Author Topic: acetone to a balls cover (Read 7740 times)

ithinkican · « **on:** September 28, 2011, 06:35:10 AM »

I read about changing the coverstocks of balling balls. i do not remember the name of the substance that is in the coverstock but i read that if you were to wipe your ball off with acetone, that it actually has a counter reaction with that material and messes the coverstock up in some way? I dont know for sure because the magazine seemed more like gossip. i mean i use acetone every once in a while and ive never had any drastic problems. but is what i read true?

Nails · « **Reply #1 on:** September 28, 2011, 03:03:58 PM »

I don't think there's any chemical reaction or anything, but prolonged contact with acetone will make the cover soft/mushy. Some people blame acetone on ball death, but plenty of people use as you imply for things like cleaning belt marks, so I think that's unlikely.

Telling it like it is.

ithinkican · « **Reply #2 on:** September 28, 2011, 03:33:45 PM »

i think the same thing as you. but im dont build or manufacture the ball so i dont know for sure.

charlest · « **Reply #3 on:** September 28, 2011, 05:14:16 PM »

Sorry but there is a definite chemical reaction between acetone and any "plastic". Polyester, urethane and resin all fall into the family of plastics.

As in many chemical reactions between 2 compounds, parts of all of each compound are used up in the reaction. Acetone, being a very simple, but very reactive compound, gets used up very quickly. This is why there is a not a major change to the surface when just a drop or two of acetone "touches" a resin bowling ball. Acetone changes the chemical composition of the resin, urethane or polyester with which it interacts.

Nails wrote on 9/28/2011 3:03 PM:I don't think there's any chemical reaction or anything, but prolonged contact with acetone will make the cover soft/mushy. Some people blame acetone on ball death, but plenty of people use as you imply for things like cleaning belt marks, so I think that's unlikely.

Telling it like it is.

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

"A comedian says funny things. A comic says things funny."

BowlingChat.net

tommyboy74 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 28, 2011, 08:53:34 PM »

Didn't Don McCune soak balls in acetone back in the 1970's to purposely soften them up to get additional hook? I'm thinking that was one of the reasons that there is the minimum hardness rule that all companies need to follow now.

My arsenal

Heavy Oil: Storm Virtual Gravity Nano: 2000 AB
Medium-Heavy Oil: Storm Anarchy: 1500 polished
Medium Oil: Roto Grip Nomad Dagger: 1500 polished

Medium-Light Oil: Roto Grip Rising Star: 1500 polished

charlest · « **Reply #5 on:** September 28, 2011, 09:05:36 PM »

Nope. It wasn't acetone. He used Methyl Ethyl Ketone. if he used acetone, he would have dissolved the ball.

tommyboy74 wrote on 9/28/2011 8:53 PM:Didn't Don McCune soak balls in acetone back in the 1970's to purposely soften them up to get additional hook? I'm thinking that was one of the reasons that there is the minimum hardness rule that all companies need to follow now.

My arsenal

Heavy Oil: Storm Virtual Gravity Nano: 2000 AB
Medium-Heavy Oil: Storm Anarchy: 1500 polished
Medium Oil: Roto Grip Nomad Dagger: 1500 polished

Medium-Light Oil: Roto Grip Rising Star: 1500 polished

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

"A comedian says funny things. A comic says things funny."

BowlingChat.net

tommyboy74 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 29, 2011, 02:21:44 PM »

Thanks for clarifying. I knew he soaked them, just wasn't sure what he had used.

My arsenal

Heavy Oil: Storm Virtual Gravity Nano: 2000 AB
Medium-Heavy Oil: Storm Anarchy: 1500 polished
Medium Oil: Roto Grip Nomad Dagger: 1500 polished

Medium-Light Oil: Roto Grip Rising Star: 1500 polished

Blockbuster Bowling · « **Reply #7 on:** October 09, 2011, 10:29:54 PM »

Don McCune used Toluene as I was there at Mel's Bowl in Redwood City watching the summer PBA tour stop that year (1973) and the motel located next door ( Algiers, I think? )was loaded with buckets as the word had gotten out a week or so before.

What I heard is that Don had told either Jim Stefanich or Carmen Salvino and the cat was let out of the bag.

Do not know this for a fact though.

