Attention!! Attention!!
Carrom season is at hand!!!
Carrom season is at hand!!!
Actually there is no such season but here at the fort we tend to play this game the most from fall through early spring (more of the indoor months).
Each year it is important to give the board, coins and striker(s) some maintenance. Consistent use will roughen up smooth playing surfaces and the ambient moisture in the air will gum up powders.
One can probably get away with just a quick wipe of the board and start playing but a more finely tuned playing surface will make for a better playing experience.using
This is a 4 year old board that the entire family uses, sees lots of use.
the more use the greater the friction.
the more use the greater the friction.
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| before maintenance |
This detail shows the carrom powder embedded into the wood grain and that is good. it also exemplifies the reasoning for applying a base layer of silicon before the carrom powder. the grain increases the boards surface area therefore the increased potential for friction.
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| before maintenance, the white is the carrom powder embedded in the wood grain |
After a wipe down with a lightly moist cloth to remove all of the old powder, the silicon is sprayed and then wiped in small circular motions to make sure it gets into the grain and is evenly distributed.
it doesn't take much silicon to do this.
it doesn't take much silicon to do this.
Something to note is that any over spray will turn whatever it lands on very slick.
caution to over spray on the floor!
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| cleaned and siliconed |
After the board is treated the wood coins will do well to be treated too.
i spray while the coins are sitting on a cloth to contain the mess.
then i can also use that same rag to rub into the grain.
then i can also use that same rag to rub into the grain.
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| the coins need to be cleaned and siliconed too |
the board is ready to go.
i never apply carrom powder immediately after silicon treatment. give it awhile to settle.
i never apply carrom powder immediately after silicon treatment. give it awhile to settle.
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| board and coins ready for action |
for anyone interested in the game, instead of purchasing online try your local indian grocery store.
aim for $50.
aim for $50.
advice on where to buy carrom powder and silicon spray
ReplyDeleteThank you for your inquiry! we go through a fair amount of carrom powder and i buy mine from my local Indian grocery store (they sell carrom boards in the back of their store). I pay $3 for a 4.5"x1.5" tube of it. there are some online retailers but i would always rather support a local store if possible. the silicon spray is available at all hardware stores. I personally use the "Liquid Wrench Silicon Spray". This comes in a pressurized spray can container. It is very penetrating and wears extremely well. My only strong advice is to wipe off all the excess from the board. A little bit goes a VERY long way.
Deletei hope this helps.
I forgot to mention that if you have no Indian grocers in your town, then when you are at your grocery store you can use potato starch. just make sure that you wipe the board off well after you done playing. In humid climates the starch will actually gum up a bit.
DeleteI have tried this before and it worked but not nearly as well as the boric acid based powder.
Thanks for the reply :)
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI have a carrom board.
The surface of the board looks pretty smooth, but when I put boric powder on it, the friction of the carrom increases and coins hardly move.
When I put disco powder on it, it works fine. But I have playing with disco powder.
Could you please suggest any solution to make my carrom work with boric powder?
Thanks,
Kaustubh
When I put disco powder on it, it works fine. But I hate playing with disco powder.***
DeleteThank you for your inquiry! Boric powder should work unless there are a couple of variables that have come about. I am not saying these are the culprits but they could be reasons why.
Deletefirst possibility (and most likely) could be the quality of boric powder. boric powder comes from borax. borax has minerals and are not good for carrom play. there are different grades of boric powder (different industries need different grades so there are options out there) and one will want to make sure that it is 99% pure boric powder. you will also want to stay away from borax, only pure boric powder.
second possibility could be the board (or coins) itself. you said that the disco powder works fine so i really doubt it is this but to completely eliminate all possibilities it wouldn't hurt to give the board a cleaning. there is always a chance that some residue has landed on the board and reacts to one medium and not another. keeping the board away from kitchens or workshop area will help keep any stay oils from landing on the board.
for cleaning i have found a window cleaner sprayed on a rag first then wiped off the board is the best procedure. after wiping off the board and letting any residual cleaner dry i HIGHLY recommend a silicon spray. while the silicon spray is out you can hit the coins too. remember to wipe off the excess.
a couple of other thoughts: boric acid can be hazardous to your health if you breath too much. i have seen different vegetable powder blends, but they do not work very well in high humidity areas. even in lower humidy the board still needs to be completely wiped off after each use. last thing anyone needs is for their carrom board to turn into a pastry cake between game playing sessions.
it may be a bit more money but for the sake of good game play you may want to just invest in some pre made carrom powder. there are a number of online shops and then there is always amazon with some competitive prices. i am lucky enough to have a local grocer that carries the powder so i can support him.
i hope this helps and GOOD LUCK! if you come up with a solution please share with me.
noble
Thank you so much for your reply.
DeleteI have Heavy duty silicon spray which I had bought to lubricate my rubik's cube.
Is it okay to spray it over the board?
For the pre made carrom powder, I could find following item on amazon:
Surco XL-1000 Smoot Carrom Board Powder
are you talking about the same?
