Author Topic: POPPP! (Read 6151 times)

JOE FALCO · « **on:** July 24, 2009, 12:07:52 AM »

Home by myself last night and heard that loud POP again. Hadn't heard it for a while .. but it was a familiar sound! First I looked to see if something was knocked over by one of my two cats. Seeing both in their beds I went straight to my home office where my bowling balls are stored!

With so many balls around it was tough to see if there was damage. Past experience made me investigate one particular manufacturer. Found nothing. Now I start thinking the noise was something else.

This morning I take a closer look at some of the balls sitting on the floor. There is was ..a small crack on a a ball I haven't used in at least a year. One of the few USED balls I have (think I have one other). Crack was between the newly drilled finger and the filler for the old hole!

This is the fourth time I remember hearing that POPPING sound .. it's very distinctive. First time I heard it .. thought pipes burst in my walls. Went around trying all my faucets. The more I hear it the more familiar I become with it.

Read where a lot say cracking comes from DROPPING or COLD/HEAT .. I don't doubt that it's true .. however .. all of my bowling balls cracked sitting on a shelf. This is the first one that was a USED ball(i.e., re-drilled) all of the others (six) were balls I had drilled when new. It happened at varying times .. some were six months others were two years.

I have no complaints about the manufacturers .. all of the 1st drill balls were replaced.

My whole point is the CRACKING SOUND .. hope none of you become familiar with it!
--------------------
Hit them light and watch them fight
J O E - F A L C O

RIP Thong Princess

« **Reply #1 on:** July 24, 2009, 03:51:11 PM »

Balls can crack from NOT being used... even at room temperature. They are constantly curing, but when we use them they stay more pliable so it doesn't happen too often.

The ONLY 2 that I have had crack stayed in my office on a shelf at room temperature. I thought I was saving them because they were "favorites". Now, I make sure to take them with me every so often and throw a few games with them. I have a few that need a practice session this week...

Undrilled they can last a very long time, but once they have holes they become more susceptible to cracking.
--------------------
Lane Carter, Strike Zone Pro Shops - Salt Lake City, Utah
Brunswick Pro Shop Staff

www.brunswickbowling.com

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.

Edited on 7/24/2009 3:52 PM

dicnic · « **Reply #2 on:** July 24, 2009, 03:57:12 PM »

Joe, a quick read of your post indicates that you have had eight (

balls crack over a period of a few (?) years. Amazing! Assuming you have quite a bunch of balls laying around (don't we all!) let's say 40 over time, then 20% of your balls have cracked, creating the now familiar "pop" you have described.

I do not mean to imply anything but to have 20% of your balls crack is simply amazing!

My balls are not subjected to heat/cold as I live in SE Florida and it rarely gets cold enough to bother anything. My balls are either in the garage or in the car and get really hot at this time of the year.

I have never had a ball crack, even when I lived in Chicago, PA or the Washington DC area.

Guess I am just lucky or perhaps I have not bought enough balls to have a large enough sample, statistically. I think I have about 15 in the garage now.
--------------------

Never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

bowlerdawg · « **Reply #3 on:** July 24, 2009, 04:05:23 PM »

I am hearing this more and more
balls just cracking in climate controlled storage
from no apparent cause

--------------------
still looking for a pearl cherry bomb

JOE FALCO · « **Reply #4 on:** July 24, 2009, 05:13:42 PM »

Dicnic .. I understand your point .. right now I have about 55 balls in my home office. In the last 3/4 years I've passed-on about 15 balls to others. I just checked my records .. thought I'd have dates on the CRACKED balls but only started dating with the last one which was Sept '08.

I think you are trying to imply that it might be tied to my maintenance routine or possible storage. I can only tell you that the home office is one of the rooms in my house. I have hot air heat and the balls are NOT ON TOP of the vents. My wife is not one to have it cold or hot at any one time so the temperature is kept around 74 degrees. I do go through all the balls once a month (no later then every two months) to do a fast cleaning on ALL the balls. During the Summer I bowl less then normal but in the winter I use at least 8 different balls in a weeks time. That leaves 40+ unused .. I do try to use a good percentage of the balls in a winter season. There is one rack (12 balls) that I probable haven't used in 3 years. Funny .. none in that rack have cracked.

Don't know why I'm explaining .. just wanted you guys to know that there was a loud CRACK every time it happened and it wasn't from a SHOCK to the ball!

Thanks!
--------------------
Hit them light and watch them fight
J O E - F A L C O

RIP Thong Princess

renoatpikeville · « **Reply #5 on:** July 24, 2009, 05:19:43 PM »

like those pop up thermos on turkeys, it's just a way of the ball telling you that it's done.

