Bat Repair

[Andrew16v]

This guy knows what he's doing, it is a local trading shop that deals in all kinds of game used equipment. Check out all the repairs they show, you can't even tell they were ever damaged!

http://www.gameusedbats.com/game-used-repairs.cfm
http://www.gameusedbats.com/bat-restoration-repairs.cfm

[godwulf]

I've repaired (Elmer's wood glue) cracks in a number of my bats, the past couple of years - many of them in preparataion for getting them signed. I have no desire to make them look uncracked, as some folks do - I just don't get that - but I like to be able to handle them and show them to other people occasionally, and unless a crack is just impossible to easily repair, I'll do it in order to prevent further splitting, splinters, pieces coming off, etc.

By far the strangest and most time-consuming repair job was when I had one of those black Louisville Sluggers that was made back when they were having problems with their paint-drying process - some of you may remember that thread, and BMH's explanation of how it happened. The paint on the last six inches or so of the barrel was "bubbling" up and flaking off, and I ended up superglueing down each individual "blister" of paint, then covering the barrel end with about ten coats of polyeurethane varnish. On a bat that cost me $1.04.

[bigtruck260]

I do all of my own repairs - and have been getting better over time.

I use strong wood glue and 'trigger' vice grips that have thick rubber pads on them. I'll try to get some photos up later. Using ultra-fine sandpaper on a blonde unfinished bat can make the crack almost invisible if the repair is done well. I just make sure to use plenty of glue and as much pressure as possible with the grips (at least 2).

[bigtruck260]

This guy knows what he's doing, it is a local trading shop that deals in all kinds of game used equipment. Check out all the repairs they show, you can't even tell they were ever damaged!

http://www.gameusedbats.com/game-used-repairs.cfm
http://www.gameusedbats.com/bat-restoration-repairs.cfm

And I agree GodWulf - the repairs on JT's bats seem like overkill to me. Unless the repair is going to enhance the value significantly, I woulnd't do too much to it. Especially the replaced foil stamping...

It looks almost like he replaced the whole handle on the knob repair...I have to admit, it looks terrific, just not something I would consider.

[bigtruck260]

...and looking again at the repairs, it appears that they might use Fred Lowman:

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip...batrepair.html

Not sure though.

[godwulf]

And I agree GodWulf - the repairs on JT's bats seem like overkill to me. Unless the repair is going to enhance the value significantly, I woulnd't do too much to it. Especially the replaced foil stamping...

Past a certain point - when you start getting into repainting, "filling in" or even reconstructing big chunks of missing wood, adding the foil stamping, etc. - it begins, at least to me, to very closely resemble the situation where a jersey has been "restored"...new numbers, letters, nameplate, whatever. Some folks don't mind that a jersey or a bat has been "restored", and that's fine for them. I don't want it done to my stuff.

[bigtruck260]

This is a photo I took for a friend of a repair job I was doing on a Larry Walker bat I own. The crack was pretty easy to fix, but I never take chances on a bad repair...

Note the very cheap spring loaded (green) clamps. They are simply there for a little added pressure. When there is a visible crack, I usually sand down the edges with very fine sandpaper - just so that it even...not to hide the crack whatsoever.

[bigtruck260]

Here is a series of photos I took on a Ron Gant bat that I got last week from a forum member. As he would probably tell you, it was a pretty vicious crack that affected the stability of the handle when held.

It is the first LS R161 I've owned - and the handle is pretty thick - similar to a T142 - and that actually helped my cause.

He did a good job of fixing the displacement, I just polished it up, and made her sturdy again.

[bigtruck260]

Here is a Gregg Jefferies bat that I got from the same forum member - with almost the exact same handle crack, albeit the opposite side of the handle. It is an H shaped crack - but this one went all the way to the label, so it too needed a repair (though the previous owner probably liked it the way it was)...this bat was very well cared for, and it is one that I have been looking for. I treated it like a beloved family member getting some surgery...I used a little ebony wood filler (not too much) to shade the crack so that the tan wood grain is slightly off set. I like being able to see the crack, without it taking away from the eye appeal.

In case you haven't figured it out - I have a hard time trusting eBay descriptions that include 'professional repairs'. I have a few bats in my collection that were done by folks that would have failed 8th grade wood shop. I prefer to buy bats that are cracked rather than ones that are repaired already. I have had positive experiences with Jeff Scott and Ball Park Heroes (Kim Stigall) - they both do great work.

The I13 has a thinner handle, thus less 'meat' to work with, but I think it came out better than I had hoped. I am not a pro by any means. The bottom photo is a distance shot of the whole bat, and the original crack is visible.

[godwulf]

I use those same clamps; I get them at Home Depot, and they also come in red and orange, and in several different sizes - some big enough to put around the end of a split barrel end. With a really extensive crack, or series of cracks, I've used as many as seven or eight at a time. They're great for any number of reasons; for one thing, because of the way they're designed, you can reach in carefully with a slightly damp rag and wipe excess glue off after you've put the clamp in place.

Don't tell anyone, but I've also been known to superglue down a loose piece of handle tape.