CNC Wood Lathe for Baseball Bats Making

Video Demo: How a Baseball Bat is Produced by CNC Wood Lathe

This video shows the entire process of baseball bats turning, from beginning to finish. Please watch it, and you can get a good idea of how it makes baseball bats. 

Advantage of EagleTec CNC Baseball Bat Lathe

• Fully taking production characteristics of baseball bats into consideration, inspired by maximum production output, this is a high-yield and durable cnc woodworking lathe that is especially good for baseball bat making. 

• The mechanism of the lathe is double rotary axes, and two chisels for each rotary are equipped so that the roughing and finishing are performed one after the other at the same time. Additionally, it completes two pieces of bats at a time. 

• Headstock is driven by an extremely powerful 7.4HP asynchronous motor.

• The tailstock can be moved to any position on the lathe bed and locked to suit the job in hand. It is an air-actuated tailstock.

• The lathe base is made of an integral casting process and is rigid enough to easily capable of a variety of wood-turning jobs. To minimize the production tolerance, the base is milled by cnc machining center. (Not a hand-finished production)

Quick Details of EagleTec Baseball Bat CNC Wood Lathe

• Working diameter range: 20mm to 300mm when one rotary turning; 20mm to 160mm when both rotaries turn together.

• Working length range: 100mm to 1500mm.

• 5.5KW (7.37HP) 3-phase asynchronous motor as the driving motor of the rotary

• Two Axes is capable of turning 2 pieces of wood at a time (producing two pieces of baseball bats at a time)

• Two cutters for each rotary 

• Stepper motors to drive X Y Z axes

• YAKO YKA2811MA as drivers for stepper  

• Handheld wood-turning controller -- RichAuto with USB communication interface

The Second-Generation New Model Has Been Launched

It comes with a single operating unit and a powered saw head.

The Second-Generation Work Demo

A U.S. client provides the baseball bat drawing. The thinnest section of the handle is no more than 1," and the thickest section of the barrel is 2.5". We found a large enough wooden billet in our workshop, a square pine wood size of 70x70x880mm. Although the wood blank is big enough, from a production efficiency perspective, it is not a perfect match for the bat's size. It took 12 minutes to complete the bat. But this is due to the extended cutting time caused by the oversized wood billets we use. This is not caused by the machine. The machine in the video can complete the job in 7 minutes if we use a billet just the right size. The perfect billet should be round (not square) with a 66mm diameter. The wood we employ in the demo is a square one with a 98mm outer diameter. So cutting it from 98mm to 66mm wastes time. Therefore, the first 7 passes are all cutting the square wood into the round. Due to this, we got the bat project done by 12 passes. That's why the lathe takes 12 minutes to make the bat out of wood. For mass production of baseball bats, the ideal billet should be round with a diameter of 1 to 2mm larger than the diameter of the baseball bat barrel. Round billets are always much more efficient than square blank when making a baseball bat on a lathe.

In Comparison With The Old Model, What Advantages Does The EagleTec 2nd Generation Have?

The baseball bats are long and do have a thin section. The narrowest section of the bat handle is only 25mm or 22mm. Assuming the main spindle turns the bats with 3000RPM, we would be struggling with some wobbles as it gets towards the final pass. We can only eliminate wobbles by reducing the spindle RPM. The second-generation replaces ordinary turning tools with a powered saw head. 

When turning, the saw head rotates at high speed to get a nice and clean finish, so the main spindle does not have to run at high speed. Instead, the lathe spindle would run at low speed to ensure that every corner of the bat was cut/milled. The low RPM of the main spindle can effectively avoid the wobbles of the bats in the last pass. It is the primary advantage of the second generation, which provides you with a better cutting finish than the first generation and minimize your sanding/finishing time after machining the bats. 

In addition, a saw blade style cutter would reduce cycle time (it permits bats to be turned in less time than 1st Gen) and have a little more ability to do steeper angles. If you make baseball bats only, the Second Generation would be the perfect fit for your needs.

