Author Topic: Life of the GB coverstock? (Read 6137 times)

GutterLine · « **on:** February 05, 2007, 11:22:59 PM »

Good morning,

I have a customer that purchased an Infinite One when the season started. After about 30 games, the ball just didn't have the hook or pop that it came with out of the box.

I've done some tweaking of the cover to no avail. We've tried different abralon grits, but it really doesn't matter.

Has anyone else had this problem? Has Ebonite ever stated that there could be a problem with GB covers soaking up oil so quickly?

TIA,
Mark

azus · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2007, 07:25:54 AM »

Did you clean it after every use?
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dizzyfugu · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2007, 07:34:57 AM »

My SR300 with GB10.7 hooks like the day I got it, 6 monthe ago. In fact, I had to polish it because it is so strong! It also catches few nocks and scratches, I am positively surprised.

But I wipe the ball before each shot, clean the surface and even did a hot warm bath some weeks ago - but just out of caution because of the oil suction properties of the stuff, without seeing any reaction loss before.

Could it simply be that the ball was/is thrown on too light conditions? My SR300 used OOB to burn up quickly, once a track is worn into the lane. hence I got it polished, and it seems to be the right thing for the lines and conditions I want to use it.
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Jeff Ussery · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2007, 08:23:58 AM »

Using Powerhouse Energizer Cleaner every time you finish bowling is the best way to maintain your coverstock's out of the box performance.

If this hasn't been done, a Powerhouse Hook Again treatment will help to remove the excess plasticizer from the track.

Good luck, and Bowl to Win!
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Phoneman · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2007, 08:29:36 AM »

Jeff,

you are the first one, that I have seen, mention the placticizer on this site as the reason for loosing reaction on a ball. It is not the oil in the ball causing the reaction to go away it is the reaction of the oil to the plasticizer causing the placticizer to come the surface causing the reaction to go away not the oil in the ball.

Jeff Ussery · « **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2007, 08:42:40 AM »

Well, it's a very complicated process, and truthfully, I don't have the educational background to understand precisely what's going on inside the ball.

What I do know is that using Energizer cleaner after you bowl EVERY session will keep your ball reacting like new.
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GutterLine · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2007, 09:39:20 AM »

Ok, so not cleaning the ball after every session will change the reaction of the ball? This has been said for years. My questions are as follows:

1 - If the ball has soaked up the oil and there is no residue on the ball, why the need to wipe it between shots?
2 - on the same note, what would the cleaner do other than remove dirt and excess oil (that should have been soaked up...)

We did attempt to use the Hook Again system when it was first introduced, but the results were less than impressive.

Please understand, I am not being argumentative, and I have never found that a ball cleaned after use performs any better than a ball not cleaned in 10 games.

Thanks again,
Mark

Jeff Ussery · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2007, 09:45:57 AM »

Wiping the ball in between shots will reduce the amount of lane oil being absorbed by the cover. Using an Ebonite Oil-Free Towel has worked best in my experience.

Cleaning the ball with Energizer after use will clean the pores in the coverstock and will help to further remove lane oil from the outside of the ball.

I've had very successful results with cleaning my stuff after bowling, every single session. It's crucial to maintaining the performance of your bowling equipment.
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Jeff Ussery
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Ball Videos at www.putfile.com/jeffussery

cnimsk · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2007, 12:00:23 PM »

Jeff:

I usually wait until I get home to clean my bowling balls. Is that too long a wait? It usually takes me about 20 minutes to get home. I wipe my bowling balls after every shot using an ebonite or brunswick oil-free towel.

Chuck

GutterLine · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2007, 12:07:00 PM »

So, in a situation where I have a bowler that does not wipe his ball b/w frames and does not clean his ball on a regular basis (or ever), after 30 games, the ball is done. What would be his next step?

Not that it may matter, but our center has heavier pattern than most house shots. Because of the amount of flare and that the ball absorbs oil so quickly anyway, could the higher volume of oil cause the ball to 'quit' sooner?

