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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 22, 2019 12:45:52 GMT -5
I made this one for my wife this morning for a Christmas gift. We have a teenage son that bowls 5-6 days a week year round so we spend a whole lot of time in bowling alleys. This pendant is made from one of his very first bowling balls. This is my first time trying the exteded back plate. She can decide later if she wants me to split the bail. He carries 8 bowling balls with him now and they all get replaced within a year so no shortage of future material. These are his current models. I see lots of good cabs. Thanks for looking
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Post by opalpyrexia on Dec 22, 2019 13:02:16 GMT -5
Nice, clean, good-looking pendant!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 22, 2019 13:13:09 GMT -5
I still amazes me that bowling balls wear out. I always thought you bought one and had it for life. Or do as I do and just find one in the alley's rack of loaners. The pendant looks great, I'm sure she'll love it.
Rob
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Post by rockpickerforever on Dec 22, 2019 13:28:03 GMT -5
I made this one for my wife this morning for a Christmas gift. We have a teenage son that bowls 5-6 days a week year round so we spend a whole lot of time in bowling alleys. This pendant is made from one of his very first bowling balls. This is my first time trying the exteded back plate. She can decide later if she wants me to split the bail. Gorgeous, Chuck! A renewable resource, and you don't have to spend a lot of money on it, or drive miles in the cold and wet to harvest rocks in the wild. A win-win!
I like the the extended back plate. Gives it a certain panache, flair.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 22, 2019 13:30:00 GMT -5
I still amazes me that bowling balls wear out. I always thought you bought one and had it for life. Or do as I do and just find one in the alley's rack of loaners. The pendant looks great, I'm sure she'll love it. Rob Most people don't bowl 100 games a month either though. He uses a brand that is manufactured right here in Michigan and that brand releases at least one new model every 45 days. Right now is high school season with tournaments that bring as many as 400 kids each carrying 6 balls on average. It is insane to see all the equipment. Pro bowlers each bring 12-18 with them to the lanes. This was not the case years ago but now like with everything else there is a lot of technology driving it. A bowler can't just use one ball for three games throwing it in the same spot. The oil is applied to the lane in very specific ways to challenge bowlers in tournaments. With the high end balls costing $220 plus another $40-50 to get them drilled he is able to sell some of them used when he is done but they only bring in about $50. Here are just 2 examples of different oil patterns. There are dozens of differnt patterns that he will bowl on throughout the season. Short pattern. No oil after 35 feet. Flooded oil in the center. Longer pattern with oil for 44 feet and limited oil to the outsides. Chuck
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Post by opalpyrexia on Dec 22, 2019 14:18:41 GMT -5
... A bowler can't just use one ball for three games throwing it in the same spot. The oil is applied to the lane in very specific ways to challenge bowlers in tournaments. With the high end balls costing $220 plus another $40-50 to get them drilled he is able to sell some of them used when he is done but they only bring in about $50. Here are just 2 examples of different oil patterns. There are dozens of differnt patterns that he will bowl on throughout the season. Chuck
Very interesting. Any idea how many practice balls or actual frames a pro generally needs before changing balls due to the oil pattern he/she perceives?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 22, 2019 14:21:26 GMT -5
So the lanes are intentionally varied? I guess that makes the sport more like outdoor sports where wind, temperature, and surface conditions vary. A ski hill, ice rink, or golf course are never the quite the same from one day to the next either. Whenever I start learning about something new, it doesn't take long to realize that I'm much more ignorant about the subject than I realized.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 22, 2019 14:32:03 GMT -5
So the lanes are intentionally varied? I guess that makes the sport more like outdoor sports where wind, temperature, and surface conditions vary. A ski hill, ice rink, or golf course are never the quite the same from one day to the next either. Whenever I start learning about something new, it doesn't take long to realize that I'm much more ignorant about the subject than I realized. The bowling ball companies do everything they can to make a bowler throw strikes. The sanctioning body does everything they can to make it difficult to throw strikes. It is a never ending battle. The kicker is that the oil that is applied to the lane changes as the day goes on. My son is a high rev bowler coming in at right about 500 revs per minute. 500 is considered high even in the pros. At that rev rate he can only throw the ball in the same spot about 10-12 times before he has moved all the oil off that line and the ball will start to react differently. At that point he has to move to a different spot on the lane and possibly switch to a different ball. That adjustment is an ongoing battle. If two or three bowlers throw in the same spot that he is the transition happens even faster. I should add that my wife and I do not bowl so everything I know is second hand. Chuck
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 22, 2019 14:37:14 GMT -5
... A bowler can't just use one ball for three games throwing it in the same spot. The oil is applied to the lane in very specific ways to challenge bowlers in tournaments. With the high end balls costing $220 plus another $40-50 to get them drilled he is able to sell some of them used when he is done but they only bring in about $50. Here are just 2 examples of different oil patterns. There are dozens of differnt patterns that he will bowl on throughout the season. Chuck Very interesting. Any idea how many practice balls or actual frames a pro generally needs before changing balls due to the oil pattern he/she perceives?
