Making a Baseball Bat || My First Woodturning Project

I've wanted to learn how to turn for some time, and purchasing my Record Power lathe was a great addition to the workshop, and continues my desire to have vintage machines & tools in the workshop. I'm a huge baseball fan, despite being based in the UK. I lived for a small period with family in Canada, and it was hear my love affair started with baseball, and of course the Toronto Blue Jays!
Woodturning will be a key part of client work moving forwards in the workshop, making table legs & chair spindles, amongst other things, but turning my own baseball bat, from Ash felled in my woodland, has been a long held goal...I couldn't be happier with the result!
The bat is 33", 33oz & made from Ash - ideally you'd want straighter grain for a competition bat, but this bat will likely see a bit of play with the dog at most, and spend most of the time in my office, with the ball I caught at Yankee Stadium watching the Jays in 2017! But, at the end of the video it gets a proper test!
I'm a small commisioned based furniture workshop located in North Wales, UKVisit our website to see our recent portfolio of pieces deerrivercraft... also have a store with smaller items & one-off pieces for saledeerrivercraft... you'd like to support my work & the channel, we also have some great merch availabledeerrivercraft... regularly post on Instagram, so follow along with builds there too / thanks for watching, and check out our other builds, including workshop furniture, where plans are also available to purchasedeerrivercraft...

[@bluemonday139]

Mark, loved this! Definitely on this baseball loving woodworker’s bucket list!

[@DeerRiverCraftsman]

Make it happen!! Great project!

[@Believer1427]

Really cool. Love the ending lol

[@DJC995]

Nice one again Thanks

[@DeerRiverCraftsman]

thank you Darran, much obliged!

[@danpatch4751]

I have to say this is a good project. When I first seen the name of your channel I had to subscribe because I am from Deer River, Minnesota. I like the name Deer River Craftsman. You do good work. Maybe you can turn out a bat that you can send to your favorite team. Take care.

[@DeerRiverCraftsman]

Cheers Dan, and I'll have to pass through Deer River one day when I can see the Twins play the Jays maybe! Channel & business are Deer River here in North Wales as the river the passes below my workshop is the Afon Ceirw, translated to Deer River! :-) many thanks for subscribing!

[@FAMAWoodworking]

Amazing!

[@DeerRiverCraftsman]

thank you!

[@T_B]

Huge baseball fan here. That's a great looking bat!! Have you considered "dishing out" the end of the barrel like the MLB bats? Either way....I love this bat!

[@DeerRiverCraftsman]

That would be very Louisville Slugger! Absolutely could do, but this was a lesson in tapering to a width for me, great practice when I start making legs & spindles for client projects, but best way to learn for me is with something I'll enjoy, like this bat!! Probably worth me working out how that dishing happens though! Thank you!