The 2nd Gen Mini Version ET-TL1020 PRO On the Market in 2023

Q: Does This Have an Option to Hook A Vacuum Up To It?

A: Yes, it does. You can see from the photo that we have the lathe equipped with a dust shoe near the blade.

Compared with the big one ET-TL1530 PRO, it adopts the same power saw head design; but it will bring you benefits from the following aspects:

• Smaller footprint, very friendly to users whose shop has some space constraints. The footprint is 8.2' x 6.56' x 4' (L*W*H). 

• It can save you a lot of shipping costs.

Here is a cut demo of EagleTec mini cnc bat lathe for your review.

Application of CNC Wood Bat Lathe

Industry

Good For baseball bats making, Indian club turning, and stair parts. And the turning finish is pretty good. Please refer to the following photos. 

Materials Good For

All kinds of wood in shapes of square or round. 

Machining Capacity

Wood-turning only.

How long does the double-axis wood lathe take to finish one baseball bat?

The simple, but frustrating answer – it depends. Factors including bat size, wood blank size, chisel quantity, and lathe feeding rate can affect the time cost. However, we can give you a rough idea by analysis. Supposing the bat is 34” (863.6mm) long, and the thinnest part of the handle is 0.921" (23.39mm). The wood lathe feeding rate is 14.7”/min (375mm/min), and the job requires six passes as demonstrated in the video above; with 2 chisels, we can do 2 passes in one trip, that is 3 trips for the turned project. In that case, it will take 6.9 minutes to complete the wood-turning. But don't forget that, the double-axis lathe here turns two bats in one working cycle, so you get 2 bats in 6.9 minutes. That is 3.45 minutes for each bat. I hope it is helpful for you.

Which Software Is Used for Wood-Turn Programming?

EagleTec CNC is using AutoCAD as the programming software for this cnc wood lathe. It is not difficult if you have some basic knowledge of AutoCAD. What we need to do for the programming is to draw the pattern (just a few straight lines and carves) with specific measurements and save the file with the extension name ***.dxf. Please click woodturning program tutorials to learn more. 

Features of CNC Wood Lathe for Baseball Bats Making

• Turning motor speed is variable from 0 to 3,000RPM. An inverter is mounted to control the turning motor rate.

• Numerical controller is adopted Richauto A132 that is dedicated to cnc wood lathe machines. It is a simple controller for users, even beginners. It reads ***.dxf file directly; no need to make the G-code toolpath for wood-turning projects anymore.

• Taiwan HIWN linear guide and TBI ball screw configuration offer the lathe high transmission accuracy and longevity.

• Wood lathe body is fully iron casted to guarantee the rigidity of the machine.

• Central lubricating system for whole lathe linear guides and bearings.

Standard Accessory for Baseball Bats CNC Lathe

The default accessory for EA-TL1516TT includes:

• Toolbox – 1 Piece

• USB flash with lathe tutorials (both PDF and Video) – 1 Piece

• Wood lathe carbide tools – 2 Sets (serve as finishing cutter, can turn 700 pieces of beechwood before resharpening)

• Wood-turn alloy steel chisels – 2 Sets (serve as roughing cutter)

• Sensor – 1 Piece

• ON/OFF button – 1 Piece

• Spanner – 1 Piece

Technical Parameter

FAQ Concerning Eagle Tec CNC Wood Lathe for Baseball Bats

Q: Is There Any Customer Case for Our Reference?

A: Yes, there is. Please refer to the two cases below by clicking: 

Case 01. Paul from the U.S.

Case 02. Jeff from the U.S.

Case 03. Hussain from Bahrain

Case 04. B**one from Myanmar

Q: Do You Ship to The States Often or Not So Much? Are Parts Reasonably Priced For Future Needs?

A: We ship to the States often and have shipments there almost every month. We can send you some shipping documents to prove this.

Of course, the parts for further needs are reasonably priced. They only leave us little margin and more important for us to maintain a good relationship with our customers. Based on user feedback, a majority of users do not need to replace parts within 2 years. They just need to replace the blades regularly.

