win a ball from Bowling.com

Author Topic: When you do the dish washer method for cleaning a ball, should it be covered in oil?  (Read 16858 times)

danprince10

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 153
I've done the method before where I put it in a tub of hot water and would have to do it multiple times because the oil would keep seeping out and I would have to towel it off, but I just put my ball through the dishwasher and I didn't see any type of oil residue at all on it. Is that normal when you put it through the dishwasher, or does my dishwasher just not work for this method and I should go back to the tub?

Arsenal 
 
Brunswick Power Groove
 
Roto Grip Cell Pearl 
 
Brunswick Target Zone 

 

Cobalt Bomb

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2053
I always sand the ball. Besides, if its due for an oil extraction, its likely due for at least a surface touch up anyway. Will it work without it, probably. Will it work as well, I don't know.



charlest

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 24524
Over time, those peaks and valleys get flattened by use. So balls need not just a surface refreshing (if it's final sanding is 2000 grit Abralon, then a refreshing is just redoing that 2000 grit surface.), they will, at some point in time, need to have the basic surface process done, from almost the base point. I'd suggest a thorough sanding with something like a (new) 500 grit Abralon pad, then a (new) 1000 grit pad, and then a final (new) 2000 grit pad (if that is the final grit level).
 
notsohotshot wrote on 2/12/2011 10:55 PM:
I have a Copperhead that I have used the dishwasher method both ways,sanded and not sanded and from my experience it worked a lot better when I sanded the ball first and the cleaning lastest longer. Now I have the problem that I have done it again without much improvement and what improvement I got only lasted about 6 games. Any suggestions???




"None are so blind as those who will not see."
"Some bowlers are crazy as pickled cats."
 
"None are so blind as those who will not see."

danprince10

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 153
I've never sanded my stuff before and its always worked like new after I cleaned it. I can't compare how long it lasts though because obviously I've never sanded it before. My theory is if the oil can get in the ball when you throw it without caring about sanding/polish, why would it matter for getting it out?

Arsenal 
 
Brunswick Avalanche Pearl 
 
Brunswick Power Groove
 
Roto Grip Cell Pearl 
 
Brunswick Target Zone 

charlest

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 24524
Based on that theory if carbon monoxide from your car exhaust gets into your car from a small opening in the window, then you can get all of it out by opening the other window by the same small amount. Yes, of course it will but will it be soon enough. For a bowling ball will the surface as it is be enough to get all or most of the oil out? How will you know?
Why take a chance? Why not do it the recommended way to begin with?
danprince10 wrote on 2/13/2011 9:29 AM:I've never sanded my stuff before and its always worked like new after I cleaned it. I can't compare how long it lasts though because obviously I've never sanded it before. My theory is if the oil can get in the ball when you throw it without caring about sanding/polish, why would it matter for getting it out?

Arsenal 
 
Brunswick Avalanche Pearl 
 
Brunswick Power Groove
 
Roto Grip Cell Pearl 
 
Brunswick Target Zone 


"None are so blind as those who will not see."
"Some bowlers are crazy as pickled cats."
 
"None are so blind as those who will not see."

justink

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 238
 I am very interested in trying this method of cleaning my balls, I have quite the bucket method due to the unrealistic time it takes and not seeing much of a benefit. So I think I'll get out the old No Mercy, sand it down and put her in. Thanks for the idea
 
Omnipotent you seem to have a huge attitude on every post you do.I see you have a lot of knowledge and we all would listen so much more closely if you didn't cop such an attitude with how everyone else does things or how you put it "with their money". You can give your opinion without attitude, just get off your high horse and realize we are all bowlers trying to do the same thing. Knock all ten down. So don't make things so damn hard and get all riled up.
Live and let live.


"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
-Gene Wilder
Justin Kluska
Staff A3 Member
Lane Masters/Lord Field

ruger311

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 12
 Just got done putting my storm reign supreme in dishwasher water only turned heated dry off. WOW it's super tacky again!

This worked good so far. Now to see how it reacts on the lanes


qstick777

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5188
I'm going to assume you guys are putting the ball(s) on the bottom tray, right?  I don't think I have 9 inches of clearance on the top shelf.
 
How do you deal with the little prongs on the bottom tray?  Do you guys have dishwashers that have the prongs that collapse?  My old dishwasher had those, but in my current one they are fixed.  I'm not sure they are strong enough to support the weight of a ball without bending.
 
Has anybody done more than 1 ball at a time?  Looks like 2, maybe even 4, will fit without any problems (seems typical dimensions are 24" x 24", but not sure if that is inside or outside dimensions).
 
