"Antique" Diamond Ball Polisher
- Thread starter RobM
- Start date
I get no lint and on the balls and use 2 drops per 8 balls, and sometimes one drop or none. My solution is about a 20% dilution though. Rexus uses a much more diluted solution and sprays a mist on, so effectively much less than you probably using by pouring it on while running. Your problems may be just too much cleaner. If the balls when taking out of the polisher feel somewhat tacky, and not smooth and somewhat slippery, you probably using too much solution. I do mine about every two weeks and the 8oz bottle of Aramith cleaner will probably last me the rest of my life.
Did you wash them prior to installing? Which bonnets are you running?
Also, is there a gap between the carpet on the walls and the platters?
I washed the bonnets, used a toothbrush and cleaned the contact points on the sprockets and used a brush on the carpets in the cans. I saw no evidence of melting/excess heat. I cut way back on cleaning solution ( Two drops on 4 of the 16 balls). I am getting way less lint and confirmed no rubbing of the platters/cans.
But I'm still getting that hard deposit on the balls. It almost feels like a thin layer of shellac chipping off the balls in those spots. I know its not but the small spots have that feeling when you use a fingernail to flake it off..... I guess my next move it to replace the carpet in the cans and see if it helps. I know someone mentioned an indoor/outdoor type carpet for the cans. Does the plastic like cheap indoor/outdoor stuff work? Any available from Home Depot or Lowes? Recommendations????? Apparently it takes a village to make a ball polisher.
As always,
Thanks
But I'm still getting that hard deposit on the balls. It almost feels like a thin layer of shellac chipping off the balls in those spots. I know its not but the small spots have that feeling when you use a fingernail to flake it off..... I guess my next move it to replace the carpet in the cans and see if it helps. I know someone mentioned an indoor/outdoor type carpet for the cans. Does the plastic like cheap indoor/outdoor stuff work? Any available from Home Depot or Lowes? Recommendations????? Apparently it takes a village to make a ball polisher.
As always,
Thanks
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Speaking from experience, no. That's what Diamond uses and it sucks, especially using the ABC/alcohol mixture. I seriously doubt it's the carpet itself. Make sure the carpet on the cans isn't coming in contact with the platter/bonnet. If it is, you're grinding the carpet backing into the platter and contaminating the cleaning surfaces.Does the plastic like cheap indoor/outdoor stuff work? Any available from Home Depot or Lowes? Recommendations????? Apparently it takes a village to make a ball polisher.
As always,
Thanks
All right everyone, I'm starting to think about the electrical for the timer to run this beast of a motor.
(Dayton Split-Phase Belt Drive Motor, 1/3 HP, 48 Frame, 115V AC Voltage, 1,725 Nameplate RPM
Scott (and Diamond) used something like the following Intermatic timer.
View attachment 769210
But that looks too modern and is the wrong color to blend in with the dark oak case.
I spoke with Intermatic (Hi Guys! Keep the league going strong and know I'm envious I can't join you on Wed. nights!!!) but they wouldn't do a special run of 1 Dark Brown timer....go figure a multi billion dollar company wouldn't set up an entire assembly line to produce just one for me!!
I think I can use a dark brown toggle switch plate cover though and scribe the markings directly into the plastic, and paint the knob dark brown. Or possibly get a small piece of brass and create the timer inset portion to fit a dark brown decorator/rocker type cover shown in the above photo. Might be a nice accent.
Anyone with another idea?? Crowd sourcing the brain work here.
Thanks
If you can take the switch apart, soak all the plastic pieces in very strong cold espresso coffee overnight. It will go a very nice brown color. Soak it longer as necessary to get the color you want. Test it out on a junk white plastic piece first. Guitar repair guys do this to patina new replacement parts on older guitars.
I don't think the carpets are touching the bonnets, but will raise the can deck 1/4" and run some balls through as a test. Unfortunately the way I constructed the case I left no room to lower the platters (base of platter is at the top of the bearing). If this corrects it then I'll have to cut the can's bottom surfaces upwards to create more clearance. It makes a lot of sense that the backing (a hard plastic like material) is the shellac like material I am flaking off the balls. Maybe the isopropyl alcohol is softening the flakes of the backing and allowing it to "glue" to the balls.
I would wager that's your issue as I too had to trim the bottom of my can to avoid the can/carpet from rubbing on the platter.
There also could just still be a buildup of cleaner still on the balls from before when you used too much. That either needs to get cleaned off or wore off if so, before your balls will look like new out of the box.
I had this issue once when I cleaned the balls for a bar owner friend of mine. The balls were horrible, and I thought that if I cleaned them 5 or 6 times in a row they would look great. not only did I clean them 5 or 6 times, all at one time, I actually used about twice as much cleaner. They did look pretty good surprisingly, but had somewhat of an orange peel look. Anyway, stopped back in a couple days later and looked at the balls as they played league the night before and the balls were terrible and all full of little pot marks. I no longer offer to clean the balls for a friendly bar unless they are good to begin with. If there is a buildup still remaining the balls, it will show in little collision marks on the balls after playing for a while. You would see little dots in the darker areas of the balls.
I had this issue once when I cleaned the balls for a bar owner friend of mine. The balls were horrible, and I thought that if I cleaned them 5 or 6 times in a row they would look great. not only did I clean them 5 or 6 times, all at one time, I actually used about twice as much cleaner. They did look pretty good surprisingly, but had somewhat of an orange peel look. Anyway, stopped back in a couple days later and looked at the balls as they played league the night before and the balls were terrible and all full of little pot marks. I no longer offer to clean the balls for a friendly bar unless they are good to begin with. If there is a buildup still remaining the balls, it will show in little collision marks on the balls after playing for a while. You would see little dots in the darker areas of the balls.
Highly unlikely the issue is too much product. I'd agree with you if he was using straight Aramith Ball Cleaner but he's using ABC in a very small quantity as it's heavily diluted with Isopropyl Alcohol.