huskeric
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2016
Posts: 353
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Post by huskeric on Feb 12, 2018 12:16:21 GMT -5
jamesp , I didn't want to hijack your thread, but when you run out of glass, you might try bowling balls. They're a bit harder to break, but I will say they do tumble quite nicely. IMG_20180212_104251222_LL by Eric Irwin, on Flickr I have previously only finished this by hand, but discovered by putting some scraps of bowlerite in with my rocks in the Lot-O that it will take a beautiful shine that way. Once I figured that out, I started trying some of my Fordite in the same manner, and as long as it is good hard material, it also polishes beautifully. I have previously posted pics of all of the bowlerite rough I have, and I still have most of it. I also have a gorgeous deep blue bowling ball that I have to crack open. I am trying to figure out if I can rig up a bandsaw to "peel" them vs my current brute-force strategy.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,555
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Post by jamesp on Feb 12, 2018 12:20:28 GMT -5
I noticed those bowling balls are poured like a skin around what looks to be concrete. I was curious how to remove it. I was thinking a diamond blade since it will cut through both plastic and concrete. A skillsaw with a diamond blade cut all the way around. Big hit with a sledge to make 2 halves. May be a good start I don't know.
I now remember your incredible Bowlerite. It is spectacular and am impressed that you can tumble polish it.
When you get a chance I hope you will post some of your Bowlerite.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Feb 12, 2018 12:48:37 GMT -5
jamespBe careful what you try to cut through when it comes to bowling balls. There are a lot of varieties in materials used. All of the high performance balls now have custom engineered weight blocks in the center that would not be diamond saw friendly. In the post below I show pictures of a cutaway view. I just busted up a couple more this weekend myself. I will often saw a groove all the way around the perimeter in two directions just going through the outer layer then cold chisel and short handled sledge hammer to bust it. The weight blocks are used in all hooking strike balls. Spare balls or balls for straight shooters do not have that block. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/80262/friday-fordite-bowlerite-pudding-stoneChuck
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Post by MrP on Feb 12, 2018 13:18:29 GMT -5
I cut mine with a regular wood saw blade on the miter saw then cut grooves on the inside with the skill saw. I have found no real easy way to bust them up. I have also found that there is a big difference as to how easy they take a polish............................MrP
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Feb 12, 2018 13:53:43 GMT -5
I cut mine with a regular wood saw blade on the miter saw then cut grooves on the inside with the skill saw. I have found no real easy way to bust them up. I have also found that there is a big difference as to how easy they take a polish............................MrP There are hundreds of different custom resins being used to make modern bowling balls. The spare balls are the only thing that is fairly consistent. In this list the top option which is plastic balls is what is considered a spare ball. It will go straight down the lane no matter how it is thrown. Plastic– This coverstock is a very smooth surface and offers the least friction and therefore has the least hook potential available. This type of ball is good for beginners who desire their own ball with a proper fit to their hand. Intermediate and advanced bowlers also use this type of ball for shooting spares as it is a very predictable reaction due to its very low hook potential. Urethane– This coverstock is more durable than plastic and offers more friction between the ball and the lane surface. Therefore, urethane has a higher hook potential than plastic. Due to the increased friction on the lane, urethane tends to deflect less which results in better pin action. This type of ball is a good next step up from a plastic as it is still very controllable yet offers increased hook potential. Reactive Resin– This coverstock is actually less durable than plastic or urethane, but offers much more friction, hook potential, and pin action. Due to the much higher friction they create, reactive resin balls tend to be more sensitive to lane conditions, and operator error too, and therefore are generally a little more difficult to control. This type of ball is designed for the intermediate or advanced bowler who desires a lot of hook-ability and an “arsenal” of potential lane reactions. Particle (Proactive)– This coverstock is a snow tire with chains! The surface of this coverstock has a “bumpy” feel to it allowing the ball to dig into the lane surface creating the most friction available on heavily oiled lanes. This type of ball is a must for the intermediate and advanced bowler’s arsenal.
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Post by fernwood on Feb 12, 2018 13:58:26 GMT -5
As a former bowler, I appreciate the beautiful colors in bowling balls. Most are resin base, so would imagine a much slower melting/tumbling time. Also, the tumbling techniques would need to be very different than silca based tumbles.
Vintage ones, are much harder than most present ones from my experience. Local bowling alleys usually throw away house balls that are damaged.
Yes, these would need to be sawed into pieces, as they are next to impossible to break without industrial presses.
But, another option to explore, if you are up to the challenge, lol.
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2016
Posts: 353
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Post by huskeric on Feb 12, 2018 15:48:04 GMT -5
The first time I cut up a bowling ball, I used an angle grinder with a diamond blade. It worked, but didn't cut deep enough through the core, and I ended up trying to chisel them apart. Moral: It doesn't work that well. Next, I tried a circular saw, same problems to a lesser degree. FWIW, both of these methods create more "sawdust" than you can conceive of, and you end up with segments that include the core, which is even more fun to try to cut away from the pretty cover.
I tried a reciprocating saw next, which in theory should do a better job of "peeling" the bowlerite off from the core, but I didn't have the best of luck with that. I have since acquired an "oscillating" saw, which if I can find the right blade for it, is probably the best solution of any of these.
What I would like to figure out is if I could create a jig that wouldn't be much more complex than a dowel pin that would fit into a finger hole attached to a plate that could be clamped onto a band saw. If I could do this, I could set the depth of cut and just peel the outside of the ball off. The band saw has a much thinner profile, so I would guess SIGNIFICANTLY less dust, and you never have to cut into the core of the ball. Then you could reposition it spin it around and peel the next section off. I would think about three passes would knock out all of the usable material.
The major problem with that, I don't have a band saw, and that's a pretty big "bet on the come," without proving it out. If I could make it work (and find space for a band saw), I would guess it would pay for itself if I decided to sell some of the material. That's a major lesson in bowlerite, you get a LOT of rough from a bowling ball, probably more than you could EVER want from one ball.
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