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[Churchy1989]

So I started to get bored of buying lots of bats on Ebay and only liking a handful. I think I have actually sold every one I bought from ebay. So I decided to give making one a go... how hard can it be....whilst I'm dying of man flu I thought I would show you what I have done recently, she was finished on Saturday.

disclaimer....I have had no training and only seen peoples other posts or some videos on youtube.



Struggled with the shoulders, but its a nice think Oval..ish handle. Curving the spine without reducing the spine I found difficult, so I left it a touch flat..

When sanding I ended up daydreaming and sanded one side of the toe to nothing, so I ended up shaping the toe so I wouldn't loose any more height.



Added the Funky Binding!

Oiled, Knocked in toes and Edges. Quite a hard press but responses better than my other bats atm!

Added some Stickers I got off Ryan....



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Some Specs:

SSH
2lbs14oz picks up around 2lbs11oz
Thick Oval Handle
6/7 pretty straight grains
Toe: 10mm (12mm other, oops)
Edge: 39mm
Spine:60mm
Middle: 9/10 inches long :-)
No concaving..

Have 2/3 others I will hopefully get round to at the weekend, hope you like the post.

[GoodLeave]

Nice shape. Very good for a first try.

The toe is a bit funky. Slightly worried having a point will make it prone to cracking? On the upside, it's perfect for scratching a guard!

Good effort.

[Churchy1989]

Slightly worried having a point will make it prone to cracking?

I get what your saying. I didn't want to make it a harrow...was the only reason. Will use it in a net on next Monday to see how she goes.

I have no idea if it will make it prone to cracking. Hopefully not as much as square toe bats!

[tom line]

Top effort mate, what I've found to keep the spine with a drawknife going into the shoulder rather than having to have it rounded is avoid pulling directly out the spine but take from the sides, and leave a few mm more of height there than you would and use a plan or a spkeahave to neater it up and get the spine going

[KW9221]

@Churchy1989 great try mate! Did you make it from scratch with a cleft?

[Churchy1989]

keep the spine with a drawknife going into the shoulder

I basically did it all with a No3 Plane. Need to sharpen the Drawknife, its rather blunt.


@KW9221 I made it from a Part-made Cleft.

[simonmay5]

Top effort that mate looking forward to seeing this at nets

[Churchy1989]

Top effort that mate looking forward to seeing this at nets

 I will, unless the pointy toe doesn't work lol.

[Seniorplayer]

Can't see that cracking due to the amount of wood in the toe if the balance feels out you could take plenty of wood from the top half of the bat.
And well done for having a go.

[SOULMAN1012]

Top effort mate and you never know the toe shape may catch on lol. Look like you have a few more clefts to work on as well, lovely full profile

[jamesisapayne]

Great effort mate, a super first attempt.

Reminds me quite a bit of the GM Flare shape

One thing you need to do is keep your tools sharp - loads of videos on YouTube on sharpening with sandpaper which seems to be growing in popularity all the time. You'll need a few different grade and work through them i.e. 200 -> 400 -> 800 -> 1200   It's a lot cheaper than buying expensive sharpening stones.

[tom line]

I use a diamond sharpening stone that I managed to pick up very cheaply in a sale makes easier work of sharpening plane irons and drawknifes

[Churchy1989]

Got this Sunday, have not used it yet.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/forge-steel-diamond-sharpening-stone-coarse/6856c

[JK Lewis]

Brilliant effort. Looks great, and there's plenty of room to take a little weight off if you need to. So much fun to make something, and it feels even better when you score runs with it.

[manno]

Awesome effort mate!