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Author Topic: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane  (Read 4403 times)

lefty50

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Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« on: November 04, 2016, 04:34:19 PM »
Hoping this is in the right forum, not sure where else to put it... What are the characteristics of vinyl vs urethane slugs? How can I tell the difference between them? Right now I'm definitely aware of a difference in how smooth and how fast they release, but I can't tell which is which and/or what I should consider when choosing one over the other...
Feedback appreciated.
L50.

 

charlest

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2016, 04:38:46 PM »
(Assuming you're talking about the ones for your thumb) For me, the vinyl ones get/are too tacky/sticky. The urethane ones stay smooth; I sand them to fine-tune them for my thumb. Sometimes I have to sand them lightly to reduce the smoothness. I prefer the urethane ones for abetter, more consistent feel.
"None are so blind as those who will not see."

BallReviews-Removed0385

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2016, 04:46:40 PM »

Urethane seem easier to work with for me.

lefty50

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2016, 05:13:19 PM »
I think we're on to exactly what I am seeing. However, how does one look at an existing slug and ID which type it is? For example, last night I was sticking in the thumb hole and noticed that the slug seemed markedly tackier than what I remember from when I was using IT. When I went home, I felt the same impression. OK, so that means the current is Vinyl and the previous was urethane, but is there any way to visually identify that for sure? Is there anything other than smooth and slick vs rough and tacky by comparison? In fact, looking at them now, my old batch are very shiny, both inside and out. The new batch, dull by comparison...
« Last Edit: November 04, 2016, 05:16:05 PM by lefty50 »

Brickguy221

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2016, 05:18:45 PM »
I'm with Charlest and notclay on urethane slugs working better.
"Whenever I feel the urge to exercise I lie down until the feeling passes away"

lefty50

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2016, 05:53:34 PM »
Hmmm, on edit, I may have that reversed and it makes a difference. My new PSO swears everything he uses is urethane, and they are dull. All my old ones are shiny... Which is which?

WOWZERS

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2016, 05:57:08 PM »
If I am not mistaken, if he is using a different brand than the other pro shop, that could account for the shine/dull issue. I notice Vise slugs have a tendency to be shinier on the outside than Turbo....

charlest

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2016, 07:10:40 PM »
Hmmm, on edit, I may have that reversed and it makes a difference. My new PSO swears everything he uses is urethane, and they are dull. All my old ones are shiny... Which is which?

The vinyl ones ALWAYS feel too tacky to me.

Use can make the urethane shiny/smooth, maybe too smooth. (You wouldn't believe what grit your thumb is, especially for older guys who work with their hands and don't use some lotion once in a while!! So it's n surprise that use by your thumb can make the inside surface smooth.)

As I said originally, I will sometimes take a piece of 100 or 220 grit sandpaper that I carry in my bag, to make the surface slightly, I mean, SLIGHTLY rougher. It gives a nice feel, to me, for me.
"None are so blind as those who will not see."

lefty50

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2016, 09:19:02 PM »
To clarify, I referred last time to the outside being obvious that one group is shiny and the others dull. I have 7 of the IT slugs I used to use that are all identical and shiny, and my new group of Turbos are all dull. Now, you might say how can I tell because the outside of the Turbo slug is covered. True, but I saw these being made and know they were matte-looking on the outside and inside... And PSO swears urethane, he even looked them up again for me today. These new ones though... if urethane, they have to be two different brands... There's a definite difference.

WOWZERS

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2016, 09:42:50 PM »
I currently use Turbo grips and slugs...previously used Vise....and only use urethane. Not much difference if any to me, but the Turbos seem smoother but who knows.

However, when going from Vinyl to Urethane...watch the PSO drill the slug. The urethane slug will drill out and shred as the Vinyl has a tendency to slither out and collect on the bit like a snake because of the material difference. Its very interesting to watch. That alone will show you the material difference and how the Vinyl is tackier (stickier) than urethane.

lefty50

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Re: Slugs - Vinyl vs Urethane
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2016, 10:01:45 PM »
Good info, thanks to all.