Author Topic: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface? (Read 7135 times)

Brickguy221 · « **on:** March 05, 2010, 10:16:25 AM »

I picked up the following quote from a post by tburky in the Storm Forum and I think he may be on to something, so I decided to start a topic about it here in this Forum. This was his post and I followed it with my recent experience this past week.

quote:
Here is something that Chris Schlemer told me. Using abralon by hand puts more texture on the surface of a ball versus sanding on the spinner across the ball track.

Now, I think what he said here could very well be. Especially in thinking about my trying to bring a ball (from another manufacturer) back to 2000 grit abralon as it looked when NIB this past week. I had previously polished it lightly and it didn''''''''''''''''t do what I wanted, so I decided to return it to it''''''''''''''''s NIB form.

I sanded it on 4 sides with a 360 Abralon pad to remove polish. I then sanded it on 4 sides (30 seconds each side) with a new 500 Grit Abralon pad, followed by sanding on 4 sides very LIGHTLY (30 seconds each side) with a new 2000 grit Abralon pad. When I finished, the ball looked more like 4000 grit Abralon and not a 2000 Grit abralon factory finish. In fact after the 500 grit Abralon sanding, it looked closer to the original NIB texture than it did after the 2000 grit sanding.

So based on what tburky said Chris Schlemer told him, that plus my recent experience that I just described makes me wonder if using Abralon on the spinner at a specific grit will give the ball the appearance of looking like a higher grit was used because a spinner runs 300-400 RPM and the machines used at the factories turn at approx 25 RPM of which I recall reading somewhere recently.

Not sure if I have explained well enough for everyone to understand what I am trying to say here or not. --------------------
"Whenever I feel the urge to exercise I lie down until the feeling passes away."

Brick

Edited on 3/6/2010 12:13 PM

jodyk24 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2010, 06:59:43 PM »

Brickguy....

That 360 Abralon grit is pretty strong unless you are resurfacing and have to remove some scratches. If I want a ending 2000 grit I will start with maybe a 1000 grit and come up to the 2000. I really don't use 500 or 360 that much anymore. Just a thought.

jodyk24

Brickguy221 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2010, 08:54:58 PM »

jody, I had to use the lower grit to get the polish off the ball. I tried 1000 grit first and it didn't do a satisfactory job of removing the polish, so thus the lower grit. Still, even though I finished with 2000 grit after 500 grit and the ball looked like 4000 grit....thus too smooth with a very-very light sheen, so doing 1000 grit and then 2000 grit wouldn't have been any better.

Remember the post by Roto Grip I believe it was about sanding the ball to 500 grit and then going directly to the finished grit you want? Knock down the peaks and valleys a bit? I don't know if you saw it or not. What I am trying to find out is to see what others opinions are of whether say 2000 grit on a spinner vs 2000 grit by hand or 2000 grit on a haus machine will end up with the same coverstock condition and looks. I don't think it will but could be wrong as I don't have a haus machine to compare.

--------------------
"Whenever I feel the urge to exercise I lie down until the feeling passes away."

Brick

lenstanles703 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2010, 08:43:52 AM »

Did you use the ball? Did it work like you wanted it to? When you use it the surface will change. I find with the fine finishes the abralon provides the surface changes pretty fast anyway so just use it and see how it works then try another adjustment if that one wasn't what you wanted.
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Len

Thunder835 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2010, 05:41:50 PM »

If you have access to a Haus, try using your Abralon on the Haus. It spins slower than a spinner and applies more pressure than you can by hand. The finish of the ball is as close to factory finish as you can get.
--------------------
Track PBA Regional Staff

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T C 300 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2010, 11:13:25 PM »

only time i use the "by hand" method is to knock some polish off or to touch up a dull ball that has some shine from thrown it....

when i need to dig into the coverstock i go to the spinner....

as far as tryn to match what the factory does, well yeah have fun tryn ppl!!! LOLOL

Edited on 3/8/2010 0:14 AM

ImBackInTheGame · « **Reply #6 on:** March 08, 2010, 07:33:24 AM »

Somthing I read a little while back is that it seems there are a number of people that, before they even throw the ball, they throw it on a spinner and "change" the surface. Even if the box surface is 500/4000, they'll apply that surface themselves. That way it's a surface that can be repeated easily, because 500/4000 from the factory is still different than 500/4000 on a spinner or any other method. A Haus would be close though I think.

icewall · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2010, 07:45:18 AM »

After some personal experience I can say with confidence that I will only use abralon / sia air pads by hand.

first off a ball never leaves the factory with directional sanding lines.

second the ball tends to shine REALLY fast on a high speed spinner.

