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Anybody ever saw baseball bat blanks?

Started by WV Sawmiller, August 09, 2017, 08:56:24 PM

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WV Sawmiller

    Anybody every saw any blanks for baseball bats? If so what size works best. I have a guy wants a couple of 6X6X48 inch ash blanks to try to make a bat. He saw an ad I had for 6X6X24 inch crib blocks.  I'll saw them for him but would like to offer him a couple of smaller blanks if they are more appropriate. One good thing, if the guy doesn't like the 6X6X48's I can always cut them in half to make crib blocks.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

grouch

Never sawed one, but found THIS which may or may not be helpful. Says to start with a 3 x 36 inch round blank so turning from a square, I'd want 4 to 4-1/2 to start with.


[Edit to add]: From pennstateind (PDF), with dimensions.
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Magicman

Who is going to dry the blanks and how?
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DPatton

I would think 3" x 3"  x length would be the right starting size for turning on a wood lathe. Can't imaging he would need them any larger than 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" x length.
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Delawhere Jack

Gotta agree, 6x6 seems awfully large for a baseball bat blank. Maybe he's REALLY into making chips?  ::)

WV Sawmiller

Quote from: Magicman on August 09, 2017, 09:40:49 PM
Who is going to dry the blanks and how?
I have no idea. It won't be me.

     I gather the best blanks would be split not sawed. I am sure the best ones would go through all kind of detailed grading, etc.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

etroup10

A friend of mines mill does blanks all the time. They supply a bat company and some of there wood is used by mlb players! They usually have one or two guys working on them every time I'm there. They split them then have a big lathe that turns the split chunks into rounds. They are only using hard maple now because of EAB. You don't want any knots, and if the ash is a victim of EAB I wouldn't recommend it because a lot of times those seem to be brittle.
NHLA 187th class, lumber inspector. EZ Boardwalk 40 with homemade hydraulics; Gafner Hydraloader; custom built edger, Massey Ferguson 50E, American Sawmill 20" Pony Planer; Husqvarna 55 Rancher

petefrom bearswamp

Back in the 60s and seventies there was a cottage industry here in central NY for bat splits.
They took an ash round and split it into pie pieces with a froe.
Not sure if they rough turned them or just sold the pie pieces rough and green.
No kilns for these folks.
You can easily tell the Ash bats from maple unless they are painted.
far more maple now but far more broken bats that shatter.
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pineywoods

I sawed a few 2 1/4 X 2 1/4 ash. Used them to teach a neighbor teenager how to turn his own bats. Worked out well. He is the envy of all the other players on a high school team..has his own custom made bats..
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Bert

I have no idea but i did sell some logs one time to a place that makes bat blanks. May have been etroupes buddy. I know they were after nothing but the best hard maple. Sometimes i wonder if my logs ever made it the major leagues.
Saw you tomorrow!

OffGrid973

Hi guys,

I made one from ash that hadn't really dried very long and it's still in great shape if someone enters the house without permission...lol

I would say go larger on the size and let him turn off the waste as anything pithy I am thinking you would want to stay away from. Only turned one so no expert but having wood to waste is more fun then trying hard to make it work.
Your Fellow Woodworker,
- Off Grid

etroup10

Quote from: Bert on August 10, 2017, 04:45:05 PM
I have no idea but i did sell some logs one time to a place that makes bat blanks. May have been etroupes buddy. I know they were after nothing but the best hard maple. Sometimes i wonder if my logs ever made it the major leagues.
Did you sell them to Alderfers?
NHLA 187th class, lumber inspector. EZ Boardwalk 40 with homemade hydraulics; Gafner Hydraloader; custom built edger, Massey Ferguson 50E, American Sawmill 20" Pony Planer; Husqvarna 55 Rancher

GAB

There was an article in the Sawmill and Woodlot magazine a while back about maple baseball bats.
If you are considering cutting maple baseball bat blanks I would suggest reading that article first.
According to that article the sog (slope of grain) was very important factor to consider.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

WV Sawmiller

GAB,

   No maple. I am planning on using EAB killed/injured ash.

   The guy saw my ad for 6x6x24 inch ash crib blocks and asked if I had anything longer as he wants to try making a bat. I told him they all started as 8' lengths then I cut into 4ths. I told him he was welcome to look at the long blanks as anything he rejects will still work fine as crib blocks.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

etroup10

NHLA 187th class, lumber inspector. EZ Boardwalk 40 with homemade hydraulics; Gafner Hydraloader; custom built edger, Massey Ferguson 50E, American Sawmill 20" Pony Planer; Husqvarna 55 Rancher

terrifictimbersllc

I've sawn them twice at customer request, first time 3x3 another 4x4.  Both ash.
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scully

Just my 2C but it's my understanding that Ash must be slow growth tight ring .
I bleed orange  .

WV Sawmiller

   I sawed on 8' log into a couple of 6X6X8's and added one about 3.5X3.5 and one about 4X4. I we cut 4' of the best wood out of the 6X6's and smaller blanks and the customer rushed over Friday evening and got them. He was happy and will be back for more. he promised to have his nephew send pictures of the finished bats. I cut the remainder into crib blocks and mortise and tenon bench legs. Even got 2-1X4X8s and a nice 1X6X8 out of the side lumber so no waste.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

dgdrls

Have never sawed them, but have burned some cut-offs.

https://books.google.com/books?id=iQiCAk4iQEUC&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=ellicottville+NY+bat+factory&source=bl&ots=4WCGmXhhcw&sig=J8e7YMA2Z7mH_lb9BaCnsCb-5XI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW7MaR0drVAhXCNJoKHdnqAOcQ6AEIOzAD#v=onepage&q=ellicottville%20NY%20bat%20factory&f=false

Louisville Slugger has some roots in SW N.Y.and NW P.A.

Larimer & Norton mill produced turned bat blanks and the cut-offs, 3"-7" were often delivered to local
folks in need for fire place wood,  My F.I.L. told me he would often see the local L&N truck pouring stubs
down coal chutes at village homes.  I carried a bunch of feed bags full of blanks to our first Apt. which had a working fire place.
the cut-offs burned nice and you could have a small fire that was easy to manage.


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