Is this a good way to clean your ball?

[PD186]

As I am olny new to bowling I came across the attached document and was wondering if this is good advice or what I should do if not?

Thanks All

Phil

 

[Troy]

Sounds pretty solid to me.

 

[Cam S]

* Please Avoid: Please avoid leaving your ball in the boot of your car, or your garage, as high variances in temperature may crack either the core or the surface of the ball. Bowling balls are made of different parts; the shell, weight block, the core, and those parts are of different hardness's that heat up and cool at different times. Therefore when the ball gets too hot and then cools down, separation can occur.
Also a ball when it gets hot can create sweating, and the oil sweating out of the ball can make the ball difficult to hold. If the ball gets too cold it will act similar to ice melting, be aware that when you first start to bowl it will travel down the lane longer and not hook as much, and as the shell heats up it will grip more. If you take the ball home, bring the ball into the house, you will be amazed as to how often cars get stolen or broken into in your driveway.

hahahaha this is my biggest vice

Im currently bowling with balls that sat in my boot for 2 years then in my garage for 5 years.

Too my surprise their still turning ok after a resurface.

 

[Samael]

i find its not so much leaving them in adverse conditions, but pulling them out of these conditions then bowling them down the lane without having time to acclimatise can be a bit of a problem.

 

[Ice]

I have been advised the best way is to dump your ball (plastic, reactive or particle) in a tub of hot water, (don't worry about the finger holes) with a little clothes washing powder which does not contain silicon. Have a coffee and come back then use a sponge on plastic and reactive balls, a green scourer on particle. Rinse and put them finger holes down to dry. I have been happy with the results.
This is the advice given to our State teams by a bowler with a degree in some type of chemistry.

 

[PD186]

Thanks Ice and the others I will give your methord a try next clean.

Thanks
Phil

 

[charliebrown]

The advice that I was given was to put the balls in a tub of warm water(not hot) with a small amount of amonia and let them sit for about an hour but make sure that your finger holes are covered so that they dont swell. I tried it and that works for me

Charlie

 

[Gavin A]

A piece of advise from a guy who has been in the business for 20 years.
DO NOT SOAK YOUR BALL IN ANYTHING!
Not only do you void whatever warranty you may have, the bowling ball coverstock is porous, it is permeable by water. Meaning it absorbs the water you soak it in.
If you don't believe me......I would like each and everyone of you that agree with this practice to contact the ball manufacturer of the ball you own and tell them how you intend on cleaning the ball by submerging it in hot/cold water.
This cleaning method will be nothing more than detrimental to the performance of the ball.

I am not being over-opinionated, I just want you to know it is not a viable or recommended practice.
Please do not continue this method.

Gavin
Richlands ProShop

 

[Easy Tiger]

Definately agree with Gavin, I wouldn't recommend submerging the ball in that manner..

I only ever used it a couple of times, but the method I tried was to get a strong plastic bag, put some kitty litter in the bag, and put the ball in the bag. Tie it off so it can't leak, then submerge that into a bucket of warm water. Leave it to sit for about 30-45 mins, maybe an hour, and then take it out of the bucket/bag, wipe it off, and then clean it with whatever cleaner you use normally.

Sounds like a bit of a weird method I know *kitty litter* but I never had a problem with it, and did those balls hook or what after doing it.
Just make sure the kitty litter is fresh

And to those people who think leaving balls in the boot of your car is OK and won't damage the ball, that's it's a heap of nonsense what people say, well I saw the result yesterday from a customer, and the coverstock didn't look too pretty It's now getting cut in half for display purposes.

 

[charliebrown]

Gavin and Wonderboy,

Thank you for the information on not submerging balls in water. I was first told this about 2 years ago and it was by the person that drilled my ball. However in the last year since I have bout a more expensive ball I have been using some of the products on the market to clean balls with. Now I know if I ever want to clean my ball not to submerge it.

Charlie

 

[Gavin A]

Actually, despite the use of water. Your method is very close to the exact same service we provide with the Ebonite HOOK-IT-AGAIN system.
We place a ball in a moulded container , fill it full of a substance similar to "kitty litter" ,seal it and leave it remaining in the container for a period of 24 hours.
When the time has elapsed, the substance is removed by vacuum, then the ball is cleaned using a ball spinner and a light resurface brings the ball back to life.
Mind you , this will only work if the ball has been looked after and not neglected for 5 years.

