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[Bez013]

I ordered a part made bat a few weeks ago from Hell4Leather and finally got the time over the weekend to start work on it. 

When the bat arrived it was about 3lb12oz, I had an idea of the profile I wanted to make, trying to replicate an old style Powerbow with a slightly lower middle.  As I haven't done anything like this before I made sure to mark out the edges and toe at what I thought would be okay, I got down to those and found the bat was still 2lb15oz so I have taken the toe and edges overall back a bit to get it down to 2lb12oz 'naked', I will probably take another couple of ounces off once I had worked out where I will take that from and the handle and shoulders still need a bit of tidying up.

Here are a few pics of how it looks now, I'll add some more photos of how it went through the process once Wifey remembers to bring our other camera back.






I'd love some feedback (good or bad) as I've really enjoyed working on the bat and will probably be back onto Hell4Leather soon for at least another one!!

[Perkins17]

Not the worst 1st attempt i have ever seen i would say work on the edges and they are not rounded they seem flat from the toe to the shoulder

[tommo256]

What tools did you use?

[Bez013]

Not the worst 1st attempt i have ever seen i would say work on the edges and they are not rounded they seem flat from the toe to the shoulder

Thanks for the comments, I need to take a bit more of the toe area, they were more rounded through the meat of the bat but I got a bit carried away....you'll have to trust me but the edges are thinner at the shoulders than they are at the toe.

[Perkins17]

also keep the toe rectangular in shape, i see that you left more wood in the middle of the toe and sloped away towards the edges. If you keep it rectangular then the weight is spread and gives more strength to the corners of the toe.

[Bez013]

What tools did you use?

I've got a smoothing plane, a block plane, a flat and round spokeshave and a rasp, I may invest in a drawknife in the future.

I found I mainly used the smoothing plane and block plane.

I had been offered the use of a big old workbench in a barn but the owners had the roof re done on the barn recently and don't want me to use it for the time being due to some treatment that the roof timbers had put on so I was limited due to not having access to a decent bench/vice combo which would have made life a lot easier!

[Bez013]

also keep the toe rectangular in shape, i see that you left more wood in the middle of the toe and sloped away towards the edges. If you keep it rectangular then the weight is spread and gives more strength to the corners of the toe.

Thanks again, the toe is the area I am going to try reducing to take off a bit more weight, when compared to my other bats my effort has a much thicker toe!

[Perkins17]

the toe and the handle are the hardest things to do dry using a plane to take wood out so it leaves the spine of the toe and the edges so its big and takes weight out of it

[Bez013]

Yep, the toe is the area I've been most worried about, I didn't want to go too far and then be left with something useless but I think I can take off a fair bit more from the middle section of the toe so it is flatter which should help shed a bit of the weight I want to take off the bat.

I also want to take a bit more out near the splice to flatten that area slight as there is still quite a bit of wood up there that probably isn't required.

I'll have a go at it tomorrow night and see what I can do 

[Buzz]

Great to see someone having a go - I think this is a brilliant first effort.

I think if you want to get the weight down a bit more you will have to take some wood off the back of the toe - but other than that - it is great. I wouldn't work on the edges much more, I think you have got them as good as they are going to be.
If you want to take more weight off then it may have to be some gentle concaving - which you may not want to do...

even so, significantly better than anything I could do!!

[Lekka Global Alliance]

I made an attempt last year to make a bat but the pressed and handled cleft and spoke shave never arrived.

[snafu]

I think you have pin pointed the areas that need further work,the toe and the splice,the toe mainly as it will aid the weight reduction and help with the pick-up
what grade cleft is it

[Bez013]

Great to see someone having a go - I think this is a brilliant first effort.

I think if you want to get the weight down a bit more you will have to take some wood off the back of the toe - but other than that - it is great. I wouldn't work on the edges much more, I think you have got them as good as they are going to be.
If you want to take more weight off then it may have to be some gentle concaving - which you may not want to do...

even so, significantly better than anything I could do!!

Thanks for the feedback Buzz, I definitely need to work on the toe area, the edges are as thin as I dare take them.

I have thought about concaving but I don't think I dare try it on this one, might have a go on my next attempt at an early stage so there is plenty of wood to play with if it goes wrong!

You should give it a go, I found working on the bat extremely therapeutic, you don't need that many tools to get it to this stage.

[Bez013]

I think you have pin pointed the areas that need further work,the toe and the splice,the toe mainly as it will aid the weight reduction and help with the pick-up
what grade cleft is it

It is grade 2, there is really nice rebound with a mallet so I'm quite keen to give it a go once finished and knocked in.

[Bez013]

I made an attempt last year to make a bat but the pressed and handled cleft and spoke shave never arrived.

it is worth having a go if you get the chance!