Most "heavy duty silicone sprays" are similiar so that should work. most have a fairly potent medium like zylene so just make sure to put on a light spray and then wipe off VERY well immediately. if it pools for too long it can take any surface treatment off your carrom board's face. If i could recommend the following procedure: first wipe off any old powder, then spray a window or counter cleaner on a rag and then wipe out all the past powder that has gotten trapped in the shallow grain of the playing surface's wood. let it air after wiping for a few minutes then lightly spray the surface with the silicon spray. immediately wipe off with a rag in circular motions. then give it one more wipe down with a clean rag. dont forget to give those coins a spray too.
Deletestep away from the project and just get one more view of the newly treated carrom board. look at it from different angles to make sure that it got a descent wiping.
Important note: if you have a brand new or an expensive board and you are worried about doing any damange with the spray you can do a test spot first. clean the board then on a rag spray some silicon spray on it and apply it to a small section of the board. wipe and make sure that there is no damaged to the polished surface. i personally have never had an issue on multiple boards but that cant be assumed for all.
for your amazon find, that powder will definitely due. forgot how lucky i am to have a local Indian grocery to mine from and for half the price. there was one fact about the powder i forgot to mention is that it really doesn't take very much to make the carrom board fast, especially with the silicon surface. light sprinkling is all it takes.
although i have preferred to use boric based powder i think it is time for me to test different vegetable based DIY powders. it seems that the trend to getting away from boric may be very persistent and the wave of the future. look for a post coming in the next weeks with some of my test results.
a fast board can really get one motivated and increases the intensity of the game,
noble
Thanks for the info.
DeleteI'll would try the solution over the weekend.
Will keep you Posted.
Kaustubh
Kaustubh, could you please let us know what was the result of the Spray on the board?
DeleteI have a WD-40 Specialist Water Resistant Silicon Lubricant, is it okay to Spray it on the Carrom Board?
ReplyDeleteMaddy, that WD-40 is nice because it is made to be applied on so many materials. That sort adaptability improves its chances to be perfectly fine, but does not guarantee it. i would still apply a small amount to a "small" piece on the board and make sure it is ok. Specifically you want to make sure that there is no "bubbling, cracking or flaking" of the original top coat (dont forget to clean the board before applying the silicon spray too) . My initial feeling is that it should be fine, but because there are not standards to what the original top coat is nor of the silicon sprays there can be NO guarantees.
ReplyDeleteTo give you a little confidence though, i had NO guarantees with my board either, but i gave it a test in a small spot and all turned out fine.
PLUS the board became extremely slick.
GOOD LUCK and THANK YOU for your inquiry. If you are willing to share your results please tell me how it went. I have not used that particular one on my boards so we can pass the information on to others.
one quick reminder. a spray on the coins does wonders too.
Wow i will try on my under performing young board.
ReplyDeleteLets hope for best.
Wow i will try on my under performing young board.
ReplyDeleteLets hope for best.
If your willing to share please feel free to mention the siIcon spray you used and your opinion on the playing surface after application. Thank you and "go carrom!!".
DeleteOne side of the inside portion of my carrom board frame is slightly damaged. pl give me a solution.
ReplyDeleteSathish, can you show me a picture of the damage? You can email me the photo at nobleignitus@gmail.com. If the top playing suface of plywood is damaged then there may be trouble. Plywood once seperated can not be pressured back together. Please show me a picture then I will give the best advice I can. Thank you, noble
DeleteHi Mate,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice, I am in Australia and I am wondering whether http://www.bunnings.com.au/smart-home-products-300g-silicone-spray-_p1210569 this is a good spray to use on Carrom board.
I did some digging but could not find any substantial information about that particular product. This is probably a "white labeled" silicon spray so to find the specific composition of the product is very difficult. "white labeled" simply means another company is making this product for the Smart Home Products Company. That way they can have it as apart of their private label line without manufacturing it themselves. I tried to look up the MSDS sheets on it but I could not find it. You can always dig deeper there. If I were to make a guess though I would say it should work. Those silicon sprays that are used to be applied indoors (for example curtain runner lubricant) should be a bit friendlier. Also looks like the packaging mentions using it for all sorts of applications and materials.
DeleteIf it was me, I would do it. You can always test it on a corner of your board just to make sure you will be satisfied.
GOOD LUCK!
I have a king size carrom of brown board but wen i put powder the lines r not visible
ReplyDeleteI have a king size carrom of brown board but wen i put powder the lines r not visible
ReplyDeleteif you have an image to send me that would be great, but the two main possibilities if the lines aren't showing up well after applying powder is most likely to be one of these two reasons: Either the lines in your particular board are very light or the amount of powder you are adding may be a wee bit heavy.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, if your boards lines are not very light then it would be very difficult to darken them. There should be many layers of protective clear coat above the carrom boards graphics. one would have to remove those layers before darkening them or outlining the lines. If you do wish to darken the lines i would recommend sanding carefully until you reach that final graphic layer then apply an opaque pigment. If layers of clear coat are removed then you will want to put on at least 6 layers of a good clear coat with very light sanding in-between coats.
As for the amount of powder we add to a board, it should be a "light sprinkling".