To avoid any hassles with people telling you otherwise, please contact the manufacturers and they will give you the right advice.
They are the people who make the ball........it only makes sense they are the people who know how to properly maintain it.

Regards,
Gavin @ AMF RICHLANDS PROSHOP

 

[Feral]

Thanks for your advice Gavin. Could you comment on the below quote from the one provided by PB186:

"The products recommended are as follows: Isopropyl Alcohol or Rubbing Alcohol (Icacol), Storm Reacta Clean, Neo Tec Renew-it, Squeaky Clean, Track Magic or similar commercial products available at the time. NOT RECOMMENDED are Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Turpentine or similar products."

Isacol is around 65% oil (lanolin) so how can that be effective?
Metho - a lot of people use this for cleaning. Is it OK? (I use Neo-Tec Renew-It).

Thanks mate.

Feral

DB4 HDB1

Lane #1 rules

 

[Gavin A]

There is merit to DB186's thread. The use of alcohol based products are detrimental to the coverstocks of your performance balls. They are too aggressive!
The use of Isocol will have the same effect.It has been common practice for bowlers that have been given poor advice to use this particular product.Over a period of time, Isocol will crystalize the coverstock rendering it completely useless.
How many times have you heard a bowler comment that their ball simply wint work any more.It is usually due to someone been given the wrong information leading to the bowling ball coverstock breaking down from the incorrect cleaning products used.
It makes me cringe when I hear that someone has passed on the "ball dnking/submerging" method to clean their equipment.
When I first heard of the dunking proceedure, I contacted both Ebonite and Brunswick to give me the correct advice on cleaning and maintainence of bowling balls.
The ball can be cleaned with any product that will remove oil and/or dirt, BUT NO Alcohol based products! The ball can be cleaned using warm soapy water using the wiping method, BUT DO NOT Submerge the ball in anything!
They continued to discuss the voiding of warranty and the impending and impromptu failure of the balls coverstock and the balls performance.

Nowadays, bowling balls are an expensive peice of sporting equipment and just like a motor vehicle,it must be maintained properly to perform at its best.

Unless you drive a shitbox and couldn't give a damn about it! LOL

Proshops throughout the country will supply you with the correct cleaners and/or polishes , that are distributed by bowling ball manufacturers.
Whether it be Ebonite Power house (which I use) , Storm , Track magic or Neo-Tec, they are designed to clean and polish bowling balls properly and without any damage to the ball and its coverstock whilst enhancing the performance.

If you have any further questions, I am only to happy to help.

Best regards,
Gavin @ AMF RICHLANDS PROSHOP

 

[tonx]

It makes me cringe when I hear that someone has passed on the "ball dnking/submerging" method to clean their equipment.
When I first heard of the dunking proceedure, I contacted both Ebonite and Brunswick to give me the correct advice on cleaning and maintainence of bowling balls.

And I suspect that you also contacted Columbia (who HIGHLY recommends the dall dunking method)?

Alcohol will not break down a balls coverstock, unless there is something in the coverstock make up that doesnt agree with it. 99.99999% of coverstocks are perfectly happy to have alcohol applied to them to clean, however it doesnt clean the ball 100%.

My favourite method is dunking a ball in the sink with hot water, lane conditioner cleaner, a good detergent and a nail brush. This alows even heating throughout the ball to help plasticiser migration, it cleans the pores, and it leaves the ball feeling tacky and fresh. If there is a hot day outside, I often leave a couple of balls in the sun, it is also effective.

HOWEVER

Ultimately it comes down to 2 things. What your ball manufacturer suggests, and what you want to use. If throwing the ball of a cliff works the best for you, then do it (not recommended folks )

Do not use illegal substances such as acetone, because they cause the coverstock to soften, making it seem effective for the first couple of times, but over time the ball will break.

Good Luck...

 

[Gavin A]

Bowling balls should not be subjected to heat.If you wish to stick them in a sink and pretend that you're doing the dishes, then that is fine.They are not designed to expand or contract.
Besides, Tonx in another post on how to clean and maintain bowling equipment , you replied.....never!

Regards,
Gavin

 

[tonx]

straight from Robbie Buckley (some sort of cluey guy, some sort of degree or 3 in something im sure.) in another thread, and it has been backed up by a few ball companies that I have asked regarding this.....

Cleaning balls rarely happens with me, due to lack of time and frequency of purchasing new gear, however since I have had some of my new stuff, they look keepers to me, so I do clean them.

