Baseball bats

[Lawrence]

Hi,

Can anyone advise me where I can get some timber to turn a baseball bat. I have been told that some type of "ASH" might be suitable.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Cliff Rogers]

Ask .... no wait, that's axe handles. :rolleyes:


I saw something on the internet a couple of years ago, I'll see if I can find it.

[Lawrence]

Thank's Cliff,

At least if I make a mistake and all else fails I could end up with a toothpick by the time I finish.

[Cliff Rogers]

Hickory, Maple (the stuff they get in the USA), American Ash, Composite Bamboo, Aluminium, & Plastic is all I can find. :confused: I'm sure I saw something with Australian timber...


Yeap, here it is, good old spotted gum. :D

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/hardwoodsqld/7581.html

[MathewA]

Traditional wood used is american ash. Some bats are now made from eastern canadian maple.

[Grunt]

Try turning a cricket bat.

[Cliff Rogers]

That's what our batsmen should do.... 'cos they are using the wrong bludy side of it. :D

[soundman]

spotted gum is plenty springy. bight be a little heavy perhaps.
How about Vic Ash.

[jshaw]

This is one of those absolutely useless answers but wasn't there an article in an Aussie Wood Review on a guy who turns bats a few issues ago? I can't remember any other details but maybe it'll set off somebody with a few grey cells left... Otherwise, I'll try to remember to check tonight.

Cheers,
John

[soundman]

John you are indeed correct. I remember that one too.
I have it somewhere.
cheers

[jshaw]

Lawrence,

Thanks to Soundman's timely reminder I've dug out that old AWR (no. 42). It seems you need to aim for a species that reliably gives a density of 640-720 kg/m3. The fella who turns them up in Cairns said Qld silver ash (Flindersia bourjotiana) was his first choice, though inconsistent in the density stakes, so he now uses magnolia (Galbulimina baccata), although I doubt if that is easy to come by.

Hope that helps.

John

[Cliff Rogers]

Did it give a name for the bloke in Cairns?


There's lots of magnolia in Melbourne, the weekend that I was there it was flowering in every second garden but I doubt they were big enough to turn in to bats.

[journeyman Mick]

Cliff,
he's set up in one of the large sheds in the industrial estate on the southside, near the new army barracks.

Mick

[Cliff Rogers]

Thanks Mick... 44 tomorrow. :D

Let me be the first to say Happy Birthday.

I have a Job in Karanda next week... It'll be either Monday arvo around 3pm or Tuesday morning around 11am, I haven't made the appointment yet.
I'd like to call in & see you on the way through.

[jshaw]

Barry Davies, Cliff. Either the bat or his business is called Aussie Striker. The story did say that he sources his magnolia from "private sources" so watch out for those garden trees thinning out! BTW, there's one flowering round the corner from me too, amazing what you can manage in Canberra :D

John

[pau1]

Hey lawrence, let me know how you go with the bat turning. I play baseball in Melbourne during the summer and have often contemplated having a crack at turning a Bat. I've read a liitle about the wood bats turned in America and one common thread I have found is that the wood needs to have a good straight grain. The Length bat I use is normally 33 or 34 Inches, with the weight normally being a few ounces less than the lenght of the bat. I'm not sure what Australian woods meet that criteria but good luck and hope you have some success.

[The Hornet]

Could someone please scan and post that story, or email it to me. I would like to make my brother a bat for Christmas, or maybe birthday in March.
Cheers,
Kane.

[beiffe]

Osage Orange may be OK. Very strong and flexible (native indians used in in Bows) and great to work. Would also look great with the colour. Grows wild in central NSW.

[CameronPotter]

Osage Orange may be OK. Very strong and flexible (native indians used in in Bows) and great to work. Would also look great with the colour. Grows wild in central NSW.

There are a number of bowyers in Australia who also use Osage Orange, but it is devilishly difficult to get a good piece - especially in Tassie.

Cam

[Firewalker]

I would turn it out of maple....and as someone said make sure the grain is straight.

Maple is easy to get here and I wonder how much to ship to Au.

May have to set up a plan to get some native Aussie timber shipped here for a trade. What would you consider common and inexpensive there but considered exotic here?

I will price some 12/4 Maple stock when I go to the lumber store tomorrow.

Scott

[CameronPotter]

My guess is that the shipping would make this kind of swap prohibitively expensive... Small unit freight is not cheap. However, goodluck if you want to do it.

I don't know what is considered exotic in the States, so I can't really say about the second part of your post...

The wood that I can access easily (in Tassie) is eucalyptus and radiata pine in many sizes. Jarrah (a Western Australian wood) is also gettable. Belian - a tropical hardwood is often used to make decks. But the major (sought after) Tassie timbers are Sassafras, Tasmanian Myrtle, Blackwood and Huon Pine. There are also others such as Leatherwood and King William Pine that are very hard to get...

[Firewalker]

You may be right about the shipping......I will look into that. It may not be too high for a stick of 3" x 36" maple. Enough for a nice bat.


I have yet to see Jarrah in person. It sounds like Jarrah is to you folkes like Red Oak is to us. It is hard, dense, heavy and common as ticks.


Pine is also very common and I really only like it for making a rustic type furniture. I have a large stack of it waiting for me to get inspired.


There is a wood I recently saw that is without a doubt the most costly wood I have seen to date. "Snakewood"........My lumber supplier had three boards for the ever so affordable cost of $3,000. It is $128/BF. Yikes.

Sorry for the thread jack......but let me know if you are interested in getting some Maple.

[CameronPotter]

Try this site for Snakewood. First I found on Google. Better than $3000!!

Small pieces though.

http://www.thewoodbox.com/figuredwood/Snakewood.htm

[soundman]

For being exotic ( in the us) and reasoably easy to get in aus and not too heavy .
Silky oak ( gravilia robusta ) would have to be a good starter.
cheers

[pau1]

I know maple is becomming more popular as a bat MAterial in the US, traditionally most bats are made of white ash because it's lighter. Better drying techniques are now enabling bat makers to make lighter bats out of tougher maple.

Personally I'd prefer to find a local timber that has simmilar properties to either white ash or maple. I don't want to have to send to the US everytime I break a bat ;).

If any of the wood gurus on the forums have an idea about what Australian timbers would have similar properties to white ash or maple then that would be a great help.

[Firewalker]

NP man, I just thought I would offer.

I spoke to the people at my lumber yard and he told me the hard maple is around 5/BF for 12/4. That would make for a pretty inexpensive bat but yes the shipping would be pretty rough.

He also told me that Ash is the primary wood used but maple is being allowed as of late.

Take care

Scott