Question About Resurfacing

[Sourtower]

So I'm looking to get information and maybe dispel any myths about resurfacing a bowling ball. I was told by somebody who I don't view as a reliable source that resurfacing a ball would render the ball as unusable in leagues and tournaments that are sanctioned by USBC, PBA, etc. Is this correct information? Also, how often would one consider resurfacing their bowling balls? I was told every 3 months or so. Thanks in advance for any information or help.

[Mudpuppy]

That is absolutely wrong - I have resurfaced my balls for years and have bowled tournaments, sanctioned leagues, USBC, etc. no problem. Talk to your local pro shop. You can only resurface 3 times and then the ball would be undersized. Maybe 4 depending on condition, etc.

[vdubtx]

The guy is completely full of it. You can change surface or resurface as much as you want as long as the ball is still within legal tolerances. One thing you cannot do, is change surface during or once competition begins.

Some tournaments go as far as saying you can't changes surface once practice starts. This actually came up recently at the USBC Nationals, as a team was clearly shown using an Abralon pad during practice to change surface of a ball. This was shown on a live Youtube stream. At Nationals, you can't change surface after you leave the squad room. In League practice though, you can change surface, but once you start bowling for score, you cannot.

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
At time of manufacture, all balls must meet the following
technical specifications when tested at room temperature (68-78 degrees F):
Minimum Maximum

1. Circumference 26.704” 27.002”
2. Diameter 8.500” 8.595”
3. Roundness none 0.010” total runout
4. Hardness (durometer D) 72 none
5. Radius of gyration* 2.430” 2.800”
6. Differential radius of gyration* none 0.060”
7. Coefficient of restitution* 0.650 0.750
8. Coefficient of friction* none 0.320
9. Mohs’ Hardness none 6.0


The circumference between 26.704" and 27.002", means you have more than 1/4" worth of surface that can be removed before the ball is out of tolerance. That is more than 2-3 resurfaces I think. Since I have a ball spinner at home and can do my ow resurfacing, I typically only touch up the out of box surface on my equipment every 40-50 games or so. Full resurface, I would only do if there is some serious scratches etc in track area.

[Sourtower]

Thanks for the helpful info! Its much appreciated. I knew the information I had wasn't correct. Glad I got that straightened out!

[J Anderson]

The guy is completely full of it. You can change surface or resurface as much as you want as long as the ball is still within legal tolerances. One thing you cannot do, is change surface during or once competition begins.



The circumference between 26.704" and 27.002", means you have more than 1/4" worth of surface that can be removed before the ball is out of tolerance. That is more than 2-3 resurfaces I think.

Yes, the guy is completely full of it. Your statement of how much surface can be removed is misleading. To me removing 1/4" of surface would mean that the new surface is 1/4" closer to the center of the ball.

The actual amount that can be removed would be the maximum radius, 4.297", less the minimum radius, 4.25", or 0.047"

While this sounds like a really small amount even the coarsest grit used to resurface is much finer that the "fine" sandpaper that that you might buy at a hardware store. So a ball can still be completely resurfaced several times as well as getting occasional surface adjustments for different lane conditions.

[dnhoffman]

Tell the bartender to cut off the person who gave you that advice, they've obviously been over served.

I change the surfaces on different balls a lot trying to find a reaction I like for different houses. And I resurface about every 60 games or so.