*Update* Homemade Bowling Oven

[edpup316]

After some trial and error I managed to succed at creating my homemade ball oven :cool:. The only thing I need now is a fan to circulate the air in order to maintain a more even surface temperature.

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This is my newest setup. I've added an additional lamp and the ball sits in between them underneath a piece of wood that I wraped in insulation.

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Here is the before and after of Roto Grip Rising Star. The oil was just pouring out of this ball.

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This here is the laser thermometer that I use. Even when I left the ball in there for over 20 mins it never got much above 130 but I am still going to get a fan to get better heating all the way around the ball.

Any comments and questions would be apprciated!

[75lockwood]

Good stuff! i would also say that rotating the ball once in awhile just so the same part of the ball isn't constantly getting the more direct heat source.

[edpup316]

Good stuff! i would also say that rotating the ball once in awhile just so the same part of the ball isn't constantly getting the more direct heat source.


Yes Of Course. I Turn It Every Time I Take It Out To Clean Off The Oil.

[Keithalw]

Keep us updated on it... I think your on to something and now gots me to thinking of it

[unclemantis]

You are nuts. Keep it up! I will settle for my pro-shop! :)

[e-tank]

lol im honestly thinking about giving this a whirl

[Greenday]

This is about as badass as bowling gets.

[Big Nick]

The pro at my local alley and one of the mechanics cooked up something similar a few weeks ago. They used a speaker box, a heat lamp, and a small fan; their idea was to emulate the trunk of a car on a hot day. They set it up so that the heat lamp doesn't shine on the ball, and they're using the fan to circulate air through the box. He said that the temp in the box only gets up to about 135ºF or 140ºF. I left a ball with him so he could test their sweatbox, as he's calling it, and it seems to have worked very well. He said that the ball I left with him spent four hours in the sweatbox before it quit bleeding oil. After that, he refreshed the surface and put a coat of polish on it, as well. I threw a few shots with it during my last lesson, and I haven't seen that ball hook that much since it was new. I'm considering building something similar to use at home. I just need to get a ball spinner and some abralon pads so that I can refresh the surface on my own, too.

[got_a_300]

Now I'm very tempted to try my luck at building one
of these oven boxes also. At the moment I'm using a
small portable electric heater with a fan in it to bake
the oil out of the ball.

[americantrotter]

I gotta say this idea is pretty awesome. So much cheaper than official equipment yet if simple steps are followed there is limited risk to the ball.

[edpup316]

This is about as badass as bowling gets.

LOL. Thanks!


I gotta say this idea is pretty awesome. So much cheaper than official equipment yet if simple steps are followed there is limited risk to the ball.

Its really easy. I used an fish tank but my friend was excited about the idea he did it in a cardboard box! The outside of the cardboard doesnt get hot, but i still wouldnt suggest doing it with cardboard unless your desperate. The project in total only cost me around 50 bucks and that only because i had to buy a second lamp cause my tank was too big. you can also buy an an automatic shut off you can plug your lamps into just incase you get distracted and forget about the ball.

[unclemantis]

LOL. Thanks!



Its really easy. I used an fish tank but my friend was excited about the idea he did it in a cardboard box! The outside of the cardboard doesnt get hot, but i still wouldnt suggest doing it with cardboard unless your desperate. The project in total only cost me around 50 bucks and that only because i had to buy a second lamp cause my tank was too big. you can also buy an an automatic shut off you can plug your lamps into just incase you get distracted and forget about the ball.

I may just try this on 2 of the balls that are on their way to the landfill. NEVER on my active one!

[e-tank]

What did you use for insulation? I think i read foil but it looks bubbly in the pics?

[edpup316]

What did you use for insulation? I think i read foil but it looks bubbly in the pics?

Ya it does have like bubble wrap looking stuff in the middle. To be honest i don't know exactly what its called. I was just standing in the insulation section at Lowes, saw it and thought it would do a good job and keeping the heat in. Im going by Lowes again tomoorow and while im there ill get the name.

*UPDATE*

I believe its this stuff right here.

http://www.homedepot.com/Heating-Venting-Cooling-HVAC-Parts-Accessories-Ducting-Venting-Duct-Accessories-Insulation/h_d1/N-5yc1vZc5hi/R-100185601/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

[e-tank]

Ah i see. Looks like an upgrade over plain foil. I have everything but the insulation so i might be making one tomorrow :)

[eugene02]

seems pretty cool to me! too bad my space in my house is too small to build something like that.. haha!

