BallReviews
General Category => Coverstock Preparation => Topic started by: sneaky PETE on July 21, 2018, 06:58:14 PM
-
saw a Columbia EPX T1 on ebay and was wondering how good can an epoxy cover be.
-
First of all-they suck up oil(which makes maintenance a PRIORITY!) You will need to be comfortable with hot water baths weekly. Second- they crack(almost all of the ones that I knew about cracked!) Third-did I mention they suck up oil! While bowling with them if you rest your hand under the ball you will have a greasy spot that looks like you hand. I am serious!
Let me put it to you simply-I gave mine away!
-
saw a Columbia EPX T1 on ebay and was wondering how good can an epoxy cover be.
The epoxy cover is very unique. It has pores (caverns really) that are much larger than a regular particle or reactive resin. It has a weird chemical smell (not too pleasant) and it soaks up an INSANE amount of oil which will cause it to darken up quickly. I am guessing that it creates it friction from the caverns acting like suction cups on the lane, but I could be wrong. Some early batches of EPX T1s were so brittle that they were known to detonate on impact with the pins.
As far as the reaction goes, the strength in oil depends on the batch. Some are easily as strong as the earliest high load particle balls but some seem to be much tamer. It does not really react like any particle ball. Particle balls will rev up hard/roll out/stand up in friction. The EPX T1 looks like a pissed the **** off urethane curving into the pocket. It starts burning rotation early but it retains it throughout the lane (continuous). The only particle ball I know that I know that had a very slow continuation was the Visionary Midnight Scorcher (urethane particle) and to a lessor extent, the Storm La Nina. The EPX T1 is still more continuous than both on high volume patterns with the same surface (burgundy scotch brite). The EPX T1 and Scorcher completely beats out the La Nina on floods.
It is a crap shoot due to issue with some of the batches but if you want smooth continuation and you are willing to take a risk, there is absolutely no better coverstock than epoxy.
-
The EPX, when you could fire it from outside created a reaction and finish that was pretty unique. The "Pissed off urethane" is so spot on. Adjustments were minimal. You could just throw it harder from the same area if it was still carrying.
-
here is link. if you think its worth the money let me know.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/15-LB-Columbia-EPX-T1-BOWLING-BALL-EPOXY-COVERSTOCK-2-PIECE-CORE-NIB/232857342604?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Dbc92dbd2b50c481b82c41dc2dd36bbd6%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D232857342604%26itm%3D232857342604&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Acf5e6f69-8dcb-11e8-8c8f-74dbd1804f9f%7Cparentrq%3Ac2cf26ac1640aad6eccda6d6fff5acd7%7Ciid%3A1 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/15-LB-Columbia-EPX-T1-BOWLING-BALL-EPOXY-COVERSTOCK-2-PIECE-CORE-NIB/232857342604?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Dbc92dbd2b50c481b82c41dc2dd36bbd6%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D232857342604%26itm%3D232857342604&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Acf5e6f69-8dcb-11e8-8c8f-74dbd1804f9f%7Cparentrq%3Ac2cf26ac1640aad6eccda6d6fff5acd7%7Ciid%3A1)
-
Just a quick comment .. seller claims NIB yet claims no noticeable niches .. doesn't make sense to me!
-
Joe,
Could have been a display ball for awhile.
-
Man if a company ever made something like this today with the high rev rates out now, there would be a huge fit...
-
Joe,
Could have been a display ball for awhile.
Probably would want that behind glass to avoid the customers getting a whiff of that ball. You get used to it but its very noticeable at first. As for if its worth it I enjoy my EPX (think I paid $135 single drill plugged) but best to think of it as a gem instead of filling some critical need in your arsenal imo.
-
Just wanted to mention that the seller dropped the price 10 dollars down to 165.00
Brad
-
These EPX balls were the final nail in the coffin for Columbia when they were still an independent company in San Antonio. They were awesome .... for about a month until they literally disintegrated into pieces as you threw them. They ALL cracked. I watched 2 (yes 2) of them actually fall apart into 3 pieces on the ball return. TOTAL JUNK.
-
These EPX balls were the final nail in the coffin for Columbia when they were still an independent company in San Antonio. They were awesome .... for about a month until they literally disintegrated into pieces as you threw them. They ALL cracked. I watched 2 (yes 2) of them actually fall apart into 3 pieces on the ball return. TOTAL JUNK.
Yeah NIB makes me nervous on those balls. Saw an rare A1 NIB on ebay but wouldn't bid over $130 for it so didn't win. Paying new ball price to have the lane guy have to bring your ball back in several pieces is painful I am sure. Been lucky with mine so far but mostly use to burn a hole in the pattern in shadow practice (ultimate oil sponge).
-
I replaced my cracked EPX with a Centaur Particle.
If you can find one-even used, they are awesome when creating friction on a flood. Warning!-You will not be able to use it very long. I believe they come at 360 grit.
-
Nice collectors item, almost worthless as a competitive piece of equipment.
-
I started a thread back in 2016 with this...it's a 1960's patent for an epoxy resin coverstock. check it out here
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US3208750.pdf
that would have been interesting if it ever came to pass.
Brad
-
I started a thread back in 2016 with this...it's a 1960's patent for an epoxy resin coverstock. check it out here
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US3208750.pdf
that would have been interesting if it ever came to pass.
Brad
Don't think it would have been anything but niche even if C300 hadn't screwed the pooch on the introduction. Urethane on steroids is not the kind of ball most people need more than half their arsenal to be. Plus most people are too lazy to maintain reactives forget epoxy (see also particle balls). People also like their fruity smelling Storm balls so balls that smell like burnt flux probably weren't going to fill up pro shops. Not to mention I guess ball plugs used to really suck until modern epoxy plugs so have a feeling the material science wasn't even there to make it possible until about the time C300 did it.