GOOD LUCK and please feel free to send me any images so i can get a better look at the board and the particular challenge you have.
Hi, I have a good board and ive been using it for 7+ years. But for some reason I dont know why I see that slopes are formed. I mean the board is no longer flat. Its gone uneaven on a couple of edges about 5 degrees. Can you suggest if something can be done? and what could be the cause for the problem?
ReplyDeletehello sir,
Deletei hav recently bought a brand new double bull 28mm indian ply carrom board ..but the surface of it is not as smooth as i expected...i m not able to enjoy playing on it..kindly suggest
Tejoganesh, I feel your pain when a preferred game board starts to fail. A warping board is VERY difficult to repair and I am afraid even if you are able to degrease the degree of corner flairing it will still not be back to "new" trueness. I do have a few techniques to use but please be warned that these are tricky and can make things worse rather than better. I have used these techniques with great success on just plywood or on solid wood but never on a carrom board which is essentially a combination of the two. But if you have nothing to lose then I would give it a go. Start out conservative and get more aggressive if need better results.
DeleteThere are two areas where the game board can warp: the solid wood frame or the plywood playing surface. In reality, these two very different materials are permanently fixed together so when one fails then the other follows suit. Straightening just plywood or just solid wood is very possible but when the two are fixed it is extremely difficult.
Plywood warping: plywood is multiple layers (plies) of wood and warping happens when some or all of the layers have moisture excess or deficit issues. this usually happens with contact to moisture (air humidity, sitting on a concrete floor, ect) or from long exposure to direct sunlight. A warping board has a convex side and a concave side. There is too much moisture on the convex side and too little on the concave side. The main problem when fixing a warped Carrom board is that there are two very different materials (plywood and solid hardwood) that are fixed together and failing.
Once a board starts to warp it usually just keeps following the movement of the current warp. In other words I seriously doubt it will fix itself.
With nothing left to lose and If you are willing to try you can try one of two techniques: add a little moisture to the concave side or drying out the convex side of the warp. Important note: either way will need the board firmly clamped or weighted down to a flat surface.
For adding moisture: add some moisture with a "damp" sponge to the concave side of the warp. Now the top of the board (the playing side) is sealed with waterproof finish so if the concave side is the top side of the board then you will need to focus on NOT adding water to the concave side but to drying out the convex side.
For the drying process: should be a gradual one. Do not apply direct heat. just let sit in the sun with good circulation. And remember to have the board weighted down. we want to guide the movement of the wood to a true state.
GOOD LUCK! and if please feel free to share your success with me.
noble
Pramod, A new Surco Double Bull 28mm is a nice board. If you are dissatisfied with the playing results I would think you may just want to make some small fixes first then get more aggressive if you are still not pleased. There are two good board fix options for you: one is a easy try and one is a bit more complicated.
DeleteBefore I continue I just want to remind that the other areas of friction can happen with the powder that is being used and the striker that is being used.
Sometimes new strikers (or well used ones for that matter) need to have the bottom smoothed a bit more and the edges need to be rounded a wee bit. I would recommend a 400 grit sandpaper and then move your way up in grits until the bottom gets nice and glassy. I am a huge fan of "Micro Mesh pads". You can buy a kit of them sizes 1000 grit to 12,000 grit 2"x2" pads for under $20. The last and i use them from my fountain pen nib tuning to jewelry polishing to a million-and-one other uses. After smoothing then add a bit of silicon spray. This can make a BIG difference.
Smoothing the coins and applying a new coat of polyurethane (if the coins are wood) then silicon can also make a big difference. I would sand the coins starting with 220 grit then moving up to 400 grit. 4-6 coats of high gloss Polyurethane with light 400 grit sanding between coats.
A quick reminder is that your new Double Bull board already has a very good protective layer on it so we are really only concerned on the very top surface of your board. The protective layering already on your board has three main functions: seal the wood (moisture protection), protect the boards playing graphics and to decrease friction for smooth board playing.
The easy fix: after completely wiping off the boards surface try the silicon spray technique in this article. My only reminder is to spot test the chemical in a small spot on the board. Hopefully this is all you need to do to make that difference you are looking for.
I really hope that the other fixes work because this next option is much more extreme for a new board. I really don't like to do this to a new board. For older boards I am much less concerned because the top surface has already been degraded from use.
The difficult fix: you can replace the very top layer with some new layers of Polyurethane. To do this you will want to lightly rough up the top layer of the old finish with 220 grit sand paper. after this test your new quality gloss polyurethane. If all looks good then you can apply 4-6 coats of the high gloss poly with light sanding in between coats with 400 grit sand paper.
I hope this helps and please feel free to share your results,
noble
thank u for ur valuable advice sir..
DeleteWill 3m dry silicon lubricant work???
ReplyDeleteThat is a good question, I have never tried the dry variety.
DeleteThe 3M (dry) silicon lubricant spray should work, in fact without using petroleum products it may even be a safer option.
I DO plan to give it a try soon.
