Finer grit or polish???

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dougsterner
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Finer grit or polish???

Post by dougsterner »

Again...seeking some opinions as my own personal preference has not been effective in some cases.

What's your experience/ preference?

The ball comes out of the box at 1000 grit and it faces up too early but otherwise gives you the reaction shape you want...you just want more length.

Do you go to a finer grit or add polish?
Last edited by dougsterner on January 14th, 2011, 6:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Finer grit or polish???

Post by laddog54 »

For me it depends on the ball. For ex. my Cell Pearl is at 1000ab plus polish and it works much better than it ever did at 2000ab or 4000ab. While the Mission is better at 4000ab than it was at 2000ab and polish. I also tend to put weaker covers at 4000ab or 2000ab instead of polished. The cover still allows length but with a little surface it reduces the tendency for the ball to squirt downlane.jmo
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Re: Finer grit or polish???

Post by steve s »

laddog54 wrote:For me it depends on the ball. For ex. my Cell Pearl is at 1000ab plus polish and it works much better than it ever did at 2000ab or 4000ab. While the Mission is better at 4000ab than it was at 2000ab and polish. I also tend to put weaker covers at 4000ab or 2000ab instead of polished. The cover still allows length but with a little surface it reduces the tendency for the ball to squirt downlane.jmo
Good point made here on a ball with polish squinting in oil more so that a ball with a plain surface.... I too think it varies with the cover and the conditions you are using it on ...Experiment a little and see what fits your conditions the best...Steve S
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Re: Finer grit or polish???

Post by dtb300 »

IMO - 2000ab would be my first move - lightly at first (so you get a little 1000/2000 type surface). Test. Repeat. Move to 4000 if still reading too early. Polish after 4000.
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Re: Finer grit or polish???

Post by odddood »

after AB pads I don't polish my balls as much Only one or two. 4000 I think to me is better than polish.
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Re: Finer grit or polish???

Post by jbungard »

Doug,

My preference and experience leans toward making use of grit progressions instead of polish. By using and maintaining various grit finishes on my bowling balls, I see more consistent reaction week-to-week as well as the progression that occurs within a series. My four ball league bag usually consists of a low RG, high differential asymmetric at P1000 grit, a medium RG, low to moderate differential asymmetric at P2000 grit, a medium to high RG, low differential asymmetric or symmetric at P4000 grit, and a polished polyester spare ball. By using various grit coverstocks without polish, I see less sensitivity to carrydown and less jerk off of the wet to dry transition across the pattern. Conversely, when I use a polished finish on a reactive or particle reactive surface, the ball is more apt to "surprise me" as the conditioner transitions, and the ball tends to skate in the oil and jerk off of the dry on top hats, depleted tracks and the like.

My Mojave is a very forgiving and useful ball at P4000 or P2000. It is more of a "specialist" with a polished surface. Same thing for my Hornet; forgiving at P4000, jerky polished.

Let me qualify this in stating that I'm a higher tilt player and this tends to magnify the transitions. But this still holds true for many of the low tilt/high track players I've bowled with and competed against over the years.

A polished ball looks good on the shelf but give me a well thought out ball from a core dynamics, surface characteristics, and layout perspective with a good ball to lane and conditioner match (versus a ball that is polished to mask mismatches in one or more of these other important factors) any time.


That said, I do carry a small bottle of polish and a small bottle of polish with a slip agent for piece of mind and as insurance for those few and far between occasions when there is literally no conditioner on the lane. I just make sure to expediently restore the unpolished finish as soon as practical after such an event.
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Re: Finer grit or polish???

Post by MegaMav »

Well done Jim, as usual.
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dougsterner
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Re: Finer grit or polish???

Post by dougsterner »

Thanks people.....that's the info I was looking for.
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Re: Finer grit or polish???

Post by snowspike1 »

this is something I have experimented with and for me i'm loveing my results... (see surface change......)
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