How To Sand A Bowling Ball

Even though bowling has existed in one grade or another for thousands of years, today'southward modern version of the game didn't evolve until over 100 years ago. That's when bowling became standardized, with official rules being drafted and verbal specifications being prescribed for bowling balls, pins and lanes.

Although bowling has been around for many years, information technology remains popular among American recreational enthusiasts in all age groups, including children and immature adults. Across the The states, the number of bowling participants ages 6 and older surpassed 45 million in 2017.

While the game of bowling hasn't inverse much during the past century, bowling balls have. The earliest versions of today's bowling assurance were made from wood and often didn't have gripping holes, which meant players had to palm their balls to play. Beginning in the early 1900s and continuing through the next five decades or and then, bowling balls were typically fabricated of difficult rubber. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, rubber assurance started to be replaced with bowling balls consisting of polyester.

Since the 1980s, bowling balls take undergone significant changes on the within and the exterior. On the exterior, polyurethane coverstocks took concord in the '80s, followed by reactive resin coverstocks in the early 1990s and particle coverstocks later in the same decade. These advances in coverstocks enabled bowling assurance to generate significantly more than friction with a bowling lane's surface. Equally a result, the new bowling assurance gave players the ability to get more hook on the lane and an improved entry bending into the pins compared to their predecessors.

In addition to making changes to the exterior of their assurance, bowling ball manufacturers also made alterations to the within of their balls during this fourth dimension period. Using advanced cores, also known equally weight blocks, manufacturers produced bowling balls with dynamically imbalanced cores. These new cores contributed to the increased amount of hook bowlers could produce in the lane.

Bowling Ball Components

In general, modernistic bowling assurance are often classified as three-piece or two-piece assurance. In past decades, a given ball'southward classification referred to the literal number of pieces that were used to construct the ball, but that's not necessarily the case today when it comes to two-piece assurance. Three-slice balls still typically consist of 3 components — a thin coverstock, filler material and a pancake weight block.

The 2-piece balls that are produced today, however, ofttimes have more than two components due to the addition of weight blocks in an outer cadre that is split up from a brawl'southward coverstock. This ways a ii-piece brawl normally has three pieces — a coverstock, core and outer core.

Regardless of whether yous have a three-piece or two-piece bowling ball, your ball's coverstock volition influence the way your ball performs on-lane more than than any other component used to construct your ball. In fact, threescore%-lxxx% of your ball's on-lane operation will be adamant past its coverstock. By contrast, only 20%-40% of your ball's performance will be owing to your ball'due south core, drilling layout and other physical properties.

Sanded vs. Polished Coverstocks

With your ball's coverstock influencing your play then heavily, it's of import to understand how the condition of your ball's coverstock impacts your ball'south operation in the lane. Generally speaking, bowling assurance are manufactured with a coverstock that is either sanded or polished. Put but, your bowling ball will produce more friction with the lane if it has a crude or sanded surface.

If you want your ball to hook before toward the end of a lane'south oil blueprint, you'll probably prefer a sanded coverstock over a polished one. Conversely, if you want your ball to travel further down the lane before it starts to hook, a ball with a polished surface is the right selection for yous.

Regardless of whether your brawl has a sanded or polished surface, you lot can treat your ball'south coverstock to better match your personal playing style as well every bit the status of the lane you'll exist playing on. Your ball's coverstock has sure characteristics you must go along in mind when you lot're preparing to modify your brawl'south surface considering making changes will impact the corporeality of friction your ball will generate on-lane.

These characteristics include the post-obit:

• Roughness : The roughness of your brawl'due south coverstock is adamant by the distance between the peaks and valleys on its surface, the acme and depth of those highs and lows and the chemical makeup of the coverstock and its finish. As was previously discussed, a rougher surface area generally produces increased friction on the lane.
• Rate of absorption: Today's reactive resin coverstocks are permeable, which means they absorb liquids, including lane oil. Balls with a college rate of absorption generate an increased amount of friction in play.
• Surface hardness: While surface hardness isn't every bit relevant today as information technology was in previous decades, the hardness of your brawl'south coverstock tin still affect your ball's overall performance in-lane. Equally a general rule, the softer a ball's surface is, the less friction the ball will create with the lane.

