OOAK Table Tennis Forum

This last weekend, I bought a couple of USD1.80 hardbats at the local Tesco ("Concord" brand). Hard rubber came off the blades, no problem. Took a minute a side, little glue residue. Gave them a light sanding, a light coat of poly-U, and then I noticed it. The blades are WARPED!! It's not much - I think I'll put a couple sheets of Boll Warheads on one of them and see if they're playable. The blades were quite thin - maybe 4.5mm. And they're actually flexible (unlike some "flexible" blades mentioned here..). If they don't play well I'll just strip the rubber off and put them on other blades (I also have one from Daiso).

Iskandar

Hahaha. Concorde.I know that:D:D

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Still Missing the Speed Glue

When I was young ( btw em still young ) my racket is an Addoy pre made. I believe the quality of premade before was better compared today. I learned to loop very hard using addoy and smashed with it since I have no choice back then. I guess familiarity with your set up even if it is cheap is a big factor.

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Enjoy the game. It is a never ending learning experience once you play and keep the ball on that 45 sq ft of space or should I say half of that space.

These are destined to be loaner or gift bats (if they work). I don't intend to make them my primary equipment (unless, of course, they turn out to play better than what I use now!).

Iskandar

A bit late to help you, perhaps, but I saw a tip from someone else here to use a drill bit on the side. I can't find the posting right now...

I tried it a couple of days ago, and it was surprisingly fast. Still some elbow grease involved, but stubborn sponge was removed in 10 minutes (would have taken 3-4 times as long with my old method using a steel wire brush).

Use a spiral drill bit for metal or wood, 8mm or larger (~3/8"), and a "planing" motion. Those drill bits have a cutting edge all along the spiral. That edge will cut flat along the surface, so as long as you engage more than one turn of the spiral and keep the bit's side flat against the sponge, it will not cut into the wood. You still need sanding for the last finishing.

Note that some drill bits have a raised leading edge on the side, and will not cut with the trailing edge of the spiral. With such a bit you need to move it towards you if you hold the shaft in the right hand. For left handers the more natural forward motion will work.

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My blog of failures, etc., also containing equipment list at "resurrection" (referred to in a few of my early posts), and my current lineup
Rating in the middle/low range in the region.
Moderating the LP Attacking subforum in the Technique section.

Some of the premades are made with glue that seems like it was nuclear fused to the blade, which tempts me to take the thing to an 8" grinder wheel. The usual method of using a rubber cutout doesn't do very well until you get all the sponge off and have only the glue to deal with. Any way you go about it, the job (if it is a fused on sponge) is a messy one.

BTW, XP 2008 is now an $8 USD rubber, woo-hoo. Still a better rubber than some USD $40 ones.

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Goof-off chopping bat
Gambler All Rosewood
Aurus Soft / Gambler GXL .6 sponge

Status - Out of Business Janitor/Babysitter

One thing I'm NOT short of is drill bits! I'll have to give that a try.

Iskandar

Did someone mention Butterfly Addoy?

Nice racket - good rubbers. I really enjoyed hitting with it.

Hmm. Thought maybe I'd get a sheet of the XP2008 from Tianjin Guanghe on Aliexpress (actually Eacheng under a different name) while they have their $2 coupon going (I somehow got a second coupon). But it's not listed! It IS available on eacheng proper, but shipping is extra (and they want $7.50 for it). So I do a search on AliExpress and this is the only instance that comes up:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/DAWEI-20 ... 94174.html

"Table Tennis Museum"??? Hope that's not bad news... Too expensive, too. Not too long ago lots of people had it for sale, Eacheng.net even had a deal where you could buy 10 sheets for $3 each (plus shipping).

On the plus side - gee look at that - he's got sponge hardnesses all the way from 37 to 46. If I were to buy a sheet, wonder which one I should get.

Iskandar

Just noticed - there's two versions of this. One is "XP", the other isn't.




Iskandar

The sponge is different..non xp has purple sponge and xp has orange sponge..xp sponge has better speed than non xp, but that's all.

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Still Missing the Speed Glue

Get the bottom one, it is eternal. The real deal.

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Goof-off chopping bat
Gambler All Rosewood
Aurus Soft / Gambler GXL .6 sponge

Status - Out of Business Janitor/Babysitter

Agree re - this rubber, once the tack goes it is very grippy, it is one of the few non-tacky rubbers that i barely have to alter my tacky looping style of play with to play at my usual standard. Bags of control and plenty of speed with 2mm.
Cheap to boot!

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Think, before you drink, before you write!

Got a sheet. One problem, though - boy, it's heavy. Uncut sheet is 77.2 grams! Typical Chinese rubber sheet is 62-68 grams.

Iskandar

Mmmmmm, chinese and heavy kind of go together, but with, 1 side ox, it is fairly relative, like a blade can have diff. between 20-30 grams so with 1 sise ox, it ain't too bad, esp. if on a light blade.

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Think, before you drink, before you write!