Does Temperature affect lane oil conditions

[Loose Cannon]

I ask this question as myself and another bowler were bowling yesterday early in the morning when our local centre opened. It was quite a cold day outside and not much better inside. The lanes were oiled and ready to go and we both found the conditions very tough.
When bowling the revs on mine and my partners ball looked to be laboured almost like we were bowling thru sludge. I look at oil in general as is cold it tends to solidify or becomes firm and when its hot and its alot more slick and slippery. Lanes tend to have about 18ml of oil but would it be enough to affect performance if the oil has these characteristics??? We both probably put it down the cold weather and the temperature inside the centre at the time maybe affecting the lane conditions????

 

[amagill]

It most certainly does! What you described in the quote below, is pretty much correct:

When bowling the revs on mine and my partners ball looked to be laboured almost like we were bowling thru sludge. I look at when oil is cold it tends to solidify or becomes firm and when its hot and its a lot more slick and slippery.

 

[becka_girl]

I ask this question as myself and another bowler were bowling yesterday early in the morning when our local centre opened. It was quite a cold day outside and not much better inside. The lanes were oiled and ready to go and we both found the conditions very tough.
When bowling the revs on mine and my partners ball looked to be laboured almost like we were bowling thru sludge. I look at when oil is cold it tends to solidify or becomes firm and when its hot and its alot more slick and slippery. We both probably put it down the cold weather and the temperature inside the centre at the time maybe affecting the lane conditions????

Yep it plays a huge part!

 

[Phluff]

It's a pain in the **** from a tech point of view. It's just one of the many things that can cause a pattern to play totally different from one day to the next! A lane machine without a heater, stored near an external wall overnight, will have colder conditioner in it that will effect how the conditioner comes out compared to one that has a built in heater or one that is stored in a much more temperature controlled environment. Then there's the surface of the lanes themselves which, when cold, effect how the conditioner "bonds" to the lane. Add to that air temperature and you've got 3 temperature variables that can make a pattern play very very different. Try explaining that to some people tho! lol

It's also one of the reasons that A Squad rarely fills up in a tournament and it usually takes a special bowler or effort to make a cut from that first morning squad!

 

[Roysa]

NSW open thread....

 

[jason_doust]

Your eyes aren't deceiving you Luke.

Colder oil is thicker oil. It will actually slow the ball down on the lane as it tries to plough through, like a bow wave on a ship. So when it does come into friction, the ball reaction often gets "jumpy". I remember bowling in the first squad in the ACT Champs at Belconnen years ago (in a jumper) and using a urethane ball (a black Angle) for 220 in the first game. The carry down off that old ball allowed me to move to a low end reactive after that.

In Tuggeranong, about this time of year, they usually start to carry down more as a result of the heating being on all day and the lane beds getting a smidge warmer by 3-4pm, when they oil for the leagues. I've always had my biggest sets in winter there as a result!

Cheers,
Jason

 

[Loose Cannon]

Your eyes aren't deceiving you Luke.

Colder oil is thicker oil. It will actually slow the ball down on the lane as it tries to plough through, like a bow wave on a ship. So when it does come into friction, the ball reaction often gets "jumpy". I remember bowling in the first squad in the ACT Champs at Belconnen years ago (in a jumper) and using a urethane ball (a black Angle) for 220 in the first game. The carry down off that old ball allowed me to move to a low end reactive after that.




In Tuggeranong, about this time of year, they usually start to carry down more as a result of the heating being on all day and the lane beds getting a smidge warmer by 3-4pm, when they oil for the leagues. I've always had my biggest sets in winter there as a result!

Cheers,
Jason

You know jason this is exactly what happened to me, i left the nano on the rack for two games and used my old brunswick black rhino urethane for the first two games (it didnt seem to "grab" as much) then the nano was so much better in my last game. When i was practising and warming up the nano it had that "jumpy" feel like you mentioned like if it was rolling over its thumbhole really weird. Anyway its something i'll take on board and be wary of next time.