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Author Topic: polishing a plastic ball  (Read 19814 times)

lilpossum1

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polishing a plastic ball
« on: July 03, 2014, 12:25:47 PM »
I have been throwing an Ebonite Maxim for about four or five weeks now. I am starting to notice it hooking off of spares late at night. I was wondering what the best polish/surface prep would be for plastic ball. I don't expect it to ever go perfectly straight, but I think it could be better. I read about snake oil on here, and wondered if it would work

 

txbowler

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2014, 12:52:01 PM »
I use Black Magic Polish.  It shines up very nice.  Also about twice a year, I will hit the track of the ball with a 1500 pad to smooth out the track before polishing.   Most plastic balls do not flare very much so you can build up a noticeable track after a few months and that contributes to the "hook" you get in my opinion.

A few months ago, someone on here posted that they used rain-x on their plastic ball and it went "dead straight".  But remember rain-x is not "approved" by USBC for bowling balls. 
 

xrayjay

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2014, 01:24:54 PM »
I use UFO polish on my black ice and work the track/surface one a year.
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charlest

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2014, 01:50:17 PM »
I have been throwing an Ebonite Maxim for about four or five weeks now. I am starting to notice it hooking off of spares late at night. I was wondering what the best polish/surface prep would be for plastic ball. I don't expect it to ever go perfectly straight, but I think it could be better. I read about snake oil on here, and wondered if it would work

Absolutely any bowling ball polish will work fine on Polyester/plastic balls. They don't have the same characteristics as resin or even urethanes; so there's no need to worry about types of polish with plastic. You just want as much skid and as little hook as possible. If you want to maximize the gloss, sand it as much as possible to remove any deep scratches, take it up to 4000 grit and then polish as hard as you like, using any polish that suits you. Heck, you can even use car wax & polish since plastic makes no difference whether or not the pores are clogged. (It makes a huge difference with resin; never use car wax on resin balls!!)
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lilpossum1

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2014, 09:03:22 PM »
OK thanks! How often should I polish it?

charlest

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2014, 10:04:50 PM »
OK thanks! How often should I polish it?

That depends on what you see in the ball's reaction. I use mine fairly dull with wear; the ball still goes long and doesn't hook much and I'm rev dominant.

Polish as often as you feel you need to more length and less hook.
"None are so blind as those who will not see."

lilpossum1

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2014, 11:44:30 PM »
I may polish it before I start the winter league then. Thanks! Rainx eh? If I am correct, it is an oil that repels water. Perhaps it will also repel lane oil depending on its characteristics, allowing it to make less contact with the lane. Interesting. It is only against the rules if you get caught, and who will care about a person making a ball go STRAIGHTER. More people care about Joe Bowler using illegal methods to get more hook.

batbowler

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2014, 09:36:51 AM »
Like it can be proven that they used RainX, and why would they?
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itsallaboutme

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2014, 10:53:14 AM »
Until you get a bowling ball as smooth as your windshield you are wasting your time and money using RainX.

charlest

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2014, 10:58:22 AM »
I may polish it before I start the winter league then. Thanks! Rainx eh? If I am correct, it is an oil that repels water. Perhaps it will also repel lane oil depending on its characteristics, allowing it to make less contact with the lane. Interesting. It is only against the rules if you get caught, and who will care about a person making a ball go STRAIGHTER. More people care about Joe Bowler using illegal methods to get more hook.

As has been said, there is NO reason to use RainX on ANY ball.
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batbowler

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2014, 07:46:42 PM »
I've never heard of using RainX, but I guess some people are desperate to find something they think works for them. So many products on the market that is approved, so why bother? Maybe they have a leaky roof? lol
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lilpossum1

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2014, 09:06:16 PM »
Well I do bowl in one of the few indoor bowling alleys where we can have rain delays lol

ptythefool

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2014, 12:01:37 AM »
Technically wouldn't the best thing be to get a bucket, cover your bowling balls holes, place the ball in the bucket, then fill the bucket with lane oil and let that sit for a few days to a week? That combined with super polishing would likely kill a plastic balls hook entirely.

sgtcat09

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #13 on: July 20, 2014, 01:06:38 AM »
When did spare balls get so complicated?
Rainx? Soaking a ball in oil?  ???

Come on guys, hit the darn thing with polish and be done with it. No reason to get all complex.
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charlest

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Re: polishing a plastic ball
« Reply #14 on: July 20, 2014, 05:48:59 AM »
Technically wouldn't the best thing be to get a bucket, cover your bowling balls holes, place the ball in the bucket, then fill the bucket with lane oil and let that sit for a few days to a week? That combined with super polishing would likely kill a plastic balls hook entirely.

That would work with resin  balls, not with plastic balls.
Plastic/polyester balls do not depend on the coverstock's absorbing oil to hook; resin balls do. Soaking a plastic ball in oil will do nothing for its hook potential except make it heavier.
"None are so blind as those who will not see."