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Author Topic: Driller dilemma  (Read 816 times)

Nollster

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Driller dilemma
« on: February 17, 2005, 12:40:18 AM »
I got an Eraser PP drilled down at the BES to try 3/8" forward pitch and he did a great job fitting/drilling the ball.  I finally feel confident that the ball is not coming off my hand as I try to increase my ball speed.  I used this one for a couple outings before I decided to have other balls drilled like it at my local driller.  When I dropped off the balls I wanted redrilled, I also dropped off the Eraser and its drill specs so they could match it up with as much info as I had.  I'm thinking a competent driller should be able to match these up pretty closely, but that's not what happened.  When I picked them up, the fit seemed OK, but when I roll these newly drilled balls, they just fall off my hand almost like they did before.  Somethings off, but I don't know what.  Also, the thumb slugs have a gap between their edge and the hole -- kind of shoddy workmanship for a shop where I've never seen this before.  Anyway, I can feel the one moving when I put my thumb in it.  The kid I dealt with on these said it's not going anywhere, but it's like a rattle in a golf shaft -- it's there, you can hear it and it's just annoying -- especially when you pay good money for the work.  I'm going to take them back in and have them fix the drills -- I'm just not sure how to approach the whole "You may not know how to measure your stuff" issue.  What would you do?
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Goof1073

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Re: Driller dilemma
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2005, 08:50:35 AM »
I would have them fix it!  If one of my customers isn't happy, then I'm not happy!  If you are hearing or feeling the flug move then the glue didn't take properly and it will have to either get pulled / re-glued or taken out completely and a new one put in.  The hole or space between the flug and ball is harder to know what happened without seeing the ball.  You might have had some amount bevel that wasn't drilled out when the flug was added.  It's also possible that the bit jumped a little bit or he initial missed his marked and had to reposition the ball a little bit.  Either way that might just be cosemetic...but maybye not.  Another thought...the hole might have been sanded out too much prior to putting the slug in.  We will slightly sand the hole too, but just enough to help the slug in.
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-Chris: DJ's Pro Shop : Auburn, MA
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tekneek

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Re: Driller dilemma
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2005, 08:57:18 AM »
You are correct, a competent driller will be able to "copy" and match the drill from one ball to another. I will often ask a bowler to bring me his best fitting ball or his most comfortable ball, for two reasons, one to check the span to be assured it is a good fit, and to check the finger and thumb pitches, so they can be duplicated. The issue of the thumb slug being loose sounds like the hole drilled is too large, I shave the drill bit down so it is pressed into the hole, a snug .005 fit, you can not see a crack or line between the edge of the slug and the edge of the coverstock after the slug is shaved down to the ball's surface.

The issue of your hand falling out of the ball as before, sounds as if the thumb pitch is reversed instead of forward. Ask them to verify the pitch is correct using the Eraser as the correct pitched ball.
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Nollster

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Re: Driller dilemma
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2005, 09:07:35 AM »
quote:
Can you tell if the balls were pitch plugged and reslugged. If so the drill bit going in at a different angle can cause a couple of thousands of a gap. Could have been an older bit that wasn't sharp or had been resharpen several times but either way their standards need a little bit of improvement.
The Eraser was a full plug/drill while I'm thinking the other balls were finger plugged, moved and redrilled and they may have just slugged/redrilled the thumb to change the pitches.  The hole is definitely a little bigger then the slug -- they may have been trying to save me money, but I'd prefer to pay the extra to have it done right.  The pitch definitely seems off.  Is pitch measurement technique a standard for all proshops??  That's my fear -- I know that 3/8" in one shop is 3/8", but I may have to ask for 1/2" or 5/8" at another shop to get the 3/8" on the original.  That would suck!!
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Strapper_Squared

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Re: Driller dilemma
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2005, 09:07:45 AM »
yeah.. if you change pitches drastically...  by 3/8" or 1/2" total, then its a more involved job than just replacing the slug and drilling a new hole.  Normally, the thumb slug is installed at the same pitch as your thumb...  so a change that big, without adjusting the pitch of the thumb slug, could cause your thumb hole to go through the thumb slug and into the ball material... Generally gaps occur (in my experience) when I thumb had been bevelled a lot previously... then a new slug is installed (or the proshop guy sanded the slug hole a bunch and made it bigger.  Anyway, in order to do the job correctly, the slugs should have been removed and the thumbs should have been plugged completely.  Then the new slugs with the correct pitches should have been drilled (likely back into 95% of the plug material) and then the thumb holes drilled.  This would eliminate any gaps.. or other problems.  Sounds as if the proshop was trying just to do a quick job...

S^2
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Goof1073

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Re: Driller dilemma
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2005, 09:59:57 AM »
Geez...with a drastic pitch change I hope they plugged the old thumb!!

About dropping the ball it's eithe pitch or maybe they opened up the hole too much, missed your oval points or put too much bevel in it??
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-Chris: DJ's Pro Shop : Auburn, MA
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Nollster

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Re: Driller dilemma
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2005, 10:26:36 AM »
quote:
Geez...with a drastic pitch change I hope they plugged the old thumb!!

About dropping the ball it's eithe pitch or maybe they opened up the hole too much, missed your oval points or put too much bevel in it??
I taped up the holes 'til they fit pretty much the same way.  As I approach my ankle, the poor fit balls just fall off my thumb onto the lane.  The thing is, I don't know if it's the thumb pitch or if they put some reverse on the fingers and that's where I'm losing it.  When I put my fingers in the Eraser, my hand feels like a claw -- I can take all grip pressure away and the ball ain't going anywhere!!  In my other balls, it's a similar feeling, but definitely not as secure.
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johns811

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Re: Driller dilemma
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2005, 10:32:38 AM »
My guess is 3/8" reverse instead of forward on the thumb. Just ask them to check the pitch.
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