I've drilled several hundred Storm/Roto balls over the last 5 years and have had exactly 2 crack, one of those because I hated it and wanted to see it die so I set it up . . and the other was just sitting on a wood rack in the basement and had been plugged once. Yeah temperature stuff definitely has something to do with it, and with 3 different materials of differing densities and materials, of course that will contribute to it too. I'm sure more balls crack now than they used to, but a big part is drilling and storage. I've had a few recently start cracking around the fingers, but that's because they started getting crappy glue at the pro shop that's stupid hard to control. I bought my own so I shouldn't have that problem again, but I take a lot of care during drilling and then with storage so I just don't have the problems and I suppose it's hard for me to sympathize because it just never happens for me, and the very rare times it does, I know why.
I'm not challenging your experience or trying to be a know it all . . but cracking is a really big/tense deal in a pro shop, so it was a big area of focus for me. Only times balls cracked that I drilled from ANY company, it was due to improper care, so I'm not just trying to defend Storm or Hammer, it's just a general defense when it comes to any bowling ball. You might be onto something with the time periods, but if you get it out of the pro shop right and store it right, cracking is a virtual impossibility as far as I'm concerned.
Bowling balls that just sit around will crack, it's not a manufacturer or cover thing, if they sit around and aren't used they will crack. The best way to prevent it is put it back in the original plastic bag and box and store it with the holes down. The warranty should cover it, but I wouldn't call this a Hammer problem or a cover problem, it's just what happens to bowling balls so I wouldn't be upset with them or concerned about it. I'm sure they'll fulfill the warranty, and I wouldn't have any reservations about continuing to drill their equipment.
So I have 5 new hammer balls. Gauntlet and scandal both bought 2 years ago and barely used. I have a gauntlet knight ripd solid and black widow black and gold all nib. The gauntlet and scandal both cracked while in my bag in the closet of my bedroom. Has anyone else had issues with cfi cover stock cracking? Worried about drilling the other balls now. Been in contact with hammer about their 3 year warranty. Waiting to hear back from them.
First of all, I will admit that you have greater spectrum of knowledge than I do about bowling, Luke. With that being said, isn't cracking issues with bowling balls related to the coverstock and inner/outer core expanding and contracting at different rates creating stress points on the coverstock? I also have found (in my subjective experience) that cracking issues are highly random and seem to occur regardless of the coverstock strength, how much I use the bowling ball, or how I store it. While it is a given that extreme flucations in temperature and humidity greatly contribute to cracking issues, I have a hard believing that having over a dozen Storm balls cracking has nothing to do with the manufacturer. I hoard bowling balls like crazy and I have noticed that literally all of my cracking issues come from Storm/Roto Grip balls manufactured from 2005-2015 (Sure Lock is still going strong!) and my Brunswick/Radical/Dv8 stuff made 5 to 10 years ago. Otherwise, ZERO cracking issues with my current possession of 50 odd bowling balls at my house with many of them being 20 years old. Maybe it is a mere coincidence? I don't know.
