Bowling Ball

Resurfacing

  DOWNLOAD   a PDF file of the instructions here.

A resurfaced ball will not last as long as a new ball, but when a ball seems to die, resurfacing can extend its life for a considerable time.

Given proper care, each pad should last for 10 to 20 uses (depending on how much pressure is used when sanding). The Abralon® pads will allow you to tune a ball to the lane condition you are bowling on, give you the reaction and break point you are looking for, and will not put ugly scratches on your ball.

TO RESURFACE A BALL
A spinner is almost a necessity to do a good resurface job.
  1. Clean the ball thoroughly.
  2. Using a bearing knife or three bladed knife scrape all of the deepest nicks and scratches until they have almost disappeared. Do not use the bearing knife if the nick is in your track area, just leave these nicks alone.
  3. Before starting, research the manufacturer's finish description. An example might be “500, 1000, 2000 Abralon® and polish.“ When all of the nicks (excepting those in the track area) have been minimized place the ball on the spinner with the pin located top center. If the ball is in really bad shape start with a 180 grit (usually a 360 grit is an acceptable starting grit). Turn the spinner on and using heavy to medium pressure sand the ball for about 1 minute. Rotate the ball 180 degrees (top to bottom) and repeat. Now comes the part most of us are not aware of: rotate the ball 90 degrees i.e. pin at about 3 o’clock on the spinner and repeat, then rotate the ball once more top to bottom and repeat.
  4. Now, using the manufacturer’s example used above, repeat all 4 procedures in step 3 using a 500 grit, then again with a 1000 grit, and finish with a 2000 grit. Finally, if the manufacturer called for polish, apply the polish as per the polish manufacturer’s recommendations. (I find the “factory finish” polish by Power-House is the best on the market. I don’t sell it, it’s just really great stuff.)

TERMS OF USE AND DISCLAIMER

TIPS ON USE OF ABRALON® PADS
  1. The best way to use the pads is with a ball spinner, if a spinner is not available you can still do an effective job sanding by hand.
  2. Using a spinner, remember sanding parallel to your track will cause the ball to go longer before it hooks, and sanding across the track will create an earlier roll, therefore an earlier hook.
  3. If a spinner is not available, you can sand by hand, but remember to sand in straight lines around the circumference of the ball. DO NOT EVER USE A CIRCULAR MOTION WHEN SANDING A BALL.
  4. Remember very coarse grits are for very heavy oil or resurfacing a ball. If you get too much surface on a ball for dry or light oil conditions the ball will roll out, that is quit hooking, long before it gets to the pins. On today’s conditions, generally speaking, you want the ball to be as shiny as possible and still get a backend reaction.
CARE OF ABRALON® PADS
  1. After each use remove as much deposit from the pad as possible, this can easily be accomplished by slapping the pad on the edge of a shelf or bench. A more effective method is to blow through the pad from the red side with an air compressor.
  2. After several uses, the pads should be flushed with water. Just hold the pad under a faucet red side up and let the water run through, allow to air dry. (DO NOT PLACE IN CLOTHES DRYER!!)
  3. If the pads seem to be completely clogged with dust, place them in a washing machine on cold water wash (no detergent) and allow to air dry. (DO NOT PLACE IN DRYER!!)
  4. When the pads seem to be worn out, do not discard them right away. After many uses they may seem to have lost their effect. Take them home, perform step # 2 or 3 above, then re-rate your pads. This system is not 100% accurate but works well for me: after a pad loses its effectiveness and I clean it well, a 360 pad equals about the same as a 500, a 500 becomes a 1000, a 1000 a 2000 and so on.