Author Topic: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help (Read 2933 times)

BBock727 · « **on:** January 14, 2009, 02:42:58 AM »

I'm not asking for flames, only advice. I've now had a Cell Pearl for a few months. I loved the Cell Pearl when I first got it. It hit like a truck and made a ridiculous move on the backend. My ball maintenance has been as follows:

1) After every throw, I use my towel on the ball.
2) After every set, I use a cleaner on the ball (Lane Master's Higer Performance Cleaner).
3) After 12 games, approximately 1 month, I use a better cleaner (Track Clean 'N Dull, I believe this used to be Legend's? I was told it was the same product)

I got the Cell Pearl the first week it was released to the public, not sure of the date, but I believe I've had it for a few months now. I bowl only 3 games a week for the most part, so you can do the math of how many games I have on it. I have yet to bake the ball, hot water bath the ball, dishwasher it, or rejuv/revive it at a pro shop, nor have I redone the coverstock - the cover is OOB and hasn't been touched since I got it.

Can someone please tell me what I should do (hopefully the most cost effective way and safe way). The change in reaction has really started to hurt my game lately.

Thanks in advance.

Edited on 1/14/2009 1:36 PM

slashrr69 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 14, 2009, 11:05:32 AM »

hey bbock727
sounds like it needs a trip to the box for a time out.. go get it baked at your local proshop, it probably time to take some oil out of it.. everything else you have been doing is correct, wiping it off and cleaner it after your three games or so is fine.. I myself don't agree with the hot water bath or cooking it in the dishwasher or oven at home.. I did one ball in a hot water bath and it never reacting the same.. they say it takes 10-15 games to get it to roll better after giving it a hot water bath but I had no luck getting it back to its old self.. put it in the box to rejuv it, that would be your safest bet.. slashrr69

shrapnel · « **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2009, 11:43:37 AM »

I don't think that the ball should need a full baking of oil at this point given the # of games you have on the ball (estimated 30-40 games 10-12 weeks). I think you need to go to your pro shop and have them sand the ball back down and bring the surface back up to "box condition". The ball you are using now is NOT in box condition unless you are using a spinner and re-applying polish periodically. The surface of the ball changes just going down the lane, and with the cleaners you use will also help remove some of the polish and give more of a matte finish. Give this a shot first. You may also want to see if you can find a polish that you can easily do by hand, to reapply every so often. If this does not bring the reaction back then try to bake/bleed the oil from the ball.

Jeff S.

BBock727 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2009, 12:15:48 PM »

Thanks Guys. I'm going to try to take your advice. Is there any way i can start doing this cover maintenance myself, without the pro shops assistance. I believe my proshop charges 20 or so dollars to stand at the spinner for 2 minutes and sand it and throw a touch of polish on it.

@ Shrapnel: How often would you recommend polishing the ball, and can i do this without a spinner. Also, are you telling me that I should be polishing the Cell Pearl periodically w/o doing the bring it down to 500, then 1000, then 1500 grit job? That requires a pro shop trip every 20 games at 20+ dollars a pop. I like the idea of being able to polish the ball myself, but I'm hoping I don't turn my ball into a plastic ball that spins straight down the lane.

EboHammer4ever · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2009, 12:42:43 PM »

BBock727, I've had my Cell Pearl since it was released and I've never baked mine or soaked it or anything like that. All I do is clean mine on the spinner about every other week with a 50/50 solution of Simple Green and water in a spray bottle. Granted I work part time in a shop but you can clean yours by hand with Simple Green. This brings the tackiness back to the ball and maintains it backend perfectly for me. I would give that a try.

Roto4ever

BBock727 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2009, 12:57:28 PM »

@Roto4ever

I have 2 cleaners that I use, daily and every 4-5 weeks. Do you think that the 50/50 Simple Green Solution is better than the 2 cleaners I am using?

I can't fathom how it happened, and I am very serious in how I clean it, without ever missing a beat. With my first 12-15 games, this ball used to make a complete u-turn towards the pocket, now, on very similar conditions, I don't get close to the same reaction. I am guessing I am going to need to take it to the proshop to bring it back to factory finish.

Dan Belcher · « **Reply #6 on:** January 14, 2009, 02:02:20 PM »

quote:
Also, are you telling me that I should be polishing the Cell Pearl periodically w/o doing the bring it down to 500, then 1000, then 1500 grit job? That requires a pro shop trip every 20 games at 20+ dollars a pop.

