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[SillyShilly]

Well it's monday morning and i'm incredibly bored hence creating quite a random topic, but one that interests me.

I want to hear from Podshavers and aspiring batmakers - I want to know what's their favourite tool when making the bat and why? This could be a press or it could be a travisher!!!

Also, which part of the bat making do they find the most difficult and which bit most pleasing?

Norbair has recently let me borrow two of his travishers and i've had good fun using them, definetly my weapon of choice at the moment! I've also handled a few bats recently, found this pretty rewarding - shaping the shoulders would be my pet hate from the few bats i have had a go at!!!

Be good to hear from anyone who's had a go and those more experienced (you know who you are!)

[Tom]

If you hadn't guessed by now mine are the Snell and Atherton heel shaves, first used them at Fusion and then got a couple of my own from America.

[Jamieh]

I have a little wooden plane which I love! It's so accurate, light, and easy to use, and the iron stays sharp for ages. Got it for 50p at a flea market, and love it! Don't make'em like that anymore!

I love the smell of willow more than anything, and also dont enjoy shouldering!

P.S. Would love an S&A if I could find one, and could do with a new no4 travishe as managed to crack mine!

P.P.S. Very much an aspiring podshaver/bat maker, but hoping to turn this hobby into something a little more for the start of the season... watch this space ;-)

[GJ]

Slowly starting to get the hang of the drawknife (incredibly slowly), but still its a lot harder than it looks! I like using the plane, can take lots of willow out easily without too much energy. Dont like spokeshaves.
Might look to get a travisher though as Craig showed me a site with a decent price...

[generalcustard]

Very early stages, but i love using the convex spokeshave to get a lovely bit of concaving. And i agree with SS... shoulders are evil. The GM batmaking clip highlighted how a skilled craftsmen does them. i am a long way from that.

Seeing as though this is a "batmakers Opinion" i'd like to here some thoughts on a little theory of mine. I call it the "Lag Theory", the next bat that i make will be a big one. If you make a big bat, but with small edges. IE, instead of putting wood into the edges apply it all to the middle with a touch of concaving, you'll find that the majority of wood is above your hands, so when you swing, the balance will be above your hands... Creating Lag. Therefore big edges all the way through the blade, to recentre the vertical balance with your hands while leaving the horizontal balance with the meat of the bat. Is this what other batmakers find?? If you managed to get through this wall of text. CHEERS .

[GJ]

Ahhh shoulders, yeah they are a bit tricky, perhaps some of the batmakers should tell us some tips and then we can master them 

[Biggyd63]

On my 2nd bat which I have just finished, i started at the toe, finishing at the shoulders last..I found this much easier
On my next attempt, i am going to attempt this concave mullarky

[Biggyd63]

Ahhh shoulders, yeah they are a bit tricky, perhaps some of the batmakers should tell us some tips and then we can master them 

I just tend to hack away with a plane..(i've got it at a nice angle so I can take loads off without it digging in the wood)

[GJ]

By shoulders, we mean the part were the the wood leads into the handle. This is quite tricky...

Whack some pictures up of the 2nd attempt, always nice to see people having a go!!

[Howzat]

By shoulders, we mean the part were the the wood leads into the handle. This is quite tricky...

Whack some pictures up of the 2nd attempt, always nice to see people having a go!!

Are your shoulders already shaped? Mine were so I just used a long thin strip of sandpaper and pulled that around the shoulder.

[GJ]

sounds a good shout. Might give that a go instead of the drawknife...

[Biggyd63]

By shoulders, we mean the part were the the wood leads into the handle. This is quite tricky...

Whack some pictures up of the 2nd attempt, always nice to see people having a go!!

Sorry i didnt read that properly...urmm i use the spokeshave for those bits, just to round things off

[Biggyd63]

Are your shoulders already shaped? Mine were so I just used a long thin strip of sandpaper and pulled that around the shoulder.

Did that take a lot of time?
I just need to sand everything down at some point and give it a coat of oil, and rasp the handle (which will take off an oz or so)