OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Oh boy, I checked out your Kayaks. They make your TT blades look like rubbish! Not sure I'd have a wall big enough for a Kayak though!

As for using a Kayak... I'd play well with one of your blades!

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Thanks Ross, and your asymmetric blade is so well finished, what's your method with the hand rubbed oil? I've unrestricted the image size now so here are some reposted pictures showing a bit more detail. First one is: light ply-cherry-light ply, with tulip wood handle. (light ply seems to be made of a layer of tulip either side of a layer of balsa, each layer 1mm thick). It makes the blade 7ply. Handle is 2 coats danish oil applied with a cotton rag.

Second is a composite experiment, walnut and obeche inner ply, cherry and walnut outer veneers, hollow tang and handle, with cherry and wenge detailing. I varnished this blade completely with 2 coats water based dead flat matt but will never varnish a handle again, you can see it already flaking after a couple weeks use.

Third is my girlfriends lime and balsa composite inner layer with koto and cedar lebanon outer veneers. The tang is hollow but the lime handle is solid. The detailing is rosewood. It plays nicely and is much more balanced than the full hollow grip concept. Head is acrylic sealed, handle is 3 applications of linseed oil with a cotton rag. Hope that it's not too boring as I've written and posted this before but those previous pictures were ridiculous.



Will now try and get the latest balsa core blade to a better picture size.
Thanks, Adam

Rubbers should arrive later for this blade I've just made for my friend. It's a balsa core between 2 layers of cedar lebanon each side. The handle tapers narrower than I would choose for myself but he's asked for that specifically. The middle detail is walnut/ birch veneer between cedar lebanon veneer, so many ways to add a bit of character to home made blades, would love to develop a house style where they could be identified as having been made by the same person (and ditch the transfer).



Well, plenty more ideas need to be played around with. As a side note, my blades are developing along with my game and I'm enjoying both hugely!
All the best and look forward to seeing other peoples hand made blades and any opportunities to bounce ideas around,

Adam

Love the handle on this last blade Adam. What made you decide to put the top veneer grain sideways? There are blades that do this in the mass market, but not many and its usually done for a purpose like making the blade slower. Was that the idea?

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Thanks. To be honest I intended the grain to run vertically but as I work in my flat mostly during the evening I hadn't noticed a slightly irregular area of the veneer which was cut to be the outermost ply. I didn't want it to be visible so swapped it for the second layer. This means the balsa and direct ply to it are both vertical grained, and the outer layer is horizontal. I would always try and avoid this but glued it up to see if it would be ok. No problems structurally, and still plenty rigid enough. Interesting that it might normally be done to make a difference to speed as my friend prefers touch and control over power and speed so it's serendipitous perhaps!

Just finished sanding a new experiment, 7ply balsa core: Birch, Koto, Polyester, Balsa, Polyester, Koto, Birch, designed to be fast and rigid, hope it works out. More info soon.

Adam

Adam,
I sand everything down to 320 grit and then apply 2 coats of Minwax Wipe-On satin poly over everything. The padauk is a very generous wood - it looks awesome under some finish.

Oh yes, your larger photos are much better. You really have taken some time to glue-up a set of nice handles, too. Well done! I like the maker's mark you've applied to your blades. What technique do you use to do that?

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Ross
Handcrafted Table Tennis Blades

It's so vibrant, really like how it's a natural characteristic of that wood. I'll look into the finishing product, nice how it is so flat, guess it won't chip or flake like varnish too? Yeah, the limit on decoration is only set at how long you feel like spending on it. I might see what happens if I soak tulip or lime pieces in coloured spirit stains, could be fun!

The makers mark with players initials either side is printed out in reverse using a black laser printer (solid photocopy works ok too) and transfered with a dab of cellulose thinners and the end of a scalpel handle. I know I've said it but I will get some details on the way I'm making these blades up soon, that's the spirit you set this thread off with Ross and the way it should continue too.

Thanks for the response,

Adam

The Minwax poly is an oil-based finish that is not tinted. It's kind of light amber, but it's considered a clear finish. It behaves like an oil (soaking into the wood) rather than like a varnish that tends to build-up on the surface. The red is the natural color of padauk, and it really comes alive with an oil finish.

I'll have to re-experiment with the photocopy transfer method. I tried it once with some lacquer thinner, which I had on hand. I got a very cloudy transfer. I might need to buy some xylene and give that a shot. Thanks for the tip.

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Ross
Handcrafted Table Tennis Blades

Thanks for the kind words about the blade and the kayaks. I have a number of earlier blades that look nice, but really only suitable for looking at - they just didn't play very well. I've toyed with the idea of making a rack for the workshop to display the "misfit toys".

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Ross
Handcrafted Table Tennis Blades

Would be good to see some of your early experiments Ross, no matter how they play, it's interesting.

I print lots and test them on a piece of veneer about 5 times before going for it on a blade as too much thinner and it goes cloudy and too little and not enough ink gets transfered. There's a perfect amount on the tissue/cloth that results in a really crisp reproduction.

Go for the rack idea, if I had space there would be one on my wall haha.

A

Here are a couple of the construction photos for my recent blade.

Blade blank after being shaped on the template:


The blade with the edge banding applied.



Handle router jig for the asymmetric handle.



Padauk handle halves. I've been shaping the ends by hand. I may work on a jig so that I can trim the ends on a router as well. Since there is only one way grip the handle (a fixed forehand side to the blade), I could adjust the angle of the divot at the top of the handle for comfort. I made them so my thumb and forefinger could rest naturally at the angle shown.



Here's the assembled blade prior to applying any finish.



A couple more of the finished blade.

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Ross
Handcrafted Table Tennis Blades

Ross,
Your stuff just keeps getting better and better. I think most TT players have a stronger aesthetic sense than they are often willing to admit. I know I certainly appreciate the blades made by the premier bladesmiths around the world. I have some hanging as "works of art."
tOD

Thanks, Thomas. Like the kayaks, I enjoy the design and construction part as much as using them. My wife thinks it's a shame that I cover up the blades with "that ugly rubber".

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Ross
Handcrafted Table Tennis Blades

you should use padauk for an outer layer, but if you do, seal it first if the veneer is thin cause the glue will leak through like cork.
ever use maple for an outeer ply? good offensiveness.

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SPW/Solo

An padauk outer layer would make a stunning looking blade. I have made one with a maple outer, but combined with my choice of core did not yield a very interesting blade. I'll probably try it again sometime.

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Ross
Handcrafted Table Tennis Blades