 

ruger311

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 12
 I went top rack. The prongs collapse on both racks in mine. A friend did four of his at a time all on bottom and worked fine


danprince10

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 153
I use the bottom rack, the prongs on mine don't collapse so what I did was take the foam pad out of the bottom of one of my ball bags set that on top of the prongs, and put the ball in its place on the foam pad.

Arsenal 
 
 
Brunswick Avalanche Pearl
 
Brunswick Power Groove
 
Roto Grip Cell Pearl 
 
Brunswick Target Zone 

Cobalt Bomb

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2053
I have done it 2 different ways on the bottom rack:

1) small bowl suspended on the tines.

2) I got a rack out of an old dishwasher that had one of those things that raise up in the middle. My dishwasher does not have that. The round area in the middle of the old rack is perfect for a bowling ball.



milorafferty

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11166
  • I have a name, therefore no preferred pronouns.
I use the bottom rack and my prongs don't fold down. I use an old Abralon pad, foam surface against the ball to prevent the indentations the prongs can leave. My top rack is removable, so I just take it out. I never do more than two balls at a time as that is a lot of weight on the little plastic wheels of the bottom rack.

 

I have sanded balls before putting them through the dishwasher and not sanded. I don't see a difference either way.


 



qstick777 wrote on 2/15/2011 10:10 AM:
I'm going to assume you guys are putting the ball(s) on the bottom tray, right?  I don't think I have 9 inches of clearance on the top shelf.

 

How do you deal with the little prongs on the bottom tray?  Do you guys have dishwashers that have the prongs that collapse?  My old dishwasher had those, but in my current one they are fixed.  I'm not sure they are strong enough to support the weight of a ball without bending.

 

Has anybody done more than 1 ball at a time?  Looks like 2, maybe even 4, will fit without any problems (seems typical dimensions are 24" x 24", but not sure if that is inside or outside dimensions).

 

 




The Ballreviews Ignore User feature, Learn it, Love it, Live it!
"If guns kill people, do pencils misspell words?"

"If you don't stand for our flag, then don't expect me to give a damn about your feelings."

Steven

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7680

 



milorafferty wrote on 2/15/2011 10:52 AM:
I use the bottom rack and my prongs don't fold down. I use an old Abralon pad, foam surface against the ball to prevent the indentations the prongs can leave. My top rack is removable, so I just take it out. I never do more than two balls at a time as that is a lot of weight on the little plastic wheels of the bottom rack.


 


I have sanded balls before putting them through the dishwasher and not sanded. I don't see a difference either way.

I've never tried the dishwasher method. I don't dispute that it should work (many folks attest to it), but I'm concerned that the bottom rack on my diswasher isn't strong enough to hold the weight of a ball without permanently bending the thin metal rods. It just doesn't seem designed for that kind of concentrated weight.


milorafferty

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11166
  • I have a name, therefore no preferred pronouns.

 Yea, I agree with the weight issue, that is why I will only do two balls at one, although four would fit. A load of dishes MIGHT weigh 20 lbs, but that seems like a lot.

 

I don't use my regular dishwasher for it though. I think if I did, my GF would remove MY balls. LOL

 

I found an old portable dishwasher I use only for bowling balls at a flea market that works great.



Steven wrote on 2/15/2011 11:37 AM:

 






milorafferty wrote on 2/15/2011 10:52 AM:

I use the bottom rack and my prongs don't fold down. I use an old Abralon pad, foam surface against the ball to prevent the indentations the prongs can leave. My top rack is removable, so I just take it out. I never do more than two balls at a time as that is a lot of weight on the little plastic wheels of the bottom rack.



 



I have sanded balls before putting them through the dishwasher and not sanded. I don't see a difference either way.

I've never tried the dishwasher method. I don't dispute that it should work (many folks attest to it), but I'm concerned that the bottom rack on my diswasher isn't strong enough to hold the weight of a ball without permanently bending the thin metal rods. It just doesn't seem designed for that kind of concentrated weight.

"If guns kill people, do pencils misspell words?"

"If you don't stand for our flag, then don't expect me to give a damn about your feelings."

OddBalls

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3119
The only time I sanded a ball was when I put my EPX through the dishwasher..

The reason was that the lanes polished the surface to such an extent that I wasn't able to get all of the oil out of that ball. Once I removed  the "shine" off that ball and then gave it the treatment, all of the oil finally came out..

 

So, my  take is that IF you have a solid with  a low grit OOB finish that you're doing an extraction on, I would first take in back down to the OOB surface..

 

JMHO that worked for me..


Yes. it's I, the Inverted One..


ruger311

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 12
 Tried ball after dishwasher at lunch bowled 150/170/208 left a couple opens on the first two killed it for me