Thank you for the idea and if you try it before me please let us know how it turned out,
noble
Hi. Can you please tell me what exactly this silicone spray is? Had asked local hardware guy and he said he has silicone gel which is used for sealing and water proofing. Is this wd40 same as silicone spray? Am having Surco Tiger speedo 20mm board and its biy rough. Also some grains on ply is felt n seen from particular angle. Please suggest and help.
ReplyDeleteSuket, excellent questions, in fact you have just raised one of the biggest questions out there; Is WD_40 a lubricant? The definite answer is no and is actually dangerous to use on some surfaces.
DeleteIn short there are lubricating sprays (like teflon, silicon and graphite) and their are solvent sprays (like WD-40).
I always have WD-40 in the shop and in the truck however i only use it as a solvent. WD-40 is used to displace the water and then dissolve rust and grime. The only lubricating properties come from the removal of the grit not from a lubricating substance. This make is seem like it is lubricating but in fact is not.
The BIG warning: please do not use WD-40 on the carrom board. If the Hardware attendant suggested it he was definitely wrong.
The lubricating sprays have small amounts of lubricants plus the medium used to suspend & propel the lubricants. some sprays are more aggressive then others so the lubricating sprays that state general purpose or for multiple surfaces (including plastics and wood) are the ones that will be most friendly to the carrom boards finishes.
Silicon spray is my preferred spray because of its ease of use, stays on long, easy to reapply and friendly to the board.
I have purchased my silicon sprays at local hardware stores and big box hardware stores. Sometimes though a local hardware store may not have the variety that you need though. If the store does carry it, then the spray should be merchandised in the automotive sections or by the curtains & window covering sections or in the general lubricants sections (maybe even close to the WD-40). If you are still having trouble locating then Amazon order is a for sure way to get it.
I am curious about the grain that you can see. The birch grain will be evident and that is why there should be so many coatings over the top of it. I would still try the silicon spray first. If this doesn't give you the right performance then you may want to work on the finish. If the board is newer hopefully a quick spray with the silicon will be enough. If i can also recommend, to give the striker and coins a quick tune up.
GOOD LUCK, please feel free to give comment back on your decisions and their results.
noble
Hi Noble, Thanks for the explanation :)
DeleteWill surely check for silicone spray only. will apply the coat and share the result. but one thing i was wondering that if there are multiple coating on top then how these grains can be felt by touching it. and may be that is the reason making the play rough. hope this should solve the issue.. :)
Thanks..
Suket
Excellent question, I hope I can give a good answer and I apologize ahead of time if it takes me awhile to get there. I do enjoy shop talk. I must also add that I am not in the industry so I can not say for sure, but my love for wood and my obsession with the game leads me to the following possibility.
DeleteBut first, to get to the answer, I must add that there is actually a point where a playing surface can be too slick. It is desirable to have a degree of friction so as to better control the shot. For "ultra" slick surfaces, the predictability of the vector can be very difficult.
I personally believe that one of the final tunings the board manufacturers use to control slickness is the amount of quality, hard wood sealer. To generalize, the more coatings the faster the striker and coins will go. The board manufacturer will want to accomplish two things with the sealer. Because there are multiple reasons for using the sealer means that there are pros and cons to all sealers of this particular function. But first, the sealer is used to protect it from moisture. Wood is a VERY thirsty material, so moisture constantly plays an important roll it its behavior. Even the ambient moisture can have a great influence on what it decides to do. By sealing the wood the wood becomes more stable. The second thing that the sealer will do is decrease the amount of surface area the wood is taking. The more surface area the less speed the pieces will move. Each coating will start to fill the grain more and more, thereby decreasing the surface area. At some point the board manufacturer will say, "x" number of coatings will foster the most desirable degree of slickness. Control and speed are somewhat a subjective matter. There are rules for the minimal number of rebounds a striker should have but there is still a subjective element to it.
I think we can still feel the wood grain because in the balance of speed and control some wood grain must be felt.
Now it all comes down to the materials used and I would absolutely love to know what exactly the great companies are using.
Now my final assumption, I would like to add is that what happens when a great company sends out a board that isn't quite meeting expectations. I feel very comfortable saying that these fellows have excellent quality control, however whenever something is produced in quantity there may be a small degree of variance. after all, there are so many factors involved in the the production line. Or the great thing about people is that we have preferences for different speeds. Some folks like faster boards then others. Maybe the board meets Official Game specs but not the individual players specs.
Once again a lot of speculation here, but it is damn fun playing around with the possibilities.
I look forward to your solutions and I am always up for learning something new.
noble
I recently acquired a Synco Tournament board 12mm. Nice looking board except the surface is uneven. Dips towards the center approximately. The lowest point (not in the center) is about 0.015 inches lowe. I was thinking that I should put a layer of epoxy (105/207 West Systems) to level it out. What do you think? Related concern is that sanding with 100 grit may somehow damage the artwork below the surface finish. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteForgot to say that I love your write-ups on carrom.
