October Process ReflectionNico Hartojo

Collaboration with MentorThis month, my mentor and I went much more in depth into the process

of making a baseball bat. Last time, we went through a brief introduction to all of the machinery and materials, but this month, I learned a lot more about composite wood bats, which is a much more complicated process than regular pro models. It requires piecing together the billet, using carbon fiber on the bat, and many more steps than just a pro model ash or maple bat. I was also able to try out some of the demo bats in the cage, and I was impressed by the quality. Although we haven’t started the process of building the bat yet, we agreed on a much cheaper idea for my own bat. Instead of using a standard billet, we decide to use some of the different leftover wood and piece it together. I tested a similar bat of his like this in the cages, and it had quite a lot of pop. Even though it was made of all kinds of different wood and was used for years, it still felt good and worked well while hitting. Hopefully mine will turn out just as good, if not better.

What I learnedThis month, I learned a lot more about composite bats, and how much more complicated it is to construct one opposed to a standard pro model ash or maple bat. The process requires much more than just sticking a billet in a lathe. The way Davy Jones does it, is he actually pieces together the wood, cuts it into a billet, and then puts in the CNC lathe. This way, it doesn’t matter whether or not the label is up or down because the grains are on all sides. After that, he adds the composite materials, such as carbon fiber and fiber glass, onto the bat to make it much more durable. All of the processes of a standard pro model bat are still there, except there are a few more extra steps you need to take for a composite bat. I also learned a bit about how different materials and thickness of wood affects the kind of response you get from a bat. Bamboo bats are absolutely horrible when it comes to response because they are softer than other materials. Ash on the other hand, responds well because the material is harder. This means that ash will send balls much farther than bamboo bats will.

Pictures!

The finished product of the “Proteus” model bat.

The CNC Lathe with the billet, which will soon become a bat.

A video of the CNC Lathe going to work on a billet.

My mentor demonstrating how the composite bat is pieced together.

This is me taking notes.

This is my mentor explaining the different types of composite fibers.

A video of me testing out some different models of bats that are way too big for me.

Some bats that have finished drying

Plans for next monthNext month I’m really looking forward to finally starting to make my own bat. I’ve learned a lot in the past two months, and I know that I will be able to apply this knowledge to making my own bat. Although Davy Jones may help me with some parts, I plan to do most of the work by myself with a little help when I need it. It may be a slow start at first, but I’m sure that I can succeed once I get going. I also plan to do a little more research next month. Davy Jones has been a great mentor so far and has covered all of my needs when it comes to knowing how things work, but if I want to become even better, I’ll need to read up on a lot of articles so I can apply that knowledge to my own bat. I’m not exactly sure about what to research however, but I’m certain that it will come once I know about more of what I’m doing. I’m really look forward to next month, and hopefully my bat doesn’t explode like other bats I’ve heard about.

Citations

Works Cited

"Davy Jones." Personal interview. 30 Oct. 2013.

"Davy Jones." Personal interview. 09 Oct. 2013.

Warfield, Bob. "The Coordinate System." CNCCookbook. CNCCookbook, 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.

<http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCCNCGCodeCoordinates.htm>.