Thread: Jig design required for cricket bats

I saw a thing on 'How It's Made' on making cricket bats. It's been a while.

I understand what your son is trying to do. I think that a block of soft wood with a series of holes drilled along a center line from 20MM to 40MM. Then use a band saw to cut the block of wood in half along the center line. Use a very aggressive band saw blade to create a large kerf. Sand the kerf smooth and add some clamping screws to hold the two pieces together securing the handle in place.

To use, put the handle in the half hole that is closest to its diameter. Put the other half on and tighten the clamping screws. Finally, slide the handle into the band saw to cut the "V" for attachment to the lower part of the bat.

Don't hold me liable as I've never seen Cricket played (Even on TV) or even touched a Cricket bat. I'm only trying to remember what I've seen on TV as much as 5 years ago.

Thanks Rich, but the jig has to be a tray of some sort, to fit the existing angle cutting jig, and no wider than 100mm

Hi Dengy

I think I can envision what your son is after

to deal with varying diameters, I suggest folding wedges on the base of the tray, and another set of wedges to center the handle on the tray

Originally Posted by rrich

I saw a thing on 'How It's Made' on making cricket bats. It's been a while.

@ 1:38

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ5PEyOY3iY

Hi ian, thanks for this suggestion. How would you keep the wedges in position under the bat handle? I calculated they only have to raise the handle about 8.0 -12.0mm off the base of the tray, depending on the dimensions of the handle, which vary quite a bit

Comfortable with the folding (parallel) wedges holding the end of the bat in the centre, by putting the two sets of wedges under compression between each side of the tray and the bat located in the centre of the tray.

for the wedges supporting the handle, a pair of cams comes to mind.
The cams could be locked with a simple spring clamp.

alternatively, the cams restraining the folding wedges could be locked with a variant of the jaws on these clamps.

It's not entirely relevant, but here is a video on making cricket bats.

https://www.facebook.com/thoirycrick...2763184091788/

Is each handle randomly sized, within certain parameters of course, or the handles be coming in sets of one size, then another?

Is he after a jig that can be repeatedly adjusted per batch or quickly adjusted per handle?

Hi Skew, they come in batches, but each handle end that is to be cut is made of pieces of bamboo strips, and they vary in sizes, depending on the cut on the plant.
Basically, all he needs is a jig that can cut a 9.5 degree wedge on the end of the bat handle. I think the best way is to clamp the round part of the handle in two U shaped blocks screwed/ glued on a piece of MDF, and work out a way of feeding that into a bandsaw so that the wedge is made in two simple passes on a jig, using either a fence or a runner in the mitre slot

Does the bit that bulges out really need to sit on the base? Or does it really need to be secure so it can be bandsawn?

I was thinking of a base, with two blocks with a V shaped shape cut in them to take the handle. And with one of those new fangled Bessey horizontal auto adjust toggle clamps to hold securely in place, say about halfway between the v blocks. Might also need to adapt the clamp so it has a v shape to hold the handle securely

Thanks Nick, the bulging end to be cut doesn't have to touch the base of the jig, I just thought it would be more stable when cutting on the bandsaw. I did put wedges between it and the sides of the jig. Only trouble is, once one side of the cut is made, the wedges fall apart and the offcut falls away. Once that happens, I am not sure if the large end of the handle can be clamped in the exact same original position, but if I don't move the wedges against the other side still to be cut, it looks pretty close.

I already did a prototype, much along the lines of what you are saying with the two handle supports, but didn't think of a Vee block. Thanks for that suggestion! I did a U shaped block with 32mm diameter for the handles, which varied 30-32.5mm.

I like your idea too of a Vee foot for the clamp. I used a small toggle clamp, but find that as it closes in an arc of a circle movement, it pushes the handle sideways, so it rotates the handle slightly if it doesn't come down exactly on the top of the round bat handle.

Many thanks for your ideas and support

no probs

I gather that the handle is turned 180 for the second cut?

an idea might be to have an adjustable stop at the end of the handle (top of the handle?) so when the handle is rotated the length doesn't change

Hi Nick, will post some photos tomorrow, but once the handle is locked in position on the jig, it doesn't move. The jig sits at an angle on another jig that runs against the bandsaw fence, and the angle is changed for each cut. This second jig is used to cut the Vee on the bat too, so that the handle and the bat have the exact same angle.