How to Make a Maple Baseball Bat

Baseball equipment has evolved significantly since the game was first introduced. Originally, players used sticks to hit balls and then began carving their own bats from blank pieces of wood. Today, baseball players are extremely particular about their bats, and knowing how to construct your own bats will let you design and create bats that are ideally suited to your preferences. Maple bats are popular because of the strength of maple wood. Although maple costs more than white ash, maple bats generally last longer due to the superior strength of the wood.

Things You'll Need

• Piece of maple wood
• Center marker
• Lathe
• Roughing gouge
• Skew
• Completed bat (as a model)
• Spindle gouge
• Sandpaper
• Varathane spray
• Steel wool

Instructions

1. 

   Purchase a piece of maple wood from a specialty wood shop. This piece of wood is commonly referred to as a bat blank and should be 3 inches deep and wide by 36 to 38 inches long.

2. 

   Place one end of the maple wood blank against the center marker and tap the opposite side with another piece of wood. Rotate the wood blank 90 degrees and tap the opposite side again. This will create an X on one side of the wood blank, with the center of the X identifying the center of the wood blank. Repeat this process to mark the opposite side of the wood blank.

3. 

   Use the marks to line up the center of the wood blank with the spindle and the tail stock of the lathe. Spin the wood on the lathe, and use a 1 1/2-inch roughing gouge to shave the wood into the appropriate size for your bat.

4. 

   Place the model bat on a rack above or next to the lathe. Use the skew to mold the bat into the appropriate final shape using the model bat to guide you.

5. 

   Round off the top and handle of the bat using the spindle gouge. Place the bat back on the lathe, and use the sandpaper to smooth the bat as the lathe spins it.

6. Finish the bat by coating it completely with the Varathane spray. Once the coating is dry, rub the bat gently with steel wool to smooth it out. Apply another coat of finish, and allow the bat to dry for 48 hours.

Tips & Warnings

• For many years, maple was considered too heavy to make baseball bats. Recent technological advances in wood-drying methods have allowed bat manufacturers to produce maple wood blanks with lower moisture content. Low moisture content is critical, since it allows the wood blank to be light enough to make an effective bat. Make sure that the blank you purchase is low in moisture content. Additionally, make sure the wood blank that you purchase is made from a hard type of maple, such as rock or sugar maple. Because of the recent popularity of maple bats, many companies have begun selling bats and wood blanks made out of softer maple, such as red or silver maple, which will not be as durable as harder woods. Compared to other bat materials, such as ash or hickory, maple is relatively expensive. Be prepared to spend more on a maple wood blank than you would for a blank made of another type of wood.

• Major League Baseball limits bat lengths to 42 inches and diameters to 2 3/4 inches. There are no weight restrictions. Make sure that the size of the bat you create conforms to the rules of the league in which it will be used. Always wear appropriate clothing and protective gear when making bats. Close-toed shoes, long pants and eye protection should be worn at all times, particularly when the bat is being shaped on the lathe. Apply the finishing coating to the bat in a well-ventilated area. Varathane spray gives off toxic odors that can have serious health consequences.

Resources

• Major League Baseball official rules and regulations
• Baseball-Bats: Information on baseball bats