I hope you're misunderstanding and just confusing surface adjustments with a full resurfacing? Most pro shops only charge between $3 and $5 to either sand or polish the ball, and $20-$30 for a full resurfacing. All you need is to freshly apply some polish every once in awhile. If you're using it on wood lanes, it'll need to be re-polished more often than if you're using it on synthetic lanes most likely. When you start to notice it rolling earlier and being less angular, that's the time to take it and get it polished. You don't need a full resurfacing unless your ball is scratched and tracked up all to hell after countless games usually.

I personally DON'T like the OOB shine (too long, too snappy for me) and prefer the results I get from polishing stuff by hand with Snake Oil. However, that won't be very effective from you since you apparently prefer a higher shine for more skid and more snap. Polishing on a spinner helps burn in the polish basically to give it a higher shine for more skid and more snap.

BBock727 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 14, 2009, 02:11:49 PM »

Dan-

My ball is not tracked up. So you are basically saying that I should have the pro shop hit it with 1500grit and throw a little polish on it? Hopefully I can get that for like 5$. Lets see what they do.

What is very weird is that the ball does not seem to roll too early. I'll still try to get it back to the original surface. I used to cover many boards with this ball, I probably cover half of what I was getting out of box and the backend is just nonexistent.

johns811 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 14, 2009, 02:13:45 PM »

$20? I've done that for a beer thousands of times. Bummer.

tehcob13 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:25:44 PM »

im not bragging or anything when i say this but ive had my cell pearl since it came out basically and it prolly has close to 200 games on it and all ive had done to it besides the cleaning it myself is get it cleaned on the spinner in the shop once. but i say that if u think that its picking up to early have it first taken back to the 1500 grit box finish even if u havewnt had anything changed because just throwing the ball has caused the surface in your track to change. but then have a good coat of polish put on it because otherwise it will continue to pick up early. if its going to long and not turning hard then i would say that u should have it taken down to 1000 grit but keep it poplished. and if none of that works then deffinatly get i baked really good and mayb take the polish off if it still isnt turning hard

themagician · « **Reply #10 on:** January 18, 2009, 12:01:32 AM »

I'd suggest having the surface on the ball redone, normally the ball will develop some tracking over that period of time, I doubt with the cleaning regimen you have that it would need baked yet. Try having your local shop knock the surface down and repolish it back to box finish and try that first then move on to baking or a full resurface.
--------------------

http://www.absolutebowling.com

charlest · « **Reply #11 on:** January 18, 2009, 07:02:49 AM »

quote:
Dan-

My ball is not tracked up. So you are basically saying that I should have the pro shop hit it with 1500grit and throw a little polish on it? Hopefully I can get that for like 5$. Lets see what they do.

What is very weird is that the ball does not seem to roll too early. I'll still try to get it back to the original surface. I used to cover many boards with this ball, I probably cover half of what I was getting out of box and the backend is just nonexistent.

BBock,

I do not believe Dan is saying that. It doesn't need to be hit with 1500 grit and polished, not unless you can see visibile wear. The polish itself just needs to be refreshed lightly every once in a while to keep the degree or level of shine close to what it was out of the box.

If you've used it exclisviely for a that "few months", you should probably see some wear in the track area. But, these balls flare a good deal, so often the wear if spread out over a larger area that in older days.

Plus the Cell coverstocks (both solid and pearl) are supposed to be more durable than previous RG coverstocks. Polished balls are used on less oil and so they will take longer to get oil soaked than duller or solid balls.

Your cleaning regimen sounds very good. Clean and Dull used to be Track's. When Ebonite bought Track, they also took over many of their maintenance products. Now C&D is sold under Ebonite's Powerhouse line.

Other than possible wearing down of the original polish level, couldit be that the weather or some other factor has changed the frcition of the oil on the lanes you bowl?? Cold weather can make the oil seem slicker. Maybe the house is putting out less or more oil than when you first got the ball?? Both conditions can make the backend seem less. One because it hooks less onmore oil and the other because it expends more energy gettign through drier heads & midlane.

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"None are so blind as those who will not see."

LaneHammer20 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 18, 2009, 10:00:06 AM »

^^^^^^^^^^ yep best investment a serious bowler can make ^^^^^^^^^^^^
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What is sandbagging???

stormed1 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 18, 2009, 10:04:32 AM »

you can pick up a small bottle of reacta-shine at your pro shop and periodically touch up the polish by hand

Author Topic: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help (Read 2933 times)

BBock727

Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

slashrr69

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

shrapnel

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

BBock727

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

EboHammer4ever

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

BBock727

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

Dan Belcher

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

BBock727

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

johns811

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

tehcob13

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

themagician

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

charlest

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

LaneHammer20

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help

stormed1

Re: Cell Pearl Maintenance Help