Not sure about the pros but honestly they can tell after one or two shots what they need to do. high school tournaments give 15 minutes of practice. So for a seven man team each player only gets about 2 minutes on the lane. Each kid will try to throw one or two strike shots and then try to hit a 7 pin and a 10 pin to dial in their spare shots. Chuck
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Post by rockpickerforever on Dec 22, 2019 14:42:25 GMT -5
So the lanes are intentionally varied? I guess that makes the sport more like outdoor sports where wind, temperature, and surface conditions vary. A ski hill, ice rink, or golf course are never the quite the same from one day to the next either. Whenever I start learning about something new, it doesn't take long to realize that I'm much more ignorant about the subject than I realized.
For the average bowling hack (like me!), using a house ball and rented shoes, all the minutae of the game is totally meaningless.
Not decrying pro bowlers (or even medium bowlers) at all, it's just that it is not a huge sport in SoCal, where you can participate in outdoor sports year round. Don't have to go inside to get away from the cold and snow.
I have actually bowled some, even was in a league as a child. We were the "Daffy Dillies" (named by the younger girls on the team.) We actually won first place in the season, still have the cute little trophy somewhere. No help to me - I bowled terribly, while the younger gals - many who had never bowled in their young lives! - did incredibly well because they had so much room for improvement.
I do have my own ball (green and yellow, kind like an Easter egg) and my own shoes. But I haven't been bowling in quite some time. I did enjoy it, even though it was back in the day when smoking was allowed in the bowling alleys - no, almost a pre-requisite, along with drinking beer. Much better in the alleys now. In case you wondered, I have bowled a few games over 200.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 22, 2019 15:10:06 GMT -5
So the lanes are intentionally varied? I guess that makes the sport more like outdoor sports where wind, temperature, and surface conditions vary. A ski hill, ice rink, or golf course are never the quite the same from one day to the next either. Whenever I start learning about something new, it doesn't take long to realize that I'm much more ignorant about the subject than I realized.
For the average bowling hack (like me!), using a house ball and rented shoes, all the minutae of the game is totally meaningless.
Not decrying pro bowlers (or even medium bowlers) at all, it's just that it is not a huge sport in SoCal, where you can participate in outdoor sports year round. Don't have to go inside to get away from the cold and snow.
I have actually bowled some, even was in a league as a child. We were the "Daffy Dillies" (named by the younger girls on the team.) We actually won first place in the season, still have the cute little trophy somewhere. No help to me - I bowled terribly, while the younger gals - many who had never bowled in their young lives! - did incredibly well because they had so much room for improvement.
I do have my own ball (green and yellow, kind like an Easter egg) and my own shoes. But I haven't been bowling in quite some time. I did enjoy it, even though it was back in the day when smoking was allowed in the bowling alleys - no, almost a pre-requisite, along with drinking beer. Much better in the alleys now. In case you wondered, I have bowled a few games over 200.
Metro Detroit is the bowling capital of the world. Very blue collar town with many factories and shops having men's bowling teams back in the day. There are 8 bowling alleys that are all less then 10 miles from our house. It is seeing a downturn with adults right now but the youth programs are still going strong. The average varsity high school bowler in our division averages 200-210 per game. Just last week we bowled against a 5 man team that in two games scored 2350 that's a 235 average across the whole team. Very competitive. Chuck
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Post by fernwood on Dec 22, 2019 16:44:14 GMT -5
I like the pendant. What a special present.
I bowled league in college. Was on the University team one year. Had 2 balls then. One just for spare shots.
Understand about the initial and ever changing oil on the lanes.
Bowling is pretty popular here, especially with youth. The 13 year old son of a friend bowls on a league. He has an average of about 150. This is his first year bowling.
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Post by MsAli on Dec 22, 2019 19:57:06 GMT -5
Beautiful pendant. Reminds me of blue goldstone
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 22, 2019 20:07:37 GMT -5
What a great pendant and gift, Chuck! You're wife will love it. I really like the extended metal around the bezel. Gives the cab a nice border and is sleek looking. Kudos!
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Post by RocksInNJ on Dec 22, 2019 20:15:29 GMT -5
That’s an amazing looking pendant. Great job.
Great, now I not only do I have to hit the thrift stores for glass, but bowling balls as well. Hey wait, this could work out perfect. I could set up some glass vases like bowling pins in the yard and then throw the bowling ball at them to smash them to smithereens. Wallah, broken glass for the tumbler.
