Beach's Bat Making
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Talisman

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Re: Bat Making
« Reply #105 on: March 20, 2012, 11:22:47 PM »

Burn't fingers? You did use a wooden block to take the tention, you can't bind with fingers alone or you'll cut them to the bone on a lathe, or did you wear thick gloves?
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Simmy

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Re: Bat Making
« Reply #106 on: March 21, 2012, 07:48:50 AM »

Hahaha I found hand binding a bit of a ball ache really, so a few burnt fingers later I managed to do this one on the lathe, will go back to hand binding now though, just wanted this one finished haha
any pics of it in the before stage mate?

be nice to see what it looked like to start with
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Beachcricket

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #107 on: March 21, 2012, 10:06:54 AM »

This thread went crazy after I went to bed. Strangely enough I'm off out today to sort a binding solution, to be cont'd...

what grit do you use?

People keep asking me about it and I don't know what to say. I don't do anything different to anyone else. I don't have a buffing machine or a drum sander, I do my finishing by hand. It's more about what type of sandpaper you use not the grit, 120grit for one brand won't cut in the same way 120 in another brand will.
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Simmy

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #108 on: March 21, 2012, 10:08:41 AM »

its because u cant really see any sanding marks! finish looks awesom
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Beachcricket

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #109 on: March 21, 2012, 10:29:49 AM »

I think the secret ingredient is "elbow grease". I work hard to get a good finish because I think it represents how much care has gone into the bat.

Straight from the blog:

The tale of a travisher and my cricket bats

For anyone who hasn't come across a travisher, it's a woodworking tool that has seen extensive use in chair making. In recent years, the travisher and cricket bat makers have crossed paths and it now seems that they adorn every pod shavers workshop.


This is my Travisher. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
This tool has the potential to remove a great deal of wood very quickly and used in the right circumstances it can be very helpful.


Unfortunately I don't share the enthusiasm for this tool. The one I own has the most bizarre mouth design. The blade is bevel up, but you have to lean the tool so far forward to get the front and mouth to make contact with the surface that instead of the blade being presented at roughly 30º it ends up being closer to 55º or 60º. You then a scraping action rather than a slice. Even with a razor sharp blade it takes some force to use. More Force = Less control.


If it was bevel down it might be better suited to this mouth design but it seems my only option is to make a new mouth or leave it in the tool box.

I'd recommend a round bottom plane instead, far easier to use.
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Beachcricket

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #110 on: March 21, 2012, 10:36:58 AM »

The tale of a Travisher 2: This time it's personal

The courier arrived mid morning and picked up the bat destined for Australia. I was happy to see the package leave as it'd been sitting in the hallway bugging me, but quite sad at the same time to see it go. It seems every bat I make ends up being the "best one I've made so far", whether it is or not is up for debate but in my eyes it becomes the new favourite.


With my views on the travisher committed in writing, I thought this morning to myself "Why don't I make a new front mouth for it?"


I've been in the process of making a bat width gauge for someone, for weeks. They wanted something similar to one I made a month or so ago...



I've had 3 attempts at making another and 3 failures. I therefore have some scrap bits of maple needing to be used. So I set about rejuvenating a tool destined for the "big toolbox in the sky".


In my last post I mentioned that the bevel up blade presentation and the angle that you have to present the tool makes for an awkward cutting action.



Firstly I had to mark out what I was going to remove. In hindsight, chopping off the whole front would have been easier to do than cutting out a strip but you live and learn.


I make a pencil line and then use a chisel to chop into that line all the way across.




Paring out a small bit of wood lets your saw fall into place and makes it easier to make an accurate cut


Not turning back...


Needs some cleaning up with a chisel.



Slowly looking better.
Getting the joint right was quite difficult, which is why I probably should have chopped the whole front off. Eventually I get there and it was a nice little project for the afternoon. I'm currently trying to find some suitable wood for a mallet so I thought I have a go at this in the meantime. I almost got stuck into a wooden plane I'd made as I'll be converting that into a round bottom plane.



All glued up, we'll see how it looks in the morning.
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Beachcricket

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #111 on: March 21, 2012, 10:42:53 AM »

Back in favour?

Got up this morning and checked how well the gluing had gone.


After taking off the clamps it looked okay, the glue had dried and all that was left was to shape it down.

This part took a while, perhaps 3 or 4 hours. Whilst this was an experiment since I had nothing to lose, I didn't want to ruin it with a stray chisel stroke. I removed most of the bulk with a saw just save time.



I bought some amazing Narex Chisels last year from Workshop Heaven. If you're considering your first set of chisels or looking to upgrade you can't go far wrong. They are superb quality and cheap, it seems too good to be true but it's not. They sharpen beautifully, slice through the hardest of woods with ease and are a pleasure to use. Matt at Workshop Heaven is incredibly helpful and the service they provide is superb.


Getting there slowly



Just after I took the above photo I put the blade in for a quick test fit and realised I needed to take off a lot more wood to present the blade. The good thing was I'd left enough on to give me chance to fine tune the front. Which after a bit of chisel work and sandpaper looked like this...



I quickly refinished it and put the blade in.








The front edge is screaming out for a bevel or curve.


A few simple shavings illustrate the difference it's made.

It's like a different tool. My travisher actually takes shavings rather than scrapings. The true test will be when I'm making a cricket bat but right now I pleased as Punch.


Let me know what you think, any questions get in touch.
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Simmy

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #112 on: March 21, 2012, 10:50:39 AM »

unbelivable jeff!
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Talisman

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #113 on: March 21, 2012, 11:05:39 AM »

I'm going to have to issue an invite....
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tushar sehgal

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #114 on: March 21, 2012, 12:45:14 PM »

this makes me want to buy tools from you Beachy...i read the blog last night and good to see are able to move the posts here. Lovely work...
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junter97

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #115 on: March 21, 2012, 09:43:17 PM »

Leachy, you gonna get those pics of your bat making up that you said you would?
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Six Sixes Cricket

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #116 on: March 21, 2012, 09:51:40 PM »

Wanted tools on Monday, made a bat on Tuesday

Someone snap the lad up. Great stuff

Simmy

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #117 on: March 21, 2012, 11:27:35 PM »

leachy just admit u didnt make the bat why are u lying to everybody just be a man and admit it lol
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junter97

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #118 on: March 22, 2012, 08:38:37 PM »

Are those pics up yet leachy?
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Red Ink Cricket

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Re: Beach's Bat Making
« Reply #119 on: March 22, 2012, 08:40:28 PM »

Give him time, it's not easy taking off binding from a pre done bat and redoing it by hand lol.  :D
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