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Author Topic: epx is just misunderstood  (Read 1688 times)

stanski

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epx is just misunderstood
« on: March 03, 2006, 03:25:33 PM »
Picked up an epx blem for a steal, drilled it up just to mess around a bit. I think I have found the ultimate in strange reactions out of a ball. This has got to be the most interesting ball I have tried in a long time.

Drilling-pin leveraged, no weighthole, pin under finger line

Lanes-multiple conditions, 1. 36 foot heavy volume sport shot on wood2. broken down house shot with carrydown on pro anvil3. fresh house shot, pro anvil

I first threw this out of a whim in my sport league, was searching for a game and a half with the rest of my equipment and figured "what the heck, try it for 2 or 3 shots and see what happens." I found that the reaction it gave me on the outside was JUST what I was looking for. The ball started up VERY early, but did not overreact like the rest of my equipment, and did not roll out and hit like a wet noodle. I was so surprised that it started up so early, yet still had continuation threw the pin deck.

Came accross a broken down house shot, and threw this ball, expecting it to roll out and hit like crap. Didn't happen here either, the ball started up extremely early again, did not overreact, and still had tremendous continuation threw the pins. I was so surprised that shots i thought would come in flat had the ball finishing near the 8 pin spot.

Finally, threw it on a heavy volume house shot. Figured since it worked so well on the 2 other patterns, there was no way it would be able to cut threw the oil. I was wrong yet again, it gave me literally the same reaction-very early, but still continued. I honestly have no idea how this ball starts up so early, yet still has continuation through the pins.

This ball, however, will not recover when swung from deep inside like a lot of reactive equipment will. It is not an impressive ball motion by any means. So far, after 20 or so games, it has just been very impressive in that it handled multiple conditions and performed equally to my other equipment on 2 of them and much better on 1 (the sport shot). It was great for playing up the boards on any of these conditions, and really surprised me with the hit, from hearing how bad of a ball this was.

Maybe its because i came in not expecting a hook monster that i wasn't dissapointed. I came into this thinking it was going to be a piece of junk and wouldn't hook at all. What I got was the most strangest ball reaction that i have seen in quite a while. I can't stress enough how weird it is to see a ball start up 5 feet earlier than everything else and not roll out at the same time. I am really liking what i'm seeing, and can't wait to get another when they go on closeout (as long as the cracking issue doesn't come into play, that is). warning: this ball does require meticulous cleaning, or it starts looking downright nasty!
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stanski

 

Cranking_Inferno

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Re: epx is just misunderstood
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2006, 10:46:57 AM »
I roll mine on Heavy flooded patterns, and it sets up early and rolls like a million bucks.  There is one thing you must know... after 20 or so games you need to give the ball a HOT WATER BAth.. Columbia300 also recomends this.

Put the ball in hot water.. the hottest you can get from your sink..(make sure the holes are not submerged) let it sit for 20 minutes and then take it out and all the oil will be out of the ball...Simply wipe it clean and theyre you go. The ball will instantly hook more than it originally did, and retail its roll better...

This epoxy technology was made to do this.


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Arsenal:
EPX-T1 - Heavy oil
Action - Heavy oil
Inferno - Heavy to Medium oil
Action Packed - Medium oil
Smoking Inferno - Medium to Dry
Blue Dot - Spare ball

stanski

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Re: epx is just misunderstood
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2006, 08:34:41 PM »
I have heard that this "oil like material" (plasticizer?) comes out of the ball whether you've thrown the ball or not and give the ball a hot water bath. I am not going to give it a bath until i start seeing a loss in reaction, as some of the plasticizer comes out already after the ball warms up on the lanes. Not sure if it goes back into the ball, but it still seems kind of weird and i don't want to mess with it.

Does anyone know if it is even legal to have this plasticizer stuff come out and stay on the surface of the ball? It does make the ball surface look not uniform and couldn't it be considered a foreign substance? Anyone got a ruling on this?
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stanski

stanski

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Re: epx is just misunderstood
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2006, 11:31:21 PM »
quote:
Well, first of all, if it's "part of the ball" coming out, it's not "foreign" by definition  

Also, the reaction you get is dependent on the drill pattern.  I was told by our Columbia Southern Rep that you should drill the ball STRONG and keep the pin near or above the fingers, and not below them.





doh... captain obvious on the first part...

A columbia rep i happened to run into told me to put the pin under the finger line for my game. go figure.

Also, you have a lot more hand then me jeff. The only stuff that I am really comfortable swinging has to be stuff very strong on the backend (i.e. reactive pearls and such). I love playing up the track, and think that the early rolling nature with strong continuation helps me to play in the track area or just inside of it.
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stanski

Edited on 3/5/2006 0:22 AM

Cranking_Inferno

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Re: epx is just misunderstood
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2006, 11:24:33 AM »
you are absolutly right... the activator coming to the surface is not good for the shell... When u start to see and feel the dark purple ooze at the surface, its time for the hot water bath.  Brian Alpert, a rep from Columbia300 personally told me to Hot water treat the shell as much as you want, but usually every 30 games.

I do it every 12 games, and I have been informed by Columbia that you can do it as frequent as you like.

This epoxy technology is made for this, it is made this way so that you can extract the oil always, unlike resin balls that trap it for ever.
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Arsenal:

EPX-T1
Action
Action Packed
Inferno
Smoking Inferno
Blue Dot

SKC

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Re: epx is just misunderstood
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2006, 11:39:08 AM »

I have never had one myself.. And i'm no core-design expert at all.. But with all the feedback i've heard, my honest gathered opinion is that the EPX T1/Catalyst-coverstock were prematurely released, eventhough it took 8??? years before it came out..

I think the core/cover-combo was wrong OR could have been better.. And that they would have gotten better feedback if they'd made a core that complimented the strong cover better..

I most definetely think that C300 are on to something with the Catalyst-cover, they just need to come full circle with a proper core..

On edit..:
Like the Action.. Proven core, proven cover = One helluva ball!

Just my 2 cents..

SKC


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Tough times don't last, tough people do...

Aggression is an attitude, not an emotion...



Edited on 3/5/2006 12:32 PM