Ok, but how do you break up the bowling ball to tumble? This could get dangerous with my state of mind. Lol.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 22, 2019 21:42:06 GMT -5
That’s an amazing looking pendant. Great job. Great, now I not only do I have to hit the thrift stores for glass, but bowling balls as well. Hey wait, this could work out perfect. I could set up some glass vases like bowling pins in the yard and then throw the bowling ball at them to smash them to smithereens. Wallah, broken glass for the tumbler. Ok, but how do you break up the bowling ball to tumble? This could get dangerous with my state of mind. Lol. Busting up bowling balls is not easy work. I make cuts into the balls outer shell then try to bust chunks off using cold chisels. I would much rather break a rock the same size. Modern balls are made up of three parts. Outer shell, Inner shell and engineered cores. Each ball has a different polymer blend for the outer shell and each has a very specific shaped center core depending on what the ball is supposed to do. This is a cross section of the last ball I purchased for him. Chuck
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 22, 2019 21:55:09 GMT -5
Cool thread, Chuck. Love the pendant- what a lot of people may not know is that bowlerite is crazy light, so I think the added weight of the silver and the extended backing are great for it. In my opinion, it's not that great for wire wrapping. Some of it is really killer, though. Your piece, as mentioned, looks like goldstone. But, it's the sentiment that really makes it special.
I never knew they oiled the lanes. Learn something new everyday. So, am I to take it that the bowlers are not privy to the oiling pattern? I assume as much. I always enjoyed bowling, but I was never in a league or anything - just enjoyed it with friends. Nothing special- rented shoes and balls.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 23, 2019 8:12:59 GMT -5
Cool thread, Chuck. Love the pendant- what a lot of people may not know is that bowlerite is crazy light, so I think the added weight of the silver and the extended backing are great for it. In my opinion, it's not that great for wire wrapping. Some of it is really killer, though. Your piece, as mentioned, looks like goldstone. But, it's the sentiment that really makes it special.
I never knew they oiled the lanes. Learn something new everyday. So, am I to take it that the bowlers are not privy to the oiling pattern? I assume as much. I always enjoyed bowling, but I was never in a league or anything - just enjoyed it with friends. Nothing special- rented shoes and balls. Thanks Tela. I am hoping the lightness works in my favor. My wife will not wear any of my rock pendants due to the weight. Even with the silver this one is pretty light still. In the original post above which ball on the rack would you pick for the best cab? The Supra is a beautiful sparkly purple. The Jackal has a Victoria stone look to it. For the most part we know what oil pattern will be used ahead of time but that just gives a range of what ball he might start with. The oil transition throughout the day is what causes the need for multiple balls that react different. For tournaments they only bowl one game on a lane and then everyone switches to another pair of lanes. On an average day he will bowl on 6-10 different pair of lanes. That is supposed to keep it fair. As a non bowler I am amazed at how technical it really is now. For open bowling when you just go for fun there is no telling what the condition of the oil is. For a house ball being thrown straight it does not mean anything at all but for the more advanced bowler they need that oil. Without it their balls would all hook straight into the gutter. The oil lets them throw the ball from the far left part of the lane toward the gutter. When the ball exits the oil and hits the dry portion it grabs and hooks back to the pins at a desirable angle. shaded part is oil. You can see how the ball hooks when it exits the oil. As soon as the oil wears out that hook spot starts to change. Chuck
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 23, 2019 8:48:27 GMT -5
Cool thread, Chuck. Love the pendant- what a lot of people may not know is that bowlerite is crazy light, so I think the added weight of the silver and the extended backing are great for it. In my opinion, it's not that great for wire wrapping. Some of it is really killer, though. Your piece, as mentioned, looks like goldstone. But, it's the sentiment that really makes it special.
I never knew they oiled the lanes. Learn something new everyday. So, am I to take it that the bowlers are not privy to the oiling pattern? I assume as much. I always enjoyed bowling, but I was never in a league or anything - just enjoyed it with friends. Nothing special- rented shoes and balls. Thanks Tela. I am hoping the lightness works in my favor. My wife will not wear any of my rock pendants due to the weight. Even with the silver this one is pretty light still. In the original post above which ball on the rack would you pick for the best cab? The Supra is a beautiful sparkly purple. The Jackal has a Victoria stone look to it. For the most part we know what oil pattern will be used ahead of time but that just gives a range of what ball he might start with. The oil transition throughout the day is what causes the need for multiple balls that react different. For tournaments they only bowl one game on a lane and then everyone switches to another pair of lanes. On an average day he will bowl on 6-10 different pair of lanes. That is supposed to keep it fair. As a non bowler I am amazed at how technical it really is now. For open bowling when you just go for fun there is no telling what the condition of the oil is. For a house ball being thrown straight it does not mean anything at all but for the more advanced bowler they need that oil. Without it their balls would all hook straight into the gutter. The oil lets them throw the ball from the far left part of the lane toward the gutter. When the ball exits the oil and hits the dry portion it grabs and hooks back to the pins at a desirable angle. shaded part is oil. You can see how the ball hooks when it exits the oil. As soon as the oil wears out that hook spot starts to change. Chuck
I love that charoite looking purple one and the red blue across from from it.
And now I know how they throw those awesome curve balls. Makes sense.
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