That's strange. I have 5 proshops in reasonable distance. And, none of them use Abralon. It's just too expensive. Scotchbrite type pads are sold over the counter, but not used in the back room.

All ball touchup and refinishing is done wet sanded. That's what I see, anyhow.

All the pro shops I've been to here have used Abralon pads.

Your pro shops stock 4000 grit sandpaper?

Don't know, never used it. But, the one I mainly use has a slotted wrack, like pigeon holes, and specific grits of paper in each. It starts at 180 on the low end. But, I have never gone past 1200, and there are a few more pigeon holes below that.

I'll check the next time I am in there. Maybe get a photo too.

My guy uses Abralon pads. But, they get worn really easy. Scotch bright pads are much mroe durable. I think that as long as you use water when you are resurfacing, you should be okay. I want to get a few abralon pads to put in my bag for touch up jobs before I bowl. This past year, one of the guys had a 500 pad in his bag and we all hit our equipment with it before the team event.

thanks...sounds like a trip to Wal-mart for some Scotchbrite pads and some H2O and i am good to go. thanks for the feedback.

or i will just take to Pro Shop and have them sand it up!!!!!

i think they are talking about 320 or 500 on a ball to throw in practice so you have some friction. we call those charcoal balls. they help to build a break point down the lane to throw at. we usually do it with an old urethane ball.

Ding, Ding, Ding the prize goes to unigueblinds. The thing is with that approach you need the whole team or even better both teams on the pair to all be work on it, but you want a ball that absorbs the oil. If every one is doing it in a different spot it doesn't work too well, at least not at Nationals.

got it....we have 4 on our team that are right handed my dad is left handed......will maybe work that approach.......sand the heck out a urethene ball then go get em. thanks

I'm kind of surprised that you were successful doing that with a urethane ball. From memory, urethane did not soak up the oil. The last urethane ball I threw came back with large oil rings that had to be cleaned off. This would suggest drastic oil movement and carrydown. I would think a resin ball that is known for oil absorbtion would work much better. If the surface was 500 or 320 it would act as a sponge thus creating a wall without the drastic carrydown, and could be done with much fewer shots.

Resin balls work best for opening a line, urethane doesn't absorb oil, I wouldn't even bring a urethane ball to the nats as they push the oil down the lane and ruin everyone's shot including the people after you.

Sand paper or scotch brite is fine for the bulk of the work, then finish the ball off with abralon gives a more uniform finish.

Edit: also use a spinner, don't sit with the ball in your lap and think for a second you are going to do anything other than mess up the surface of your ball.