Baseball is a sport that has grown in popularity in recent years. In the gameplay, not only the player’s skills, but also the bits are of particular importance. As a rule, such devices are made of metal. But if you want to make a bat, you can also from wood. The main thing is to have at hand the necessary material for this, as well as tools. So how to make a bat at home?
What is required for this
Since you can make a bat yourself, you should choose the right material and calculate the dimensions of the finished product. To make it you will need:
- Hardwood. As a rule, for baseball bats use bamboo, hickory, white ash or maple.
- Saw.
- Sandpaper.
- Tools for working with wood.
- Ruler or tape measure.
- Lathe.
- Circular saw.
- Varnish for wood processing.
Size is important
When thinking about how to make a bat so that you can play baseball, you should first decide on the size. Indeed, not every product is suitable for the game. The player’s tool should be not only beautiful, but also convenient. Therefore, it is important to observe the exact dimensions.
Each professional will say with confidence that it is best to make a bat 106.7 centimeters long. The diameter of the finished product should not exceed 70 millimeters.
How to make a blank
Before you make a bat from wood, first of all, you need to choose wood. The bar should be several centimeters larger than the dimensions of the future finished product. This is important, because in the manufacturing process all unnecessary will be removed. After acquiring the necessary material, you can begin to cut the future product.
How to cut a bat from a bar, you decide for yourself. It all depends on your carpentry skills. You can shape a bar, for example, using a small hatchet. But a hammer and a chisel are also suitable for this. The main thing at this stage is to adhere to certain forms of the future bit. It should be borne in mind that the largest part of a sports tool should be three times the handle. The edges should be rounded. As for the handle, it is cut at least 4 centimeters in length.
Safety precautions
Remember that when working with any power tool, safety precautions must be observed. Before turning on the lathe, you should clean the workplace, remove all unnecessary tools, debris and chips. Exposed body areas should be protected. To do this, it is recommended to use protective clothing, protective shields and glasses.
Remove waste and chips during the operation of the lathe with a special hook and only when the engine is off. Otherwise, you may injure your hands.
Next step: grinding
How to make a baseball bat smooth and neat? Of course, polishing its surface. In this case, you can use sandpaper. First, the product should be treated with sandpaper with large grains, and then with smaller ones. This will smooth out all the irregularities and make the workpiece streamlined.
If you have a lathe, then you can use it to make the perfect bit. The main thing is to do everything slowly, carefully processing every centimeter of the product. Do not forget about safety when working with power tools.
Final stage
Now that the process is coming to an end, and you know how to make a bat with your own hands, it remains to cover the workpiece with a special varnish. The product must be applied in several layers. When the product is varnished twice, it is necessary to dry it thoroughly, and then process it with sandpaper with small particles. This will remove the remaining bumps. After this, the bat needs to be varnished again and allowed to dry. That's all. The bat is ready.
Second way
If you don’t have a lathe at hand, don’t be upset. You can make a baseball bat with simple tools. This will require:
- Insulating tape.
- Plane.
- Suitable block size.
- Emery paper.
- File.
Manufacturing steps
To begin with, you should choose a suitable bar. It should have a rounded shape and be solid enough. Specialists recommend using hardwood for making baseball bats. From the bottom of the bar, measure 26 centimeters and mark with a pencil. After this, the workpiece should be carefully planed. As a result, the diameter of the bottom should be 3-4 centimeters.
After that, with the help of a file, it is necessary to round off the thickest part of the future product. To sand the bottom, use sandpaper. All irregularities on the surface of the workpiece must be removed. The thin part of the bit - the handle - should be wrapped with electrical tape. Due to this, during use, the finished product will not slip out of hands.
If desired, the baseball bat can be painted and varnished. This will give the product a more attractive look. To begin with, you can paint the workpiece, and then a layer of varnish. Each layer should dry well. After that, it is necessary to process the baseball bat with sandpaper. In conclusion, the product should be coated with another layer of varnish.
A few words in the end
Once again, we recall how to make a bat from inexpensive materials. Hardwood can be used for this. Moreover, in the manufacturing process, you can use any tools. Making a baseball bat requires patience and perseverance. And if you do not know how to work with wood, then get ready for the fact that the product may not work the first time.