Homemade table tennis blade

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I've made this composition many times now, it's Kiri - mahogany - American walnut, 6.1mm and 84g. What I like about this one is the handle which, I find, is the most comfortable I've made. I've recently re-made all my templates as there were a few things I wasn't 100% happy with, including the plywood material they were made from. All are made from MDF which works better for me.
The anatomic handle on this is teak, yew, spruce and walnut, similar to a penhold blade I made a few months ago. It's for a player at my local club, the second one of mine he's ordered which is pleasing.

Stuart blade 1.jpg
IMG_0448.jpg
 
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I've been busy making blades recently including the textreme ones which are on another thread.
These two are for me which means I have far too many but it's fun trying different ones but not always the best thing for my game.
Blade 1 - This is kiri - mahogany - sycamore. Unfortunately the photo doesn't show the silvery white of the sycamore too well. The handle is purple heart and maple. Purple heart is challenging to work with, very hard, heavy and gets hot easily meaning wood burn is a potential problem. However it is quite a striking wood. This blade has a maple edge band on it. 87g and 6.3mm thick. Sycamore has similar properties to american walnut.

IMG_0776.jpgIMG_0773.jpg

Blade 2 - 7 ply, ayous - ayous - ayous - limba. Meranti and purple heart handle. The handle on this is flared but slightly more square than the one above. It's also a touch thinner at 24.6mm rather than 25.3mm. 6.0mm and 96g. It's a 2 or 3 grams heavier than I planned but the balance is central so it doesn't feel that heavy. It has a very soft but powerful feel.

7plylimba.jpgIMG_0782.jpg
 
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I really like the sycamore ... it is also my favorite top wood . Next blade i`m working on has also Sycamore as top ply ... and the blade i made for the giveaway on this forum is also sycamore top ply .
really nice white finish.
Nice looking blades.
 
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I really like the sycamore ... it is also my favorite top wood . Next blade i`m working on has also Sycamore as top ply ... and the blade i made for the giveaway on this forum is also sycamore top ply .
really nice white finish.
Nice looking blades.

You are right Bob, it's a great wood and seldom seen on blades, easy to work with and a good weight.
I used it a while ago as the outer for a 7 ply with ayous for the other plies.
It plays great, it has a wonderful feel and great close and away from the table. I put T05 on it and it was a touch quick for me hence why I made the limba 7 ply with the hope of reducing the speed a bit. This is from a different stock of veneer and is rippled sycamore.
Ripsyc.jpg
 
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This blade was made for a TTD member. It's an ayous, aramid carbon, ayous, limba composition, 6.1mm and 90g. It's essentially a W968 clone but with a larger handle. We spent quite a bit of time on this blade and several aspects were a challenge including the initials in front of the Swedish flag (on the end of the handle and not in the photo sorry) and working to pretty exact specifications throughout which was fun. The blade has one very light coat of sealer/varnish and the handle is completely natural with no sealer or varnish which was as per instructions hence the slightly 'unfinished' look.
View attachment 15531
Hi GinjaNinja. I love the latest blades you have made they are just flawless. Keep on doing what you like.
I planning a DIY project like the one I’ve quoted and I want you to ask you a few questions.

What are the orientation of the different layers?
What kind of glue have you used for wood and composite layers?

I am going to make two similar blades, one with white/black ALC and one with blue/black ALC.
Composition will be Limba 0.6-Ayous 0.6-ALC-Ayous 3.0-ALC-Ayous 0.6-Limba 0.6
I was thinking about using hide glue for the wood layers and an epoxy for the fibers.
 
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The handle is purple heart and maple. Purple heart is challenging to work with, very hard, heavy and gets hot easily meaning wood burn is a potential problem. However it is quite a striking wood.

Any plans to do a cork handle someday? I tried it on Donic Dotec. I liked how it feels and sticks to your hand quite a lot
 
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Any plans to do a cork handle someday? I tried it on Donic Dotec. I liked how it feels and sticks to your hand quite a lot

It is on my list of things to make but I have some many different ideas for blades and handles I just haven't got around to it. I don't know if anyone knows much about cork but I presume there are different types, densities etc that would work best. Anyone had any experience? Also I wonder how easy is it to shape, does a router rip it apart?
 
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Hi GinjaNinja. I love the latest blades you have made they are just flawless. Keep on doing what you like.
I planning a DIY project like the one I’ve quoted and I want you to ask you a few questions.

What are the orientation of the different layers?
What kind of glue have you used for wood and composite layers?

I am going to make two similar blades, one with white/black ALC and one with blue/black ALC.
Composition will be Limba 0.6-Ayous 0.6-ALC-Ayous 3.0-ALC-Ayous 0.6-Limba 0.6
I was thinking about using hide glue for the wood layers and an epoxy for the fibers.