Strapper_Squared · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2007, 12:28:44 PM »

quote:

you are the first one, that I have seen, mention the placticizer on this site as the reason for loosing reaction on a ball. It is not the oil in the ball causing the reaction to go away it is the reaction of the oil to the plasticizer causing the placticizer to come the surface causing the reaction to go away not the oil in the ball.

Several years back, I collected a bunch of the liquid that came out of a ball after a session in my rejuvenator. I took it to work and ran the liquid through our GC-MS (gas chromatogram/mass spec). The liquid that comes out of a ball is most definitely NOT oil of any sort. As a matter of fact, I don't even think (will have to go back and re-check) that there were any traces of oil in the liquid. I did a little searching and found that the compounds were indeed types of plasticizers...

To the question... On high volumes of oil, I don't think its out of the question to notice a drop in performance after approx. 30 games (include warm ups and any practice... may be closer to 40 or 50)...especially if the ball isn't cleaned, wiped down, etc. High-tec coverstocks = high maintenance. I would suggest trying one of the extraction methods. I have never used the hook-again, but it is recommend by Ebonite and I have heard good things about it. Personally, I use a rejuvenator and in the past have used hot water/bucket method. I would sand the ball down (maybe 360 or 500 abralon) prior to the treatment. Once finished, I would work the ball back up to one grit lower than the factory finish (so if it came at 2000 grit polished, take it to 1000 grit and apply polish).

S^2
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THEICEMAN · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2007, 12:36:23 PM »

To back up Jeff, I was at the Total NV clinic in Milwaukee a couple weeks ago and it was mentioned the average games on a ball before a signifiacnt drop in reaction was about 50. It was also pointed out that depending on oil pattern or amount of oil this number will change. They do recommend the cleaner after a set to help get any residue off the surface and to help with the plastisizer in the shell. One thing that was explained that while they won't come out and advertise it, the BEST way to get oil accumulation out of a ball was two 1/2 hr long hot water only baths. Put the ball in a bucket and fill with hot tap water ONLY and leave it soak for a half hour. Remove and wipe down the ball and dump the dirty water and replace the ball back in the bucket and do it again for another half hour period. Remove the ball, wipe it down and set it on a counter thumb hole down and the fingers will dry very shortly by evaporation. They said anything beyond the two times doesn't really benefit at all. Once you get over 100 games the hook again is suggested because at that point the plastisizer comes to the surface more and the water won't have as good as an effect. The reason you won't see it on their website is simply alot of proshops could and would offer this service to the customer and they wanted to make sure they where aware of it. It does work. As Iv'e said in past posts my Widow really came back after it got a bath and you won't believe the stuff the water draws out. With the GBV covers the number is the amount of oil in grams it absorbs during a 2 hour league session. Say 12.7 would mean for every set you tossed the ball it could absord 12.7 grams of oil. Don't know exactly how much oil a gram amounts to, but in 10 nights of bowling it would be 127 grams which to me seems pretty significant. And if a proshop wants to charge $10 bucks for 5 gallons of hot water, I don't think that would be a bad price to get a ball to react again how it was meant to.

theiceman

bruns300 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 08, 2007, 07:26:04 PM »

When giving the ball a bath do you need to do anything with the inserts or will they be ok?

DynoLess Daddy · « **Reply #13 on:** February 08, 2007, 08:27:12 PM »

I will have to say this:

A.O. #1 cleaned every 12 games, using spinner and Degree Cleaner
A.O. #2 cleaned every set and put in the revivor oil extractor every 18 games.

There was a noticeable reaction and life expectancy difference.
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Author Topic: Life of the GB coverstock? (Read 6137 times)

GutterLine

Life of the GB coverstock?

azus

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dizzyfugu

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Jeff Ussery

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Phoneman

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Jeff Ussery

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GutterLine

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Jeff Ussery

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cnimsk

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GutterLine

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Strapper_Squared

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THEICEMAN

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bruns300

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DynoLess Daddy

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