Print

[Maverick79]

I have been working on my second bat this morning - the first I made without any concaving in. I now have a no. 4 spokeshave to concave with but i'm really struggling with it and need help. I have tried pushing the spokeshave away from me as I work on the bat but all that does is tear the willow. Pulling it towards me works better but it is barely taking any willow off and only at the very centre point of the curve of the spokeshave. I have been doing the same area for a while and it still seems only to want to cut willow in the centre leaving me with a little groove on the bat. The spokeshave has been sharpened also.

Can anyone give me any pointers on what to do/what i'm doing wrong as it's annoying the hell out of me! 

[peplow]

are your tools sharp enough?

[Maverick79]

Yeah, I think so. It's second-hand and was sharpened before I they were posted and this is the first time I have used it. Feels sharp but will give it another sharpen as well.

[19reading87]

My new bat maker hard at work I see

[Number4]

Sounds to me like it is only going to continue to take wood from the middle of the blade till the bat has the same curve as the blade

[Maverick79]

That was my thinking as well so I am continuously working the same spot

[Maverick79]

Have sharpened the spokeshave again and it is better, but i'm having to push down hard on the spokeshave to get it to 'bite' otherwise it just slides across the top of the bat and takes nothing off.

[Howzat]

Get some pics uploaded of both the tool and the bat might be able to help

[Maverick79]

will do 

[Howzat]

At a guess... the tool has the wrong radius on the sole or your approaching it at the wrong angle...

[Maverick79]

Apologies for the quality, they were taken on my Blackberry.

[Howzat]

Tool looks fine to me, you are meant to pull it towards you. Just move slightly left or right of that long concave part on the bat and start taking some wood off and blend the two "troughs" together.

[Maverick79]

Cheers Leo. Will give that a go 

[Red Ink Cricket]

Are you not ment to push it away from you? The travishers I used I push away and use both thumbs to angle and control the blade. May need to be set up again if there are any adjustments that can be made.

[Howzat]

Hmm, I have always pulled mine towards me think we need to wait for one of the batmakers to comment...