If you lot're going to compete in an event sanctioned past the United states of america Bowling Congress (USBC), your ball's coverstock must see the following requirements:

• Boilerplate meridian-to-valley surface roughness : The average pinnacle-to-valley surface roughness of a ball's coverstock is often referred to as "Ra." To compete in a USBC bowling match, the coverstock on your brawl must accept an Ra that is less than fifty micro-inches at a surface finish of 500 Abralon.
• Dry lane coefficient of friction: Likewise known equally "COF," your ball'southward dry lane coefficient of friction must be less than .32 for balls weighing more than 13 pounds when tested by the USBC under sure conditions.
• Hardness: Your brawl's hardness must have a measure out of 72 or more when it's assessed with a type D Shore durometer in club for you to participate in a USBC bowling contest. Its Mohs hardness must be 6.0 or lower.

Maintaining Your Bowling Ball

While you can't change the hardness of your bowling ball, you can maintain your brawl for optimum operation. Basic maintenance includes wiping your ball before every shot y'all have. Wiping your brawl often will help it to curlicue consistently, and it will also prevent the ball's coverstock from arresting oil. When you finish a playing session, you should wipe down your bowling brawl with an advisable commercial cleaner as well.

After every 75 games or so, information technology's generally advisable to use a liquid detergent to thoroughly clean your brawl. Of form, it'south besides wise to clean your bowling towel, too. It's debatable how ofttimes you should surface or resurface your bowling brawl for peak performance. Some sources say you should resurface afterwards 60 games, while others suggest you can play more than than four times that number of matches earlier you'll need to resurface your brawl.

Many factors influence how often and when you'll need to resurface your brawl, including your ball's track area. When the runway expanse begins to show signs of clothing and tear, you should normally consider resurfacing your brawl.

DIY Bowling Brawl Resurfacing Tools

With single-speed and multi-speed ball spinners becoming more and more affordable, many bowlers are embracing   DIY bowling ball resurfacing techniques. Regardless of whether you program to resurface a bowling brawl without a spinner or with one, you'll need some basic tools to become the job done correctly.

The things you'll need to resurface your bowling ball include the post-obit items:

1. Sanding Agent

You lot have your selection when it comes to what you're going to apply to actually sand your bowling brawl. While some people employ sandpaper or 3M Scotchbrite pads to surface their balls, theMirka AbralonandSIA air sanding padsand discs we have for sale at National Abrasives, Inc. are also pop choices.

Depending on what your resurfacing goals are, yous may demand different levels of dust, meaning you lot might need more than one sanding amanuensis. SIA air discs come in grits that range from 240G up to 4,000G. Abralon pads are availablein the following grits:

• 180G
• 360G
• 500G
• one,000G
• 2,000G
• 3,000G
• four,000G

2. Water

You'll need a bowl of water that is large plenty for you to rinse your sanding pads in. You'll as well need a spray bottle filled with h2o on hand so you can spritz your bowling brawl equally needed. Using h2o during the resurfacing process provides ii benefits. First, information technology keeps your brawl and easily lubricated and absurd despite the friction involved with sanding. It also helps to prevent the dust you'll create as you sand your ball from spreading unnecessarily.

three. Towels and Polishing Pads

If you're going to utilise a compound or polish to your bowling ball after yous're done resurfacing it, you'll need to have several towels or polishing pads as well. You should use a dissimilar towel or pad for every product you apply to your ball. Use i towel to apply a compound, a second one to utilize a polish and a third one to clean your ball, for instance.

four. Chemical compound, Shine and Cleaner

Make sure the chemical compound, polish and cleaning productsyou'll need are readily available for use later on you've finished sanding your ball.

5. Bowling Ball Spinner

If you don't have access to a bowling ball spinner, you tin resurface your bowling brawl by manus using a home resurfacing kit.

How to Resurface a Bowling Ball With a Spinner

A bowling ball can generally exist resurfaced any number of times upwards until the proper noun of its manufacturer begins to disappear from its surface. Whether y'all're trying to figure out how to resurface a bowling ball at dwelling house for the start time or you lot've already mastered the process afterward resurfacing your brawl multiple times, the process is basically the same.

College vs. Lower Grits

The first step to resurfacing your bowling brawl is to decide what results you desire to become from the resurfacing process. Your end goals volition determine the dust you employ also equally the sanding technique you lot'll employ.