Alexander Romanowsky
Blockbuster Bowling
http://www.blockbusterbowling.com

Edited by Blockbuster Bowling on 10/9/2011 at 10:51 PM

ithinkican · « **Reply #8 on:** October 10, 2011, 01:22:57 PM »

I did an experiment on my cell and i noticed that after i used the acetone the reaction was nothin in comparison to how it use to be. it didnt read as early and the hook was like a potatoe. . but i also used it on my brunswick fury and it didnt affect its motion at all. so im not gonna use it anymore to clean any of my coverstocks. im gonna stick with that stuff made by lane masters....... or powerhouse stuff

JohnP · « **Reply #9 on:** October 10, 2011, 01:47:24 PM »

The most important factor in this discussion hasn't been brought out - per USBC rules use of acetone on the ball surface is illegal. -- JohnP

Tex · « **Reply #10 on:** October 11, 2011, 12:36:25 PM »

Fact is any ball is illegal to be used if soaked in Acetone, MEK, Denatured Alcohol and others. There is a list on bowl.com somewhere.

Roll with 900 Global.

Made in Texas!

ithinkican · « **Reply #11 on:** October 11, 2011, 03:47:43 PM »

I didnt soak the coverstock with it. i just simply applied a small amount to the coverstock to remove any skuff marks that a wheel in the ball return caused. and plus i know of an ex pba rep and he used it on all his stuff. That is the reason that i started using it. guess that follows the dont ask dont tell rule right.

Tex · « **Reply #12 on:** October 11, 2011, 04:51:00 PM »

I think most pro shops use acetone to clean super glue and scuff marks. Nothing illegal about that I don't believe.

I caught a guy at our city tournament back a few years back cleaning a ball with Denatured Alcohol. I was a director at the time so we made him bag the ball. Worked out though, he shot a 300 the second game of the tournament.

Roll with 900 Global.

Made in Texas!

ithinkican · « **Reply #13 on:** October 11, 2011, 05:27:45 PM »

back when i was in youth league, an old man approached me and asked why are you using alcohol on your ball. to clean it i said. he said throw that garbage away and use this. then he handed me a bottle which held a blue liquid which was made by lane masters. i have used it ever since. it smells just like finger nail polish remover. and of course, it is illegal to use during league play. i switched to acetone because it was cheaper. but it wasnt until recently that i noticed how much the acetone was affecting my ball's overall hook and break point. it wasnt because my bowling balls were getting old. it was the acetone affecting the balls hook

J_w73 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2011, 02:51:10 PM »

Information for anyone ...

In the last couple of years denatured Ethanol (alcohol) was made legal for use anytime. I questioned the USBC on this because I knew it had been ruled illegal for so many years. Also , the ingredients that are commonly used to "denature" the alcohol, like gasoline, MEK, Acetone, are still on the "not approved ever" list.

USBC said that they found that the denatured alcohol did not change the surface in a way that would make the product illegal to use.

I still tend to disagree..Why make a product legal to use when some of the products in it are illegal.

I also read an article about 5 years ago that said it wasn't good to use denatured alcohol to clean newer reactive resin balls because of the additives like MEK and Acetone. They will break down the surface and the cell structure and basically melt the surface smooth and take the porosity out of it.

See the "commercial products approved at anytime" listing.. 4th entry down

http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/combined-cleaner-polisher-list.pdf

Also, the reasoning for the soaker balls in Tuolulene was to create a softer cover and thus creating a larger footprint on the lanes and more friction. The soaker balls is what led to the hardness specifications in the PBA and ABC.

Tex wrote on 10/11/2011 4:51 PM:
I think most pro shops use acetone to clean super glue and scuff marks. Nothing illegal about that I don't believe.

I caught a guy at our city tournament back a few years back cleaning a ball with Denatured Alcohol. I was a director at the time so we made him bag the ball. Worked out though, he shot a 300 the second game of the tournament.

Roll with 900 Global.

Made in Texas!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

18 mph,350 rpm,PAP 5 1/2 x 3/8up, 10-13 deg axis tilt, varied rotational axis deg.. usually 45+

HighGame 300 x 5, High Series 808
Book Average 220,PBA Xperience 193

Author Topic: acetone to a balls cover (Read 7740 times)

ithinkican

acetone to a balls cover

Nails

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ithinkican

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charlest

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tommyboy74

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charlest

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tommyboy74

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Blockbuster Bowling

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ithinkican

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JohnP

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Tex

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ithinkican

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Tex

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ithinkican

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J_w73

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