# Turning Baseball Bats



## Cincinnati (May 5, 2010)

I just purchased a Nova DVR XP lathe w/a bed extension. My first project is a few baseball bats. My turning experience is limited to a fifty or sixty pens and a few tool handles — mostly on a midi-lathe. 

I mounted a 38" long, 3" rough diameter seasoned blank onto a 3" faceplate and attached it to my Nova. I have turned it down to about 2-7/8 and have it rounded over the length.

Is it standard protocol to designate the end closest to the headstock as the barrel (2-3/4" final diameter) and to designate the end at the live center (38 inches away) as the handle?

How do you finish them? 

Is there a proper surface speed range for turning hardwood?


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

I've never turned one but I seem to recall that the only homemade one I ever saw had the clear marks of a drive center in the handle (and so presumably had the hole of a live center at the end but I don't recall). That certainly doesn't say that's the standard, just what one guy did.

Paul


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## woody woodturner (Jul 9, 2010)

yea i have turned them for fun and found that the handle is the most turned and in that lenth theres a lot of vibration so the closer to the head stock the less vibration:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## MAPLEMAN (Jan 21, 2009)

Wondering what sort of timber you will be using?


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

woody woodturner said:


> yea i have turned them for fun and found that the handle is the most turned and in that lenth theres a lot of vibration so the closer to the head stock the less vibration:thumbsup::thumbsup:


Woody, I like that you gave an explanation as to why. I'm just learning and assumed that there was no vibration difference and that you shouldn't have vibration at all.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

I don't think it really matters which end is closest to the headstock. Long spindles flex and chatter. As you narrow the handle you have to take lighter cuts to reduce the vibration. Reducing the pressure from the tailstock helps keep the wood from flexing.
Don't push on the bevel of the tool. If you apply pressure to the tools push down on the tool rest not into the wood. I find tools with smaller diameter cutting edges cause less flex. I might switch form a larger spindle gouge to a detail gouge.
Change speeds. Sometimes you can find a speed that will cause less vibration.
Slow the lathe speed down a little and use your fingers on the backside of the wood to counter the pressure from the bevel. This reduces chatter but does take a lot of practice.
This won't work for a ball bat but on smaller spindles if you chuck one end in the chuck instead of between centers it reduces chatter a lot and also requires less force from the tailstock which reduces the chatter.


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## Cincinnati (May 5, 2010)

*Wood Choices*



MAPLEMAN said:


> Wondering what sort of timber you will be using?


I have 3 maple blanks. I will also use Ash. (And perhaps Hickory if I can get a blank for a reasonable price.)

Although wooden bats are legal in Dixie Youth baseball. I'm finding most coaches don't understand it's really not about the bat especially at age 10-12. It is still true that Force = Mass x Velocity. 

As an aside, we have a lot of players whose father/coach have invested $300 and up for a composite bat for their 10-12 year old players. (How would it look if someone uses a $20-60 piece of wood and outperforms their $400 equipped son?) It's as insane as thinking that a $6000 Lathe would instantly make me a better turner. — OK well, maybe that's not a good example.

My blanks are two years old because I got permission for my son to use a wooden bat, only to have his coach later tell me he would not play him unless he used a composite or metal bat. I wasn't willing to die on that hill, so I didn't make the bats.

Now we have a fall league coach who decided 2 weeks ago to let both my boys use wood. In those two games, one is hitting 1.000 the other is hitting .500 since switching to wood. I'm not saying it's the bat, just that there is no handicap by using wood at this age.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

When I lived in Atlanta there was a little league field about 1/2 block from out house. We went just to watch the parents and coaches fight. They actually shut the field down because of bad behavior.


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## Cincinnati (May 5, 2010)

john lucas said:


> When I lived in Atlanta there was a little league field about 1/2 block from out house. We went just to watch the parents and coaches fight. They actually shut the field down because of bad behavior.


John,

It'a all about the men coaching here. I was told if I didn't like the way they did things, I should coach a team. I have applied to coach for the past 5 years. Last year, my neighbor, the league commissioner, told me if he gave me a team, he'd be denying some other man the "RIGHT" to coach his 8th year. A large number of players other than coach's sons have never played for any other coach from age 5 to age 13. 

I have caught men cheating and discovered a ploy to stack teams. One man asked my 7 year-old to intentionally miss the ball during player evaluation day so that instead of being rated a #1, he would be rated #4 or 5. THen he would pick him in the last round. He was asking other kids to hit only one or two balls.