[edpup316]

Ah i see. Looks like an upgrade over plain foil. I have everything but the insulation so i might be making one tomorrow :)

Right on! Would love to see how someone else puts it together. *TIP* you dont have to use reptile basking lights. I found out you can use halogen or incandecent flood lights and they are generally cheaper then the reptile lights. besure to keep the wattage around 100-150. Lower then that and it takes too long for the ball to heat up Although, mine may have taken so long to heat up because of my tank being too big.

[panbanger]

This thread is awesome! A homemade ball oven thrown together on the cheap and it works like a charm! Once I get another ball or two in my arsenal I'm going to make one of these. Great job!

[edpup316]

This thread is awesome! A homemade ball oven thrown together on the cheap and it works like a charm! Once I get another ball or two in my arsenal I'm going to make one of these. Great job!

Thanks panbanger! I just got the fan so after I figure out how im going to place it I'm going to try and make a little video tutorial on how to build one in case any needs some more visual aid.

[ChrisB]

This is awesome. It looks great too. What are you using to get the oil off when your rotating the ball? Just wiping it off or using some sort of cleaner?

[edpup316]

This is awesome. It looks great too. What are you using to get the oil off when your rotating the ball? Just wiping it off or using some sort of cleaner?

Thanks chris. I used to work in a proshop and when we baked balls we would use acetone to clean the oil off. I start off though using just a basic brunswick ball cleaner mixed with a little bit of acetone cause i know to much acetone isnt going for your coverstock. But the mixed just didnt work very well, so i switched back to just acetone. I figure that im not cleaning my ball with it on the daily and i never heard any complainets from customers so alittle bit cant hurt.

[unclemantis]

Thanks chris. I used to work in a proshop and when we baked balls we would use acetone to clean the oil off. I start off though using just a basic brunswick ball cleaner mixed with a little bit of acetone cause i know to much acetone isnt going for your coverstock. But the mixed just didnt work very well, so i switched back to just acetone. I figure that im not cleaning my ball with it on the daily and i never heard any complainets from customers so alittle bit cant hurt.

Just as long as you apply onto the towel first and not directly on the ball and not leave the acetone on the ball for more than a few seconds.

My thoughts.

[panbanger]

Today I'm doing the classic "leave the ball in the sunlight on the carpet" technique. Amazed at how much oil is coming out. Not as much as with this oven I'm sure, but still better than nothing :-)

[ChrisB]

Thanks chris. I used to work in a proshop and when we baked balls we would use acetone to clean the oil off. I start off though using just a basic brunswick ball cleaner mixed with a little bit of acetone cause i know to much acetone isnt going for your coverstock. But the mixed just didnt work very well, so i switched back to just acetone. I figure that im not cleaning my ball with it on the daily and i never heard any complainets from customers so alittle bit cant hurt.

Cool. Thanks for the info. I might have to try this. I have access to electric forced draft (indirect heating) ovens at my work. I might try this on one of my older balls as a test, and then follow it up with the acetone.

[tracy]

i put my ball on the middle rack of my oven and turn the temp down to 140 ,turn it on and as soon as it hits 140....i take it out and it's soaked.i woudn't go any higher with the temp.sometimes it gets bleeding before it hits the temp too.

[ecub]

I would be careful and not even go above 140° F. I did extensive research prior to buying my Innovative Revivor Oven and temps between 120° F and 130° F is recommended.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Remove-Lane-Conditioner-From-A-Bowling-Ball&id=1203103

Also, recent Brunswick research shows that a controlled system to sweat balls of oil has merit. Be careful, opinions vary. The Ebonite company doesn't sanction any heating of the covers of their bowling balls (as in sun, oven, etc.) as a solution to oil absorption and reaction loss.

Storm/Roto Grip and Ebonite/Hammer/Columbia/Track point out that warming a ball too quickly creates problems, the least of which is a voided warrantee. Oil comes out but so does some of the chemical structure of the cover (plasticizers), causing (they feel) brittleness and loss of structural integrity.

