TheJesus wrote:
Ok, so what difference will the reaction be between the following treatments of the same ball :
1. 500 to 4000
2. 500 to 1000 to 4000
3. 500 to 1000 to 2000 to 4000
And how BIG of a difference would you say we would see?
"1" would be the coarsest surface and the earliest reaction. (lower grit finishes will tend to read earlier with smoother transitions)
"3" would be the smoothest surface and the closest to the final grit used and have the latest reaction. (full grit progression will yield smoother overall reaction)
"2" would be in between the others.
As for how big a difference you'll see between the three, I can't really address that other than to say "3" will be a more different than "1". But others could have a different view on this because what one person sees as a lot others might not so much.
What is the difference between "fill gaps" and "block pores" ?
I might not explain this perfectly, been a while since I thought about this But here it goes.
The balls coverstock/surface is porous meaning it has microscopic holes and spaces in it (aka: the Pores). It also has the much larger "Peaks" and "Valleys" (The lines left from sanding aka:the gaps) carved into it from sanding. (Think of them like the tread on a tire.)
The pores allow the oil to wick into the ball keeping the surface dry, This lets the ball see the friction better (grip the lane) when The Peaks and Valleys bite through the oil to help reach the lane surface. (Like the tread on a tire bites through water on the road to grip the road surface).
Now some slip agents usually the ones with silicone, mostly just get into the pores and block them so they can't suck up the oil. So the oil stays on the surface more and the ball slides more. But it's not enough to fill in the larger, deep valleys (the gaps) made by sanding.
Others agent are basically like glazes and just fill the valleys in (of course they get into the pores also) or super fine polishes.
I've never particularly used slip agents, their too problematic. Just the tiniest bit too much and the ball will just skid forever.
I used the term polish for a lack of a better term. Substitute for "shine" (i am not an English native, sorry). So in my case, what did the pro shop put on the ball, that made it shiny again ?
As for what you PSO used to shine your ball I don't know what he used. I can take sandpaper step through the grits and finish with a little polish and make one shiny like a marble. You don't need slip agents or fill in glazes.