See, all the bowling balls hang out together and probably talk to each other. They complain about how we throw them the wrong way (either too hard, spin too much, throw others more...etc) and finally one day they say they have enough and POPP!

JOE FALCO · « **Reply #6 on:** July 24, 2009, 05:41:59 PM »

--------------------
Hit them light and watch them fight
J O E - F A L C O

RIP Thong Princess

BrunsMike · « **Reply #7 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:10:14 PM »

Ive heard this sound myself twice. Once I while I was trying to sleep and the other time was when I was actually using the ball.

The 1st one was a Ebonite Smash Time Solid Particle sitting in a box between my bed and dresser. I havnt used the ball in about 3 weeks. Had the ball for about 2 years with no signs of cracking. Cracked from the weight hole to thumb, from thumb through the ring finger to the pain and stopped.

The 2nd time i was using a new Storm Attitude Shift. I never slam my equipment on the floor or anything like that. I was setting up on the approach for my 7th frame. Making my adjustments going through my usual routine. Just as I made my 1st step I heard and felt a loud snap. Everyone within about 4-5 lanes heard it. It made me stop my approach cause it felt like my thumb had just broke but no pain... Came back and got reset not thinking it was the ball. While the ball was cradled in my left arm and as im running my fingers over the surface looking for the finger holes I felt something odd. Once again stepped off the approach and looked at the ball, 1/8th inch wide crack around the ball from the pin to the pin. Had no choise but to use my T-Road Pearl all i had left in the bag.

So much for the 300 game, had front 6, 9/, off the sheet that game....
--------------------
Mike Zadler
"When in doubt, Pull out" - Rob Stone
Below, my stats from previous seasons:
http://members.bowl.com/SearchUSBC/ViewMember.aspx?prefix=552&suffix=12886

JOE FALCO · « **Reply #8 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:18:00 PM »

Mike .. from the noises I've heard .. what happened to you probable would scare the HELL out of me! That HAD TO BE SCARY!
--------------------
Hit them light and watch them fight
J O E - F A L C O

RIP Thong Princess

myhandhurts · « **Reply #9 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:43:39 PM »

Just a little insight into the experience I had. Me and my roommate were both bowlers each storing six balls all mixed together in our storage closet, mine were all in bags, his were not 3 of his cracked. None of mine ever cracked. I believe keeping them in bags helps to prevent this.

Both sets were in there for the same amount of time and neither were ever touched until all three were discovered cracked at the same time.

spankdaddy300 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:16:47 PM »

I wonder if humidity plays a factor? If it's really dry where you store your balls, maybe it causes some structural breakdown.

J_Mac · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:27:47 PM »

Cores sometimes contain material that is hygroscopic. If it absorbs enough water it will eventually swell and cause a ball to crack.

Temperature isn't always the culprit.

MI 2 AZ · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:31:04 PM »

I've posted before in other threads wondering if keeping drilled balls stored in plastic bags would help stop some of the cracking that seems to occur.

So far I have had 5 or 6 balls crack - all drilled, not used in quite a while, some kept in a storeroom and others in my locker at the center. None of the ones that I now keep in plastic bags have cracked yet. I have not yet heard the sound of one cracking but it sounds like you are saying it is a bit loud.

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

I am the Sgt Schultz of bowling.
"I know nothing! I see nothing! NOTHING!"
_________________________________________

New to BR? - Please check this: BR FAQ

dissectional · « **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:52:34 PM »

sorry to hi-jack JOE, but whats the likelyhood of NIB balls cracking? Mine are kept in the cupboard... is this unwise?

JOE FALCO · « **Reply #14 on:** July 24, 2009, 08:08:52 PM »

I've read from other BR members (a while back) where Pro Shops have had CRACKING on new balls on shelves!
--------------------
Hit them light and watch them fight
J O E - F A L C O

RIP Thong Princess

Author Topic: POPPP! (Read 6151 times)

JOE FALCO

POPPP!

Re: POPPP!

dicnic

Re: POPPP!

Never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

bowlerdawg

Re: POPPP!

JOE FALCO

Re: POPPP!

renoatpikeville

Re: POPPP!

JOE FALCO

Re: POPPP!

BrunsMike

Re: POPPP!

JOE FALCO

Re: POPPP!

myhandhurts

Re: POPPP!

spankdaddy300

Re: POPPP!

J_Mac

Re: POPPP!

MI 2 AZ

Re: POPPP!

dissectional

Re: POPPP!

JOE FALCO

Re: POPPP!