Bowling Alley Line Wood...

[FLYINGSNAIL]

I know one of old Bowling Alley is closing, I am going to go by and talk with the owner see if I can get some of those lanes wood they have. If you are any of you interesting let me know.
Kenny

 

[qbilder]

Be careful & be ready to work. The lanes are epoxied as well as nailed, and require tremendous effort to salvage. I know an old man who worked for Brunswick building & maintaing lanes. He explained how they were assembled. He also gave me around 500bf of 60 year old unused lane boards. Admittedly, it's bounds superior to the wood offered by shaft suppliers.

 

[hangemhigh]

Here is my experience with that kind of wood. Our local BA replaced the lanes and I got a shot at some of the wood, picked it out myself. In addition to the nail holes and Epoxy, there is a problem with internal fractures from years of use. I think Mason had an example of what you will eventually encounter down the line after putting many hours of work into a shaft. All I can say is get the wood from the end of the lane if possible, before the area where the pins are set.

 

[Charlie Edwards]

Here is my experience with that kind of wood. Our local BA replaced the lanes and I got a shot at some of the wood, picked it out myself. In addition to the nail holes and Epoxy, there is a problem with internal fractures from years of use. I think Mason had an example of what you will eventually encounter down the line after putting many hours of work into a shaft. All I can say is get the wood from the end of the lane if possible, before the area where the pins are set.

The wood near the pins is pine. The maple is the approach and first 15' or so of the lane. Also on old lanes where the pins set (the pin deck) is maple, but I not sure if those planks are long enough to be useful for a cue. If the lanes are pretty old the glue used was probably Elmers wood glue, a water soluble PV glue.

When lanes are built there is no regard as to grain straightness or much regard for anything else.

The boards originally used were 1'' x 3''. Later they were two 1.5''x1.5'' laminated together to make a solid 1''x3'' piece.

I often wondered how they would work as shafts, but I think in the long run they would be more trouble than they are worth. At least I would only play around with the approach boards and see what happens. JMO, of course.

 

[hangemhigh]

The wood near the pins is pine. The maple is the approach and first 15' or so of the lane. Also on old lanes where the pins set (the pin deck) is maple, but I not sure if those planks are long enough to be useful for a cue. If the lanes are pretty old the glue used was probably Elmers wood glue, a water soluble PV glue.

When lanes are built there is no regard as to grain straightness or much regard for anything else.

The boards originally used were 1'' x 3''. Later they were two 1.5''x1.5'' laminated together to make a solid 1''x3'' piece.

I often wondered how they would work as shafts, but I think in the long run they would be more trouble than they are worth. At least I would only play around with the approach boards and see what happens. JMO, of course.

Great information. I never knew there was Pine used also. I was allowed to pick from the wood, and only encountered Maple, maybe because I told them what I wanted.

 

[Charlie Edwards]

Great information. I never knew there was Pine used also. I was allowed to pick from the wood, and only encountered Maple, maybe because I told them what I wanted.

Some of the very, very old lanes were all maple... but they were rare, even in those days.