BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: eltaco on December 20, 2009, 09:53:06 AM
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I've been having quite a few problems with my thumb slugs as of late. It seems that my balls have been drilled very inconsistantly... I can honestly tell which ball I have in hand with my eyes closed. That being said, I talked with my driller and he suggested that we reslug and drill all of my equipment together. He said we can play with pitch angles until we get everything right, and then do all of the balls.
Seeing as how this is most likely going to cost me a pretty penny, I'm very interested in looking at interchangeable thumb slugs. I can only assume that someone makes predrilled slugs. Could anyone give me some information on interchangeable slugs and make some recommendations? Any help would be appreciated!
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The current interchangeable thumb setups basically use undrilled slugs that incorporate an attachment method to the ball on the bottom of the slug.The pro shop drills and shapes the holes in these slugs, then they can be moved from ball to ball.
One thing that might help you would be custom thumb molding. Vise and Pro-edge Custom Thumb make kits where a silicone mold is taken of your favorite thumb hole, from which thumb sleeves are made. These are duplicates of the original and can be installed in every ball you get. This might be more of what you need.
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That's an interesting option thanks for suggesting it.
It really surprises me that it can be this difficult to match drills on a full arsenal.
Also, what do you all think of the pre-drilled thumb slugs. I think I've seen these before, and it would seem that they should be a consistant option.
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I have seen pre-drilled house balls, but not slugs. Assuming they are available, that would be fine if your thumb was just a round hole with a slight finish sand. Most people have some type of bevel or other finishing work that they do to the thumb hole that can account for slight differences.
It is the finish work, combined with normal human "error", as well as amount of sanding or bevel, speed of the drill, how fast the operator drills the hole, and how sharp the bit is, how worn the jig and press are, can all account for small variations in thumb feel, dimension and pitch.
In my opinion, a decent operator with decent equipment, should be able to get all span and pitch measurements within 1/16 of an inch, from ball to ball.
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Both the major players in the interchangable thumbs make pre cut ovals. Vise and Turbo used to make these out of vinyl though. If you haven't used vinyl, it can be grabby and moist. I used them for years and used to take real fine sandpaper around 1000 grit, wet it and smooth the burrs out. This made it less grabby but still not as smooth/slick as urethane.
Both companies make interchangable products that you can put a pre made thumb mold into. I can only speak for Turbo as they make a inner sleeve that is empty that a slug or mold can be glued into. I am sure Vise's IT product allows for the same process, I just have not seen anyone install one yet.
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"Why don't you call me sometime.....when you have no class" ~~Rodney Dangerfield to Sally Kellerman, his college professor in Back to School ~~1986
Mike Craig - Storm Products Pro Shop staff -Columbus, OH
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I think what you''re asking about is called a thumb sleeve. All of the manufacturers of finger grips and thumb slugs make them, in both round and oval, in size increments of 1/64". I would be suprised if your driller doesn''t have a selection from at least one manufacturer. The link below takes you to a web page that has them from a couple of different manufacturers. They are vinyl and some customers don''t like the feel as well as a urethane slug. I use them myself, but I use a piece of white tape in the front of the hole and a Magic Carpet in the back, so my thumb doesn''t actually contact much of the vinyl. A couple of advantages of a sleeve - I can let the customer feel the fit in the ball before I glue it in, trying different sizes until he likes the fit, and later balls can be drilled with the same size/manufacturer sleeve and all I have to do is get the same thumb bevel and the feel will be the same.
http://www.buddiesproshop.com/products/All/0~99999/All/All/0/16page16.htm?thumb+sleeve
Edited on 12/21/2009 11:09 AM
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John, is beveling those sleeves any different from a slug? The one time I tried those the back of my thumb got irritated from the lack of bevel(the area where the thumb "sits" at the top). I'm just wondering if it would be more difficult to get the same type of bevel as with urethane, or if it would create more of a jagged edge.
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Justin
Bowling Boards (http://"www.bowlingboards.com")
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John, I had never heard about the "Magic Carpet"
I just ordered 10 of them... very interested in giving them a try.
haha... at this point, I'll try almost anything.
