Dec 09, 2012

It’s been a while since I made a bat and it’s perhaps even longer since I last wrote about making one but there’s a good reason I promise. So we’ll see how rusty I am and hope something coherent comes out. Cricket on the other side of the globe is getting underway and that means [...]

Oct 28, 2012

As unlikely as it may seem that Shakespeare was thinking of cricket when he wrote Iago’s immortal words “It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.“, the phrase is certainly apt here. Sometimes you hear something that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder if you imagined it [...]

Sep 16, 2012

I knew this day would come… I just didn’t think it would come so soon. The one that gave me the confidence to realise I could make a decent cricket bat has now reached that time where I have to decide between, repairing it and waiting for inevitable moment when it disintegrates in my hands [...]

Jul 15, 2012

Interestingly enough, it usually is the last thing I do when shaping a cricket bat. Attempting to keep the spine perfectly straight or dead centre throughout the whole process would test anyone’s resolve. Spending the extra time to straighten a spine that you’ll probably have to remove eventually anyway is the kind of behaviour that [...]

Jun 16, 2012

For just a small moment we’ll put aside the mallet from “Progress on the mallet amongst other things.“, as a bat needed making. There was a whisper of anticipation in the air… my new drawknife awaiting its first helping of willow cleft for breakfast, the tools laid out across the bench, a cup of tea [...]

Jun 06, 2012

After sanding all the excess glue, of which there was lots, I gave the bat a healthy dose of raw linseed oil. The bat must have been quite dry as the oil was absorbed in no time at all. The owner had asked if I could get it fixed for Saturday’s game but I doubted [...]

May 25, 2012

The first practice nets session in sunshine was delightful. However mid way through, I could see someone eye balling their bat as though there was some damage to be investigated. This is the same bat from the Flamboyance can have consequences post. You’ll be glad to hear that the repair I did originally has held up nicely… [...]

May 02, 2012

After a few days of pondering on the trouble I’d had with the finishing of the last bat, I realised that the difficulty I’d experienced was the exception and not the norm. However there’s always room for improvement, but more on that another time.   I wasn’t sure what to say about this bat, it [...]

Apr 19, 2012

When you get the finish just right, there’s fewer parts of the process that can be as satisfying. Seeing the grain of the wood come to life, along with the blemishes is rewarding. Usually, people want to cleanest looking, straightest grained piece of willow they can find, but the blemishes add character in my opinion. [...]

Apr 18, 2012

I will be starting my fourth attempt at finishing this cricket bat. Yes that’s right, FOURTH! Every time I’ve got close to completing the finishing I’ve had some tear out and been forced to go all the way back to the beginning. This time I got to the binding and then noticed it. At first [...]

Apr 13, 2012

With the last project all wrapped up and on display. It was nice to get some positive feedback about it. Whilst it didn’t make its way to the intended customer, I’m more than happy to keep it. I’ve had some enquiries about making other planes for people and will be undertaking this work in due [...]

Apr 07, 2012

Finally done! I expected this one would take a little bit more time to make than the previous round bottom plane I’d made. Mainly because the previous one was for me and I really wasn’t bothered how it looked so long as it functioned correctly. This time around I was more concerned with the cosmetics [...]