In full general, lower grits will help your ball handle heavily oiled lanes better and are suitable for players who take a lot of ball speed coupled with a low number of revolutions because they'll leave your ball with more surface. College grits leave less surface on your ball and are advisable for players who want more control considering higher grits will make your brawl's claw phase longer during play.

Sanding Techniques

Depending on the sanding technique you utilise, you lot tin can create an before or later hook, an increased or decreased claw and a change in length. The most common sanding technique is to cross sand at a 90-degree angle from your ball's initial sanding pattern. If you sand with your ball's original rail instead, your ball volition provide greater length coupled with more aggression at the rear of the lane. To get an early on roll paired with a less aggressive backend, you'll want to sand against your ball's initial track.

Unless y'all're hoping to reach a specific goal by using a particular sanding technique, it'due south typically a practiced idea to position your bowling ball in your spinner with the center of its grip at the elevation when you're ready to start sanding. When you lot're washed sanding the exposed surface, yous'll rotate your ball 180-degrees. When you're done working on that surface, yous'll rotate your ball xc-degrees.

Finally, you lot'll plow the brawl another 180-degrees and go along sanding to ensure you've sanded all of your brawl's coverstock. Another fashion to look at the rotation pattern you should follow is this:

1. Characterization
2. Opposite label
3. Top and then bottom of label side
4. Right and and so left sides of the label

How to Utilise Abralon Pads

Here are some tips for using Abralon pads on a bowling brawl once your ball is in your spinner:

• Wet pads and brawl: To keep your hands protected from the heat the friction between your sanding pad and ball will create and to keep the spread of dust to a minimum, spritz your ball with some water and douse your Abralon pad in water as well. Using water throughout the time yous spend sanding will too rinse abroad the loose particles generated by sanding, which will make your sanding more consistent overall.
• Ready spinner speed: If your spinner has two speeds, prepare your spinner on the lowest speed when you're sanding. If you're applying a compound or a smooth, your spinner should exist fix to the highest speed. If your spinner only has one speed, you lot tin still apply a compound or smooth with information technology.
• Palm Abralon pad: Information technology is disquisitional that you hold the Abralon pad you lot're working with properly. Use the palm of your hand but to concord the pad on your bowling ball. Using your fingers to move the pad upward and down the side of your bowling ball as you lot sand puts you at risk for a serious injury if one of your fingers gets stuck in 1 of your brawl'due south holes.
• Use pressure level: You'll need to apply force per unit area to your Abralon pad to achieve the resurfacing results yous want. As a general rule, you should apply more than pressure level for shorter periods of time when you lot're using pads with lower grit. When you're sanding with pads that have higher levels of grit, you should utilize less pressure for greater lengths of time.
• Time sanding: While y'all'll usually want to keep sanding until yous can no longer see the lines that were running in the reverse direction from the one yous're working in, it's disquisitional to sand each surface area of your bowling ball evenly. You can brand sure you do this by keeping a mental count of the time you spend working on your brawl in each of the positions mentioned above.
• Change grit: Depending on your resurfacing goals, you may have to alter pads to piece of work with another level of grit. Brand sure you've sanded the entire surface of your bowling ball with the grit you're currently using prior to moving to a higher or lower grit level.

There is contend about whether you lot should utilise higher grits in sequence or if it's okay to skip a level or ii before you employ the highest grit level you intended to finish with. However, information technology'south widely recommended that you avert using a dust that is more than one.v times every bit smooth every bit the one you just finished using.

For instance, you should use the Abralon pad with 2,000 grit after you use a 1,000G pad and earlier you use a 4,000G pad instead of moving directly from the 1,000G pad to the four,000G pad.

If you're sanding to a lower grit, you tin can first with the lowest grit y'all plan to use, but make sure y'all apply a new pad. Employing used pads is only appropriate when y'all're sanding to a lower grit in a sequence of steps, and a used pad will be used in an intermediate step rather than the final one.

