Topic: Soulman�s sticks (Read 90607 times)

SOULMAN1012 · « **on:** June 22, 2020, 08:32:50 PM »

So here is my first attempt at making a bat myself from a part made cleft without any help.

So the cleft started out at 3lb 09oz. And has finished at 2lb 7.6oz.

Fantastic feeling to have made a bat myself but certainly lots of learnings to take. In hindsight I tried finding to much perfection with the hand tools, draw knife and plane mainly and I finished this stage with the dimensions I wanted but massively underestimated how much I would lose through the sanding stage.
Shoulders are hard and will take some practise to get better but I am happy with the handle. Whilst shaping the handle I ended up with a bit of a square shaped handle and felt really nice so decided to leave the handle more square than rounded it into a full semi oval. Can�t think of the best shape to call it.

In addition the toe and shoulders have ended up a lot smaller than I would have liked due to the over work with the hand tools I think as well as again finishing the shaping to my desired specs.

Positives is that I have managed to ensure the edges line up on both sides with shoulders, toe and max edge matching either side as well. Measure every 8 cm and matched size on each edge and very pleased they all match up.

Finishing. Buying a good quality Makita orbital sander was a very good investment. Sanded from 80 through to 800 grit at intervals of 80, 120, 240, 400 and finally 800. Will have a mirror like finish once buffer arrives.

On to the 2nd cleft now.

Anyway here is the finished bat:

Shoulders 11mm

Toe 14mm

Edge 31mm at peak.

jonny77 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2020, 08:45:20 PM »

Looks great mate! Easy to overdo the shoulders and toe tbf, but as you say something to take away. What did you struggle with in terms of the shoulders?

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2020, 09:20:48 PM »

Quote from: jonny77 on June 22, 2020, 08:45:20 PM

Looks great mate! Easy to overdo the shoulders and toe tbf, but as you say something to take away. What did you struggle with in terms of the shoulders?

Shaping and blending into the handle, mainly used a drawknife and it�s just to big or to complicated for me at this stage. I have a flat bottomed spoke shave arriving in the next few days which I hope will be a lot easier for the shoulders as well as the toe.

As you say I think newbie tricks took over and I became to excited with the draw knife and plane. A few Iv spoken to say to use the spoke shave to remove wood from the toe and shoulder areas as gives more control over the amount of wood being removed.

jonny77 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2020, 09:39:42 PM »

Quote from: SOULMAN1012 on June 22, 2020, 09:20:48 PM

Shaping and blending into the handle, mainly used a drawknife and it�s just to big or to complicated for me at this stage. I have a flat bottomed spoke shave arriving in the next few days which I hope will be a lot easier for the shoulders as well as the toe.

As you say I think newbie tricks took over and I became to excited with the draw knife and plane. A few Iv spoken to say to use the spoke shave to remove wood from the toe and shoulder areas as gives more control over the amount of wood being removed.

Personally I find I don't use the drawknife a huge amount. Just to get the initial wood off and into a rough shape, I then go to planes, spokeshaves and the travisher.

In terms of the handle I find the drawknife, then round bottom spokeshave works best for me, but not saying that's the best way for everyone.

I think that's the thing with shaping, you find what works for you to get the best result.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2020, 09:52:48 PM »

Quote from: jonny77 on June 22, 2020, 09:39:42 PM

Personally I find I don't use the drawknife a huge amount. Just to get the initial wood off and into a rough shape, I then go to planes, spokeshaves and the travisher.

In terms of the handle I find the drawknife, then round bottom spokeshave works best for me, but not saying that's the best way for everyone.

I think that's the thing with shaping, you find what works for you to get the best result.

Totally agree @jonny77. I have one more cleft to use and got four more to pick up next week and fingers crossed after 3 or 4 I�ll know what works best for me. Seems most do little things differently to what ever feels most comfortable for them.

First learning for the next one is to leave more wood in and start understanding what size bat can be made from what weight the cleft starts out.
Second is to get used to using a spoke shave and thirdly the best way to sharpen and keep tools sharp as amazing how quickly they lose that bite they have one first sharpened

Mattsky · « **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2020, 09:12:42 AM »

Great to see. And nice job for a first crack!
Give it a few years and Rory Burns will be walking out to bat with one. (Probably stickered up as a GM, mind...

)

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2020, 11:48:08 AM »

Quote from: Mattsky on June 24, 2020, 09:12:42 AM

Great to see. And nice job for a first crack!
Give it a few years and Rory Burns will be walking out to bat with one. (Probably stickered up as a GM, mind... )

Cheers mate

I�ll be very happy if and when I turn up at a game a see a club player using one.

Amazing how quickly you learn on the job. 2nd cleft is about 80% finished before sanding stage and it�s so much more like what I want to produce as a stock shape than the first one above.

Just got to see how I do at blending shoulders into the handle on this one.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 28, 2020, 02:18:38 PM »

Second cleft completed today but just say I�m happy with it so it may go back into the bench as to let it die at flow at all. Where as the first attempt finished very small this is a lot better in terms of its size specs with 17mm shoulder, 37mm peak edge and 23mm toe with a finished weight of 2lb 8.6oz before binding etc. it doesn�t seem to have a nice shape to it and I can�t quite put my finger on why.

As per the format attempt I�m happy that the bat is of equal size each side. Measure points throughout at every 3inch along the bat to measure and continued to check as went along.

