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Author Topic: how to make a ball look oily  (Read 706 times)

montymont

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how to make a ball look oily
« on: February 16, 2010, 02:33:50 PM »
the ball i have is a brunswick eliminator and im told that the ball has to have a certain amount of oil on it to make it roll a certain way. i dont think it works on dry lanes. is there a way that u can make a ball look like it has a lot of oil on it? if theres no way to make a ball oily, what can i use to clean it instead of buying some cleaning supplies from the pro shop that they charge too much for?
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Graaille

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Re: how to make a ball look oily
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2010, 11:11:37 PM »
It's got a light particle load in the coverstock, which means that dry lanes are not a very good matchup for this ball.  According to the reviews on here, it needs to be used on lanes with a decent amount of oil on them - not that the ball needs more oil in it.  You can try polishing the ball to help if the lanes you bowl on are drier than the ball really likes, but that will only get you so far.  (This is of course dependant on the speed you throw the ball at, the amount of revs you generate, your axis tilt, your axis of rotation, phase of the moon, amount of humidity, amount you've had to drink, etc...)

As far as cleaning the ball, there are several products out there that do an excellent job.  I can personally recommend Valentino's products (Remedy Rx, Resurrection), but there are those who swear by DIY methods (1/3 water, 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 simple green).  

Hope that answers your questions adequately.
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dizzyfugu

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Re: how to make a ball look oily
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2010, 03:03:54 AM »
The Eliminator is by NO means a dry lane ball. I would not even try it on medium-dry shots. The coverstock base is very strong (a juiced-up PK18 version), the core, too, and the particles are old-school carbide stuff, which act like spikes. In its introduction, it was recommended for medium to oily lanes with its shiny box finish, and that was (and is) no lie. It is a great control piece, though.

To make it suitable for lighter conditions, I'd recommend taking it to a pro shop and have it resurfaced, up to the original White (Cerium Oxide) Trizact pad finish. Those had been very fine sanding pads which would also cut the particles down - the ball would look almost glossy. Normal sand paper or pads cannot do this, they just erase the coverstock material, the particles still stick out of the surface.
Then I'd add a coat of polish, maybe even some stuff with extending properties (no compound) - and pray for length! Dry lanes is simply not what the ball was made for.

As a cheap everyday cleaning option, I'd try some simple alcohol-based window cleaner (much like Graaille's DIY method, just ready to go).
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