Author Topic: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls (Read 3219 times)

dizzyfugu · « **on:** April 03, 2012, 06:18:46 AM »

Sorry, but I have to vent some steam. As dreadfully expected upon purchase, my orange RX-1 (1st drilling) cracked after 15 months without reason while sitting in a ball cup in my ball rack. Temperate surroundings, no oil extraction so far, low mileage and frequently turned in the cup to prevent pressure building up between the ball elements - but to no avail.

Fed up. The ball cracked from the pin through the intergrated engravings, obviosuly the ball's weak spot on the shell. It was a try, but this lack of structural integrity leads me not to purchase any Motiv ball in the future anymore - and I suspect the ever-thin shells of only 0.5" to be the general source of this trouble. Built-in obsolescence, eh? Thanks a lot for taking care of my equipment!

I expect my Hell Raiser to be the next, while "old school" stuff like my vintage Elimator, Renegade or VBP stuff keep literally solid and reliable as rocks.

DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany
2010/11 Benrather BC Club Champion
Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

WOWZERS · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2012, 07:58:03 AM »

Although you or I have no scientific proof one way or the other, I could not agree more with your assessment of thin shelled balls. I always have issues with thins shells while me thick shelled stuff never cracks. Amazing, right?

Wowzers

LuckyLefty · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2012, 10:19:23 AM »

A guy on here one day claimed it was stuff that came from a San Antonio plant I forget the reason, I forget the guy(claimed he worked there maybe?).

In general I have only had problems with one or two manufacturers that I believe were using a plant in San Antonio, but often I love their balls so I keep buying them! For these brands I am very careful about rounding off my finger holes to prevent what is often the first split in the fingers. Other companies I'm pretty cavalier about it!

Regards,

Luckylefty

It takes Courage to have Faith, and Faith to have Courage.

James M. McCurley, New Orleans, Louisiana

Edited by LuckyLefty on 4/4/2012 at 5:08 AM

Xx 12 X 300 xX · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2012, 11:35:22 AM »

My suggestion is to really bevel the finger holes good. Just doing the basic bevel to knock off the sharp edge is not enough anymore. If you really get in there good and bevel the holes, this seems to stop the cracking from the fingers.

The beveling makes the ball look a little funny, and you may have to change your insert sizes since the hole is notw a bit larger at the top of the hole.

qstick777 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2012, 12:17:49 PM »

I didn't think Motiv had any engravings?

"Patent pending, NeoMark™ technology allows a solid filled multi-color reactive urethane graphic to be unified with the reactive urethane coverstock. This revolutionary technology not only provides visually distinctive logo marks, but also gives MOTIV™ bowling balls improved performance and a quality advantage.

NeoMark™ graphics are highly resistant to cracking and chipping and wear just like the coverstock because they ARE part of the coverstock. The most notable advantage of NeoMark™ graphics is that they allow the bowling ball to maintain consistent reaction down the lane, even as the track area passes over them. NeoMark™ is only available on MOTIV™ brand bowling balls."

" New MOTIV™ brand bowling balls feature revolutionary NeoMark™ graphics, developed by Tech-Line Products. Patent pending, NeoMark™ technology allows a solid filled multi-color graphic to be unified with the bowling ball coverstock, eliminating the need for engraving."

Track_Fanatic · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2012, 12:52:41 PM »

Most equipment now are thin shelled. Lanemaster was the only one i believe who had a thicker shell. Ive had five balls out of a plant in SA crack on me in the past 3 years. All were in a controlled temp enviroment.

Just to be clear on my post, I didn't reference a specific manufacturer, just a plant.

Edited by Track_Fanatic on 4/3/2012 at 1:44 PM

zmansmustang · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2012, 01:35:48 PM »

since this is an open forum and supposed to be educational (to a point I guess), who uses the san antonio plant??

Walking E · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2012, 01:50:18 PM »

Some of the older Roto-Grip equipment (Apocalypse, the Rotary core balls) also had thicker shells. Along with being less resistant to cracking, I believe the thicker shells can absorb more oil before becoming saturated.

WOWZERS · « **Reply #8 on:** April 03, 2012, 01:50:59 PM »

900 Global owns the plant in San Antonio ( old Columbia 300 stuff before Ebonite bought Columbia). 900 also pours balls for AMF and Lane 1.

arickdm · « **Reply #9 on:** April 03, 2012, 01:53:49 PM »

Just get one of the Lord Field Exodus balls. They are all cover stock, no filler.

TheGame300 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 03, 2012, 02:35:18 PM »

It has nothing to do with the shell thickness or the 900 Global plant since I had an Ebonite TPC Shooter crack back in the day for no reason, not to mention a couple Brunswick balls. It just happens and is bad luck.

GPS member (Lerro's Pro Shop - East Orange, NJ)

900 Global.......The Future is in your hands.

Choo-Choo.

WOWZERS · « **Reply #11 on:** April 03, 2012, 03:57:04 PM »

It may not be the ONLY issue, but I feel it contributes. How can anyone explain that after using the SAME driller from the same shop over the past 20 years that the only balls to crack (about 5) have been balls with a thin shell? Different companies? Check. So its not a single company either, which means we have elimanated several issues which boils down to only a few common denominators, one of them the thin shell.

My Visionary and Lane Master thick shelled stuff...no cracks...ever.

qstick777 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 03, 2012, 04:03:27 PM »

900 Global, AMF, Lane #1, Seismic, Radical.......others.

zmansmustang wrote on 4/3/2012 11:35 AM:since this is an open forum and supposed to be educational (to a point I guess), who uses the san antonio plant??

charlest · « **Reply #13 on:** April 03, 2012, 04:22:15 PM »

Nope, sorry.. Just like Lanemasters, some are 2 piece and some are 3 piece/have fillers.

arickdm wrote on 4/3/2012 11:53 AM: Just get one of the Lord Field Exodus balls. They are all cover stock, no filler.

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

BowlingChat.net

Edited by charlest on 4/3/2012 at 2:24 PM

arickdm · « **Reply #14 on:** April 03, 2012, 05:00:08 PM »

That's why I said exodus line because I know those are 2 piece

charlest wrote on 4/3/2012 2:22 PM:Nope, sorry.. Just like Lanemasters, some are 2 piece and some are 3 piece/have fillers.

arickdm wrote on 4/3/2012 11:53 AM: Just get one of the Lord Field Exodus balls. They are all cover stock, no filler.

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

Edited by charlest on 4/3/2012 at 2:24 PM

Author Topic: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls (Read 3219 times)

dizzyfugu

Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

WOWZERS

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

LuckyLefty

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

Xx 12 X 300 xX

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

qstick777

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

Track_Fanatic

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

zmansmustang

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

Walking E

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

WOWZERS

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

arickdm

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

TheGame300

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

WOWZERS

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

qstick777

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

charlest

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls

arickdm

Re: Rant: fed up with thin-shelled balls