I have found that the only way I can personally get my balls to 500/4000 looking just like they do from the factory is to sand with water by hand. (other then taking it to a pro shop with a haus machine)

I only use my spinner for scotchbrite, compounds, or polish. It simply spins too fast for the abrasives on a pad and you very easily use the pad too long or to short of a time and create the wrong finish.

you can argue with me if you would like but the results that me and my friends have seen tell me that by hand has been the only way they have seen their balls react like they did OOB.

I was ready to give up on my rogue cell. anything I did on the spinner made the ball look like I put polish on it... yes, even if I used the 4000 pad for just 10-15 second a side!
--------------------
tweener
300 revs
16 mph
17 degrees of tilt

when you''re feeling blue,
just say to yourself "what would BallBaggins do?"

Edited on 3/8/2010 8:49 AM

slap · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2010, 07:57:52 AM »

quote:
jody, I had to use the lower grit to get the polish off the ball. I tried 1000 grit first and it didn't do a satisfactory job of removing the polish, so thus the lower grit. Still, even though I finished with 2000 grit after 500 grit and the ball looked like 4000 grit....thus too smooth with a very-very light sheen, so doing 1000 grit and then 2000 grit wouldn't have been any better.

Remember the post by Roto Grip I believe it was about sanding the ball to 500 grit and then going directly to the finished grit you want? Knock down the peaks and valleys a bit? I don't know if you saw it or not. What I am trying to find out is to see what others opinions are of whether say 2000 grit on a spinner vs 2000 grit by hand or 2000 grit on a haus machine will end up with the same coverstock condition and looks. I don't think it will but could be wrong as I don't have a haus machine to compare.

--------------------
"Whenever I feel the urge to exercise I lie down until the feeling passes away."

Brick

That post was from a Storm Tech Rep about the OOB finish on the VG. His instructions were 360 then "light" pressure 500, "light" pressure 4000. Cross hatched.
--------------------
"Student of the Game"

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T C 300 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2010, 07:58:59 AM »

i agree with you icewall.... tho i have never resurfaced or dug into the cover by hand, but have had AWSOME results by doin some sanding by hand sanding..

2000ab by hand vs 2000ab from a spinner = night and day by just lookn at the ball

ImBackInTheGame · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2010, 08:13:29 AM »

So what is the proper procedure for sanding by hand? Just taking an abralon pad and sanding small areas at a time in a circular motion? Just curious.

agroves · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2010, 08:34:46 AM »

Brick, I gave up on Abralon and use wet/dry sandpaper. Using this chart I can get the ball close. If necessary, I will use a P400 or P800 to remove polish.

http://home.earthlink.net/~litefrozen/downloads/bowling_grit_chart.pdf

--------------------
Proshop Operator
North Bowl Bowling Center
www.northbowlspokane.com
ctwings10--"Here's the problem with any retail service - You can't fix stupid."

dizzyfugu · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2010, 08:41:28 AM »

IMHO it is VERY hard to replicate a Factory Finish "at home" or even by hand. The industrial production, sanding and polishing processes are way different from the spinner and muscles methods - I can understand that some players resurface a ball before the even drill it up, because this will leave a reliable benchmark for reaction assessment and true, replicable "NIB" condition.
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lenstanles703 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2010, 09:43:56 AM »

Replecating the factory finish doesn't mean much to me. I just worry about getting the reaction I want.
--------------------
Len

wuznme · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2010, 02:12:14 PM »

You can't match the factory surface, unless you have the factory equipment.

Modify the balls before using them to something you can duplicate.

Author Topic: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface? (Read 7135 times)

Brickguy221

How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

jodyk24

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

Brickguy221

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

lenstanles703

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

Thunder835

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

T C 300

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

ImBackInTheGame

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

icewall

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

slap

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

T C 300

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

ImBackInTheGame

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

agroves

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

dizzyfugu

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

lenstanles703

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?

wuznme

Re: How Does a Person Match a Factory NIB Ball Surface?