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try the "switch grip" thumb setup if your pro shop has it
it uses an outer sleeve that each seperate ball gets
then the inner sleeve is drilled and shaped to your thumb how ever your shop does them,
then the inner piece which is your thumb can be changed from ball to ball
it simply drops into place and a slight turn locks it in place
very simple to install, and once you get that perfect thumb you keep it forever
I swapped over to these a while ago and love it
I cant tell the difference in any of my equipment now as far as feel goes,
if your shop has a quality press, jig, and digital readouts for the jig theres no reason he cant get this system perfect for you
give it a try its a great system
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I used the vinyl ovals for years. The best way for me to bevel them without sanding them too thin was with a wood working knife. It was like a carving tool that wood workers use for very fine work. I worked the edge just like a bevel knife but with out slicing it to shreds. I would hit the outside hole just slightly with the sander and it was done. If I needed any fine tuning, I just used a small piece of 1000 grit sand paper and rounded the edge off.
quote:
John, is beveling those sleeves any different from a slug? The one time I tried those the back of my thumb got irritated from the lack of bevel(the area where the thumb "sits" at the top). I'm just wondering if it would be more difficult to get the same type of bevel as with urethane, or if it would create more of a jagged edge.
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Justin
Bowling Boards (http://"www.bowlingboards.com")
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"Why don't you call me sometime.....when you have no class" ~~Rodney Dangerfield to Sally Kellerman, his college professor in Back to School ~~1986
Mike Craig - Storm Products Pro Shop staff -Columbus, OH
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Well I use a decent amount of bevel, so I guess my question is can you cut quite a bit off and still smooth it back up?
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Justin
Bowling Boards (http://"www.bowlingboards.com")
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Strike Domination,
If you are refering to the pre ovaled vinyl sleeves, you can bevel the Vise or Turbo brand a boatload and still not worry anything about without slicing it to shreds or beveling too far that you cut through the total thickness of the sleeve. Now the Pro Sports System (Contour Power Grips)are a very thin sleeve compared to the Vise or the Turbo, they almost feel like a plastic rather than a vinyl, and their sleeves are not very bevel friendly in my honest opinion.
and to Eltaco,
Vise, Turbo, and Contour Power Grips each have a slightly different oval shape and the Contour are the most tapered of the two, and I personally believe the Vise brand are the best due to being the closet to the natural shape of most oval thumbs and because they are so durable and the thickest of the 3 brands, they bond great to the all ball hole surfaces with super glue, and they remove nicely with a simple mixture of hot water to make the sleeve plyable, and some adhesive remover to dissolve the glue bond. Been using the Vise thumb vinyl thumb sleeves for years now due to ease of use and I can match bevels easily, and my thumb has always prefered the vinyl over the urethane slug.
Matt (the former chink of collegebowling)
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That's good to know. And the Contour ones just from the pictures I see, those look fairly beveled already. But it's hard to tell. The Vise and Turbo are the ones that are kind of the equivilent of a freshly drilled slug without any finishing, to me. It sounds like they can be beveled just as easily though.
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Justin
Bowling Boards (http://"www.bowlingboards.com")
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quote:
John, is beveling those sleeves any different from a slug? The one time I tried those the back of my thumb got irritated from the lack of bevel(the area where the thumb "sits" at the top). I'm just wondering if it would be more difficult to get the same type of bevel as with urethane, or if it would create more of a jagged edge.
When I install them I drill the hole depth so the sleeve extends a little above the top of the hole. Roughen the outside of the sleeve and the inside of the hole with 100 grit sandpaper to give them some "bite. I glue the top of the sleeve by putting the sleeve part way in, applying the super glue to the top 1" or so and then using a hammer to tap it in until it bottoms out. I let the glue set for a few minutes, it helps to have something to press the sleeve against the hole, I use a boat plug for the sizes that match up. I trim the sleeve even with the top of the hole using a single edged razor blade, then bevel the hole the same way I would on a slug or bare hole. If you use a lot of bevel you may sand the top 1/8" or so of the sleeve away, but that just leaves that much of the beveled ball cover exposed. -- JohnP
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I too use vinyl inserts/ovals. At least they all start off the same with the exception of the pitch they are inserted at and the amount of bevel.
I have also used the Exactacator mold system. And I think that is well worth looking into. Personally, I had a reaction to the material that you make the slugs from, but I recommend them highly. You take your favorite thumb hole fit and make a mold of it. Then customized slugs can be made and installed in every ball you have. Providing your driller can get the span and pitches the same each time all your balls will feel the same. Its not as costly as the IT system, nor do you need to transfer thumb slugs from ball to ball.
Erin
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Well, I just spoke with my driller, and he is essentially unwilling to do either switch grips or molding.
I don't know what to say. I've heard extremely great things about this guy and his work... but he is difficult to get time with, and not interested in alternative options. I do have a slot on the 7th to spend an entire afternoon with him, which I believe will be beneficial. However, I fear that it's going to cost me 10 slugs to dial in on the right pitch and thumb size for all 5 of my balls. Even after I drop $100 on slugs, I'm not certain I'll walk away with all of my balls feeling "exactly" the same.
What are your thoughts?