BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Lane Masters => Topic started by: T_Bone on December 18, 2008, 06:10:16 AM
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I want to resurface my BP. All I can find is the OOB condition is polished. Does anyone know what grit the OOB condition is before the polish? Thanks.
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Todd
Edited on 12/18/2008 3:44 PM
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I've done my BP's and several other BP's for friends using the Lane Masters Diamond Pad to start, then 400,600,800 Scotch-Brite followed by Lane Masters Polish.
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Pat Patterson
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Thanks Pat! The ball came out looking great!
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Todd
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Every time I've tried to scuff up my Black Pearl, it seemed to hook less than before I resurfaced it. This is the only ball that I have had this problem with. Anyone know if there is something about the particle cover that doesn't agree with resurfacing. I'd like it to react the way it did out of the box. I don't have more than 50 games on it.
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quote:
Every time I've tried to scuff up my Black Pearl, it seemed to hook less than before I resurfaced it. This is the only ball that I have had this problem with. Anyone know if there is something about the particle cover that doesn't agree with resurfacing. I'd like it to react the way it did out of the box. I don't have more than 50 games on it.
Very odd reaction.
The only real problem is not enough lane oil. If the surface is too rough, the ball grabs too early and burns up most of its energy in the heads and/or the midlane and has little left for the backend. Result: small hook.
Got to have mor eoil for the rough surface than for the stock polished surface.
Sand to 800 grit US (sandpaper or grey nylon pad) and polish hard.
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"None are so blind as those who will not see."
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Thanks for the reply and advice.
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Banjoec,
I just had the same ball reaction as you did! After my resurface up to 800 grit and then applied a generous coat of legends polish. I tried it in warm ups and the ball just didnt move. I tried it again in the third game and it still wouldnt move. I thought I must have put too much polish on it but I dont know.
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Todd
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T Bone
You too, So I'm not crazy. This ball used to give a very predictable hook. I've even used it on PBA conditions. But now it can barely handle a THS. The Sure Strike and Buzz have served me well for a few hundred games each.
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I just gave the BP a hot water bath. When I finally took the ball out for the final wipe down, I noticed gold colored flakes on the paper towel. I can once again see the marbled lighter shades that run through the cover that haven't been visible since the ball was new.
Edited on 12/21/2008 6:27 AM
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T-Bone and banjoec,
Just a couple of thoughts:
- when sanding and re-polishing a ball, always use as light a coat of polish as possible, just to barely get a shine. Check the ball reaction before using the ball seriously in league or tournament. You can always add more polish, but you can't back off the shine. You have re-sand and start all over, when you get the results that you both asay you have gotten.
- while Lanemasters balls do seem to absorb oil a lot slower and take a lot longer to show performance loss, they do get there sooner or later. You do have to keep an eye on them and do an oil extraction (via whatever method you choose) to restore the ball's reaction.
For all I know, the Black Pearl may be susceptible to this. I tried one, wasn't fond of the reaction I got on the lanes I was bowling on at the time and got rid of it. So I can't comment one way or the other, except to say, "may be".
I know that sounds like 20/20 hindsight but sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that. Of all the LM/L ball I have used for all the games I have used them, I have only needed to do this twice but I did need to do it.
I still believe Lanemasters are some of the best balls ever made.
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"None are so blind as those who will not see."
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Charlest,
I have to say this is so weird. I really took my time and sanded the ball very carefully. I didnt have any diamond pads so I went with 180, 360, 500 grit abralon and finally 800 grit (resurrection) then I polished with lane masters polish. This ball just will not hook anymore. I sanded 6 sides on every grade. The ball looked pretty good but there was still evidence of scratches in the coverstock. Lane masters covers are very tough to sand out any marks. One thing I noticed with the BP is while it is very tough to sand out scratches and dings it was very easy to ding up that cover. I dropped it once loading it into my car just about 1 foot off the ground and it left some rather deep marks on the ball but not on the track side. That makes me want to say the cover was softer than all my other LM balls.
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Todd
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quote:
Charlest,
I have to say this is so weird. I really took my time and sanded the ball very carefully. I didnt have any diamond pads so I went with 180, 360, 500 grit abralon and finally 800 grit (resurrection) then I polished with lane masters polish. This ball just will not hook anymore. I sanded 6 sides on every grade. The ball looked pretty good but there was still evidence of scratches in the coverstock. Lane masters covers are very tough to sand out any marks. One thing I noticed with the BP is while it is very tough to sand out scratches and dings it was very easy to ding up that cover. I dropped it once loading it into my car just about 1 foot off the ground and it left some rather deep marks on the ball but not on the track side. That makes me want to say the cover was softer than all my other LM balls.
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Todd
Todd,
All Lm/L covers that I have adjusted or tried to adjust have been VERY hard. Abralon barely does the job and its abrasive, silicon carbide is very hard. It may take a full Abralon pad to change one Lanemasters ball. They normally lasy 3 - 5 balls.
I have had my best results using Trizact pads (needed for the original Brunswick partciles) but even that is not 100% satisfactory for me, and to meet my own requirements. But the diamonds pads are incredibly expensive.
As implied earlier, I have no experience with adjusting the BP's coverstock.
As soft as you seem to have found it, other ball have lasted much longer and seem like rocks, comapred to other coverstocks. Balls like the Masterpiece, I think I had 150 games before I saw the first serious scratch.
I would sincerely suggest contacting Galen Carol at Lanemasters, if only to satisfy your own curiosity. He is and has been very responsive to all inqueries, as have all their staff.
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"None are so blind as those who will not see."
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Thanks for the reply Charlest. I gave the ball away and I am going to get another one in February when I go to Vegas. I bought my first BP from Kent Wagner at the booth in Reno. I might as well get my next one from him again.
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Todd
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I had the BP for a short while. Used it on a Shark pattern with very good results. Was DOA on anything else I tried it on, even a fresh medium. Took the cover to 4000 with a heavy polish and it still wavered in the backend.
I got the all used and the previous owner definitely did something to the cover. I gave it to a buddy of mine with very little hand and he loves it.
Drilled the BP Reactive to much better results.
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Repetition is everything..
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Yeah, ya know the more I think about it the more I think I am going to buy another ball and stay away from the BP. Maybe I will try a Lane 1 Agent Orange. Its been a long time since I bought any Lane 1 balls. (Black Cherry Bomb)
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Todd