Handle is a lot better ok this with a lovely oval handle but shoulders are still a work in progress but better than my first attempt.

Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions either positive or negative as always trying to learn.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 28, 2020, 03:43:04 PM »

So with not being happy with the 2nd cleft just taken it back out To the workshop and much happier now.

Had to sacrifice a bit of the side at the shoulders and toe to ensure the shape sweeps round more. This is now 2lb 8oz bank on before binding, final sanding and a grip so will be about 2.9 - 2.10 depending on grip.

Much happier now that Iv got the shoulders to blend more into a mid middle full profile shape. The shoulders are now 11mm at the top and the toe down to 17mm but that�s thicker than most I think towards the toe.

LEACHY48 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 28, 2020, 06:07:37 PM »

Quote from: SOULMAN1012 on June 28, 2020, 03:43:04 PM

So with not being happy with the 2nd cleft just taken it back out To the workshop and much happier now.

Had to sacrifice a bit of the side at the shoulders and toe to ensure the shape sweeps round more. This is now 2lb 8oz bank on before binding, final sanding and a grip so will be about 2.9 - 2.10 depending on grip.

Much happier now that Iv got the shoulders to blend more into a mid middle full profile shape. The shoulders are now 11mm at the top and the toe down to 17mm but that�s thicker than most I think towards the toe.

Good effort mate,
Lots of positives for a 2nd effort.

In terms of improvement,
I think the shape itself just looks like it doesn't really flow, and that's potentially why it doesn't look so easy on the eye. That combined with an offset edge which often makes for a clunky looking shape.

If it were my bat, I'd have taken the spine peak a little lower, as currently it looks a little like its it peaks a little below the splice (under/just past the right hand socket on the wall) and then steadily drops from there.

If you were looking to make a high middle bat, I personally would take the spine peak to the edge of the second socket, or even slightly lower, and go from there, that would make everything look a little more even I think.

Also, if you were looking to make an M & H amplus for example, then the duck bill style drop in the toe makes it look a little uneasy, if the spine evenly dropped then I think it would change the look totally.

Feel free to drop me a message if you'd like if this didn't make sense.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 28, 2020, 07:46:53 PM »

Quote from: LEACHY48 on June 28, 2020, 06:07:37 PM

Good effort mate,
Lots of positives for a 2nd effort.

In terms of improvement,
I think the shape itself just looks like it doesn't really flow, and that's potentially why it doesn't look so easy on the eye. That combined with an offset edge which often makes for a clunky looking shape.

If it were my bat, I'd have taken the spine peak a little lower, as currently it looks a little like its it peaks a little below the splice (under/just past the right hand socket on the wall) and then steadily drops from there.

If you were looking to make a high middle bat, I personally would take the spine peak to the edge of the second socket, or even slightly lower, and go from there, that would make everything look a little more even I think.

Also, if you were looking to make an M & H amplus for example, then the duck bill style drop in the toe makes it look a little uneasy, if the spine evenly dropped then I think it would change the look totally.

Feel free to drop me a message if you'd like if this didn't make sense.

Cheers @LEACHY48

I�ll take your advise and put her back on the bench. Your totally right in that this has a real off set edge which wasn�t what I set out to do at all.

I tried free handing things on this cleft. On the first I followed a drawn on profile from another bat I had lying around and at the moment that needs to be the way as once I started trying to get a defined shape it went a bit wrong.

I�ll drop the spine in the top half of the bat this week and some back with some updates.

LEACHY48 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 28, 2020, 07:49:11 PM »

Quote from: SOULMAN1012 on June 28, 2020, 07:46:53 PM

Cheers @LEACHY48

I�ll take your advise and put her back on the bench. Your totally right in that this has a real off set edge which wasn�t what I set out to do at all.

I tried free handing things on this cleft. On the first I followed a drawn on profile from another bat I had lying around and at the moment that needs to be the way as once I started trying to get a defined shape it went a bit wrong.

I�ll drop the spine in the top half of the bat this week and some back with some updates.

No worries mate, doesn't need much to change the look entirely, 1 or 2 mm here and there and it'll look completely different.

As you said in the first attempt it's amazing how quickly you learn and pick things up.

Look forward to seeing the next few.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 28, 2020, 08:10:54 PM »

Quote from: LEACHY48 on June 28, 2020, 07:49:11 PM

No worries mate, doesn't need much to change the look entirely, 1 or 2 mm here and there and it'll look completely different.

As you said in the first attempt it's amazing how quickly you learn and pick things up.

Look forward to seeing the next few.

Thanks for the kind words mate.

I�ll keep posting them up as and when I get them done. Picking up a new batch of handled and pressed clefts this week. Aiming to make 1 of them my first in the kit bag bat.

Going to use these two at nets and chuck them out to players at my club to get some feedback and also promote my work.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 05, 2020, 07:39:36 AM »

Third cleft in the bench yesterday and so far it�s turning out to be a beauty. Third time lucky I guess. Had some great support form a couple of people but @jonny77 had been very helpful talking bits through.

Any way I�ll share more when she is finished but she is looking lovely.

jonny77 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 05, 2020, 08:39:34 AM »

Looks a lovely shape that mate 👍 Only really passing PM what I've learnt from my mistakes or advice I've been given, but always happy to chat about things mate.

Author Topic: Soulman�s sticks (Read 90607 times)

SOULMAN1012

Soulman�s sticks

jonny77

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Mattsky

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LEACHY48

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