Bat display

[bnorth]

Wanted to show off my latest project. Couldn't find anything I really liked so I built this. It holds 20 bats total. 9 horizontally in display tubes and 11 vertically.

It is just tacked together now and I am amazed it held the bats I put in it. Thinking about painting it Red Sox red(top, middle,bottom) and the sides dark blue.

[Jim65]

Nice, I have something very similar to the top part that I bought on Ebay.

[mr2686]

Outstanding! I like that a lot.

[Scott Garner]

Very nice, Ben!

[JoeDfan]

Perhaps you should make a second one that is painted Yankee blue.

[Jay Wolt]

Ben that looks great!

[Dave Grob]

I went very low-tech, low cost and made use of hat/coat racks to can find a Lowes, Home Depot, etc...

Dave Grob
davegrob1@aol.com

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by Dave Grob

I went very low-tech, low cost and made use of hat/coat racks to can find a Lowes, Home Depot, etc...

Dave Grob
davegrob1@aol.com

Great bat displays by both of you. Dave -- For yours, did you need to place the pegs on the left a little higher up to account for the difference in the thickness of handle vs. barrel or was that not necessary? Thanks

[Mark]

the handmade displays are very fine: it helps to make the collection seem like it's really your own collection. For my collection, I'm thinking of getting a large poster of an old dugout and laying the bats next to each other on the floor in front of the poster. Of course, I'd have to run this past my wife.

[ooo-ribay]

I've done a few things. The last, black thing, is the bottom shelf of an Ikea bookcase. I have four of those and still have 50 other bats leaning on walls.

[Dave Grob]

Originally Posted by icollectDCsports

Great bat displays by both of you. Dave -- For yours, did you need to place the pegs on the left a little higher up to account for the difference in the thickness of handle vs. barrel or was that not necessary? Thanks

Yes the racks on the left are placed a bit higher so that the bats display in a more level manner..

Dave Grob
davegrob1@aol.com

[w7imel]

Thats awesome guys!!!!! I need to make something to display my bats as well. I have about 10 that are just stashed off in a corner on top of a yankee stadium seat. Thanks for the ideas!!!

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by Dave Grob

I went very low-tech, low cost and made use of hat/coat racks to can find a Lowes, Home Depot, etc...

Dave Grob

Dave,

Really like the bat display with the GU bats especially the Orioles bats. Of course you may “need” to add another GU Adirondack bat to the mix (how bout a Blair Adirondack).

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by Mark

the handmade displays are very fine: it helps to make the collection seem like it's really your own collection. For my collection, I'm thinking of getting a large poster of an old dugout and laying the bats next to each other on the floor in front of the poster. Of course, I'd have to run this past my wife.

I love photos/cards of the dugouts showing the lumber, bat racks, etc. Always makes me wonder if any of the bats in the photos survived. Where did they go? Into a dumpster? Kindling for a fire? Hanging in someone's den or maybe in a corner of a room somewhere? Every one of them went somewhere, but which ones survived?

[bat_master]

Although I can't prove it, I like to think that maybe my Ty Cobb bat is one of these in the photo.

[bnorth]

Awesome stuff everyone, I got screws and paint today so will post a pic of the finished product tomorrow.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Awesome stuff everyone, I got screws and paint today so will post a pic of the finished product tomorrow.

Will be cool to see after painted and the bats are in....

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Will be cool to see after painted and the bats are in....

This is close to done.

I now need to order some bat tubes for the horizontal ones. For a practice one to see how it would work I think it turned out really nice. I eventually want to make a nice mahogany or hickory one. With the price of the wood I figured my test one better be out of pine. I have around $100 into materials on this one. I used one 1X8, two 1X6, one 1X4, and one 1X3 all 6 foot long.

Now to buy more bats to fill this one up so I can make another one.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by bnorth

This is close to done.

I now need to order some bat tubes for the horizontal ones. For a practice one to see how it would work I think it turned out really nice. I eventually want to make a nice mahogany or hickory one. With the price of the wood I figured my test one better be out of pine. I have around $100 into materials on this one. I used one 1X8, two 1X6, one 1X4, and one 1X3 all 6 foot long.

Now to buy more bats to fill this one up so I can make another one.

Looks GREAT to me! Did you decide to go with just dark blue on the whole display rather than add the red? Personally I think it looks nice just the one color.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Mark70Z

Looks GREAT to me! Did you decide to go with just dark blue on the whole display rather than add the red? Personally I think it looks nice just the one color.

To be honest I am a cheap ass. I might get one of those small $5 cans of red and just do the center section that holds the vertical bats.

EDIT: Since I mainly collect Wade Boggs bats I added this poster to the display. Itis a SGA from Wade Boggs day when the Devil Rays celebrated Wade getting #3000. On the back of the poster it gives details of every one of those 3000 hits.

[bnorth]

Finally got bat tubes today so I could safely display the horizontal bats. Should have another Boggs bat delivered tomorrow or Friday to add to the display.

[JoeDfan]

That looks AWESOME!

[horzverti]

Nice collection Ben!

[bnorth]

Last week I decided my display would look better with caps from the 4 teams Wade Boggs played for. The Pawtucket is a real gamer but the other 3 are the 59fifty caps. To me it looks way better with the caps along the top.

[sayhey24]

Those caps look great -- excellent move!

I also like it better the way you have it now without the poster in the background -- the horizontal bats jump out more.

Greg

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by sayhey24

Those caps look great -- excellent move!

I also like it better the way you have it now without the poster in the background -- the horizontal bats jump out more.

Greg

Me too, that is why I removed it. The bats look better without it.

[Joecoco]

Beautiful Ben. I agree- removing background makes bats pop! The blue came out great! I believe there is a Fenway Green color out there? Just for the future

[matty39]

I have always loved this photo. (not mine) A great bat display also.

