OOAK Table Tennis Forum

LawOCG came up with this method of getting the most out of chinese rubbers. I thought is was worth re-posting here, since many might be interested. The number of layers blew me away a little, have not tried it yet, but I will on my next sheet;

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Just a quick update.

Ill summarize in the following steps\

REMOVE PLASTIC FILM ON TOPSHEET BEFORE DOING ANYTHING

1. Apply 2 layers of normal glue on the brand new uncut sheet.

2. After the 2 layers of normal glue has dried. There should be a big dome already. Place 4-5 layers of speedglue (wait for each layer to be touch dry before putting on the next) on the rubber. On the 5th layer while the glue is still semi-wet, roll it onto a glass plate and stack about 5kg's of books on it overnight.

3. In the morning when you peel the rubber off the glass plate. There should be a reverse dome instead of the kebab the night before.

This stage is crucial as the rubbers size will not stay that way permanently. Repeat step two again and leave it for hours(for best result Overnight is the best).

4. Glue the rubber on your blade and cut SPARINGLY meaning leave excess/overhang just to make sure as some rubbers tend to shrink a few mm's back when they've calmed down over a few days. This wont happen if you've been patient. I find that if you rush and hurry up the whole process. Then it normally shrinks back but in return, the rubber is faster, softer and springier, but its not at the pinnacle as when you follow the instructions exactly.

I have done something very similar beginning with EEII treated rubbers and the long term result is quite pleasing. I have only done it with Chinese rubbers though, I suspect it may put too much stress on some more brittle rubbers.
I peeled the glue off both times before finally sticking with a few layers of normal glue and it really helps the rubbers stick down after the EEII.

2 questions!

If you take off the plastic sheet and put books on the rubber won't the rubber get to dirty(because its so tacky if its new).

How long does it take to let one layer dry(speedglue&normal glue)

The important thing is not to stretch the rubber with the plastic on the surface. You can roll the rubber onto the blade and then re-apply the plastic cover without any problems and then place under books or clamp if you wish. Just don't roll the rubber onto the blade with it attached.

Yes I agree. LawOCG uses the carton from the rubber packaging (make sure you put the white inside bit to the rubber or the label will be imprinted on your rubber... Plastic should work too.

Glue should only take a few mins to dry...

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

The big question we need answering over the next year is how long after priming the rubber does it take for the VOC's to disappear and for the bat to become legal.
The remains of my 5l tin of glue could allow me to prime rubbers for a few years yet. Then I suppose I will be back to 'Tip Top' to do the same job.

I'm testing the super priming on a new sheet on Globe 999 Nat at the moment... will report back here with the results...

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

I haven't used this technique, but I've found that Chinese rubbers often need a lot of glue to perform at their best, even if used unglued. I've often found that I apply rubber to the blade and it feels dead. If I take it off, glue it a few more times, let it sit overnight and then reapply it it feels much better. Ecolo Expander II can also liven it up if applied first.

I have a few theories for why this is the case.

First, the often denser sponge is expanded and softened and becomes more dynamic.

Second, the topsheets of Chinese rubbers are often thicker and stiffer and pregluing/priming stretches them.

Finally the Chinese rubbers that come from the factory with their topsheets already attached to their sponge often have a thick layer of glue in between the topsheet and sponge and the pregluing/priming helps stretch this and make the sheet as a whole more flexible.

Whichever one is the reason (and it's probably a combination of the three) the super priming idea sounds like a good one, especially for the harder sponge/thicker topsheet/preassembled rubbers. Keep in mind though that it may make an already heavy sheet of rubber even heavier.

I'll be interested to see if the superprimed rubber still passes the "sniff test" after a week or two. I prefer to play with a new sheet of rubber for at least that long before a tournament anyway.

Another option is pretreating with Ecolo Expander II which has much of the same effect and doesn't seem to add as much weight to the sheet. Of course you still have to stick the rubber on the blade and I will often use 3-4 coats of rubber cement to do that so it will stick.

-- Andrew

Your 100% spot on Agooding Although I have heard alot in regards to EEII, I'm not sure on how its effect is on the topsheet. The fumes from priming with speed glue definitely reach through to the topsheet stretching it. My Current H2 that Ive been using for the last 2 weeks has survived the superpriming and is around 38degrees now, there are no problems with the topsheet in terms of bubbling or shrinking. DHS rubbers to me are the hardest to "grow"

The EEII seems to stretch the topsheet but you have to be a little careful not to put it all the way to the edges as it can cause a sheet to delaminate.

I think DHS sheets seem to have some of the hardest sponges and are very stiff at first, but maybe that means they are less liekly to delaminate as the glue bond with the topsheet is better than some.

-- Andrew

I compared my Superprimed H2 to my untreated one and the difference is huge. The untreated is very slow and has a deadish feel to it. Will treat my new sheet tonight.

Also treated a Higher Transcend. Since the topsheet isnt tacky by nature the damn thing is mighty fast, faster than my H2 on pure hitting but much worse for looping as the spin isnt on the same level.

I the 'Super prime' method on a new sheet of 999 Nat BLK.

Since I was going to glue this rubber, I decided to only do the 5 layer procedure once.

I got a pretty decent done after the 5 layers... forgot to put it on the glass before the last layer dried, but put it on soon after. 24h later i took it out, it felt nice and flexible, but hardly had a reverse done, and had probably only stretched a few mm... No damage to the sheet anyway...

Wanting to test it out the next day I decided to just glue it onto my bat anyway (long lasting glue takes >12h to settle).

The result was quite good, it played like a rubber that had been glued a few times times, but it still felt a little stiff. The 2nd treatment probably would have done the trick. it was nice to play with a topsheet that was totally unused, but a sponge that felt like it had been worn in...

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

I haven't tried your super priming method but I just put another 4 layers of homemade speedglue on my new sheet of hurricane 2 and the dome is massive

check my massive dome with hurricane 2 http://img526.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 133tm7.jpg