Ball Surfacing Question

[Aslan]

As I've been trying to learn how to re-surface my bowling balls...I usually do the following:

I bring the ball down to a certain level...then up to lets say 500 or 2000 or 4000 with a sanding pad (Abralon, Siaair, etc...) wet sanding.

I was then using Crown factory compound (Brunswick)...and for 1-2 of the balls I would then hit it with some general purpose polish (like Storm XTra Shine).

I never really thought the Xtra shine really did anything...just made the ball a little shinier...but didn't seem to really affect the ball movement much. If I skipped the Crown Compound (just used the pads, wet sanding)...I DID notice a significantly sooner ball reaction.

Well, I resurfaced my Innovate (which I have to do alot because it keeps developing a noticeable track)....hit it with 800, then 1500, then 2000; like I normally do. But, instead of the Crown Factory compound...I tried the Storm Step 3...which I figured would give it a little more length...then I hit it with the generic polish...like I usually do.

Now, usually, when the lanes transition or if it's just too dry to realistically use the Reax Pearl...I can use the Innovate...similar specs (Pearl, 2.49 RG) and I can usually stay in about the same spot...sometimes if I'm a little too far inside or my release is a little flat...I may need to make 2:1 outside...since the Innovate is much weaker (EBI vs Radical, much lower differential, older technology) ball overall...but nothing drastic.

Well, when I tried to ball down to the Innovate last night...it was like I was throwing my spare ball...virtually NO movement on the backend. I ended up having to move about 5:3 right...and practically throwing it straight at the pocket. Finally I just gave up, switched to the Scandal Pearl, and had to readjust back to the left where I was with the Reax Pearl.

I have virtually no understanding of the various polishes/compounds...I'm still new to resurfacing...I guess I'm just wondering if the reaction I got was typical of what you'd expect from using the Storm Step 3 rather than the Crown Factory compound. It seemed like a drastically different reaction for something as simple as using a different compound.

[RobLV1]

The main thing is that you understand the polishing compounds that you use so that you can anticipate the reactions that you'll get when you use them. Personally, I use Motiv Power Gel Polish for a light polish, and Powerhouse Factory Finish for a heavy polish. These are the only two I use, and if I want to modify the reactions, I will either change the surface below the polish, or add surface over the polish.

[Aslan]

@RobM

I've never heard of adding surface over the polish. Do you mean you sand it to a level, then polish, then sand it again? Or do you mean you sand then polish...then decide to add some surface (because the lanes tell you something)? Another way of asking this is; do you intentionally add the polish step in between sanding steps? Or is the final sanding step an adjustment?

Like I said, if I don't use ANY compound...just hit it with lets say 1000 Siaair and then 2000 abralon...the ball tends to hook noticeably early on the lanes I usually bowl on...even if I'm playing 4-5 boards inside, away from the track. And adding a little generic resin polish (similar to Storm XTraShine) doesn't seem to make a noticeable difference. The key step seems to be the compound. This is just the first time I've tried a compound other than Crown Factory (Brunswick)...and I didn't think the difference would be so significant.

In retrospect, I guess I should've had a clue....because the Crown Factory compound is very "gritty" and the Storm Step 3 had more of a "hand lotion" consistency. But going from playing the 14-board at the arrows...to straightening out the shot (with my feet) and playing the 10-board...I've never had to do that before. As you've often talked about....generally moving right as the lanes transition, in the modern game, isn't really beneficial. But in this case...there was really no way the ball was going to move at all. It had less backend motion with the Step 3 polish on it than my old Brunswick Slingshot had with the OOB finish.

But, this is how we learn I guess.

[RobLV1]

Yes, I'm talking about building a surface, adding polish, and adding surface over the polish if need be. Most bowlers who change surfaces regularly have been doing this for years, but as far as I know, the Storm Rocket Ship is the only ball that has used this technique to achieve the OOB finish. It's called 3000 Sheen, and it's achieved by putting a light 3000 abrasion surface over polish.

[Timmyb]

The main thing is that you understand the polishing compounds that you use so that you can anticipate the reactions that you'll get when you use them. Personally, I use Motiv Power Gel Polish for a light polish, and Powerhouse Factory Finish for a heavy polish. These are the only two I use, and if I want to modify the reactions, I will either change the surface below the polish, or add surface over the polish.

I love the Motiv Power Gel. I've been using that on my IQ Nano for some time, and it's now my go-to ball if the lanes have a little burn on them. It surprised me how little time you have to work with it as well.

[bowl1820]

The thing to remember about polishes/compounds is the majority are just liquid abrasives, Think of them like really fine sandpapers. They are not like paint or wax, which can be layered on or stripped off. The exception being a few that contain slip agents. things like silicone etc. which could be removed.

Polishes/compounds don't technically have a actual grit rating, the grit ratings on the bottles are basically just approximations of what the final surface grit would be (Depending on what the starting underlying surface grit was) , also most were usually listed in US ANSI/CAMI grits not Abralon P-scale (though some have updated how the grits are listed).

