Scribing a ball

[thewhiz]

Received a used ball today with scribes lines on it.  Is this normal.  The ball is goughed.  The guy said it was normal.  Pros do it all the time.  I assume they re finish the ball when done cause I don't see any lines on tv.  Looks like a dumb idea to me.  Why not just use a sharper pencil.

[SVstar34]

Yes it's normal. Scribing can possibly provide a more accurate fit.

[lefty50]

+1... Personally, I'm a fan of scribing, no problems with it at all. Hated the first one I saw, but perfectly normal to me now.

[chrisleftwich]

Yes very normal.  All of mine are scribed by my PSO.  Provides a more accurate fit and drilling. 

[djgook]

What is scribing?

[ITZPS]

They do not refinish the ball, no need or reason too.  If you don't like scribing, maybe you should resurface all the labels off the balls too because that's all kinds of gouging and ball damage there too.  They gouge the living crap out of it at the factory and THEN fill all the gouges in with paint to make it super obvious. 

[Aloarjr810]

What is scribing?

Most of the time when you get a ball drilled, they mark where the grip is using a yellow grease/wax pencil.

Scribing is where instead of using a pencil, they use a metal "scribe" and etch the grip layout lines into the balls surface.

It's felt that this gives a more accurate layout for drilling.
 Example:


 Here's from a article about the PBA’s Mobile Service Trucks

"Most pro shops use a grease pencil to mark the balls for drilling," Snellbaker says. "Scribing is much better, since it leaves a permanent record of the work and allows greater accuracy."

also when they drill balls, it's like a assembly line. The balls pass from hand to hand and pencil marks can get rubbed off.

Scribing is just a surface scratch (unless the guy had a heavy hand doing it) and if you sand your balls (say changing surfaces) regularly it will disappear.

[Impending Doom]

They do not refinish the ball, no need or reason too.  If you don't like scribing, maybe you should resurface all the labels off the balls too because that's all kinds of gouging and ball damage there too.  They gouge the living crap out of it at the factory and THEN fill all the gouges in with paint to make it super obvious. 

#dead

[Kegler300800]

Scribing does NOT give a more accurate layout. My pro shop doesn't do it and my layouts are all accurate and the same. So are thousands of the other customers drillings they do.  I wouldn't go to a pro shop that does it.

[Impending Doom]

Scribing does NOT give a more accurate layout. My pro shop doesn't do it and my layouts are all accurate and the same. So are thousands of the other customers drillings they do.  I wouldn't go to a pro shop that does it.

If you can hit lines, it does indeed make a more accurate measurement. The thickness of a scribed line vs the thickness of a wax pencil mark can be the difference. I also don't know of any shop that does this without it being requested. To rule out a shop because they can use a scribe is one of the silliest reasons I've ever heard to not patronize a shop.

[itsallaboutme]

Accuracy is with the person holding the ruler, not the instrument used to put the line on the ball.  You can be accurate with a crayola crayon or chisel tipped sharpie if you had to and wanted to be. 

[ITZPS]

If you can't accurately scribe, doesn't matter how good you are at hitting the lines if they're in the wrong spot . . only reason I can see to do it is if several hands will be touching it, because like someone above said, it can't be wiped off or smudged like a grease pencil.  I split lines on the ruler using a grease pencil, but I'm the only guy touching the ball and I measure a couple times in the process of drilling to make sure it's accurate.  I prefer NOT to use a scribe specifically for this reason though, people don't like their balls being "all scratched up." 

[NHLfan88]

Holy lol at this guy.

Scribing does NOT give a more accurate layout. My pro shop doesn't do it and my layouts are all accurate and the same. So are thousands of the other customers drillings they do.  I wouldn't go to a pro shop that does it.

[amyers2002]

One distinct advantage to a scribed ball is I can tell whether the PSO has hit the spot or not. With a grease pencil those Lines are gone before I receive the ball.

[itsallaboutme]

And without a span ruler you still don't know if it's correct or not.