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Author Topic: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King  (Read 3786 times)

NateNice

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Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« on: September 03, 2006, 08:49:31 AM »
I recently bought a Vapor Zone and love it.

My Pro-Shop operator told me that I should throw it in the Luster-King for about 2 minutes after 9 games or so and then clean it typical Windex like ball cleaner to allow it breathe still.  (Brunswick blue stuff, he also mentioned to clean it before it goes in of course).  The reason for this is to protect the track and give the ball longer life, which makes sense to me.

So far every bit of advice and every things he's sold and drilled to me has been excellent.  He obviously knows a lot about bowling so I trust his advice here.  

My question is how will this affect the reaction on the ball?  I have it drilled to go a little long and snap.  Essentially it's drilled for maximum skid-snap and it seems to react that way rather nicely.

I don't want to tame this ball but I do want to take care of it.  How much will throwing it the Luster King for 2 minutes, then cleaning it again affect the ball in terms of reaction?

 

NateNice

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Re: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2006, 04:59:31 PM »
quote:
Don't do it. Some of those luster clean machine have wax in them and you'll totally f up your ball.

Buy some "named brand" cleaners and forget the luster king machine..
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Keep looking... I'm sure there's a 300 in one of those balls you keep buying!!


What name brand cleaners do you suggest?

Currently I only use the "Brunswick Bowling Ball Cleaner" which looks, smells and probably tastes like Windex.  It definitely gets tons of dirt off the surface.  I use it after every session, usually 3-6 games or so.  I try and take the best possible care of my equipment because it's not cheap and I want it to work correctly.

But I'm also interested in protecting the track of the ball and not having it wear out right away.  

Are there any polishes/cleaners that you recommend that will save the reaction but protect the track area?  Sounds like something that doesn't exist.

BrunsMike

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Re: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2006, 05:36:09 PM »
Im in total agreement with not using the Luster-King. That will just polish the ball, clog the pores in the surface, and just cause the ball to under-react. Basically making the ball skid the whole lane. The Vapor Zone from what ive seen does not take to a polishing very well. This would probably be the worst thing you can do to this ball, leave the surface alone and just use a cleaner at after ever 3-6 games as you said you do.
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Mike Zadler
NE Lake County IL
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PBA/Sport Highs: Game 257, Series 838 (4game). Wed. nite offical ending average: 179.8
Mike Zadler

Fatboy8

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Re: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2006, 05:36:15 PM »
A Lustre King is a POLISHER, not a cleaner!!! That's is the biggest fault at our center do. Only use it if you want extreme shine and polish on you ball.
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FastTracker33

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Re: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2006, 05:52:34 PM »
On the Luster King's don't they say "For use on RUBBER and URETHANE??
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-BrIan
Formerly known as Hammer33
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Slopsurprise

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Re: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2006, 06:23:21 PM »
Only use a good ball cleaning product and DO NOT EVER use one of those machines!. In my expereince the only thing a rough-buffed Activator+ cover needs is to be cleaned! That is all! Maybe after a 100 or 200 games maybe a re-surface.

themagician

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Re: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2006, 06:32:28 PM »
Luster King is good for making my plastic look nice, but for a performance ball no stinking way should you ever use that thing.
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DANGERZONE

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Re: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2006, 06:51:34 PM »
I think Greg Hope uses his LK machine alot with all his equipment. Just look at some of his reveiws.

NateNice

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Re: Vapor Zone in the Lustre King
« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2006, 07:54:53 PM »
Thank you for the advice here, it appears it's a consensus "don't put it in there".

I haven't put it in there and was kind of suspect of doing it because I didn't really want to shine it up and make it lose its coverstock properties.

I've never put any of my equipment in there and probably never will.

I'll just keep using the typical ball cleaner for now and use the higher end ones every 50 games or so combined with the typical hot water baths every 200 games or so and a resurfacing when it really loses it.

Do you guys really resurface every 200 games?  That seems like a bit much.

I mean, I just put 10 games on it in the few days I've had it.  I only throw it once per frame, or 12 times a game for about 120 throws by now.

It will get 200 games on it over the next 4 months I'm sure.

I've never resurfaced my things after 200 games....more like 600 or so, lol.

But I've taken great care of them all, cleaned them very often and bathed them.  They've always kept their reaction real nice for me.  Get a resurface when the cover just looks beat and old from crushing pins a few thousand times.

I guess I don't demand perfect performance from my gear.  Maybe I adjust to the balls new line and assume it's just the oil?  Or does great ball care extend the life a ton?

But then, I've seen people here say a ball lost its reaction after 8 games or so.....that's sounds like the player, not the ball.

That's the end of my rant.

Thank you for the Luster King advice and I'll just say no to it and use my regular maintenance.