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Author Topic: Attn charlest - Hammer pin  (Read 2647 times)

JohnP

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Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« on: April 12, 2004, 07:35:50 AM »
Thought I'd start a new topic for this, 'cause I always have trouble finding the thread it was in.  I looked pretty closely at my Black Hammer tonight and was not able to find a pin.  I've seen some balls (usually plastic) that had pins that were very hard to see, but this is the first time I've been totally unable to find the pin.  I only had a few minutes before league started, but I'll look some more tomorrow.  Was there an earlier Hammer before the one you posted the link to?  What color is the pin on the one you have?  The ball I have was one of the very first urethane balls to come out, and I think it was the first Hammer made.  At the time I bought it, it was just called the Hammer, I started calling it a Black Hammer later to distinguish it from the later Hammers made.  I'm going to try to find the drill sheet in our old records tomorrow to see just when I got the ball.  --  JohnP
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charlest

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2004, 11:11:56 PM »
John P,

I do not know the age of my ball, Black Hammer. I bought it from Doug Sterner last late Spring, early Summer. I don't know why but my pin on this Black ball is also black. I can imagine many would be very hard to see.

I had an original Black Hammer circa 1987/8, when I go tinjured. I had it drilled pin on Axis. Little did I realize at that time I really wanted Pin at leverage. In any case, it was the first ball that allowed me to average 200 ... well almost. Turns out the a last ball I threw for 6 years left a 10 pin and that dropped me to 199.99999; nearly broke my heart.

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

JohnP

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2004, 12:34:08 PM »
King -- That's certainly possible.  When I had it drilled, I didn't even know what a pin was, and I doubt that the driller did either.  The finger holes don't have grips and it's never been plugged, so I may be able to see an indication of a pin in one of the holes, will look this afternoon.

charlest -- I looked pretty hard for a pin the same color as the ball and couldn't find one.  I suspect the ball I have is the earlier ball from the late 80's, I'll look for the drill sheet today, but our records are pretty sketchy from that time period.  The ball with the two piece core you gave me the link to at bowlingballreviews.com is shown to have cleared ABC in Jan, 1991.  The one I have was a very strong ball for its time.  In fact, It broke too much (slow speed, much less oil than today) for me and I stayed with my rubber RotoStar for several years after I bought it until the oil caught up with the reactive resin technology.  --  JohnP
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jcougar831

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2004, 12:37:21 PM »
Take a Dusty scotch-brite pad and rub over Fab logo.
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JohnP

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2004, 11:39:23 PM »
Well, I found the pin.  It was just outside the Fab logo (thanks, jcougar831) and was black, a very good match for the ball cover but visible under stronger light than I used last night.  That puts the pin at 5 5/8" and the cg at 5" from the PAP, and the pin just above grip center.  With much flare at all, the ball should hit the finger holes, which it doesn't.  I was not able to find the drill sheet.  If I have time tomorrow I'll look back through my old check records and see if I can find when I purchased the ball.  --  JohnP
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B Pirnie

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2004, 11:59:04 PM »
I would doubt a drill sheet,as we know it now,came with the ball. Back in the old days all we knew was pos/neg and finger and thumb weight. Those that knew about flare and pin out balls kept it to themselves. It wasn't until the reactive era that the info started to filter down from the top levels. If I recall correctly the drill sheet had two layouts the right hand and left hand. Right hand drill was straight up over the label. Left hand was turned 90 degrees.
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charlest

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2004, 12:35:43 AM »
kotm wrote:
quote:
john,

what is the serial number of your hammer?..... it will indicate the year and location of manufacture.

the link to black hammers at BBR.com is the only urethane black hammer.  the spec and core shape is correct.  the max flare you may see out one of these with a revised layout is 2- 2 1/2".  they were first intro'd in the early 80's.  
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I guess that means that I max'd out my Black Hammer. Mine flares just about 2 1/2" or thereabouts. It's still a major control ball as things go these days.
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"None are so blind as those who will not see."

JohnP

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2004, 11:53:00 AM »
B Pirnie -- Sorry,I didn't make myself clear.  When I said "drill sheet" I meant the sheet that we keep our drilling records (hole sizes, spans, pitches, etc.) on.  We file these and keep them for at least 5 years, but have some from back in the early 80's.

king of the mill -- I'll record the serial number today and post it tonight.  Perhaps the January, 91 approval date was the beginning of the formal approval procedure or something of that nature.  Guess it doesn't really mean anything, then.

I just went through my old check records, and darn if I didn't find it!  Yes, I'm somewhat of a pack rat.  I purchased the ball on March 11, 1989 for a total price of $115.80.  That was at least twice what I had ever paid for a ball before.  --  JohnP
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JohnP

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2004, 11:33:12 PM »
king of the mill -- The serial number is 8B036494.  Do you know how to interpret this, or where I can find out how?

This thread began with a discussion of whether the Black Hammer flared.  All the evidence I've seen indicates it does have a two piece core, although what we would call today a "weak one".  But the oil ring on my ball does not show any flare.  Perhaps it's the way it's drilled or the way I throw it, I don't know, but I doubt that we're going to solve this mystery.  --  JohnP
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JohnP

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Re: Attn charlest - Hammer pin
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2004, 11:38:35 AM »
king of the mill -- Thanks for the manufacturing information. And with a whopping 1/2" of flare, I probably just see it as a slight widening of the track.  As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, I've always noticed a widening of the track around the thumb area and a narrowing toward the bottom of the ball.  I'm talking about even on my old Black Diamond and RotoStar balls.  Could see it when I looked at the track scratch patterns and always wondered why it narrowed.  Could it be that even these old balls with pancake cores had a very slight flare?  --  JohnP
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