Our Process

Harvesting logs used in the production of Carolina Clubs high quality maple and ash baseball bats is a specialized and selective process. Many of the areas we harvest are remote wood lots. Building logging roads for large equipment in many cases is impossible. The utilization of draft horses allows for such precise and selective work.

Logs are transported to our sawmill from the entire State of New York, as well as Pennsylvania and the surrounding regions. Deliveries typically average 65 logs per truck, but at times may require a pup trailer. **FACT** Most of the lumber being sold as Canadian Maple is actually harvested from the state of New York.

When purchasing large volumes during the warmer months, logs are sorted and stacked under cover in our log bays. Summer heat will cause the logs to dry prematurely which can be detrimental to the integrity of the finished bat. Logs that are delivered by independent contractors will be scaled and graded in our yard.

These bolts are then processed using a custom built splitter. This piece of equipment is capable of splitting a 48 inch bolt. The log will naturally split along the grain with the help of the 60 ton hydraulic ram. The end result from "splitting" is high quality wedge shaped blanks ready to be turned into a rough billet.

The wedge, or blank, is ready to be turned into a rough billet. This process is obtained by using a lathe, which incorporates a cutter head equipped with 24-48 knives. The cutter head spins at approximately 3200 rpm. This process removes excess wood from the blank until a rough round billet is produced. 

These high quality billets are then palletized and ready for drying. Our dry kilns are filled to capacity and the 30-35 day drying cycle begins. During this process the billets are carefully monitored. Precise measurements of kiln conditions including billet moisture content, kiln temperature and Humidity are measured daily. This ensures that the drying process is on schedule. Many factors are taken into account when properly drying these high quality billets.

During the drying process as moisture is removed from the wood fibers the dowels will become an oval, or egg shape. The re-doweling process removes the egg shape and restores the dowel to a perfect round. These high quality billets are then palletized, and ready for drying. Our dry kilns are filled to capacity and the 30-35 day drying cycle begins.

During this process the billets are carefully monitored. Precise measurements of kiln conditions including billet moisture content, kiln temperature, and humidity are measured daily. This ensures that the drying process is on schedule. Each billet is precision end trimmed to 37 inches and palletized. The pallets are shrink-wrapped for protection and ready to be shipped to our production facility.

As orders are filled, the billets are selected and loaded into a State of the Art CNC wood turning lathe. This lathe is capable of turning one bat every 38 seconds.

Every Maple and Ash wood bat produced by Carolina Clubs is hand sanded. The process of hand sanding will allow for additional quality checks along the way. The turning process using this equipment is not only fast, but exemplifies precision at its best. The top of the line equipment ensures that our clients receive true and consistent models.

The applications of high quality finishes in a variety of colors are applied. Followed by our "Registered" trademark and branding including the players name and/or team. Throughout the entire process spot checks ensure quality standards are achieved. In this picture the quality of the clear coat is inspected.

Once the finishes are properly cured, each custom wood baseball bat is individually bagged and ready to ship.

From start to finish Carolina Clubs wood bats are produced with unparalleled precision and craftsmanship. Our years of experience have allowed us to become one of the largest manufacturers of Professional wood baseball bats worldwide. Don't be fooled by imitators. Be informed and make the decision to use only the best, Carolina Clubs!