How to Make a Baseball Bat
Gather your supplies and tools., Pick a type of wood to create your bat., Purchase a round blank of your chosen wood., Mark the wood every 4 inches., Determine the desired maximum barrel diameter., Mark the diameter of each section of the bat.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Gather your supplies and tools.
Before beginning a woodworking project, make sure you have all of your tools together and supplies at hand.
When collecting your tools, make sure that all of your chisels are clean and sharp.
Wooden "blank" to create the bat Wood lathe (Can be purchased from a tool or hardware store) Assorted chisels (roughing gouge, skew chisel, parting tool) Pencil Calipers used for measuring Sand Paper (assorted grits from 60-600) Wood stain and varnish -
Step 2: Pick a type of wood to create your bat.
Baseball bats are traditionally made from ash wood.
Other common choices include maple and birch.
Ash is a strong lightweight wood that provides both strength and flexibility.
Maple is a more dense, heavier wood that is great for power hitters.
Birch provides heavier weight like maple while still allowing for some flexibility like ash. , You can also make your own blank by cutting a piece of wood to be 37 inches long by 3 inches by 3 inches.
Find a lumber yard to get custom cuts of wood, or visit a home improvement store to see what they carry.
You can also order blanks online ready to be turned into a bat.
If starting with a square piece of wood, use a chisel to remove the corners of your blank.
Cut a small amount from the four long edges of the blank to create an octagonal shape.
Removing the corners will cut down on the amount of wood you need to remove with the lathe and make it easier to craft your bat., Make a pencil mark every few inches to help you gauge the amount of wood you need to remove in sections. , A typical baseball bat has a diameter between 2 ½” and 2 ⅝”.
A smaller diameter bat will be lighter and easier to swing.
The handle of the bat should have a diameter of 1” and be about 10 inches long. , Record the diameter of every 4” section of the bat.
The markings will serve as a guide when turning the wood.
These measurements represent 4 inch increments from the knob to the tip of the barrel.The knob should measure 2” diameter. 4” diameter is 1” 8” diameter is 1” 12” diameter is 1 ⅛” 16” diameter is 1 ¼” 20” diameter is 1 ¾” 24” diameter is 2 3/16” 28” diameter is 2 7/16” 32” diameter is 2 ½” -
Step 3: Purchase a round blank of your chosen wood.
-
Step 4: Mark the wood every 4 inches.
-
Step 5: Determine the desired maximum barrel diameter.
-
Step 6: Mark the diameter of each section of the bat.
Detailed Guide
Before beginning a woodworking project, make sure you have all of your tools together and supplies at hand.
When collecting your tools, make sure that all of your chisels are clean and sharp.
Wooden "blank" to create the bat Wood lathe (Can be purchased from a tool or hardware store) Assorted chisels (roughing gouge, skew chisel, parting tool) Pencil Calipers used for measuring Sand Paper (assorted grits from 60-600) Wood stain and varnish
Baseball bats are traditionally made from ash wood.
Other common choices include maple and birch.
Ash is a strong lightweight wood that provides both strength and flexibility.
Maple is a more dense, heavier wood that is great for power hitters.
Birch provides heavier weight like maple while still allowing for some flexibility like ash. , You can also make your own blank by cutting a piece of wood to be 37 inches long by 3 inches by 3 inches.
Find a lumber yard to get custom cuts of wood, or visit a home improvement store to see what they carry.
You can also order blanks online ready to be turned into a bat.
If starting with a square piece of wood, use a chisel to remove the corners of your blank.
Cut a small amount from the four long edges of the blank to create an octagonal shape.
Removing the corners will cut down on the amount of wood you need to remove with the lathe and make it easier to craft your bat., Make a pencil mark every few inches to help you gauge the amount of wood you need to remove in sections. , A typical baseball bat has a diameter between 2 ½” and 2 ⅝”.
A smaller diameter bat will be lighter and easier to swing.
The handle of the bat should have a diameter of 1” and be about 10 inches long. , Record the diameter of every 4” section of the bat.
The markings will serve as a guide when turning the wood.
These measurements represent 4 inch increments from the knob to the tip of the barrel.The knob should measure 2” diameter. 4” diameter is 1” 8” diameter is 1” 12” diameter is 1 ⅛” 16” diameter is 1 ¼” 20” diameter is 1 ¾” 24” diameter is 2 3/16” 28” diameter is 2 7/16” 32” diameter is 2 ½”
About the Author
Jacob Scott
Writer and educator with a focus on practical home improvement knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: