I noticed PSI had blanks of bowling ball material sized at 1" round and 7" long, perfect I thought for a handle. I tried their crimson pearl, bored it , cut it and shaped it to my liking, but its not polishing with 400 grit which is the finest I have at the moment. Anyone have experience with this stuff? If I get some 600 grit will that do, or do I need to get even finer grit?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2006 05:44PM by Steven Libby.

Hi Steve,

Sounds kind of interesting !!! What is bowling balls made of?? Let me rephrase that - What material is used to make bowling balls? Is it a plastic material something like Coran counter tops? How is it for weight?

Hank
On The Rocks Fishing
Wells, ME.

Steve; You will need to wet sand up to at least 1000 or higher then use an Automotive polishing compound and then a polish like Finesset-It to get a nice shine. Go down to your bowling Alley Pro Shop and they can show you what you'll need. They might even give you a small sample to try.

PSI describes it as a plastic, as follows [www.pennstateind.com]
I bored it out for a foam arbor to lighten it up, while still leaving room for shaping, and I think the result will be ok for me weight wise. I guess I'll go get some 600 grit and see if that cleans it up. Not recommending it, not even suggesting it, just trying to figure it out.

Bowling Ball Blanks
Turns like Butter - Guaranteed not to crack!
Made from bowling ball material, this plastic material is easier to drill and turn than wood. Won't crack, melt or split while drilling or turning and has no nasty smells. Turnings have a remarkably luxurious finish, and polish like glass. Ideal for work on a duplicator & great for turners who are "acrylic challenged".
Blanks are super sized at 1" round and 7" long. Patent Pending.

I believe it's either a Polyurithane or Polyethilene. You may want to check at your nearest bowling center Pro Shop. They may carry a polishing agent.

Bill in WV

Thanks Jim. Posted at the same time. That helps, I'll try it. Thanks again.

Several Years ago, I had an opportunity to distribute this stuff for reelseat inserts. The bowling ball material samples I had were made from urethane. It was decent stuff, but at times could be a bit fickle while you were machining it. If it wasn't turned at just the right speed with a really sharp tool, it would chip out just a bit.. The shavings did however come off in long ribbons, and for the most part it polished pretty well. I decided against it though because in order to really machine it w/o a mishap, one needed a metal lathe with a compound slide. AND it was heavy, it may work well for a split grip type of setup, but a 9" rear grip of this stuff would be pretty unruly.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing Products

What you need are Mineral Spirits and MicroMesh. Fold a paper towel to about 2x3 and soak it with MS. WIth the lathe running at it's lowest speed, hold the folded paper towel against the backside of the material and sand with all the MM grits, 1500 through 12000. Then either polish with a plastic polish or buff with white diamond.

I have done several reel seats from the "Bowling Ball" material, in addition to butt caps foregrips, etc. I got my material from an outfit called "Pens of Color" They do have a web site. If you can't find it with a search, send me an email and I we sent it to you. They come in several colors. The major problem I have with them is that they are heavier than most other materials used in handles.

I generally go finer than 1000 grit to polish. Also a thin coat of Permagloss really makes them shine.

Contact me if you have any additional questions.

Ed Smith

Pens of Color is a PSI reseller, although generally Sheila's prices are less than buying direct from PSI and the service is better. White Diamond polish and a buffing wheel will give you a glossier and harder finish than Permagloss in less time and you don't have to worry about it leveling.