WOOD BAT FAQ

A FEW WORDS ABOUT WOOD THROWING BATS (FROM NORTHSTAR)

We (Northstar) are not able to control the way bats are used nor the environment in which they are used. For these reasons, throwing bats carry absolutely no warranty beyond accurate drilling to accepted factory specifications (not necessarily to your wheel - section 2 and 3 below) and arrival in good condition.

If drilled for standard bat pins, every single bat in this carton was physically checked on a wheelhead supplied by the manufacturer of the wheel for which it is intended. Even such checking does not always guarantee a perfect fit, however, for several reasons:

1. Bat pins are off-the-shelf hardware items. Most American wheels use a 1/4-20 socket cap screw, which you can buy at any hardware store. The head is approximately 3/8” in diameter and industry standards allow quite a bit of variation in the diameter of the head of this screw.
2. Not all wheel manufacturers allow zero tolerance between bat pin holes. There may be several thousandths of an inch (and sometimes much more) variation from wheel to wheel from the same maker
3. Most wheel manufacturers drill an unthreaded hole in the wheelhead to receive the bat pins, and there is always some (and sometimes a lot of) extra clearance.

If the fit is less than perfect on your wheel try these steps in order:

1. First, try loosening the wing nuts of the bat pins and moving them for a better fit.
2. Next, touch the holes of the bats slightly with a small rat-tail file (available at any hardware store). You may have to file on one side or the other of the holes.
3. Finally, if the holes appear to be located correctly but too small, either use a rat-tail file or try another set of bat pins, which could be a few thousandths smaller.

CARE OF YOUR BATS

The life of all wood-derived bats (such as Masonite and Medex) can be extended by taking reasonable care of them. Always

1. Clean them after each use.
2. Avoid keeping them wet for long periods of time.
3. Avoid flexing or bending them when they are wet.

Warped bats can usually be flattened by drying them in a stack with weight on them.

Reversing them each time you use them (flipping them over) is the single most important thing you can do to extend the life of your bats.

(Some minor edits for clarity by BigCeramicStore)