Sealing a blade with the intent to make it harder

[timdm]

Hi guys,

there's a lot of discussion going on about to seal or not to seal, and whether it makes your blade harder.
But what if I wanted to make my blade a bit harder?

I have an innerforce ALC which I think is a dream for playing topspin forehand and has a lot of control.
But I play short pips on backhand and the soft, slow characteristics of the blade are not so great.
I could pick a different blade that suites my backhand better, but then I end up with a stiffer/harder/faster blade and that hurts my forehand :-(

So I'm wondering if I could seal my backhand side with the explicite intent to make it harder.
Some say sealing doesn't change the feeling of the blade, some say it does, depending of which sealant you use and how much you apply.
What would I have to do to make the blade feel harder?
Any specific kind of sealant to use? Maybe something from the hardware store and not from a table tennis brand? Water-based or something else?
How much to apply?

Thanks!

 

[lodro]

One uses a heavily thinned down mix of a good epoxy . Heavily thinned id will seep deep into top veneer which then hardened up when the epoxy gets hard.

 

[Lazer]

I don’t think this I a good idea If You don’t like the result it’s difficult if not impossible to undo. I would get a different blade.

Cheers
L-zr

 

[lodro]

I don’t think this I a good idea If You don’t like the result it’s difficult if not impossible to undo. I would get a different blade.

Cheers
L-zr

not difficult to undo -impossible to undo.

this is actually an old carpenters trick used to harden up timber that they knew would get lots of foot traffic, like for example stairs.

this is of course a radical way and if money is now problem one could buy a blade that is
already made with two different sides.

 

[Michael Zhuang]

Why don't you get one of those blades where one side is outer alc and one side is inner alc?

That seems like a safer bet than what your proposing.

 

[lodro]

Why don't you get one of those blades where one side is outer alc and one side is inner alc?

That seems like a safer bet than what your proposing.

i just said that 😂

 

[timdm]

not difficult to undo -impossible to undo.

this is actually an old carpenters trick used to harden up timber that they knew would get lots of foot traffic, like for example stairs.

this is of course a radical way and if money is now problem one could buy a blade that is
already made with two different sides.

Two different sides?
Which blade is that?

 

[Michael Zhuang]

There are many. For example:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256801697835777.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.5f4761d4qB0rdd&algo_pvid=91109e29-230c-465a-82dd-ae7c4db4f5b0&algo_exp_id=91109e29-230c-465a-82dd-ae7c4db4f5b0-25&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000018008844299%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21%2149.99%21%21%21%21%21%402103255a16574381560381654ea243%2112000018008844299%21sea

 

[Michael Zhuang]

And this:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2261800171759551.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.651119e91LHexx&algo_pvid=66c853b5-d298-43c0-a831-d153d964689b&algo_exp_id=66c853b5-d298-43c0-a831-d153d964689b-36&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2220000000184434528%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21%2149.99%21%21%21%21%21%402101e9cf16574389964721300e10fb%2120000000184434528%21sea

 

[Michael Zhuang]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2255800925900404.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.5501627akfrsT6&algo_pvid=aa808b07-99ad-42f4-b5f9-6e3e8151a849&algo_exp_id=aa808b07-99ad-42f4-b5f9-6e3e8151a849-1&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2210000014447282006%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21%2138.23%21%21%21%21%21%402103255a16574390968977975ea248%2110000014447282006%21sea

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2255800630621718.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.5501627akfrsT6&algo_pvid=aa808b07-99ad-42f4-b5f9-6e3e8151a849&algo_exp_id=aa808b07-99ad-42f4-b5f9-6e3e8151a849-4&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2210000008342277975%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21%2139.48%21%21%21%21%21%402103255a16574390968977975ea248%2110000008342277975%21sea

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803666245674.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.5501627akfrsT6&algo_pvid=aa808b07-99ad-42f4-b5f9-6e3e8151a849&algo_exp_id=aa808b07-99ad-42f4-b5f9-6e3e8151a849-8&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000027337272738%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21%2135.88%21%21%21%21%21%402103255a16574390968977975ea248%2112000027337272738%21sea

 

[lodro]

Two different sides?
Which blade is that?

xiom make some complete beauties

http://www.xiom.tt/product/product_detail.php?id=1759&cp=391

 

[timdm]

Interesting, thanks!

 

[ZFT]

Would another idea be use thinner sponge?

I used to use Max but now go down to 1.9 or 2.0 depending on the brand.

I have noticed the feeling become slightly harder, though not too much slower.

I read somewhere on this forum that with thinner sponge the topsheet has less to flex against.

 

[timdm]

Would another idea be use thinner sponge?

I used to use Max but now go down to 1.9 or 2.0 depending on the brand.

I have noticed the feeling become slightly harder, though not too much slower.

I read somewhere on this forum that with thinner sponge the topsheet has less to flex against.

Thanks for the reply, but I'm already at 1.5mm (short pips) so not really an option to go even thinner.

t.