Post by: jensm on July 11, 2003, 04:13:20 AM
Regards,
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jensm
Post by: charlest on July 11, 2003, 09:32:57 PM
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."
Post by: da Shiv on July 11, 2003, 10:39:16 PM
Shiv
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Listening to the monotonous staccato of rain on my desk top
Post by: jensm on July 12, 2003, 12:12:38 AM
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jensm
Post by: 10 In The Pit on July 12, 2003, 02:57:59 AM
I feel sure that the Elixer would also benefit polished reactive resin balls and polished particle balls as well, although the benefits might not be quite as obvious on the front end. I think that I've become one of Doc's biggest customers, but I put a lot of miles on my dull particle stuff, and I'm sold on the use of Elixer. Buying an occasional bottle of Elixer sure beats the heck out of buying a new ball every few weeks. Without Elixer, I would have to put the lifespan of a dull particle ball at only 100 games max, but my first Elixer test ball (that started out with Elixer from the beginning) has some 450 games on it already, and it is still going strong.
I'll be interested to see if the BTM article makes any mention of Doc's Elixer in the writeup. Of course, I'm sure that the ball companies wouldn't want to see it, since dead balls help sell more new equipment. However, I look at it a different way.....dead balls after 100 games sends me looking for an alternative method of preserving the life of my equipment. I can't afford to replace a ball every 100 games, and I'm sure that others are in similar situations.
Post by: jensm on July 12, 2003, 03:56:03 AM
I have a Track Heat 2 Pearl that will not behave like it did when it was new. No matter what I've done (resurface, hot water soaking, scotch-brite scuffing) it hooks 5 boards less than when new. This has not happened to any of my other stuff. However, I used the Heat 2 Pearl for a few months before I hot water soaked it the forst time. Only cleaned it after each session before that.
Conclusion: I need to maintain my bowling balls thoroughly from day one.
Possible conclusion: Some coverstocks or cores do not last very long.
Regards,
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jensm
Post by: jensm on July 12, 2003, 06:03:26 AM
Since I base my observation on playing league or competitions in more than 20 houses last season, I think it's fairly safe to say that there has been a definite change to the worse in the behaviour of my Track ball. I use it for light oil now.
I agree that Brunswick reactives are pretty consistent.
Regards,
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jensm
Post by: star on July 12, 2003, 07:41:34 AM
It cost me £30 for the 3 bottles including postage.
Doc sends it as a gift type parcel so you dont have to pay any tax on it.
Its a great product as Ive been using it for over six months and like 10 in the pit Im sold on it.
Ive used half a bottle in that time, it helps if you do what 10 says and put it in a little spray bottle and then mist the ball gently and work it in with your finger.
I'll tell you, you do notice an improvement in the later stages of series as you get the same reaction all night.
hope you decide to join the european users club
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Happy go lucky bowler from the UK
.Did someone say tough luck
Post by: jensm on July 12, 2003, 08:20:34 AM
Thanks for the insight. I will get the Elixir I need quite soon.
Regards,
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jensm
Post by: Doc Hollywood on July 12, 2003, 08:59:20 AM
I can't say how much postive feedback I have from this product and the strong followers that have bought and enjoyed our product.
We have shipped bottles to several overseas destinations all without any problems so far and will do so whenever we can.
If you haven't been to the website yet please check it out and if you have shot an honor score we would be happy to post it on the website.
I am here to answer all your questions and I am sure that many others can answer these questions as well.
I don't frequent this site too often in the summer as I don't bowl much but if you message me I will get back to you ASAP as I do check my messages several times daily.
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Doc
Owner and Inventor of
DOC'S MAGIC BOWLING BALL ELIXIR
For more information click on the link below
http://home.comcast.net/~docsmagic/
or message me at:
http://Doc65@aol.com
Post by: charlest on July 12, 2003, 09:20:22 AM
quote:
I have a Track Heat 2 Pearl that will not behave like it did when it was new. No matter what I've done (resurface, hot water soaking, scotch-brite scuffing) it hooks 5 boards less than when new. This has not happened to any of my other stuff. However, I used the Heat 2 Pearl for a few months before I hot water soaked it the forst time. Only cleaned it after each session before that.
Conclusion: I need to maintain my bowling balls thoroughly from day one.
Possible conclusion: Some coverstocks or cores do not last very long.
Regards,
jensm
Jensm,
I also had a Heat 2 Pearl that died. I am fairly sure it had nothing to do with oil absorption, but more with what I suspect is Holoflex which was added to several Columbia and Track balls, The Cuda/2000 and the Cuda/C 2000 being prime examples. Neither lasted very long.
I resurefaced my Heat 2 pearl in several different ways, none of which worked. I loved the reaction I had with mine. The death of mine was indicated in one major way: it failed to carry even solid hits. I got it back to the point where it would still hook the same number of boards but it was never even close to what it was before. I HATED that. WHile a number of new Heat 2 Pearls were available, I was not going to buy another one. Mine died after about 100 games.
I would regard this ball as a special case, not one of oil absorption.
BTW oil absorption is only one problem with ball longevity. Another accompanying one is the crushing or flattening of the particles in the cover. SInce it happens at the same time, it is equal in its effect on a particle ball's performance and has to be considered when trying to bring the ball back to life. Ignoring one or the other during the rejeuvenation process will result in a ball that is only partially effective, to my mind.
