Where can I get untreated 8x8s???

[Dennis Nagle]

Hi All, I want to turn a baseball bat for a friend and have been looking for timber that is 8"x8"x 82" long but all the 8x8s I find are treated. Anyone know a good place to get untreated 8x8s???

[Curt Fuller]

I don't know where you'd find that lumber in your area. But who is your friend? Paul Bunyan? That's gonna be a heck of a baseball bat!

[Dennis Ford]

Look for someone with a portable or small sawmill, they can cut it for you.

[Dan Masshardt]

Id say a 4x4 would do it. Or buy a billet

Otherwise getting it custom cut at a sawmill is the only way I can see it happening.

[Dennis Nagle]

I want it to be to scale and that long, it would be just a bit over 7" at its widest. That is why I need something that big. This is a paying job so it has to be right.

[Paul Williams]

If it doesn't have to be hard wood, you can get cedar deck posts that size at our local lumber yards.

[Dennis Nagle]

I'll have to ask around. I didn't see Cedar at HD or at Lowes. I like the idea of turning Cedar.....much easier on the tools and me.

[Larry Browning]

This obviously is not going to be a real bat. So why not make a hollow bat from glued up lumber stock. Something that big most likely will develop checks and splits anyway.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Go to a real lumberyard, not a home center like Lowes, if they don't have it, they will be able to get it.

[Larry Matchett]

8 X 8 X 82! Is your friend Paul Bunyon. I can't find untreated 4 X 4's

[Thomas Canfield]

This obviously is not going to be a real bat. So why not make a hollow bat from glued up lumber stock. Something that big most likely will develop checks and splits anyway.

I agree with Larry. You can find some cedar 8x8 stock but there will be cracks and knots that could probably be filled it bat is finished with that in mind. You might also look at some of the porch columns which are usually hollow but might be able to give you the final shape you need.

[David Reed]

Any lumberyard would have timbers like this, not the big box stores. Problem is most timbers are center cut and deep cracks are the norm. Not sure if you can get "heart fee select" timbers in your area but these are far less likely to split. I work with a local guy with a band saw mill and he can cut anything I want. I have had him cut heart free 6x12's and there were no cracks in Doug Fir.

[Lloyd Butler]

If you were not worried about solid wood, 5 2x8" laminated together would make a solid billet to work with, or make a segmented 8 sided billet for the large end and laminate 3 2x6 together for the handle and glue it into the larger end.

7' is quite a length, so you have quite a long lathe.

Lloyd

[Dennis Nagle]

Hi Lloyd, I just don't have enough clamps to glue up 5 2x8s. It is a fairly big lathe. I can spin a piece that is 30"x 82"..... but until I bought my small HF lathe turned pens on my Oliver.

[Tracy Tame]

My local lumber yard has douglas fir 8"X8" - 8' for only $246.
http://www.dunnlumber.com/Store/ProductDetail.aspx?pg=2623&pl1=2343&pid=203229

[Dennis Nagle]

WELL, looks like I got the dimensions wrong. Here is the MLB rules. It shows a bat can only be 42" max long and 2.75" max thick. So I am basically doubling the length, so I should double the thickness....that turns out to be 5.5" thick....right???

So a 6x6 will be much easier AND cheaper to find.


1.10
(a) The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 23/4 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.

[robert baccus]

Am I reading this wrong--how about a 4x4???

[Larry Browning]

Dennis,
I would take a field trip to the bat rack of a sporting goods store. Take your tape measure and calipers. I think you will find various lengths but the max diameter will be pretty consistent at 2.75. You might even consider purchasing one.

[Larry Browning]

I think you are reading I wrong. As far as I can tell he is trying to double the size of a regular MLB bat.

[Dennis Nagle]

Great idea Larry. I think I'll do that today.