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[gerhard303]

Hello gents,

I have a Puma Pulse bat which I'm starting to cause significant toe damage due to excessive crease tapping. The face of the bat is still in decent condition, but the side and rear of the corner toe area is bending backwards and cracking/fraying. My fear is that the damage will spread to the face of the bat and that the cracks will travel upwards.

Would any of you have some tips for arresting this problem (other than changing my toe tapping habits) and repairing the damage?

Cheers

[WalkingWicket37]

My Six6 has done this after using it on a damp track.
I've removed the toe guard to check for any damage, filled the cracks/feathering with glue so they're filled and set with no movement and plan to re-apply the toe guard.

[gerhard303]

Trying to upload an image of the damaged bat, but I keep encountering: "Cannot access attachments upload path!"

[WalkingWicket37]

http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=7712.0

[WalkingWicket37]

Pics of my Six6, not sure you can see much in the firts picture but I'm assuming your bat has done something similar.

[gerhard303]

Thanks to CameronPyne94 for the tutorial on how to upload images to the forum!

[gerhard303]

CameronPye94: Great post - thanks for the tip and photos.

What type of glue did you use?

[The Palmist]

Might as well give us a crash course Pye on filling cracks and applying toe guard. Last time I tried putting a toe guard, I made an absolute hash of it.

[WalkingWicket37]

Might as well give us a crash course Pye on filling cracks and applying toe guard. Last time I tried putting a toe guard, I made an absolute hash of it.

Filing cracks - I normally use PVA in a syringe and get it as far into the cracks as possible, can sometimes dry and leave a gap doing this, in which case I'll apply again until the crack is truly filled. Once filled I'll sand any excess glue from the surface. 

In this case I've experimented with super glue, so far it's solid and doesn't look like it'll move any time. Will let you know if the bond stands up to playing or not. If it comes apart again back to the tried and tested PVA.


Toe guards - I'll be the first to admit I'm hopeless! As I've taken this one off the bat I know it's the right shape, so "should" fit back on.
I'll use impact adhesive to apply this, and try to get it on the right place. Will get pictures if the process tonight as I do it (don't expect a good result though!)

[Seniorplayer]

Fit toe guard  sandpaper both toe guard and bat toe to create roughness prior to applying for extra grip.Apply  adhesive  to bat toe and toe guard press toe guard onto bat toe and hold when bond forms gently tap toe guard with wooden mallet to remove air apply cellotape or similar over toe and leave to bond for around 4 hours remove tape use scissors to trim off toe guard excess remove excess glue.

[WalkingWicket37]

Fit toe guard  sandpaper both toe guard and bat toe to create roughness prior to applying for extra grip.Apply  adhesive  to bat toe and toe guard press toe guard onto bat toe and hold when bond forms gently tap toe guard with wooden mallet to remove air apply cellotape or similar over toe and leave to bond for around 4 hours remove tape use scissors to trim off toe guard excess remove excess glue.

Yeah that's what I do, but the finish still looks like a rat chewed any overhang off the edges when it's done! 

[JB]

You need to use a craft knife or something with a longer blade, gives a better finish cutting excess off

[WalkingWicket37]

You need to use a craft knife or something with a longer blade, gives a better finish cutting excess off

Tried that one, resulted in rat chewed finish and a deep gash in my hand lol!

[cricketrob]

Just glue it let it dry and trim it carefully with a Stanley knife, I found it relatively easy, just as long as the knife is very sharp

[WalkingWicket37]

Right guys, update on my Six6 (attempted) repair.

I sanded the back down so it was as close to flat as I could get without sanding a dent into the bat!





Next up I sanded the toe of my bat and the side of the toe guard that will be stuck to the bat.
Once sanded I applied an even layer of impact adhesive to the toe guard and the toe of my bat.



After leaving for 10 minutes (other glued drying times may vary) I applied the toe guard. As it had been removed from the bat I was careful to apply it in the correct place.
Once applied I used a bat mallet to knock the air bubbles out.



Once that was done I applied Sellotape to keep everything applied firmly and in the correct place.
Now leaving the bat overnight for the glue to set.
May remove the tape in the morning or I might leave it 24 hours to achieve full strength, all depends what mood I'm in!



One the tape is remove I'll wax the patches I sanded to try and get an even colour.
Happy with it so far but will see what it looks like once the jobs done.