We need term limits for little league dads.

Pardon my the rant. The bat is turning nicely.


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## BaseballDad (Nov 16, 2012)

It is the united opinion of serious baseball players and coaches that players ought to always train with wood. While composite and metal bats will out perform wood in a game, wood is more responsive and is a better training tool. Up here in Canada, Baseball Alberta has finally made wood the only choice for elite players aged 12 and up. Best news ever! The kids who have been "getting away" with bad swings so far will be exposed this coming season. My son has been swinging wood for 3 years and he is a far superior hitter because of it... but I digress. 

I just finished my first bat tonight and have bad chatter marks. Thanks for the advice about tailstock pressure and trying a chuck. Here's a different question. 

Does anybody have any experience with duplicators? Like the vega or the general? I need to be able to replicate the bats the boys will use and this one took me too long. 

Also, where can I order ash blanks from? 

Thanks.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

how bout these at woodcraft
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2000670/33452/ash-baseball-bat-billet.aspx


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## BaseballDad (Nov 16, 2012)

Thanks robert421960. I appreciate your reply, however $30/ bullet is a fairly expensive option. I'll have to keep looking for another alternative.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

BaseballDad said:


> Also, where can I order ash blanks from?


I do not know if these folks ship to Canada, but they are a lot less than Woodcraft - which is less than Rockler's $35

http://www.woodbillets.com/products.asp?cat=11

I do not have children and I am not involved in baseball. I had no idea of the bickering and "politics" with little league baseball. Wow, I am glad not to be involved.


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## BaseballDad (Nov 16, 2012)

Thanks. I'll check that out. And, for the most part, the little league parents are generally fine... But without fail, no matter how clearly you lay out expectations, you will ALWAYS have one or 2 sets of crazy parents... Just accept it and move on. There's no getting around that.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Cinci,
I used a homeade spindle steady to get rid of the chatter. The one closeup pic shows what the chatter looks like. This one is made of ash.
Mike Hawkins


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## BaseballDad (Nov 16, 2012)

Firehawkmph that's brilliant! Yes!!! That is exactly what i had last night. I couldnt get it back to smooth with the tools and It took a long time to sand! Is that stabilizer just made out of wood and rollerblade wheels? Awesome. I have to make that! Thanks!


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

BaseballDad said:


> Firehawkmph that's brilliant! Yes!!! That is exactly what i had last night. I couldnt get it back to smooth with the tools and It took a long time to sand! Is that stabilizer just made out of wood and rollerblade wheels? Awesome. I have to make that! Thanks!


Mike's steady rest is smaller than mine. I did a thread on making mine last month.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f6/making-lathe-steady-rest-43902/


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

BaseballDad said:


> Firehawkmph that's brilliant! Yes!!! That is exactly what i had last night. I couldnt get it back to smooth with the tools and It took a long time to sand! Is that stabilizer just made out of wood and rollerblade wheels? Awesome. I have to make that! Thanks!


Yes, BD, scraps of plywood and some rollerblade wheels I bought for $4. They have good sealed bearings in them. I made this originally for my 10" jet midi lathe. Thats why there's an extra block of wood or two in the base to fit the bigger lathe. It works well and quells the vibration.
Mike Hawkins


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## Nate Bos (Jan 11, 2012)

Duplicators? Most people that try them cry:thumbdown:. They cry because they wasted good money on them.They don't leave near as good a finish as a well controlled tool and it is just as fast to use a tool with a little practice. Unless you got BIG money for a good one, I would suggest you save your money


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## BaseballDad (Nov 16, 2012)

Nate Bos said:


> Duplicators? Most people that try them cry:thumbdown:. They cry because they wasted good money on them.They don't leave near as good a finish as a well controlled tool and it is just as fast to use a tool with a little practice. Unless you got BIG money for a good one, I would suggest you save your money


What would you say is "big money" and "good one"? Thanks.


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## Nate Bos (Jan 11, 2012)

heres a good one!
Laguna Tools 59" Copy Lathe - Amazon.com

I don't know, maybe there are some decent attachments available but my only experience and all I have heard is to learn how to turn them


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## BaseballDad (Nov 16, 2012)

That's not as bad as I thought. I'll keep that in mind. In the meantime I'll focus on trying to make them better by hand.


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