Author Topic: Ebonite's covers? (Read 5841 times)

charlest · « **on:** March 02, 2010, 08:17:03 PM »

I have been very leery of buying any of Ebonite's medium oil and stronger balls for years now, mostly due to the stories about how their rapid oil-absorbing coverstocks can lose performance quickly AND not be restored.

Due to both their stating that they are making a concerted effort to use less oil absorbing resins and to a friend's use of several of their stronger balls, and having watched his Striking Motion perform,
I decided to try an SM. They were going to fairly low prices due to have been discontinued.

I have been happily surprised by this ball's performance. I drilled it kind of weak (pin over center of bridge and MB just right of the thumb hole), to allow me to use it on some of the medium (when I'm lucky) and lighter oil I usually see. It's P4000 grit matte is about as weak as I can get the surface without polish.

Well, many weeks I was able to use the ball for the first or the first 2 games of my 4 games league. Never for all 4 games. Lately I noticed I can barely use it for the first game. This house is older with Guardian overlay in the fornt half and they oil pretty heavyily for Guardian, resulting in a wet/dry in one half of the house and a stronger blend in the other house. The pairs vary wildly sometimes, but this much I have noticed, after 25 - 30 games on this ball ---

The ball is hooking more and more!

Not huge amounts. Just noticable amounts.
Yes, of course, I noticed this a month back, but I wanted to observe the ball more and more to be sure, it wasn't just me getting used to the ball or it just being one pair of lanes. Of course, also, over time one gets or builds up more confidence in a ball.

Actually I expected the ball to begin to lose performance, and, if most of you know me, I tend to try to clean any, every ball immediately I use it.

It'll be interesting to see how it performs after 50 and 75 games. I'll try to keep track of its use, but, if I had to guess, I'd say Ebonite has turned the corner in this very delicate subject: performance loss over time.
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"None are so blind as those who will not see."

EFFEN 10 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 18, 2010, 06:42:17 PM »

quote:
Quote

The test ball had a full thickness coverstock (just like many Lanemasters, Visionary and some RG/Storm balls)

quote]

hey charlest, just curious what you mean or meant by this.....??

There is no filler between the cover and the core.
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The more I practice,the luckier I get.

charlest · « **Reply #17 on:** March 18, 2010, 06:47:51 PM »

quote:
quote:
Quote

The test ball had a full thickness coverstock (just like many Lanemasters, Visionary and some RG/Storm balls)

quote]

hey charlest, just curious what you mean or meant by this.....??

There is no filler between the cover and the core.
--------------------
The more I practice,the luckier I get.

I thought that was understood. If not, T C 300, then my apologies.

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

BeansProShop · « **Reply #18 on:** March 18, 2010, 07:55:47 PM »

The bottom line is that the technology that makes these balls so great and perform like they do is also what kills them. When testing covers some manufacturers will get a few differents makeups from the chemical companies and have pucks made of the coverstock. They then put oil on the pucks. The amount of time it takes for the oil to absorb determines cover strength. The faster it absorbs the stronger the coverstock is and vise versa. The ball HAS to absorb oil at a fast rate to perform.

The bad this is that oil absorbsion also deteriorates the like new performance of the covers as they are rolled down the lane from shot #1...

Cleaning the balls will only somewhat delay that absorbsion but is WELL worth doing.. That small delay in saturation will make the ball perform at a higher lever longer..

There really isn't a way to keep a ball from deteriorating at this time..

The only true way is to use non reactive urethane or plastic.

So just clean the Ebo's more and keep the covers in better shape for maximum performance for a longer time...

My opinion....
Beans
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www.beansproshop.com
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Thomas "Beans" Biniek Jr.
PBA Member and Pro Shop Owner/Operator
Check out current eBay auctions at:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=bowling_with_leah Official Pro Shop of "ALL" F.O.S. Members!!!

charlest · « **Reply #19 on:** March 18, 2010, 08:08:03 PM »

I practiced today, Thursday in prep for league tomorrow, Friday, night.
The interesting part is they changed the oil amount because people were complaining the oil was disappearing too quickly. It has seemed to go from medium-heavy straight to medium-light, skipping medium altogether.
(Lane surface is 30 feet of Guardian overlay and 30 feet of old pine.)

To say I was shocked is to put it mildly. With the Striking Motion at P4000 grit, I went from standing 30, targeting 3rd arrow (15), with breakpoint around 7/8 board, in the first game of league, to today's
standing 19/20, targeting 8 board at the arrows, to a breakpoint of 3/4.
Eben then I needed to hit the ball firmly with the fingers in order not to leave a weak 10 pin.

If they intend to keep this amount of oil, which one of the younger guys said was "a little wider and little longer" (major understatement!!), there's going to a lot of very surprised (and very unhappy) people in tomorrow's league!!

ALthough I could use the SM at P2000 grit, I am not sure the guy who told me this was telling the truth AND I'd like to keep this ball at P4000 grit to see how it works. If I need to start with a stronger ball, I will bring one, as well as my normal go-to ball for when the SM is too much. I'll try to remember to update this thread Sat. or Sunday, depending on how I feel after league tomorrow.

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

charlest · « **Reply #20 on:** March 19, 2010, 09:13:03 PM »

quote:
well,
i guess that will pretty much 'staighten out' your increased reaction.

it's never simple is it?
regards,
-bill

Indeed.
I bowled tonight and the oil was NOTHING like it was yesterday. The kid was just yanking my chain. Due to the heat and humidity, I couldn't get a decent release but maybe 1 - 2 times out of 10. (The frustration is still stressing me out a bit, now, 2 hours later,) So I could hardly track the hooking power of the SM. Plus the lanes dried out at an incredible rate. I used my Blue/Green Centaur and that was virtually flipping and that is the least flippy ball I own outside of pure urethanes!!! Arrgh!

If I use it elsewhere before next Friday, I'll post. Otherwise, any comments of changes will have to wait another week. Apologies.

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

completebowler · « **Reply #21 on:** March 26, 2010, 12:13:14 AM »

quote:
quote:
well,
i guess that will pretty much 'staighten out' your increased reaction.

it's never simple is it?
regards,
-bill

Indeed.
I bowled tonight and the oil was NOTHING like it was yesterday. The kid was just yanking my chain. Due to the heat and humidity, I couldn't get a decent release but maybe 1 - 2 times out of 10. (The frustration is still stressing me out a bit, now, 2 hours later,) So I could hardly track the hooking power of the SM. Plus the lanes dried out at an incredible rate. I used my Blue/Green Centaur and that was virtually flipping and that is the least flippy ball I own outside of pure urethanes!!! Arrgh!

If I use it elsewhere before next Friday, I'll post. Otherwise, any comments of changes will have to wait another week. Apologies.

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

My Magic Actions are the same way. 4000 oob and after 10-15 the cover cracked and it became a monster. So I drilled another one up with an earlier and stronger layout, put it at 1000 and have a true oiler. Wonderful 1-2 combination for me. Have made around $3000 in the six weeks since I got my first one.

Ebonite is back on top right now....especially if you take into account the other 3 brands.

Not to knock Storm...their equipment is top notch too.
--------------------
All Star Bowling & Trophy
Langan's All Star Lanes
Walled Lake, Mi. 48390
www.allstarbowlingtrophy.com]

Author Topic: Ebonite's covers? (Read 5841 times)

charlest

Ebonite's covers?

EFFEN 10

Re: Ebonite's covers?

charlest

Re: Ebonite's covers?

BeansProShop

Re: Ebonite's covers?

charlest

Re: Ebonite's covers?

charlest

Re: Ebonite's covers?

completebowler

Re: Ebonite's covers?