Example:
APP Reaction Heavy Duty Cleaner ( Abrasive 320 to 1000 us grit ) became Track Magic Clean'N Sheen ( Abrasive 320 to 1000 grit ) which then became Ebonite Powerhouse who updated it to (Takes final sanding stage (500 Abralon and up) to a 1500-grit compound finish.).

Now Storm Xtra Shine is supposed to finish to 3500 grit (which is still US grit afaik, which would be way smoother than 4000 abralon), if you sanded a ball to 4000 abralon. Then used Crown factory compound on that followed by Xtra Shine, that would be a pretty smooth surface and would go long and react late.

So yes if you just used the pads and skipped the polish, you would notice a significantly sooner ball reaction the ball is duller.

As for using the Storm Step 3, it's a 1500/2500 and with the Innovate being a weaker pearl. Depending on the underlying grit used, if you went step 3 followed by Xtra Shine that would be a really smooth surface also and would go way long.

One thing to note about the polishes/compounds is while they have similarities, they also have differences. So something as simple as using a different polish/compound can produce vary different results. So you have to watch out when you substitute one for another.


As for "adding surface over the polish" that's just a another term for slightly dulling the ball, like when someone say "knock the polish off" etc. As Rob said bowlers have been doing that for years.

Simply you sanded the ball smooth then dulled it up a little bit.

The "sheen" surface has been around for years also, The Track Paradox Pearl is sheen, Some older examples of OOB sheen surfaces the Track Crunch (1500 Sheen), AMF Night Hawk (1000 grit wet sanded sheen), Columbia Hyde (sheen) and from 2001 the Columbia Game and the Roll used a 600 grit sheen. Even farther back there were Urethanes with sheen finishes.

So while the Storm Rocket Ship maybe the only ball currently using a "sheen" (or at least calling it that) finish, it's not the only ball ever to had one.

As for how the companies obtained the their specific "sheen" finish, that can vary. You could do it the way Storm did or just sanding followed by the lightest coat of polish.

One thing to remember when sanding, the more steps you have between the starting grit and the final grit. The smoother and closer to that final grit the ball surface will be. And the smoother the ball surface is before polishing, the smoother it will be after polishing.

[Amyers]

As I've been trying to learn how to re-surface my bowling balls...I usually do the following:

I bring the ball down to a certain level...then up to lets say 500 or 2000 or 4000 with a sanding pad (Abralon, Siaair, etc...) wet sanding.

I was then using Crown factory compound (Brunswick)...and for 1-2 of the balls I would then hit it with some general purpose polish (like Storm XTra Shine).

I never really thought the Xtra shine really did anything...just made the ball a little shinier...but didn't seem to really affect the ball movement much. If I skipped the Crown Compound (just used the pads, wet sanding)...I DID notice a significantly sooner ball reaction.

Well, I resurfaced my Innovate (which I have to do alot because it keeps developing a noticeable track)....hit it with 800, then 1500, then 2000; like I normally do. But, instead of the Crown Factory compound...I tried the Storm Step 3...which I figured would give it a little more length...then I hit it with the generic polish...like I usually do.

Now, usually, when the lanes transition or if it's just too dry to realistically use the Reax Pearl...I can use the Innovate...similar specs (Pearl, 2.49 RG) and I can usually stay in about the same spot...sometimes if I'm a little too far inside or my release is a little flat...I may need to make 2:1 outside...since the Innovate is much weaker (EBI vs Radical, much lower differential, older technology) ball overall...but nothing drastic.

Well, when I tried to ball down to the Innovate last night...it was like I was throwing my spare ball...virtually NO movement on the backend. I ended up having to move about 5:3 right...and practically throwing it straight at the pocket. Finally I just gave up, switched to the Scandal Pearl, and had to readjust back to the left where I was with the Reax Pearl.

I have virtually no understanding of the various polishes/compounds...I'm still new to resurfacing...I guess I'm just wondering if the reaction I got was typical of what you'd expect from using the Storm Step 3 rather than the Crown Factory compound. It seemed like a drastically different reaction for something as simple as using a different compound.

You produced a ball that is only going to react to extremely dry conditions. Generally if I'm using rubbing compound or polish the highest grit I use for my base it 1000. If you are going to attempt to use both compound and polish I would never go higher than 500 for the base. 2k plus compound plus polish equals marble especially on a weaker ball. Even if it will move in my experience it makes the balls extremely wet/dry sensitive. Brunswick uses that surface on a few balls and the only ones I've seen be successful with them are the high rev bowlers and even then I'm not a fan of it and usually recommend they change the surface.

[Aslan]

I guess I'll have to play with it a little.

I knew the Crown factory would be more abrasive than the Storm Step 3...and you could tell just by the consistency...but I didn't think it would be as drastic as it was. I mean, the same ball, surfaced to 2000 abralon...and both times I used a little polish at the end. The only difference was which compound I used between the 2000 abralon and the polish...and the difference was very significant.

I've done other things like change the abalon to 1500 or 3000....never noticed as significant a difference. I've also skipped the polish step at the end and never really noticed much of a difference. But the change in compound was like going from a strike ball to a spare ball.