#BowlerOnABudget cheap trick to "bake" your ball

[Shaneshu87]

so i saw this video on a facebook feed yesterday and i thought it would be easy, cheap, and effective. before you laugh and ridicule (like i did at first) check out the video and let me know what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX_aI0-wGdo

(this is not my video) for some reason i cannot get mine to load. but this is what i have done and while it is not as fast as using your actual oven (my wife hates that) or as fast as hot water bathing, this is cheap and effective. since most hair dryers do not have a setting to controll exact heat i found myself flipping from Medium - high temp allot just to keep the air inside at or around 140.

[Blacksox1]

Does something like this actually work ? Is it even close to what a pro shop can do ?

[Mike White]

Does something like this actually work ? Is it even close to what a pro shop can do ?

Without seeing inside, I can't be sure, but it looks very similar to Innovative's Personal De-Oiler in concept.

I just wonder the rate at which is uses electricity compared to the De-Oiler.

[circlecity]

Not only that but hair dryers don't last that long. anybody married to a woman knows this too be true....

[MICHAEL]

I like..... LOL.... LMAO!!! I see no reason why it wouldn't work! Just a little more labor intensive,,,, you would need to stay there watching the temperature, turning the heat up and down! Mine cost just under one hundred bucks,,, (food dehydrator). This method you could probably like he mentions up to 3 balls, at one time. SWEET!!! HIS cost,,,, Nothing to speak of at all!! I wonder how long the boxes last?? I would think that the oil vapors would gradually take a toll on the integrity of the box! LOL

[Aslan]

I bought a 5-7 tray food dehydrator. Put two trays in it, set the ball on the center, and place a 5-gallon metal pail over the top. Pail fits perfectly inside the trays. I leave it on there for 25-55 minutes and WOW does the oil come out!

The only downside is when I try to wipe the oil off...I can't tell how much is being wiped off (absorbed by the towel) and how much is just being rubbed back into the ball. But it's cheap and less of a pain than putting them in hot, soapy bathwater. And you can get a 7-tray food dehydrator on Ebay of $30-$75....and use it to dehydrate food if you're into that kinda thing.

[Wigman]

Can you give an example, the ones im looking for doesnt seem like it'll fit a ball..

[circlecity]

Can you give an example, the ones im looking for doesnt seem like it'll fit a ball..

http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads/15710-DIY-Personal-Bowling-Ball-Oven?highlight=food+dehydrator

[Wigman]

Ah these? I did see those, but was pretty skeptical that it'll fit a ball, guess i may give it a try. thanks for the link

[zdawg]

Can you give an example, the ones im looking for doesnt seem like it'll fit a ball..

Here you go: http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads/15710-DIY-Personal-Bowling-Ball-Oven?highlight=dehydrator

I'm gonna give this a shot soon

EDIT: Looks like circlecity beat me to it

[Aslan]

Can you give an example, the ones im looking for doesnt seem like it'll fit a ball..

I use an older Ronco 7-tray dehydrator. Actually though, you really only need 1-2 trays to support the ball. Then you put a bucket over it and let her rip.

Until I found a bucket that fit just right, I was going to use a Dremel to cut out the centers of the upper 5 trays....then use the standard unit top. But once I found a 5-gallon pail that fit perfectly inside the ridges of the trays...there was no reason to go to all that trouble. But yeah, the only way you'd need more than 2 trays (you could get by with one...I just worry the ball will crack the plastic if it's just 1 tray)...is if you try to get fancy and cut a hole in the upper trays to fit around the ball...which you don't need to do with a proper sized bucket.

My "issue" right now is...a professional ball dehydrator rotates the ball while it dehydrates. And it has a cloth that sucks up the oil as it rotates. I have the problem that after dehydrating it, I wipe the oil off (and there's a surprising amount of oil that comes off)...but it seems like I'm sort of wiping some of it back onto the ball. Not sure if there's some type of cloth/fiber (besides a microfiber towlel) that will "suck" the oil into the fabric versus wiping it around the ball surface.

[Perrin]

I use an older Ronco 7-tray dehydrator. Actually though, you really only need 1-2 trays to support the ball. Then you put a bucket over it and let her rip.

Until I found a bucket that fit just right, I was going to use a Dremel to cut out the centers of the upper 5 trays....then use the standard unit top. But once I found a 5-gallon pail that fit perfectly inside the ridges of the trays...there was no reason to go to all that trouble. But yeah, the only way you'd need more than 2 trays (you could get by with one...I just worry the ball will crack the plastic if it's just 1 tray)...is if you try to get fancy and cut a hole in the upper trays to fit around the ball...which you don't need to do with a proper sized bucket.

My "issue" right now is...a professional ball dehydrator rotates the ball while it dehydrates. And it has a cloth that sucks up the oil as it rotates. I have the problem that after dehydrating it, I wipe the oil off (and there's a surprising amount of oil that comes off)...but it seems like I'm sort of wiping some of it back onto the ball. Not sure if there's some type of cloth/fiber (besides a microfiber towlel) that will "suck" the oil into the fabric versus wiping it around the ball surface.


I don't know of a towel type that woudl be more effective. but a couple oplions would be to wipe the ball down with cleaner every 20-30 minutes will it stops sweating oil.... Or combine your methods and go from the Dehydrator to a hot water bath the the oil that has come out of the surface would naturally float in the water..

personally I think microfiber and a cleaner/rubbing alchohol woudl be easiest.

[Aslan]

to a hot water bath the the oil that has come out of the surface would naturally float in the water...

I think the hot water bath was more effective in terms of getting the oil off the ball...but the dehydrator seems to get more oil OUT of the ball. I just can't figure out a way to get all the oil from the surface. I may go back to doing the bath one of these days. The dehydrator is just SO much less messy and with California being in a severe draught...I kinda feel like a turd for using an entire bathtub full of water to soak my bowling balls.

[Perrin]

I think the hot water bath was more effective in terms of getting the oil off the ball...but the dehydrator seems to get more oil OUT of the ball. I just can't figure out a way to get all the oil from the surface. I may go back to doing the bath one of these days. The dehydrator is just SO much less messy and with California being in a severe draught...I kinda feel like a turd for using an entire bathtub full of water to soak my bowling balls.

I agree.

What I meant was dehydrate the ball to get all the oil out of the ball then put it in a bucket of hot water to get all the oil Off the ball :) Just pick up a second matching 5 gallon bucket so you don't have to use an entire bathtub full :D