Warm coverstock surface and cool core occasionally split apart, called core separation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1203103



http://www.innovativebowling.com/products/brunswick%20oven%20research.html

Caution – Do not warm the ball over 150°F. Brunswick also conducted a separate test on the effects of warming and coverstock durability. This test involved creating unwarmed control balls and warmed test balls, all with zero games, which were tested in Brunswick’s durability testing lab. These tests showed no differences in coverstock durability (resistance to cracking) between the test balls warmed five times and the control balls never warmed.

http://bowlingballexchange.com/showthread.php?p=273092&postcount=7

I have read that this doesn't release the oil that the ball absorbs, but the ball excretes resin.

A Polymer Chemist:

" I baked some 'oil' out of an SD73 by sitting it on a plate in the sun. Did an analysis on a state of the art gas chromatograph/mass spec combo of the slop out of the ball and a sample of lane oil, and they were totally different chemically. Further, the slop matched the resin additives in a Columbia patent for a reactive coverstock.

What bleeds out is not oil. It is resin. It didn't even have detectable amounts of oil in it. Which surprised me, because up until then I thought the resin bleed story was garbage.

So, why? Resin balls are thermoset urethane, and continue to cure for (in some cases) years, very slightly shrinking as they do. This, plus the effect of surface heat (which accelerates the surface cure) and the continual pressure of the ball on the lane forces too much plasticiser to the surface of the ball. A VERY fine film is needed to enhance friction with dry lane - too much acts as lubricant. It is a shear effect. Remove the excess, fix the ball. All the hook again system does is do it really well. Well maintained balls that are washed and resurfaced regularly, last for many, many games more than poorly maintained gear, and are much easier to rejuvinate when necessary.
On resurfacing, more often is better, usually. A ball given a very light sand and repolish (for shiny stuff) every 2-3 months will outlast a ball that is used for a year then needs 120 grit to get the track out by 2 or 3 to 1 and perform better as well.

You CANNOT remove all the resin from a ball in anything like normal use. Resin coverstocks, according to the Columbia patent, are from 5% to 25% resin additive. Say 100 grams to half a kilo for a 15lb ball. That's a lot of resin to bleed out. - you'd need a hi-vacuum oven or a week in a dioxane bath (that did work, incidentally) to get that much out.

FWIW, i think that the reduction in 'hit' (as opposed to 'hook') in older balls, could be due to microfracturing of the coverstock over time. No evidence either for or against, just the opinion of a polymer chemist (me). Need a microtome and a phase contrast microscope to find out - anyone got one handy "

Also, if you use the oven, wouldn't that effect the next thing you cook in said oven?


I'm trying to look for the actual Brunswick research regarding oil extraction.

[Greenday]

Didn't know Innovative also has a rejuvenation oven. Figured it'd be a good investment then I saw the price. Nevermind.

[ecub]

Check with your pro shop. Most pro shops use the Innovative Revivor oven.

There's also the Alley Cat Bowling Ball Oven. Just under $500 (USD), it's about $1000 cheaper than Innovative Oven. Unfortunately, at such a low price, it doesn't look like it's a popular device. The only post I saw regarding it, stated it uses incandescent bulb to generate heat, so it will probably take awhile. Think of it as an Easy-Bake oven for bowling balls...

http://forum.bowlingchat.net/viewtopic.php?p=54091#p54091

I know someone who purchased one for home use, and he was not satisfied with the product.

They use an incandescent bulb to generate heat, so it takes a long time to get up to temp. When the interior finally gets up to temp, it lacks the throughput to push that heat deep in the coverstock to remove the oil the way a Pro Shop oven would.

Powerhouse also has "The Wave", which is like using washing machine for bowling balls. Price is about $1900 (USD), but from research, it seems messy, since you constantly need water and chemicals. Plus lighter balls will float.
http://powerhousebowling.com/products/product_detail/the_wave

[unclemantis]

Check with your pro shop. Most pro shops use the Innovative Revivor oven.

There's also the Alley Cat Bowling Ball Oven. Just under $500 (USD), it's about $1000 cheaper than Innovative Oven. Unfortunately, at such a low price, it doesn't look like it's a popular device. The only post I saw regarding it, stated it uses incandescent bulb to generate heat, so it will probably take awhile. Think of it as an Easy-Bake oven for bowling balls...

http://forum.bowlingchat.net/viewtopic.php?p=54091#p54091


Powerhouse also has "The Wave", which is like using washing machine for bowling balls. Price is about $1900 (USD), but from research, it seems messy, since you constantly need water and chemicals. Plus lighter balls will float.
http://powerhousebowling.com/products/product_detail/the_wave

Unless you are opening a Pro Shop I don't find it cost effective to buy or build one.