The Final Steps in Resurfacing

After you finish sanding, have these concluding steps to complete your resurfacing:

• Employ chemical compound : Once you're washed sanding, information technology's fourth dimension to apply compound if you desire to exercise so. Applying chemical compound will ensure your bowling ball has full contact with the lane during play. Set your spinner to loftier speed and utilize a cloth to apply an even amount of product on your ball as yous keep to rotate it in the manner prescribed before.
• Utilise smooth: Subsequently you've practical the chemical compound, utilize a separate material to use polish. While compound volition requite your bowling brawl a shiny appearance, smooth volition give it a tacky terminate. Shine will also commonly help your ball to have a sharp reaction on the backend when yous basin.
• Clean your ball : The final part of resurfacing a bowling ball is to make clean it. You don't demand to use your spinner to make clean your bowling ball. Only spray some cleaner on information technology and wipe your ball with an unused cloth. Remember to make clean your brawl'due south finger holes also as its outside.

Bowling Ball Resurfacing FAQs

If you're resurfacing your brawl for the first fourth dimension on your own, you may accept some additional questions. Consider these frequently asked questions before getting started.

Is It Good to Resurface a Bowling Brawl?

Bowling balls have pores that help the ball grip the oiled lane. Because of these pores, there is more friction betwixt the ball and the lane. With stronger friction, the bowler can achieve a more than effective hook. It's good to resurface your bowling ball to deep clean these pores, equally they can go clogged with oils over many uses. Resurfacing also sharpens the edges of the pores, giving the ball a meliorate grip.

How Do I Make My Bowling Ball More than Aggressive?

Smoother brawl surfaces tend to slide around on an oily lane more than dull balls volition. Considering of this, resurfacing your ball using a depression-grit pad will add together the necessary texture to your ball to requite information technology a more ambitious grip on oily lanes. For example, if you're bowling on lanes that are heavily full-bodied with oil, you may consider using a 500 grit Abralon pad to add more than texture to your bowling brawl.

Can You Put a Bowling Brawl in the Oven?

Equally a home remedy for cleaning oily bowling assurance, many bowlers have tried blistering their bowling assurance to draw the oils out of the brawl's pores. This method is ineffective and tin be risky. With hot temperatures, yous adventure burning yourself or damaging your ball. It's best to properly take care of your bowling ball, which can nonetheless be done at home with supplies from National Abrasives, Inc.

Brands We Trust

Get the Supplies You Need at National Abrasives, Inc.

Family unit-endemic and operated, National Abrasives, Inc. offers competitive pricing, free production samples and fifty-fifty free shipping with minimum purchases. Our SIA air discs with an aluminum oxide abrasive are perfect for wet or dry sanding projects, including resurfacing your bowling ball. Known for their exceptionally long product life, low scratch depth and permeability, y'all can apply our 6-inch waterproof SIA air discs over and over once again to resurface your bowling brawl.

Our variety of Mirka Abralon sanding discs includes Mirka Abralon Foam Grip Discs in the post-obit sizes:

• 3 inches
• 6 inches
• nine inches
• 12 inches

Whether you're going to utilise these products to resurface a bowling brawl without a spinner or you're going to utilise a spinner for resurfacing purposes, these products will give yous an even terminate every time yous use them. If yous buy a certain amount of Mirka Abralon pads, you'll authorize for a bulk disbelieve and free shipping.

At National Abrasives, Inc., our customers' satisfaction is always our top priority. Lance Thomas of IPG in York, Pennsylvania, recently had this to say about our company:

"We take been purchasing supplies from National Abrasives for the last 12 years. Their ability to stock unusual items allows u.s. to react fast to our customers' demanding needs and deadlines. Nosotros also rely heavily on National to deliver — whether it'due south 5 belts or 500, they ever come up through."

Merely as we've delivered for IPG for years, we're ready to deliver for yous, too. We take the resurfacing supplies you need to get the maximum performance from your bowling ball. Whether your next tournament is just days away or you lot're not planning on playing for a few weeks, nosotros'll make sure you have the products you need when you need them.

If yous're getting ready to resurface your bowling ball past mitt, contact National Abrasives, Inc. today. Our friendly, helpful client service representatives tin can help ensure you take the sanding supplies you lot need to get your ball to perform the mode you want information technology to. From sanding belts to abrasive discs and sanding sheets, we'll help y'all find what you need for your projection. Scan our abrasives and sanding discs for bowling to see what we have to offer.

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Learn More nearly Bowling Ball Abrasives

• Bowling Ball Surface Maintenance Guide
• Abrasive Products for Bowling
• Sanders and Buffs for Bowling Balls

*Updated on November 08, 2021.

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