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."
Post by: 10 In The Pit on July 12, 2003, 11:51:33 AM
I started out a Trauma Response (dull, 600 grit) with the Elixer on board, and I've used it for over 450 games now. Other than an occasional rescuffing and an occasional cleaning and retreatment with Elixer, the ball still has most of its original performance. Needless to say, I'm sold on the Elixer
Edited on 7/12/2003 12:35 PM
Post by: Strider on July 12, 2003, 01:56:49 PM
quote:
I had a dream the other night where I was reading this board and I found a post where 10 in the pit DID NOT mention Doc's Elixer. Then I woke up.
Oil monster without Doc's Elixir = 80-100 games
Oil Monster with Doc's Elixir: 450+ games and still going strong
With the average high end ball costing well over $200 (including drilling, grips, tax...), it's no wonder we mention it often.
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Penn State Proud
Post by: charlest on July 12, 2003, 02:01:26 PM
quote:
Jensm, it does sound as though your Track ball fell victim to oil absorption.....when this happens, they lose a ton of their hook, and only work well on drier lane conditions. Some coverstocks are more prone to this than others, and the Columbia/Track coverstocks are extremely sensitive to this because they are more aggressive at soaking up oil than other coverstocks. This aggressiveness makes them work great for a while, but then they just quit working like they previously did. This is where Doc's Elixer steps in, to slow down or stop the oil from penetrating into the ball, while still allowing the ball to remain aggressive. However, as Charlest suggested, particle degradation is also part of the equation as well, and again, some particle covers are easier to get working again than others. Sometimes it is difficult to say where one problem ends and the other one begins.
10 in the Pit,
Having had the Heat 2 Pearl die on me the exact same way Jensm's did, having used it only on medium-light oil, because it is a pearl, and having had mine die in 100 games or less, I really find it very hard to believe it was because of oil absorption.
Because of the extreme attempts I made to re-vitalize the ball, I believe it was directly related to the Holoflex additive and the fact that I could not get a way to re-surface this special ball.
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."
Post by: Strider on July 12, 2003, 02:30:21 PM
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Penn State Proud
Post by: jensm on July 12, 2003, 05:48:21 PM
Although sad in itself, it feels good to hear that you have had more or less the same problems with this ball/coverstock. Would it help to publich a black list with these products?
Regards,
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jensm
Post by: jensm on July 12, 2003, 06:22:31 PM
Regards,
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jensm
Post by: charlest on July 12, 2003, 08:30:43 PM
quote:
Charlest and T4,
Although sad in itself, it feels good to hear that you have had more or less the same problems with this ball/coverstock. Would it help to publich a black list with these products?
Regards,
jensm
Since they (Heat 2 Pearls) are no longer being made, I think our time and energy are better directed towards something with a more positive attitude.
Many, many times ball manufacturers use the public for what we in the computer programming industry call system testers: see how the final system (in this case, the pieces of the core and the pieces that make up the coverstock) works as a whole. It is often expensive and time consuming to do this "in-house".
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."
Post by: charlest on July 12, 2003, 08:33:50 PM
quote:
By the way, is Holo-flex the same as Pegaxis Pro Pearl (coverstock of Heat 2 Pearl)?
Regards,
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jensm
I do not know. I believe the Heat 2 solid also uses the Pegaxis Pro coverstock and I have had no problems with mine. I have changed the surface several different times and always got the expected reaction. I should really re-drill it, as I need to stop playing with the surface ...
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."
Post by: 10 In The Pit on July 12, 2003, 11:10:14 PM
Post by: charlest on July 13, 2003, 12:33:42 AM
quote:
Charlest, from your description of the lane oil condition, it does sound like there must be an inherent weakness in the Holoflex coverstock. I wouldn't expect a ball to die in 100 games on a medium-dry oil condition either, so something must have gone haywire with the coverstock itself.
Yup and it annoyed the living crap out of me!! A pearl ball dead in less than 100 games. Hogwash!
See what term4 said. Must have chatted with the Track or Columbia folks; he doesn't fib.
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."
Post by: charlee323 on July 13, 2003, 10:08:24 PM
Post by: jensm on July 14, 2003, 03:48:01 PM
Regards,
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jensm
Post by: charlest on July 18, 2003, 07:49:13 PM
This procedure has been talked about a lot and is not really recommended as there are tons of potential problems.
1. you are heating toxic oils and the vapors they give off can have an unknown effect. Think about all the chemicals we used to think were safe int he 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s that we now know were horrednously poisonous: asbestos, lead, benzene, and many others. These are oils used in lane maintenance and you are evaporating them in your kitchen.
2. in any heating situation, when there are two chemicals (in this case the coverstock and the core; and possible a third in the filler between the core and the cover) that, when heated to a high temperature, expand at different rates. This often and has at time sled to core separation from the surrounding material.
3. not all ovens heat the the indicated temperature; you need a correct external temperature gauge.
4. The WAF, wife acceptance factor!! you better do it when she ain't home or she'll put your gonads in there with the balls or you won't be married for long.
There are several others ways, all of which are much safer, to extract oil from balls. Besides the fact that oil is only one factor in the DEATH of balls.
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."
Edited on 7/18/2003 7:53 PM