DeleteI like your thinking. I agree that you do not want to sand out a warping board. Leveling epoxy is a great invention. Before you do this though I would like to raise a few topics:
DeleteFirst, if the board is at the very beginning stages of warping then it wouldn't hurt to first try clamping down or weighting down the board for a period of time. Carrom boards really are so difficult to make flat again because of all of the construction types (mortised, latticed, pinned, ect), materials used, finishes on one side but still if you wanted to try it definitely couldn't hurt anything. even blotting a "slightly" damp towel on the backside ( i must stress very slightly damped), placing the board on a flat surface (not cement or porous flooring) and adding equal weight evenly. the easiest method of this is to put on a flat table. cover with a thick flat board that is just slightly larger than the carrom board. then you can add weight to it and it will distribute more evenly over the frame. then the frame will put equal pressure on the plywood playing surface and the will put equal weight on the lattice work under the board.
second, when boards start to move they may continue along that path. There is the chance that after you did get it level with the epoxy, then it may just continue to move on you. The chances of movement are increased if you live in areas of higher humidity or have extreme seasons (like i do. very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer). One option before adding the epoxy is to reinforce the bottom of the board. Creating a reinforced, stable foundation could help ward off the speed at which the board will move.
third, applying epoxy to a warped board can be tricky. because the board rocks on a flat surface the epoxy may not know where to level out and therefore you may end up with a troubled board. after stabilizing the back of the board i would recommend making it sit as level as possible. Now adjust the back of the board so it will continue to sit in as perfect flatness as possible. after that you can add the epoxy with greater success.
fourth, you will want to sand with a very fine sandpaper between layers of epoxy, like a #400 grit. this will create just enough tooth for the next layer to firmly attach to.
If there is anything else you are curious about please feel free to ask.
I wish you the best of luck!
and thank you for reading!!!
noble
That is quite a detailed answer. I am into woodworking as a hobby too and so have most of the tools. Need to acquire a small bandsaw though.
DeleteI was not intending to sand the playing surface to flatten it. Just enough so that I can use epoxy over it to level it out. Of course, that would entail making sure the board itself is on a level surface. In an email exchange with the West Systems tech support they said it is quite feasible to level using their epoxy but I am still weighing my options. I am in no hurry.
They suggested using a 100 grit sandpaper to scuff the surface first. But I am still hesitating because the current top coat seems pretty thin to me and worried that I may end up sanding off the artwork. Probably it will not if there are several coats.
I like your idea of first trying to flatten using physical means. I was thinking of using a MDF board on top of a plyboard as a reference surface. Turn the board over it and use the damp rag and weight method as you suggested.
The board has quite a heavy duty hardwood lattice backing. Does not look like a shoddy job at all. I am wondering how much that will resist the weight. Perhaps several clamps on all sides may help increase the pressure. I have yet to measure whether the back of the board bowed out too.
The history of this board: A friend of mine bought this board in India when he was moving back to US. Then it was in storage in his residence in US for a year before I managed to get it to my place. I immediately noticed the surface variation since the striker would either veer off during slow plays or just stop dead at odd locations. Then I used a straight edge and feeler gauges to measure the low spots. So now I am on quest to fix it now.
A VERY worthwhile quest!
DeleteNothing is better than restoring something of personal value. Seems to both elevate that which we value (in this case your friend) and gives the object itself greater function in its original purpose.
I would agree with your hesitation on the grit. There is one point to using toothier sandpaper in the first roughing and that is without knowing exactly what the board manufacturer used for its top coats, a rougher cut would create deeper, greater adhesion for the new epoxy. I still feel #100 is a bit too aggressive though. Are you thinking maybe cutting the difference with say a #150 or #200 for the first then #400 after you start laying down the new coating? If you start with light pressure to test then it should be good. As we both know, the key to sand paper is to be used with a light-mild touch anyway, letting the grit on the paper do the cutting rather than our pressure of hand. Another nice thing about the less aggressive sandpaper is that it covers more surface then the "rockier" coarser grit. You can always go to the #100 if your not happy with the others.
Nice to hear about the heft of the board. Wrong or right, it should mean some denser hardwood used. With that extra heft though, It may take both a bit more weight and a bit more time to let gravity do its job. MDF is perfect to act as your cover board. Maybe first start with just evenly placed weights, let that work awhile then go to further action with clamps. The nice thing about not being in a hurry means that not to much force right off the bat because that could split or damage the joints.
Knuckles up and I look forward to hearing about the progression of your project.
Thanks. I will update on the progress. I still have to acquire the necessary materials for this project.
DeleteHi Noble, I recently bought a Surco Carrom board and it feels rough. The striker gets stuck half way and makes noise :-). How do I make it smooth? Should I sand it? If so please suggest the sanding paper. Also If i get hold of silicon spray, how do I apply it? Should i apply it through out the board? Or apply in a small area and apply it around? Are there any waxes which will help this?
ReplyDeleteSomething like Carnauba Wax or Shuffleboard Powder Wax?
DeleteThank you for your inquiry cvraghu,
DeleteEven with a little roughness I would still try the silicon spray first. This is the least aggressive first step. When applying the silicon spray you will want to make wide fairly fast arm movements left to right. similar to how one applies spray paint. Before you spray though, I strongly recommend laying down some paper down or some large towels so they stick out alt least a foot+ from the sides of the board. This will catch the overspray. After spraying just wipe so there is no pooling and the silicon layer will completely level out. Very easy to apply and very fast. the entire process is only a few minutes.
