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[tushar sehgal]

Lately I have been reading blogs from Andy and David with some interest and fair to say as is the norm with me it created a interesting question in my head, well atleast interesting to me

Before I ask the question here are some obvious observations:

Andy's blog is great at getting insights into the science/logic/skill of bat making, having recieved a Hades recently I know the workmanship if fantastic but Andy sticks to more techincal side of things in his blog, which I love. On the other hand David's blog is all about experience of making bats & tools, you get to see the challanges he faces and how he overcomes that and sometimes the emotions he feels, which again I love to read.

So while I was reading David's latest post on his blog I kept wondering what are things that can go wrong, create an obstacle while working with willow? For e.g. latest post was about issues with finishing a particular bat so would like to know more abt what experienced bat makers find challanging on a regular basis? What gives them the most headaches and what is the most satisfying?

[Red Ink Cricket]

Im not sure im totally qualified to say this but hey, here goes. i find the shoulders and handle are sometimes a pain. sometimes i can breeze through them without issues and sometimes they just dont seem to be right. few tweaks and they are all ok.

challenge is to take your time and have a rough idea of what you need to do. its very easy to get distracted and end up with a chunk out the edge or an uneven spine. I find the bat spends about 70% of the time in the vice and about 30% in my hands checking the balance, size, shape etc etc.

other challenge is weight. i think beach mentions about sanding down to final weight and that if your lucky you will loose 1/2 oz during sanding. sometimes its a case that the weight is just about there but needs a little removing. the last 1oz always seems to be the biggest. after a while everything clicks into place and you get the finished product. theres the temptation to start to tweak the shape to loose this weight and then you can end up ruining it

im guessing there are alot more when it comes to pressing etc.  someone with a bit more knowledge than me could proabbaly answer that bit

[Perkins17]

The shoulders and handle can be a pain, knots and blemishes are a nightmare ! and i would say tools digging in or the willow digging up are annoying!

[Red Ink Cricket]

The shoulders and handle can be a pain, knots and blemishes are a nightmare ! and i would say tools digging in or the willow digging up are annoying!

agree with the tear out aspect!