bitingmidge
7th October 2008, 02:35 PM
For nearly two years (since this thread in fact) (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=38997) I've had a couple of scraps of really crappy crapiata that looked as though they had a few toy cricket (or rounders!) bats in them, and since I decided today I'd clean up, the best way of doing that was to throw out the bits that didn't look like bat.
I reckon all that swirly grain looks heaps better for the kids than a bit of plain old willow anyway!
It's easier to make six than one, and that's exactly how much timber I had so that's what I did!
1) Mark out the lot. For those interested, the bats are for little people, 400 long overall, the handle is 150 to the point where the shoulder starts, the blade width is a tad under 100 and the thickness a tad under 25. (Yep, it came out of a bit of rough sawn 4x1)
2) You can saw the shoulders if you wish, but a 38mm forstner bit makes quick work of them.
3) Run about 20° off the back face on the tablesaw, or if you are only building one you can use a hand plane, it's not much work.
4) Cut the handles and the straight bit of the shoulders
5) Round the handles, I popped them on the mini lathe to save a bit of time, but the spokeshave or rasp will do the same (see the link above), and cut a bit of a curve and taper on the bottoms. I used the diameter of a honey pail but there's no right or wrong!
6) Plane, shave and sand to taste, then for a little bit of panache, bind the handle with packaging twine.
I'll shellac them to a dark yellow colour because that's a bit of a family joke, and then wax them after carving the initial of the recipent in the back.
So that's another two and half hours I'll never get back, and what worries me is that I've got lots more timber to clean up, but it all looks like a boat! :oo:
Cheers,
P
:D:D:D
I reckon all that swirly grain looks heaps better for the kids than a bit of plain old willow anyway!
It's easier to make six than one, and that's exactly how much timber I had so that's what I did!
1) Mark out the lot. For those interested, the bats are for little people, 400 long overall, the handle is 150 to the point where the shoulder starts, the blade width is a tad under 100 and the thickness a tad under 25. (Yep, it came out of a bit of rough sawn 4x1)
2) You can saw the shoulders if you wish, but a 38mm forstner bit makes quick work of them.
3) Run about 20° off the back face on the tablesaw, or if you are only building one you can use a hand plane, it's not much work.
4) Cut the handles and the straight bit of the shoulders
5) Round the handles, I popped them on the mini lathe to save a bit of time, but the spokeshave or rasp will do the same (see the link above), and cut a bit of a curve and taper on the bottoms. I used the diameter of a honey pail but there's no right or wrong!
6) Plane, shave and sand to taste, then for a little bit of panache, bind the handle with packaging twine.
I'll shellac them to a dark yellow colour because that's a bit of a family joke, and then wax them after carving the initial of the recipent in the back.
So that's another two and half hours I'll never get back, and what worries me is that I've got lots more timber to clean up, but it all looks like a boat! :oo:
Cheers,
P
:D:D:D