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[joeljonno]

Hi

I have a bat with a chunk out of the toe, and is quite frayed.

I have another bat that I will cut up to get a piece the right size.

I will fill the cracks with glue, shape the break and match the other piece, then glue it in place.

How do you dowel?

Do I drill a couple of holes and glue the in once the piece has been glued to the bat?

Or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

[LEACHY48]

basically right mate, wait untill the piece has set solid and is fixed to the broken bat, then drill a hole 3/4 the way through the entire blade through the donor piece, cover some dowl with glue, and hammer it in t the hole, then cut/sand ooff any exccess that doesnt fit flush

[joeljonno]

http://imageshack.com/i/5bnvsyj

Here's a pic, trying imageshack mobile so may not display directly.

Thanks for the above, will try it. Didn't realise dowels went so far through, TBH.

[wayward_hayward]

Right guys, I have a bat that needs dowelling.

Any good advice for a novice?

[WalkingWicket37]

Drill slowly
Measure your dowel at least twice
Mark the drill bit so you don't go too far

PM me for any help 

[Seniorplayer]

As above but make sure your drill diameter is slightly smaller than your dowelling also I use epoxy resin rather than glue as it forms a stronger bond.

[Red Ink Cricket]

As above but make sure your drill diameter is slightly smaller than your dowelling also I use epoxy resin rather than glue as it forms a stronger bond.

I was always told epoxy is too hard and brittle and not suitable for bat repairs. It's ok for solid joints that don't take too much stress. I would use a good quality wood glue, it's strong and it's designed for this kind of thing. You also need to be careful when hammering in the dowel. It needs to be a tight fit but if the dowel is too big your just going to split or weaken the joint.

[Seniorplayer]

I was always told epoxy is too hard and brittle and not suitable for bat repairs. It's ok for solid joints that don't take too much stress. I would use a good quality wood glue, it's strong and it's designed for this kind of thing. You also need to be careful when hammering in the dowel. It needs to be a tight fit but if the dowel is too big your just going to split or weaken the joint.

Well John IMO  epoxy resin generally out performs glue also it isresistant to water degradation I think the key is together the mix ratio between resin and hardener correct for the job you are undertaking as it does have a toughness hope that helps.

[Red Ink Cricket]

Well John IMO  epoxy resin generally out performs glue also it isresistant to water degradation I think the key is together the mix ratio between resin and hardener correct for the job you are undertaking as it does have a toughness hope that helps.

Fair enough. Each to their own. I use a high quality waterproof wood glue for everything from handle fitting to toe repairs. That's what I'd recommend but everyone has their own experiences of what works for them.

[edge]

Well John IMO  epoxy resin generally out performs glue also it isresistant to water degradation I think the key is together the mix ratio between resin and hardener correct for the job you are undertaking as it does have a toughness hope that helps.

For most epoxies the mix only affects how quickly it cures rather than the final properties, the key would be making sure you have the right epoxy for the job - as John says some of them are very brittle and no good in impact situations, you can get flexible epoxy though so maybe those would work well. Also from experience working with epoxy can be a pain in the rear end, wood glue has the definite advantage that it's very easy to deal with!

[WalkingWicket37]

For most epoxies the mix only affects how quickly it cures rather than the final properties, the key would be making sure you have the right epoxy for the job - as John says some of them are very brittle and no good in impact situations, you can get flexible epoxy though so maybe those would work well. Also from experience working with epoxy can be a pain in the rear end, wood glue has the definite advantage that it's very easy to deal with!

This!
Open the bottle, wack it in the hole/on the dowel, insert dowel into bat and wipe away excess.
No faffing about mixing it, hardner ratios and it's not an irritant. Gets my vote over epoxy resin any day 

[Seniorplayer]

Have to agree epoxy resin is can be a pain to work with but it does form a strong bond.

[Bambooman]

All high quality PVA based wood adhesives will be stronger than willow. How much stronger than the wood do you need to be?

[Gurujames]

I would advise you not to use epoxy. It is too brittle and will fracture when it is hit hard. This will lead to a larger split than you had to begin with. PVA has greater elasticity which is more similar to the elasticity of the willow. Also, I would dowel with bamboo instead of fluted dowels for the same reason. Additionally bamboo has a smaller diameter so less weakness is added to the edge.

[Andythomo21]

Out of interest, is bamboo dowel readily available?  Where do you usually source it from?