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Author Topic: Sanding or scotchbrite just prior to compeating  (Read 3653 times)

BT

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Sanding or scotchbrite just prior to compeating
« on: May 19, 2003, 04:13:56 PM »
I have brought this up before with not much of a response. Do any of you find that if you use anything coarser than say 600 that the ball initially reacts tremendously to the change but as you bowl it dies slowly IE; hooks less? I think that depending on how soft the coverstock is that it gets buffed back to a finer grit as you bowl therefore changing the balls characteristics causing constant initial adjustments. For this reason I try to break in a new surface adjustment before league starts. Sometimes this just isnt possible though if you dont have time OR, you make adjustments to all 6 balls in your arsenal...

How do you all handle this? Or is it just my "illusion"

Should I sand to the desired grit and then "buff" it on the spinner a bit? What should I use for this? White scotchbrite? On particle balls a buff with a fine trizact?
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10 In The Pit

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Re: Sanding or scotchbrite just prior to compeating
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2003, 01:03:00 AM »
Actually, most ball track wear will eventually wind up around the grit equivalent of 600 grit.  However, with particle balls, the ball might lose some of its bite due to particle wear, so a fresh 600 scuff might be more aggressive than a worn ball track would be.

As for the "buff" that you see, a large part of this is a combination of lane oil and dirt that the ball picks up as you bowl.  A dull ball will start to take on a glazed appearance, even though it really is still dull.  One thing that might surprise you would be to take a dull ball that has this glazed look and clean it up with Neo Tac "Hook-It".  As soon as the Hook-It evaporates, the ball will return to the dull appearance that it previously had, but then lineage starts the buildup process all over again.

I wouldn't buff the ball with a finer grit unless the finer grit is the texture that you really want.
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charlest

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Re: Sanding or scotchbrite just prior to compeating
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2003, 05:39:51 AM »
My 2 cents:
I'd suggest that you try not to scuff up a ball just before bowling at the lanes. Try to keep an arsenal of balls (like 3-4 to a league and 6-8 to a tournament); this helps because you know or should be aware of what grit each ball has, so you know just what to use when you need to adjust. When you touch up a ball just before bowling, maybe because of what you see, it's handy and convenient but what grit are you now using? Can you replicate that surface when you need it again next time? Probably not.

Also, as 10-ITP indicates, dull balls tend to migrate to around 600 grit after a while, but that generally does not happen in 3 or 6 games. Dull balls are also affected by oil much more rapidly  than polished or pearls. Using a item like Doc's Elixir (see past posts in this Forum; great stuff) will help you keep your dull balls (especially) from being adversely affected by oil and absorbing the oil. It also allows you to wipe the oil off extremely easily. If you use dull balls a lot, you MUST try Doc's Elixir. A good towel will help a lot also. You can use Hook-it on the ball, while having the Elixir on the ball at the same time, according to Doc.

For me, as far as my experience goes -
Without the Elixir, rolling a dull ball over oil, frame after frame will build a oil shine on the ball and potentially reduce its power and hook. The effect will depend on the amount of oil and how dull the ball is and how quickly it absorbs the oil.

With today's oils, I have to believe that when using dull balls of any type, you must not only wipe off the ball after every frame, but you also have to do at least a quick clean after each tournament or league use. This will help maintain its reaction and increase the usable life of the ball, protecting your investment and your scoring ability.
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"None are so blind as those who will not see."

BT

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Re: Sanding or scotchbrite just prior to compeating
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2003, 11:10:58 AM »
10-ITP-
I use hook-it on many of my balls. I agree that lane oil and dirt are a contributing factor but I dont think this is what I am seeing with the ball reaction change. The reason I mentioned using a finer grit as a final step after sanding is to possibly eliminate or reduce the breakin time. I think one of the things that happens to a coarsely sanded ball(anything lower than 800) is that the sharp points left by the sanding break off. I beleive this can happen fairly quickly and, even in as few as 5 frames you can see a difference in the balls ability to grip the lane. By sanding to lets say 320 for example then immediately going to a 1000 grit you still have a "base" grit of 320 with the tops of the sharp points polished or scuffed off as the lane surface would cause as the ball spins down the lane. I have been looking for a way to look at this with a microscope to see what actually is happening.

One ball I have is the most prone to this quick change if I use anything coarser than 600. My MoRich Colossus Supreme is VERY sensitive to this. I can see shiny tracks worn into the surface on the FIRST throw. It is not oil. I can take hookit, or any degreaser and clean the ball but these tracks are still there. This ball needs constant upkeep if you want to keep it at 400. I have given up on that and, just let it "buff" to what it wants to.

quote:

When you touch up a ball just before bowling, maybe because of what you see, it's handy and convenient but what grit are you now using? Can you replicate that surface when you need it again next time? Probably not.


I never touch a ball with sandpaper, or scotchbrite at the lanes. I use my spinner and keep detailed records of the process used on each ball including what type of liquids are applied to the ball like hookit. I use Doc's elixir on a couple balls. Since it tends to cause a slight loss in hook potential I dont like using it on all of them though. As for replicating a surface , I think I can since I keep records of what I did including sanding directions in relation to the ball track which has an effect on the ball reaction as well.

quote:

With today's oils, I have to believe that when using dull balls of any type, you must not only wipe off the ball after every frame, but you also have to do at least a quick clean after each tournament or league use. This will help maintain its reaction and increase the usable life of the ball, protecting your investment and your scoring ability.


I have a routine I follow in order to keep the balls clean and, minimize the absorption of oil. After every set I use 409 and or hookit to remove dirt and lane oil. Every 12-16 games I soak the ball in hot water with orange dishwasher powder then run it through the dishwasher using orange dishwashing powder. I use a micro-fiber towel also.

Thanks for the replies!

BT

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