Expert: - 3/11/2008

Question
QUESTION: can you reuse sandpaper or the sanding pads that you use to clean or sand your bowling balls...whats the average number of times you can reuse them...any product recomendations...thank you

ANSWER: Joe,
Do you sand 10 balls 3x's a week or 1 ball, 1x/month?

As long as you move the material you're sanding off/out of your paper/pad they last quite a while. If you are using a spinner and doing yours and some of the rest of the world, every day, change often.

Yours is a question that begs observation and experience. Paper can be used a long time, but 320 grit cuts like 400 after a couple balls, and like 600 after a couple more (on a spinner with proper use). If you are doing your stuff, you are observing a change in reaction even though you did all the same stuff (scuff, sand, whatever), change the product.

Abralon pads work well. But, you are working with potentially very smooth pads (1000, 2000, 4000). Are you scuffing a ball, resurfacing, using a spinner? Working with rougher grits (180, 320, 500)?

Let me know more specifics and it will be easier to be more precise.
Thanks for the question.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for your response...just got my own spinner and learning how to use it...i have paper and pads so it is all quite new to me but have already noticed a great reaction on my bowling balls so far...just wondering how often you have to work on your favorite balls....use the same two or three every week..also what cleaner,or polish is best for a shiney surface on your bowling ball...and which pad do you use for this? Thanks for your help...joe

Answer
Joe,
How long has it been since you got the balls you mentioned? Which balls, specifically did you get/do you have? How long did it take that they started to change? Do you clean your equipment religiously? Not sand, just clean?

Many companies sell the products they finish their various balls with, and suggest a cleaner (often one they make). The wrong polish and the surface is different.

You were not very specific, what have you done that you find them to perform better? On which ball? with which grit(s) of paper or pads?

Shining a ball is a combo of surface preparation and polish(s). Polish can be applied with terry cloth toweling or specific polishing pads (not in use much anymore in my store).

Thanks for the questions, fill me in some more. Good luck