I would shy away from Carnauba Wax. I do really like the stuff and will often use it on my fountain pens or tools, but not on my playing surfaces. Just doesn't have the durability as other finishes for high friction game boards.
I am afraid I have not used shuffleboard wax. I did do some short reading on it and it seems that the wax can be easily applied over the factory finish however there are also recommendations to apply frequently depending on use. this would mean buffing after application.
If you do apply wax and buffing please share with me how it turned out.
Good luck,
noble
Thanks Noble. I saw Blaster Silicone spray in Home depot. Let me check whether its multipurpose.
ReplyDeleteHi cvraghu, which silicone start you got from Home Depot? The blaster industrial strength silicone lubricant or the blaster pb-50 multipurpose lubricant?
DeleteHi Noble, I've used Silicone spray and it is really nice. Now I wonder whether its really safe for kids to play. Can kids touch the surface and play after a day?
ReplyDeleteI am really glad that silicon spray did the job!
ReplyDeleteSafety is always in concern with any material but especially when it is delivered in aerosol form.
For health and safety details on your silicon spray you can always check the Safety Data Sheets (or MSDS or PSDS). This is public record and the law for companies to make this available. Should be a quick Google search. Even if you are good with it, one should always know what to do in case of an accident.
If I were to have any safety concerns about the silicon spray, I would be most wary about the spray (actually any spray) when applying it. When in its aerosol form I definitely take precaution not to breath it in. After applying it, personally, I don't worry so much. I use all sorts of materials and as long as my contact is minimal and the material is fairly inert after applying I am usually good.
I wish I could actually answer you question directly, but I am afraid that I don't have a properly qualified opinion for the products true safety with young ones.
Knuckles up and enjoy that fast game play,
noble
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI live in Sweden and have bought an Precise Elegant jumbo 28mm. The board is imorted from India. Since i wanted one of the best carrom board i the one thats more expensive.
when i got my board i saw the black paint on the frame was damaged, cracks and some areas the paint is gone. The Surface has scratches and not so smooth...too much friction. all this happend due to bad packaging the board for transportation.
I want to make it Look as Good as new.
Now to my Question;
1.how and what should i do to make the playing Surface smoother and more longlasting sinse it has scratches and there´s too much friction. i have bought Boric powder and Wintex Carrom powders.
I´ve bought varnish which is two based epoxy varnish(one is varnish and the other base is hardener, Epoxy).
2.how to fix the frame. dont want to use stickers to hide the damaged areas. maybe i have to repaint it.
I´ve bought paint and varnish which is two based epoxy paint(one is varnish/paint and the other base is hardener, Epoxy).
and to protect both frame and playing surface against UV i've bought varnish also twho based, one part is varnish and Another part polyeuritne. all the above is waterbased.
3. do you know if the carrom board playing surface and frame treated with waterbased products or oil based Products. I'm asking this because the store here is asking this so they can give me the right products.
what shall i do to fix the playing Surface and frame. Should i buy other Products.
I´m new to Carrom but it has already become my favourite game. please help me so i can save and enjoy my favourite game for very long time!
many many thanks in advance!
/Jacki
Hi again Noble!
ReplyDeletecould you also help me too rekomend Silicon spray.
dont know brand and type...if i cant get it in Sweden then i have to order from Amazon...but in order to do that i need your help.
Another question, is it possible or good to use Silicon spray on top of polyeuritine varnishcoating?
again thanks in advance for your help!
/Jacki
Part one:
DeleteWelcome to the Carrom community! I can very much relate to how addictive the game can be once a person is introduced to it. Also thank you for sending me some photos of the frame and playing surface so I could get a good visual of your concerns. I usually do a lot of “talking out loud” so I apologize if i say something you may already know.
So I can keep myself organized I am going to get started here through the following subjects:
the frame
oil based vs water based
the playing surface
the silicon spray
There is a 4096 character limit on each reply so i may have to send this in a couple different segments.
the frame:
I would dare to say that the crack forming along the frames mitre joint is due to the climate changes during its travels. The differences between India and Sweden are great enough that wood actually needs to acclimate over time. With the fast environment changes the board went through there came a swelling and/or shrinking of the wood thereby pulling that joint apart. Unfortunately once this happens the damage is done and you are very right to want to secure that joint once again. Now whether this crack will widen or not I am not sure. Because there is a weak joint the natural changes of the seasons could worsen the situation or now being inside in a stable environment could temper any great issues. I can say that anything outside of Scotch and Port tend not to get better with time.
Note: I will send you an email with the image i made outlining the suggestions to where to make the drill holes. An observation of the crack would indicate that there probably is a hardwood bumper at each pocket. It is because the crack takes a hard right before reaching the full width of the frame. If there was no bumper then the crack would take a straight line through the entire joint.