Q: Is This Shipping Directly From China?

A: Yes, it is.

Q: Is There Any Tutorial for the Wood Lathe?

A: Full-set tutorials, including both hardware and software, will be provided to you along with your lathe. All the manuals are in English. As an option, you can download it free from our site.

Q: I Don't Have Any CAD Experience. Do You Offer Or Sell Any Cad Services Or Files For Baseball Bats?

A: We would offer full-set tutorials with the lathe. Also, we have some existing bat files in our hand, and we can send them to you along with the lathe.

Q: I Don't Have Access To 3 Phase Power. Do You Offer The Machine With A VFD, Or With Single Phase 240 Volt?

A: Yes, it can be built to 240-volt single phase.

Q: What Is the Air Requirement for the Unit - I See on the Website 0.6 to 0.8 MPa (87-116 psi), But What Volume of Air is Required? And the Air is Only Needed to Clamp and Release the Parts, Correct? We Want to Understand the Needed Compressor and Tank Size.

A: Correct. Air is required only to clamp and release the parts. Even the smallest compressor would work for this purpose.

Q: Please Confirm What is the Longest Piece We Can Reasonably Machine From 37" (940 mm) Stock/Billets. We Have an Occasional Need for a 35" or 36" (914.4 mm) Finished Product.

A: We confirm the EagleTec lathe can machine 35" or 36" finished product from 37" billets.

Q: How Often Does The Blade Need To Be Replaced?

A: It depends. This mainly depends on the following factors: the hardness of the wood, machining parameters, cutting depth, etc. When you observe a significant deterioration in the finish of the cut surface, it indicates that the cutter has become dull and requires replacement. If we had to put a number on it, I'd say it can cut hundreds of pieces.

Q: What Is the Blade Size and Arbor Hole Size on The Blade for The Powered Saw Head?

A: It is the typical blade engineered for woodworking purposes with a 200mm diameter, 60 tooth, and 30mm arbor hole. For the replacement in future, the number of teeth doesn't have to be exactly the same; but the blade should be engineered for wood-cutting purposes. The more teeth, the better the cutting finish. Of course, you can also order 3 or 5 additional saw blades as spare parts when ordering the lathe machine. If it is difficult for you to find the blade replacemnt in your local, we can offer them for sale. 

Q: What Maintenance Is Required - Grease, Cleaning, ETC?

A: Regarding maintenance, please regularly clean and lubricate the guide rails and racks. That's all.

Q: There Are No Bearings to Lubricate at The Head or Tail End of The Machine, Nor at The Saw Head?

A: They are maintenance-free as they all come with their grease.

Q: What is the Warranty?

A: All EagleTec cnc wood lathe have been covered with a 12-month warranty since the departure date. You will enjoy free replacement for broken parts (excluding Vulnerable parts) during the warranty. For more details, kindly refer to our warranty clause.

Q: What is the Payment Method?

• If the lathe is in stock, we will take photos and videos for your checking first; If everything is okay, the full payment should be made by T/T (telegraphic transfer) before delivery. 

• If the stock is unavailable, 40% T/T as a deposit; the production will proceed on receipt of the down payment; when we get the machine ready, we will show you photos and video, and then the balance should be arranged before delivery.

Q: Where to Find Replacement Parts for the Lathe after the Warranty? 

A: Whatever you need, spare, or support, we will always be here for you. Just contact us. 

Q: If It's Just A Part That Breaks, What Is The Shipping Time For The New Parts?

A: It would take about 5-7 days by FedEx Express shipping.

Q: How is the Machine Shipped to Us?

A: The baseball bats making cnc wood lathe machines can be shipped to any country or region by sea. Under CNF terms, the first journey from our factory to the port of your country can be taken care of by us; then, you are responsible for arranging the second journey from the port to your company.

Q: How Will I Be Notified When It Arrives at The Port of Entry?

A: Don't worry. Three to four days before the machine arrives, the US branch of the forwarder will send you an arrival notice by email or phone.

If this is the right machine you are looking for, please contact us now.