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Author Topic: Lane oiling machine goofups  (Read 1079 times)

guzmand19

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Lane oiling machine goofups
« on: January 23, 2005, 11:51:16 PM »
Has anyone ever seen any really goofy shots put out by a lane machine?  I was wondering if it was possible for a lane machine to put out a shot backwards (dry heads, flood down the lane) or anything crazy like that.  


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CharlieBrown

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Re: Lane oiling machine goofups
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2005, 07:58:32 AM »
Unless your laneman is a real dipstick, it's almost physically impossible for that to happen.

I've only worked with AMF lane machines in the past, mind you, and you can, if you really want to, set up some funky programmes, like 60ft of oil, or bone dry at the front, flood at the back........ basically anything you can think of, I can programme it in.  

Don't really wanna do that though, imagine the amount of complains I'd get!  
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TTforshort

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Re: Lane oiling machine goofups
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2005, 08:56:52 AM »
quote:
Unless your laneman is a real dipstick, it's almost physically impossible for that to happen.


You haven't bowled in my house.

About a month ago, the mechanism that raises the right, outside pad, failed. The right side (gutter to 15 board) of the lane was heavily oiled from the foul line to the pit. No matter what your shot or what ball you were using, it went into the ditch. Many of the guys on the men's league had several shots in the gutter.

That night the leftys shined. Most of them were shooting in the mid 200s. Most of the correct hand bowlers were averaging -40 to -80. Real tough night.

Last week, the first 3 feet from the foul line, from about 5-20, had no oil. I pointed this out to the lane man. He replied, "ya, so?"

No one who works at our lanes have any previous experience bowling. The owner hires college kids who seem to last from 4-8 weeks. He has a constant turnover. Even the manager never bowled before starting to work there.

TT
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star

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Re: Lane oiling machine goofups
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2005, 09:02:44 AM »
My old coach had the story to beat all stories on this one.
He played in a centre where every other lane was so different from the one next to it. On one it was going real long and just making the pocket and on the other it was heading to the gutter just past the arrows.
It was a while ago, but after the competition they asked what had happened to the lanes.
Well came the reply the tech was brand new and he sent the machine down the lane then gone down with it and dragged it over to the next lane then sent it back up the other side from the bottom.
He completed the whole set-up like this.
Could you imagine the laugh they had?
My coach was a truthful guy and I have no eason to disbelieve him.

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Brickguy221

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Re: Lane oiling machine goofups
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2005, 09:19:23 AM »
quote:
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Unless your laneman is a real dipstick, it's almost physically impossible for that to happen.

Then that must be what the guy is at one house I bowl in.
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guzmand19

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Re: Lane oiling machine goofups
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2005, 09:22:33 AM »
One night last season in league, we had a lane that didn't get any oil at all and was just bare wood.  During the practice, everything would touch the lanes and be in the gutter by the arrows.  Plastic balls being thrown across the middle would maybe get you a 4-7 count.  We informed the manager who quickly got the machine down at the end of practice, but the only person who struck threw an 8lb house ball no thumbing.  Of course, the machine gave us a flood this time, and I was the only one happy.  
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D <~~~~ Used to be terrible wiffing 10 pins.  Now through much practice, can wiff any single pin spare at any time.

Darrell Guzman
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mumzie

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Re: Lane oiling machine goofups
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2005, 11:05:06 AM »
A couple of years ago I was practicing with a friend. We noticed that after they oiled, our balls kept coming back slimy. I don't mean oily - I mean slimy.
Well, we threw a game of lo-ball (7 pin one shot, 10 the next), then went to bowling for score. The shot was completely messed up from the game of lo-ball - completely different than it had been before.
I complained to the desk - the guy working that day said I didn't know what I was talking about - everything was fine.

Fast forward 2 weeks - bowlers all over complaining, quitting, etc. They've torn the machine down, replaced all the hoses, all the jets, to no avail. The manager of the other center walks in the door, and asks - how many stripper tablets are you putting in per tank? The lane man answers 12. The other manager starts laughing so hard tears run down his face - "don't you know the max is 2?"... Problem solved.
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