Contest Dec 23, 2013 to Dec 29, 2013 - Hammer Cold Blood

[Aslan]

You havent had any ball crack on you yet have you. I have had 3 balls crack in the last year and two was just sitting in my closet with one being undrilled

WHAT!!? What kinda crack arse balls are you buying?? I have NOT had a ball crack yet. I would think they'd crack from me high lofting them or firing them 20mph at the pins…more so than just sitting in my closet. Unless you live in an igloo. Do you live in an igloo?

[tccstudent]

I had a brand new one week old DV8 Hellraiser Revenge crack while bowling came back from the ball return cracked all the way around
A frantic sitting on the floor in the closet
A undrilled Meanstreak Brawler cracked on the floor in the closet

The Hellraiser was replaced by the proshop The other two I bought off someone else so there was no warranty

[Aslan]

My Frantic is sorta like your strike zone. It just seemed to work well the way I was throwing it. And then, of course, as a newbie…I went and messed with it. I scuffed it up trying to get more reaction out of it…essentially trying to make a low-medium oil ball…drilled conservatively…to act like a heavy oil, pro-performance ball drilled aggressively. And, as you can imagine…that didn't work well. It made it react too early on low oil. And it made it less predictable as a straight ball on heavier oil. Rookie mistake.

But, it's polished back up now…and working good again. Now it's a matter of my release. I do well with a higher loft, higher rev, higher speed release. It's not "typical"…but there are very good amateur bowlers that do well with that type of release. Or…I can continue working on my more conventional release…that has improved a great deal and will be more necessary as my center transitions to slicker lanes.

[Aslan]

I had a brand new one week old DV8 Hellraiser Revenge crack while bowling came back from the ball return cracked all the way around
A frantic sitting on the floor in the closet
A undrilled Meanstreak Brawler cracked on the floor in the closet

The Hellraiser was replaced by the proshop The other two I bought off someone else so there was no warranty

Weird. I have never heard of that.

[tccstudent]

I have seen them crack sitting on the shelves in the proshop happens all the time

[JJStriker]

I've had balls that I've quit using and stored them in a hot shed with temps rising into the 90's and have never had a ball crack.

[sara2117]

I think it has something to do with the oil setting into the ball. But I personally have never had one of mine crack.

[Aslan]

For a solid resin ball to crack…it would need some type of stress. And then something to trigger it to crack. Change in temperature…the ball hitting the lane, etc… But for a resin to spontaneously crack…with no temperature or force applied. Just weird. It would be like a plate sitting on a shelf in your kitchen…suddenly it cracks. Just odd. I mean, when they crack like that (tccs), is it at the join where the two halves come together?? I mean, I guess that could be a factory defect…improper adhesion. Weird.

[bowl1820]

For a solid resin ball to crack…it would need some type of stress. And then something to trigger it to crack. Change in temperature…the ball hitting the lane, etc… But for a resin to spontaneously crack…with no temperature or force applied. Just weird. It would be like a plate sitting on a shelf in your kitchen…suddenly it cracks.

They crack because the coverstock is placed under tension as it cures and shrinks slightly around a non-compressable core. Once a crack starts it's the tension in the cover material that causes it to propagate around the ball.

Things that can start a crack:
Temperature Changes
Gravity
you let the ball sit too long without rotating it.
the glue used to put the inserts in
the glue was placed on the cover stock not the filler
too much glue was used
the holes not beveled
bad plug job
the bit they drilled the holes with was dull
Drilled the holes too fast
the bridge is too narrow
the holes are to close to the pin

and undrilled balls can just split on the shelf, in the closet etc., just not as often as drilled ones but it does happen.

If you leave a ball setting on a hard surface, in ball cup or rack without moving it . They can develop flat spots.

Just odd. I mean, when they crack like that (tccs), is it at the join where the two halves come together?? I mean, I guess that could be a factory defect…improper adhesion. Weird.

They can't crack at the join of the two halves, because the ball isn't made in halves and stuck together.

They suspend the core in a mold and the coverstock is poured around it. So the cover is one piece.

Now a core can separate from the coverstock, your can hear it rattle inside when it does.

[Aslan]

Bowl1820 may hate me…but he IS smarter than the average bear…I'll give him that.

I was thinking undrilled. Obviously, drilling in and of itself is a stressor just like temperature and impact.

But…for some reason I thought the balls were put together in "halves"….so ya learn something new every day!!

Now tcc is making me paranoid. Im gonna be scared by balls in the closet are going to spontaneously explode before I get a chance to even drill/use them.