But as previously stated, please contact your manufacturer of choice...


Thanks

Here we go again....
I have gone through this in some detail on the alt.sport.bowling newsgroup, 4-5 years ago now. I'll Google up a link later, but for now - When I was working at Griffith uni, I baked some 'oil' out of an SD73 by sitting it on a plate in the sun. Did an analysis on a state of the art gas chromatograph/mass spec combo of the slop out of the ball and a sample of lane oil, and they were totally different chemically. Further, the slop matched the resin additives in a Columbia patent for a reactive coverstock.

What bleeds out is not oil. It is resin. It didn't even have detectable amounts of oil in it. Which surprised me, because up until then I thought the resin bleed story was garbage.

So, why? Resin balls are thermoset urethane, and continue to cure for (in some cases) years, very slightly shrinking as they do. This, plus the effect of surface heat (which accelerates the surface cure) and the continual pressure of the ball on the lane forces too much plasticiser to the surface of the ball. A VERY fine film is needed to enhance friction with dry lane - too much acts as lubricant. It is a shear effect. Remove the excess, fix the ball. All the hook again system does is do it really well. Well maintained balls that are washed and resurfaced regularly, last for many, many games more than poorly maintained gear, and are much easier to rejuvinate when necessary.
On resurfacing, more often is better, usually. A ball given a very light sand and repolish (for shiny stuff) every 2-3 months will outlast a ball that is used for a year then needs 120 grit to get the track out by 2 or 3 to 1 and perform better as well.

You CANNOT remove all the resin from a ball in anything like normal use. Resin coverstocks, according to the Columbia patent, are from 5% to 25% resin additive. Say 100 grams to half a kilo for a 15lb ball. That's a lot of resin to bleed out. - you'd need a hi-vacuum oven or a week in a dioxane bath (that did work, incidentally) to get that much out.

A hot bath, once a month, works wonders. Hot water, hot enough that you can barely stand to put your hands in, a good squirt of Dawn dishwashing liquid, let soak for 20 minutes, scrub the glop off under the water, let dry and polish. I have a seven year old sage quantum with the label just about worn off that still hooks as much as it did when I got it. I don't even bother covering up the thumb and finger holes, just let them drain afterwards, and I have never had a ball crack in the bath. YMMV.

FWIW, i think that the reduction in 'hit' (as opposed to 'hook') in older balls, could be due to microfracturing of the coverstock over time. No evidence either for or against, just the opinion of a polymer chemist (me). Need a microtome and a phase contrast microscope to find out - anyone got one handy?

The best polish I have ever found for reactive balls, BTW, is Brasso. (Edit - I mean for polishing on a spinner) Brilliant stuff. For particle balls, diatomaceous earth (swimming pool filter powder) on a sponge worked great on the few I have tried it with. It's slower than Trizact, but worked as well IMHO and is miles cheaper. Just use it as the last 'grit'.

One day I'll get a life.

 

[Gavin A]

That is where all the rubbish started from in Brisbane.Many years ago when the argument started, ( a bit like the X-Files) he would argue the scientific point and I would argue reality.We never saw eye to eye on this subject.

I am not going to get into an argument about who is right or who is wrong. I do not believe for one minute and neither do bowling ball manufacturers, that submerging bowling balls in anything for long periods of time, is not going to be detrimental to the performance or longevity of your equipment.

And further more I never contacted Columbia300 with regards to cleaning and maintaining coverstocks, simply because their bowling ball coverstocks don't last long enough to clean...........LOL! ( I am having a dig at the new EPX for those who don't know.

I still prefer to use and advice the manufacturers developed products, it is proven, it is safe and it does not void warranty.

Tonx, I don't disagree with the (Robbie Buckley)theory, but it was only tested on one ball ( the SD73 ,softest ball ever made) only.To be a successful experiment I would like to see the analysis from 2 bowling balls from every manufacturer, before I approve of the methods he uses.......
Best regards,
Gavin

 

[Ice]

Don't think we'll ever get to the bottom of this on what information is correct and what is wrong....unfortunately. Guess it comes back to which 'expert' you trust most.

 

[mongoliantreesloth]

If a ball absorbs water whilst soaking, does it not all evaporate afterwards? If not, why?

 

[Track_X]

Crap...taking the isocol out of the bag right now and the bag out of the car.....