The main concern now is to get enough adhesive in such a thin crack. There are a few credible adhesives that will work well here, but I have had the best success with a low viscosity epoxy with such a thin crack. The best way to make this work will involve drilling 5 holes half way down the depth of the frame. You will want to make the drill hole as small as possible so I would first recommend finding the adhesive first. These adhesives come in a syringe type applicator and if you can find one with the smaller diameter needle as possible then that is a win. Once you have the diameter of the needle then you will know what size drill bit to use. When the epoxy has cleared you will be able to sand, then you can use a wood putty to fill the length of the crack, sand again and paint. It should look good as new.
Suggestion: wipe off any excess epoxy that may have made itself outside of the drill hole. this will reduce the sanding later.
Part two:
ReplyDeleteOil based vs water based
I couldn’t find any information on your board’s finishes. I can give a couple suggestions though. There is an old general rule that you can put an oil based paint over a water based paint but your should not do the other way around. HOWEVER with that said there are so many new materials out there that will make your work easy. The paint you purchased should be good, but if ever in doubt you could use an advanced primer that you would apply before adding the final color. I would check with your local paint shop/hardware store and see what they say. I’d still presume that they will say no problem with the materials you have or they will suggest a primer to act as an in-between layer.
The Playing Surface
I was very curious about the image you gave me of the blemish on the playing surface. I must say that if that blemish was there when you received it then that would be a sort red flag for me. When I was reading the Precise’s board specifications on the Elegant model, they said they use the “Original” birch, which is a Grade A English Birch. This Grade should have no physical blemishes on the playing surface. This is a quality control issue that one should just be aware of. This one blemish doesn’t mean you cant have fun, entertaining game play on this board.
To measure the board’s playing performance can be determined by the number of rebounds the striker makes before stopping.
3 rebounds will give you fun play
4+ will give you premium play.
Before doing this test it is best to give the striker some tuning first. Slightly rounding the strikers bottom edge, smoothing the strikers contact area to a mirror surface and a silicon treatment to the bottom contact surface will guarantee that any slowness is due to the board (or powder).
I would still try the silicon spray to the board before attempting the total refinish of the playing surface. If you get 3 rebounds then I would strongly consider stopping there and calling it good. If you are still committed to the full resurface then you can easily clean up the silicon spray (the sprays container will tell you what the best solvent is although usually it is mineral spirits) and then go that route. The only reason i say this is because making a perfectly level surface with epoxy can be difficult with the frame already permanently attached to the board. Any mistake with level application here can severely effect the board. Sort of creating a wave effect, thereby making gameplay an unpleasant experience. Making a level surface on a board with out a frame is easy because of the range of application movement. If you are determined to want to resurface the board then I would make sure to use a “self-leveling” epoxy finish. This “self-leveling” epoxy is much more of a forgiving epoxy finish.
The Silicon Spray
My favorite silicon spray is still Liquid Wrench Silicon Spray (i can get it locally and have been using it for years). What I really like about this spray is that it is proven to work well on all sorts of materials. I just checked and it is available on Amazon for $6 here in the States. I did a quick google search for silicon sprays sold in Sweden and I did get hits. If you do get some silicon spray around where you live then i would recommend making sure it says good for “general purpose” or for both metal and non-metal purposes.
I hope this helps and just let me know if i missed something (i do that frequently).
Good Luck!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteHi Noble,
Deletethank you for your valuble advices.
the frame and Surface got damaged due to very bad packaging from Seller(Yogi Sports, i dont recomend Yogi Sports to anyone, very bad service and they dont take any responsibilty.
the frame: will try to make smal wholes on the joints/cracks as you suggested but is it OK to drill wholes on every sides and then screw the sides to tighten or is a bad idea?
im planning to repaint the whole frame with thow based black paint/varninsh and epoxy. going to use primer as you said since i dont know if the frame is treated with oilbased painting and Everything that i have bought is waterbased.
the Surface: the Surface got Deep sctratch due to very bad packaging. i tried to even it out with very fine grit(2000 and 3000) but noticed that the artwork on the Surface started to go fade away along. thats why i wanted to try with two based varnish and epoxy also waterbased since there´s a very thin layer varnish on the board.
my biggest problem is as you mentioned earlier but also that while using sandpaper the artwork on the surface will get damaged and if it is oilbased varnish treated on the Surface i will not be able to use my waterbased products.
the striker makes about 3,5 to 4 rebounds depending on powder put on but because of the Deep scratch i want to revarnish with epoxy and finally polyeuritne(also waterbased).
i have ordered liquid wrench silicone spray from ebay, but it got very expensive but i Think its Worth it.
i am in no hurry to fix the frame and playing Surface but very eager to start to fix all the faults on it.
will update you and send Before and after Pictures.
many many thanks again.
