You hold the ball as you build your concentration. The arena grows silent as you slowly swing your right arm, then “Crash!” Ten pins fall before you, much to the delight of your audience. You raise your arm as you go on to celebrate your victory.
Unfortunately, it is just one of your daydreams. Those thoughts merely appear in your head whenever you see other people playing bowling. If you only had your own bowling set, you’d probably have a better chance to become a World Cup winner.
The bowling set is composed of a bowling ball and ten bowling pins. These items constitute the primary things that you need to bowl. Precisely made, you should be able to create your own set free of errors, otherwise a faulty ball or misshaped pins will adversely affect your game.
Bowling Ball
The bowling ball is made of three layers, namely the core, the second layer and the primary layer. All layers come in various materials, but the most prevalent one is resin. The core of a bowling ball may have different shapes, since the core’s shape depends on your bowling stroke. The second layer acts as a protective cover of the core, while the primary layer should conform to the bowling lane’s surface. Before you start building your bowling ball, you should be aware of the ball basics.
Materials Used:
resin
boiler
core mold
second layer mold
primary layer mold
mechanical drill
cleaning solution
To create your bowling ball, you should be aware of the type of ball that perfectly suits your style of play. There are different core types attuned to various playing styles. When you have figured out the most suitable core type, get some resin and place them in the boiler. The resin will eventually liquefy. Once that happens, transfer the molten resin to your chosen core mold. When it dries, you can proceed to the ball’s second layer.
The second layer is the easiest to create among the three ball components. All you need is to create a rather sturdy resin layer around the core and you’re done. Place the core in the middle of the secondary layer mold. Now, you can melt resin with the use of the boiler then wait for its temperature to significantly drop. You can then pour the resin in the mold to cover the core. Once the second layer completely hardens, the core will have its necessary protective coat.
Now, you only have one final layer to deal with, the primary layer. Place the second layer and the core in the middle of the primary layer mold. Repeat the resin-melting process found in the creation of the two previous layers. When the primary layer is formed, your bowling ball is almost ready. Drill three holes into the ball’s surface to create your fingers’ insertion points. At this point, you can apply cleaning solution to your ball to give it a pleasing gleam. You can now find yourself a bowling lane to strut your stuff.
Bowling Pin
Bowling pins are made of wood and covered with plastic. They are characterized by their curvaceous shape that slightly resembles the 300 ml Coke bottle. Standard sized, you should take note of the prescribed weight (1.6 kg) and dimensions (4.75 x 15 inches) of bowling pins. Remember that all the pins should be completely identical to each other.
Materials Used:
maple blocks
wood glue
hammer
chisel
sandpaper
saw
lathe
plastic coating
paint (white and red)
To create a bowling pin, first get the several maple blocks and saw them in accordance to the standard dimensions of a bowling pin. Use the chisel to get rid of excess amounts of wood and glue the blocks together. When the glue dries, place them inside the lathe. Carefully guide the blocks and the lathe’s blade so that you will not commit errors. Continue turning the lathe’s crank until you produce a bowling pin.
Once done, rub sandpaper on the pin to thoroughly smoothen its surface. Cover the pin with a thin strip of plastic film to give your bowling pin a glossy finish. Now, paint the bowling pin with white paint, then paint a red stripe on the neck of your pin. Double check the consistency of the layers of paint to make sure that your bowling pin is ready for sanctioned competitions.
After repeating the pin-making process nine more times, you can finally set up your own bowling alley at home.