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[Beachcricket]

Would it be possible to sand or plane away the compressed layer of willow from a bat to reveal the unpressed willow underneath?

How thick is the compressed layer? and if you clean your bat regularly then wouldn't you sand away some of that layer.

[SillyShilly]

Yes to the top question.
Not that thick to the second question - though it depends on how it has been pressed - softly and there is a very thin layer, very hard and the layer is thicker. However, the density of the willow comes into play and that is when it begins to get complicated.........and beyond my brainpower

I refurbed a bat a long time ago where the bloke requested for all the cracks to dissapear, i told him he mighty be left with a bat that would be less responsive but he didnt seem to care........his bat turned from a decent GM Purist into a unresponsive blade that dented quite easily and left big seam marks in.

People will often refurbish bats to 'look' good - but this can be a little risky as, like you mention, it is possible to remove that pressed layer.
This is just me experience of this though, others might have completely difference opinions......im waiting for Andy to tell me i've got it all wrong

[SAF Bats]

nope you're fine I always recommend a bit of oil and knocking in session after a refurb professionally done or a home done...

[SillyShilly]

I shall sit in the corner with the Dunce's hat then

[Beachcricket]

So my next question would be, can you take hard pressed bat and make it feel soft?

What about Laver and Wood, don't they do a bat that's mostly pressed by hand mallet?

[n80krr]

Shilly, it seems that your logic was right and I myself just having refurbed two bats have to agree with you. are you sure you don't remove some of the pressed section when sanding? Just the bat I did for a mate now has loads of seam marks all over it and he oiled and knocked it in for at least 3/4 hours before using it. it also has some small cracks starting to appear.

[norbs]

are you sure you don't remove some of the pressed section when sanding? Just the bat I did for a mate now has loads of seam marks all over it and he oiled and knocked it in for at least 3/4 hours before using it. it also has some small cracks starting to appear.

Read all the replies!!!!

As an fyi if your bat is a year or 2 old you have to be a bit haphazard with the sanding to have seam marks like it is new on the blade

[n80krr]

thanks norb I did read the replies. I did remove a fair amount from the front face and made him aware, told him to knock in which he did. But now the bat just seems to be very soft, and not interested in being knocked (back) in any further.

[norbs]

well you live and learn....

[n80krr]

So according to the above statement

nope you're fine I always recommend a bit of oil and knocking in session after a refurb professionally done or a home done...

I know this guy knows exactly what he's talking about and I'm just a bowler, but I don't think I took a massive amount off it. But yet the seam marks are still there after another knocking in session and oil. It doesn't matter to the bat in question as it's only a pratice bat but just wondered if anyone else had come across thius when refurbing bats? Almost like it doesn't want to be knocked in any further.

[norbs]

knock it in some more then.... You've sanded so much off you've taken the pressing layer off or it wasn't knocked in very well in the first place

[n80krr]

Probably wasn't knocked in much beforehand. So I'll give it a go, fun for saturday. Thanks Norb.