Thank you for the kind comments.
I would put the medial ply at 90 degrees to the top but I don't think this is as necessary as it is on an all wood blade. I've seen a few composite blades where the medial is on the same plane as the core and the outer. The carbon helps with strength and in spreading and dampening the vibrations. I would go for 90 degrees though.
As for glue, the only choice for the carbon is a laminating epoxy resin, you need one with a reasonable open time, nothing too short. As for the wood layers, this is your choice, I like PU and hide for all wood blades but I'd be keen to try a quality PVA for the wood on a composite as it gives a softer feel - i think Bobpuls does this so maybe he can advise to how it plays. I have made composite blades with hide glue for the wood and they work well but in a way the carbon robs it of that special hide glue feeling. Of course you can use epoxy too. It also depends on how experienced you are with hide glue, it takes quite a few goes to get it right and it can be inconsistent so I would try it on cheaper all wood blades first until you are confident. Don't waste expensive carbon!
Hope this helps. Keep us posted!
 
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Thank you for the kind comments.
I would put the medial ply at 90 degrees to the top but I don't think this is as necessary as it is on an all wood blade. I've seen a few composite blades where the medial is on the same plane as the core and the outer. The carbon helps with strength and in spreading and dampening the vibrations. I would go for 90 degrees though.
As for glue, the only choice for the carbon is a laminating epoxy resin, you need one with a reasonable open time, nothing too short. As for the wood layers, this is your choice, I like PU and hide for all wood blades but I'd be keen to try a quality PVA for the wood on a composite as it gives a softer feel - i think Bobpuls does this so maybe he can advise to how it plays. I have made composite blades with hide glue for the wood and they work well but in a way the carbon robs it of that special hide glue feeling. Of course you can use epoxy too. It also depends on how experienced you are with hide glue, it takes quite a few goes to get it right and it can be inconsistent so I would try it on cheaper all wood blades first until you are confident. Don't waste expensive carbon!
Hope this helps. Keep us posted!
Thank you for your reply, GinjaNinja!
So a quality D2 glue would be ok for the wood layers?

I have read somewhere the w968 they used hide glue between the wood layers. I not sure at all.
The all plies I have are in 0 degrees. I also thought it would be ok due to the additional woven ALC layers. I just wanted to hear from your experience if the orientation would give any durability problems?
 
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Hi
As for cock ... Cork is really easy to manipulate with and is a great choice if you want to save time and money .
The best is to buy it in IKEA as plate under the plate it is normally 1cm width which is great
https://www.ikea.com/dk/da/catalog/products/50414111/

And what about the glue .....
Quality D2 glue is perfect for wood layers, but go for the one which is made for rocking chair or others dynamic bounds or something like this ... This type is more elastic after it hardens . It will give you more flex and softer feel.
 
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And what about the glue .....
Quality D2 glue is perfect for wood layers, but go for the one which is made for rocking chair or others dynamic bounds or something like this ... This type is more elastic after it hardens . It will give you more flex and softer feel.
Hi Robert,
I was waiting for your reply and thanks. ;)

How much epoxy do you use for a blade?
 
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Hi Robert,
I was waiting for your reply and thanks. ;)

How much epoxy do you use for a blade?
Normally i mix 20+8 grams but i newer use it all ... maybe half or a little bit more.... i massage the cloth until it is fully saturated and then i try to remove all not necessary resin, all others not necessary resin is removed by the wring of the press.
 
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Normally i mix 20+8 grams but i newer use it all ... maybe half or a little bit more.... i massage the cloth until it is fully saturated and then i try to remove all not necessary resin, all others not necessary resin is removed by the wring of the press.

Same for me, I mix 27g but don't use it all. It depends on the type and thickness of the carbon fibre/hybrid.
 
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Normally i mix 20+8 grams but i newer use it all ... maybe half or a little bit more.... i massage the cloth until it is fully saturated and then i try to remove all not necessary resin, all others not necessary resin is removed by the wring of the press.

Same for me, I mix 27g but don't use it all. It depends on the type and thickness of the carbon fibre/hybrid.
Thanks guys for clarifying! What brand of Wood glue are you using? I found a Dana glue 490 D2 which I think can do the job.
 
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Thanks guys for clarifying! What brand of Wood glue are you using? I found a Dana glue 490 D2 which I think can do the job.

I only use wood glue for handles, and for that I tend to use titebond or gorilla. Both work well provided you clamp properly and give them time to fully cure. I have used white gorilla glue for wood layers on a blade and that gave a secure bond. But as I said I don't like the feel.
 
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I only use wood glue for handles, and for that I tend to use titebond or gorilla. Both work well provided you clamp properly and give them time to fully cure. I have used white gorilla glue for wood layers on a blade and that gave a secure bond. But as I said I don't like the feel.
I decided to go all in and use hide glue for both blades. Just bought a bag with 250g granulate to do the job. Wish me luck! :)
 
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