/Jacki
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHi Noble,
ReplyDeletethank you for your valuble advices.
the frame and Surface got damaged due to very bad packaging from Seller(Yogi Sports, i dont recomend Yogi Sports to anyone, very bad service and they dont take any responsibilty.
the frame: will try to make smal wholes on the joints/cracks as you suggested but is it OK to drill wholes on every sides and then screw the sides to tighten or is a bad idea?
im planning to repaint the whole frame with thow based black paint/varninsh and epoxy. going to use primer as you said since i dont know if the frame is treated with oilbased painting and Everything that i have bought is waterbased.
the Surface: the Surface got Deep sctratch due to very bad packaging. i tried to even it out with very fine grit(2000 and 3000) but noticed that the artwork on the Surface started to go fade away along. thats why i wanted to try with two based varnish and epoxy also waterbased since there´s a very thin layer varnish on the board.
my biggest problem is as you mentioned earlier but also that while using sandpaper the artwork on the surface will get damaged and if it is oilbased varnish treated on the Surface i will not be able to use my waterbased products.
the striker makes about 3,5 to 4 rebounds depending on powder put on but because of the Deep scratch i want to revarnish with epoxy and finally polyeuritne(also waterbased).
i have ordered liquid wrench silicone spray from ebay, but it got very expensive but i Think its Worth it.
i am in no hurry to fix the frame and playing Surface but very eager to start to fix all the faults on it.
will update you and send Before and after Pictures.
many many thanks again.
/Jacki
The frame can definitely be pinned and glued from the side. The main challenge from this is keeping the drilling hole straight over the 6 inches without a drilling jig. Still easy to do if one just keeps a steady level hand and doesn't drill too fast.
DeleteI am going to talk out loud here for a second. I think there are two options we can consider here: option 1 = just to do the 5 small holes and the low viscosity epoxy to secure the narrow crack and option 2 = adding 2 side pins then the making the 5 small holes with the low viscosity epoxy. Important note: if you are going to use the 2 side pins then I would do that first before securing the length of the crack with the low viscosity epoxy. I think what will really determine whether or not to pin is if there is actual visible flexing movement in that cracked mitre. If there is flexing you will definitely want to pin from the side. If there is no flexing then there is enough wood contact there that
Option 1 note: I am sorry I forgot to add this last conversation but you can also make your drill marks from underneath if the crack is visible enough to strategically place those drill holes. If this is a possibility then this is a better move.
Option 2 notes: One can use 2 long screws but honestly the best technique for securing the two wood frame stretchers together at the mitre is to drill a hole and use a wood dowel pin with glue on it. You can use a yellow glue for this or the epoxy. A wood-to-wood fastener is always ideal because the bond is permanent and strong. The screw will also work because this is a game board so the stress levels on it are rather minimal.
For the wood dowel technique is to drill 2 holes that goes at least 2 inches into the second frame stretcher. will want to use a dowel that is no more than 25% the width of the wood frame. I would pick a wood dowel that you want, drill your two holes to the desired length. after drilling cut the dowel to be 2 inches longer then the drill depth (this will give you some extra length to tap in with a hammer/mallet without ever touching the frame). Add wood glue in the hole and all over the dowel before inserting. i would also support the backside of the frame so when you hammer it doesn't push the two frame stretchers away from one another. Let the glue cure, cut the dowel flush with the frame, sand, then paint.
If you use the 2 screw techniques then you will want to be at least 2-3 inches into the second frame stretcher. For the 2 screw technique then I would also recommend adding a washer for each screw. this will distribute the pressure of the attachment. If you use the screw technique but want to hide the metal screw and washer you can add a small wood cap to cover the fastener. These can be made or even bought in a craft department for miniature wood doll houses (actually a great source for all sorts of awesome wooden bits and bobs).
Thank you again for sharing your plans and I VERY much am looking forward to seeing the results.
Hello.. I recently got a used board. Looks good. 80% of the time the coins and strikers moves around fine. But there is 20% of area where the striker comes to grinding halt. I have tried sprinkling little boric powder.. didnt help. So i tried with lots of powder.. that in turn slowed down even further and across the board... now i have wiped out most of the powder and am back to square one.
ReplyDeletenot sure how to fix the issue. Coins float relatively smooth in that area .
Any tips?
Hi how to make carrom coins heavy
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI am trying to smooth the board. It is a traditional tournament board been here for ages. I am trying to find the silicone spray here in India but i am unable to find it. I could find some chain lubricants or rust removals lubricants. I couldn't find the materials by which it is made though. could I use those ?
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI bought new carrom board of 16mm but sides of the board inside is very slope so if we hit side coins it will change direction due to slope isuues in board
So kindly provide any suggestions...
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI bought new carrom board of 16mm but sides of the board inside is very slope so if we hit side coins it will change direction due to slope isuues in board
So kindly provide any suggestions...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi. Which grade of sandpaper do you recommend? Have been reading blogs where some chaps are warning against its use.
ReplyDeleteI have an old carrom board which, after a brief period of inactivity, has developed strange bumps/nodes in some places. The bumps in the ply are not visible with the naked eye but when you slide the striker over it, you can hear something is off.
Can I use sand paper on these areas?
Hi can I use pure silicone oil wch is used for treadmills on my carrom board plz help me with this..
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what is the paint used for carom boards. my board have patchy area. i need to make it alike other area with the original paint.
Great information, Thank you for sharing and keep posting.
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteI have a very old champion size carrom board (~1975), and last week I have repaired/refurbished it.
The surface is now really smooth but there is some issue with the border frame.
The striker rebound is slow and makes a dull noise (like something hollow).
Please suggest any ideas to fix it.
Thanks