models require coarser sanding.

[SillyShilly]

getting down to the white wood will often have the undersired effect of removing the layer of the bat that is pressed and will often make the wood a lot softer - so people who sand down their bat after every couple of weeks and have it refurbed too often will in fact be reducing the effectiveness of the bat, which is why i dont like using the coarser paper on the face, but if it works for you then i'm in no position to argue!

[hit4six]

Yeah obviously I dont sand a bit down till its deep, but as soon as I can see the white wood, I stop. Yeah it works for me, however, like you said, can have an adverse affect. Its all about getting the right balance in my opinion!