[roarfrom34]

couple different ones at my home:

[stone193]

I had a 10 bat wall rack and wanted the space for pics - so I went to this to save space:

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by stone193

I had a 10 bat wall rack and wanted the space for pics - so I went to this to save space:

Mike,

I don't have mine on the wall like you did prior, but just have mine leaning against the wall. That would look nice in the corner of the room. What's the particular that you've pictured?

[Bpm0014]

I have always loved this photo. (not mine) A great bat display also.

Hey that's my Type I! I have it hanging on my wall...

[Bpm0014]

All T206 player game used bats...

[tcornett]

Mike, i like this idea for displaying bats. Can you share where you found this pedestal bat rack?

Tim

Originally Posted by stone193

I had a 10 bat wall rack and wanted the space for pics - so I went to this to save space:

[stone193]

Originally Posted by tcornett

Mike, i like this idea for displaying bats. Can you share where you found this pedestal bat rack?

Tim

Hiya Tim

Sure can - tho they're on the pricey side IMO - I waited for a sale - I will say tho - they're made very well - altho I wish the logo was on the rack - would look better IMO.

Cooperstown Bat Company

[tcornett]

Originally Posted by stone193

Hiya Tim

Sure can - tho they're on the pricey side IMO - I waited for a sale - I will say tho - they're made very well - altho I wish the logo was on the rack - would look better IMO.

Cooperstown Bat Company

Thank You for the Link Mike, I will keep an eye out for sales. I agree a bit pricey, but they look great!

Also not to completely take this off topic, Ben - I also like what you did, but I don’t have the skills to build things like you did. Now if you wanted to make me one

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by tcornett

Thank You for the Link Mike, I will keep an eye out for sales. I agree a bit pricey, but they look great!

Also not to completely take this off topic, Ben - I also like what you did, but I don’t have the skills to build things like you did. Now if you wanted to make me one

It would easily cost as much if not more, it does hold twice as many bats though. This is/was a practice one. Someday I want to make a nice stained oak or mahogany one with some nice router work done to it.

[Lordstan]

I liked the rack from Cooperstown Bat company, but decided to make my own.
It's similar, but I added a table top to it. It's not strong enough for anything too heavy, but small items or for drinks in a mancave, it should work fine.

The bats are in place and cannot be removed with the table top in place, so I made the top easily removable. This way the bats are secure, but you can take them out to handle them or change them out if you want. I added a short video to show what I mean.(link at the bottom)








https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkvk...ature=youtu.be

[stone193]

That's really well done Mark.

I like how it can double as a table but easy to remove.

I don't have that kind of space - if I did? I'd like something like that.

Thanks for sharing.

[mr2686]

Really well done Mark. I like that a lot. How about adding a video showing your whole room? What I can see of the room in this video looks fantastic.

[ChiefBeef]

Originally Posted by bnorth

This is close to done.

I now need to order some bat tubes for the horizontal ones. For a practice one to see how it would work I think it turned out really nice. I eventually want to make a nice mahogany or hickory one. With the price of the wood I figured my test one better be out of pine. I have around $100 into materials on this one. I used one 1X8, two 1X6, one 1X4, and one 1X3 all 6 foot long.

Now to buy more bats to fill this one up so I can make another one.

You might want to put a little felt where the bat rests on the wood. May help keep the paint off the bat. You can get it with sticky backing, cut and apply.

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by stone193

That's really well done Mark.

I like how it can double as a table but easy to remove.

I don't have that kind of space - if I did? I'd like something like that.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Mike,
I don't have much space either. The footprint is about the same size as the one from Cooperstown Bat. The table top is 17in diameter. The bat holder and base have the same diameter of around 11in across.

I added the table for the functionality of adding more display space or convenience. Having it this way offers the best of both worlds IMO. On one hand, having the table prevents the bats from being taken out too easily.
On the other, the table being removable is needed as the bats need to be lifted up to be able to remove them from the rack. I considered widening the openings to allow the bats to slide in and out without removing the table top, but the bats felt less secure in the slots I tried it on.

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Really well done Mark. I like that a lot. How about adding a video showing your whole room? What I can see of the room in this video looks fantastic.

Thanks Mike.
I plan on doing that soonish. I used the pandemic quarantine as an opportunity to clear it up some and enhance some displays.

[timzcardz]

Awesome!

Have you given any though to finishing the table top in 3 pieces of white leather with red stitching?

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by timzcardz

Awesome!



Have you given any though to finishing the table top in 3 pieces of white leather with red stitching?

Tim,
I did consider several different ways to finish the top, including painting it, putting fabric, or even using glass with memorabilia underneath it. I went with stain and clear coating as i expect I'll be using it more for beverages than display, so wanted to keep it simple.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[bnorth]

It has taken a while but today i got the bat that filled the display.

A fellow member got me into collecting bats a couple years ago. I have always been a Wade Boggs collector so I bought some Boggs bats.

The bottom section are store models and SGAs. The only non Boggs bat is an awesome 1965 Eddie Mathews SGA.

The top section are all Boggs Powerized models except the bottom 2 bats. Second from the bottom is a cool pro model Yankees team bat, not sure of the actual term used for it. Bottom bat is a Cubs minor league SGA with several autographs. Hopefully soon I will replace it with another Boggs Powerized bat.

[JoeDfan]

Looks awesome!

[Jim65]

Looks great Ben

[jsage]

My Grandson has caught my Game Used Collecting Bug
He has a nice start.
Jerry Sage

[Mark]

Originally Posted by jsage

My Grandson has caught my Game Used Collecting Bug
He has a nice start.
Jerry Sage

That is very nice. If I were in your place, I would be very pleased to think that one of my descendents might want to look after some of my bats after I pass away.