DO NOT use a hair dryer on your bowling ball. You cannot control the heat, and what happens is you only heat up a portion of the ball at one time, which would promote the chance of cracking. The hot water bath is a good idea as long as the ENTIRE ball is submerged in the water, but keep bowling balls away from heaters in cars, your house, dishwashers and ovens. If you want to do more of an oil extraction than what the water bath will do, then take it to a pro shop that has the proper tools for the job.
The Vivid came from factory with a 2000 grit abralon surface. If that didn't get your ball to slow down soon enough, then try 1000 abralon.