I've been testing CTD sanding pads and am fairly impressed so far compared to Abralon and Sia. Now I see that CTD also has 80 ,120, 240 pads for resurfacing. I've always used sandpaper, which is much cheaper than 8.95 per pad for CTD. Are they worth the difference? Last a lot longer I assume? Also, what about the conditioner for sanding pads... Yes/no?

I think, just my opinion, that the CTD pads are stronger grit then advertised compared to other brands.

The reason being is my nephew used some for a while. He came to league with a GB3 that he touched up with a new 2000 grit CTD pad. I asked is that just 2000 or did you do 500/2000 or something along those lines. He said no just a 2000 CTD pad. It looked like 500 grit. It was a sport shot league. It reacted like 500 grit on the lanes as well.

Since they advertise there's holds up longer etc I thought I could easily see why if the pads are actually stronger grit then what the number on the pad list.

I understood Hickland Jr to say the CTD pads are designed to skip the step process required with Abralon.

So a 2000 CTD takes the surface to 2000 with the deep cuts usually left from the 500 and 1000 grit pads. I may not have the meaning correct though.

I haven't even seen those grits. The CTD site shows nothing more aggressive than the 500.


A, my bad. They are on a different page.

If memory serves, "Tru Cut" pads mean the grit on the pad is the end result on the ball after sanded.  This is why CTD may seem more abrasive.  Sanding grits are just another Metric vs Imperial type of deal, where based on the system you use, the numbers mean entirely different things.
I'm aware of CAMI which is what we use in the US, FEPA is the European standard, and I believe Japan has their own system as well.  A 600 CAMI is a 1200 FEMA, and Japan measures it by the actual micron of the abrasive.
Long story short, as with everything, the world can't agree on a single system, so what all of us think is "1000" could actually be 3 different results based on which system or standard of product we buy.  Abralon, Saair, Tru Cut, raw sand paper, scotch brites... You get the idea.

CTDs angle is that because they've designed them specifically for bowling balls, that the grit number on the pad, is the literal abrasion the bowling ball will have, when measured with rA scanning equipment, after sanding.
Therefore the name "True cut" because if you use their 2k pad, the ball will be scanned and read 2k on machinery.

Personally, I like the 5 inch pads. I use one of those holders.... heck, what are they called.... ARGH! Too late at night. I know them as CAB, but now I see they are also called sanding blocks... whatever. They are perfect for the 5 inch pads and after several times nearly breaking a finger, I use them exclusively on the spinner plus fit neatly in my accessory bag for the lanes.