Question How to Mount a Baseball Bat?

[BatesMotel]

I am framing a baseball bat for a customer. I was going to use the acrylic bat holders from Gemini but the frame is only 3" deep. The bat is 2 1/2 at the fat end and the holder adds another 3/4". By the time you add the mats and glass it would be out the back big time. So I was thinking the about using the zip ties from Attach Ez or a Mylar straps. Your input and advice is appreciated.

Thanxs Carla

 

[j Paul]

Carla, are you mounting it, horz / vert or at diagonal? Some of the new (invis-mount ? ) that Pat has would be better than mylar. You could do the formed rod mounts and simply paint the exposed bits to blend in with the bat - weight would not be an issue.

 

[Patricia Kotnour]

I am framing a baseball bat for a customer. I was going to use the acrylic bat holders from Gemini but the frame is only 3" deep. The bat is 2 1/2 at the fat end and the holder adds another 3/4". By the time you add the mats and glass it would be out the back big time. So I was thinking the about using the zip ties from Attach Ez or a Mylar straps. Your input and advice is appreciated.

Thanxs Carla

This is a bat that is 2.75 inches deep when mounted with the 11" ladder ties and covered with ribbon. It's a very easy way to mount a bat, hockey stick, or golf club. It's also very sturdy.

 

[FrameMakers]

I have also used leather laces which add to the look rather than trying to hide them.

 

[Jim Miller]

...Some of the new (invis-mount ? ) that Pat has would be better than mylar.

Invisimount has a non-glare texture, but it is polypropylene film, which is more elastic than polyester film. Polyester film, aka Mylar-D or Melinex 516, will not stretch, but polypropylene film will stretch. So, if you use Invisimount for a heavy item such as a bat, be sure to make the straps plenty wide enough to provide good support without any chance of the mounts stretching and loosening over time. Fluted polypropylene, aka Coroplast, would make the best mounting board IMHO. Just make slots using a utility knife and secure the straps to the back of the board using a good double sided tape (not ATG).

You could do the formed rod mounts and simply paint the exposed bits to blend in with the bat - weight would not be an issue.

Yes, formed rods would be quite strong, but more conspicuous than Mylar-D or Invisimount straps. If you choose that technique, I suggest embedding formed rods mounts in a fluted polypropylene board, aka Coroplast. 8 mm or 10 mm would be best, but you also could laminate two layers of 4 mm sheeting together with crossed flutes.

 

[Twin2]

I've never done this before, but was wondering if you could use a strap of Melinex 516 to hold an object in place, but top that strap with a strap of the Invisimount to reduce the glare of the Melinex? The Melinex would provide a strong support and the Invisimount would reduce the glare of the Melinex. It wouldn't be as non-glare as if you just used the Invisimount, but it would cut down the glare of the Melinex. I don't think you'd have to worry about the Invisimount stretching in this case because the strap of Melinex 516 underneath it would be supporting the weight of the object. You could just feed the two straps into the slots of the mount board at the same time, so no extra labour would be involved and the cost of the two straps rather than one is minimal. Any thoughts?

 

[realhotglass]

Has anyone tried to rub down both sides of Melinex straps with very fine sandpaper or grade 0000 steel wool ?
That should take the shine off it, but may make it go white ?

Worth a test.
Depending on how the bat was to be orientated in the package, straps might work fine.

Our baseball bat mounts work any direction, and don't protrude forward of the bat . . . same with the baseball clips . . .

 

[Jim Miller]

I've never done this before, but was wondering if you could use a strap of Melinex 516 to hold an object in place, but top that strap with a strap of the Invisimount to reduce the glare of the Melinex?

I have tried that technique, but it didn't work very well. The non-glare Invisimount did reduce reflections, but the two layers of film are much more conspicuous than one layer.

If reflectivity of the Melinex is a problem for you, I suggest using wide straps of Invisimount and forego the Melinex.

 

[Twin2]

Thanks, Jim. Saves me from trying that out. For me, I'm mostly using the Melinex to mount coins or medals and in that case, the shine of the Melinex doesn't seem to be a problem as it isn't noticeable on top of the shiny metal surface.

 

[Jim Miller]

Very nice looking acrylic mounts. Do any USA suppliers stock them?

Has anyone tried to rub down both sides of Melinex straps with very fine sandpaper or grade 0000 steel wool ?

That destroys the clarity of the film and makes the surface appear cloudy. You can see the scratches, too. A mild abrasive, such as Novus #2 or #3 works better, but it's only less of the same problems. I have not found an acceptable way to reduce the reflectivity of Melinex 516 or Mylar-D without sacrificing clarity, which is its best benefit.

It is curious that framers often complain about the gloss of polyester clear film, but in my two decades of using it for object mounting, only a handful of customers have mentioned it. The virtue of clarity is generally more important than the sin of gloss.

 

[Patricia Kotnour]

This is a bat that is 2.75 inches deep when mounted with the 11" ladder ties and covered with ribbon. It's a very easy way to mount a bat, hockey stick, or golf club. It's also very sturdy.

[]


I didn't realize that this didn't come through. This is the ladder ties holding the bat in place and covered with ribbon. I measured 2.75" with a quarter inch Coroplast backing.

 

[Patricia Kotnour]

This is a bat that is 2.75 inches deep when mounted with the 11" ladder ties and covered with ribbon. It's a very easy way to mount a bat, hockey stick, or golf club. It's also very sturdy.

[]


I didn't realize that this didn't come through. The ladder ties are holding the bat in place and covered with ribbon. I measured 2.75" with a quarter inch Coroplast backing on it.

 

[BatesMotel]

Thanks for the input everybody. Pat, when you say "ladder ties" is that what I know as zip ties?

 

[Patricia Kotnour]

Thanks for the input everybody. Pat, when you say "ladder ties" is that what I know as zip ties?

No, ladder ties are called that because they look like a little ladder and have holes all the way from top to bottom. Zip ties or cable ties as some manufacturers call them are mostly solid like a strap and come in many different widths and lengths.

 

[realhotglass]

Very nice looking acrylic mounts. Do any USA suppliers stock them?


That destroys the clarity of the film and makes the surface appear cloudy. You can see the scratches, too. A mild abrasive, such as Novus #2 or #3 works better, but it's only less of the same problems. I have not found an acceptable way to reduce the reflectivity of Melinex 516 or Mylar-D without sacrificing clarity, which is its best benefit.

It is curious that framers often complain about the gloss of polyester clear film, but in my two decades of using it for object mounting, only a handful of customers have mentioned it. The virtue of clarity is generally more important than the sin of gloss.

Thought as much re the rub down and cloudiness / lack of clarity.

Thanks for the comment re our acrylic mounts.

Haven't pursued USA distributors for the mounts, it just seems a huge undertaking to pick someone from the large number of various suppliers there.
We do ship direct at the moment, and it is pretty fast (4 to 5 days), quite a few framers in the US buy that way now.
While this is reasonable shipping for these light weight products, having a land based stock etc has further advantages of freight reduction for volume.

The distributor thing works great for us in the UK for cricket bat mounts and ball clips, so maybe it's time to look at the US market for a good distributor.
If you (or others) have any suggestions for a national supplier that fits with miscellaneous supplies etc, then please feel free to let me know by reply, PM, or I am sure you have my email in your system there.

Looking at Pats pics, those Louisville Sluggers are popular !