Sponge shrinking

**Reaper** · 04-13-2015

Hello, i wanted to get some info on the matter of sponge shrinking.

I just noticed after 2 and a half months of using STIGA Airoc S (7.5 hours per week) the sponge has shrunk 2mm while still being glued on the blade!! I also have been experincing loss of power on blocking (maybe is related to the shrinking sponge ?).

So far this rubber has been all but disappointments (coin size bubble, brittle and unglued rubber edges) and now this. Anyone have the same experience??

In the future am thinking of getting a soft rubber either An Evolution, or something by DHS or XIOM, any of this brands have any of these issues i'm talking about? (don'r recommend Tenergys, my 80FX is also crumbling alarmingly but no shrinkage yet)

**Reaper** · 06-28-2015

anyone know if its ok to boost airoc S with baby oil?

**dio_hgw** · 06-28-2015

Hi Reaper! Shrinkage plus loss of power that you experience occur due to the fading of the rubbers factory tuning. If I were you I would get a faster rubber than Airoc S and after opening the package I would leave the rubber to "breathe" for some hours before glueing. The other way is to boost your rubbers. Good luck!

**UpSideDownCarl** · 06-28-2015

Some of the shrinkage can also be from how the rubber is put on. If it is rolled, that stretches the rubber which is often done when someone puts a rubber on.

But boosting the rubber may help. I have heard that Airoc plays better boosted. I am not sure how baby oil will work for boosting with Airoc.

You could try any of the home boosting chemicals like oil, paraffin lighter fluid, etc or you could get one of the boosters that are designed for it. I think the ones you buy seem to work better than the home remedies these days.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Reaper** · 07-08-2015

I just received my TIBHAR evo FX-P and the new DHS Skyline 3-60 soft, can you tell me if these rubbers shrink?
Should i let the rubbers "breathe" for a couple of days?

**joseph.luck** · 07-08-2015

Originally Posted by Reaper

Hello, i wanted to get some info on the matter of sponge shrinking.

I just noticed after 2 and a half months of using STIGA Airoc S (7.5 hours per week) the sponge has shrunk 2mm while still being glued on the blade!! I also have been experincing loss of power on blocking (maybe is related to the shrinking sponge ?).

So far this rubber has been all but disappointments (coin size bubble, brittle and unglued rubber edges) and now this. Anyone have the same experience??

In the future am thinking of getting a soft rubber either An Evolution, or something by DHS or XIOM, any of this brands have any of these issues i'm talking about? (don'r recommend Tenergys, my 80FX is also crumbling alarmingly but no shrinkage yet)

I've used Airoc M (both sides) for around 7 weeks now, I haven't noticed any shrinkage but I've noticed a decrease in power. It's actually a pretty slow rubber for their claims 'Power is in the air'.. You need a fast blade to make the most of it. I glued it on without letting it 'breathe' and rolled the rubber onto the blade, perhaps that's why. Anyway, I doubt I'll buy Airoc again.

**Der_Echte** · 07-09-2015

I've used 5 sheets of FX-P and none of them shrank... ever. Had that happen with T05 when I used it and WIDE edge tape slowed it down a lot.

**Reaper** · 07-09-2015

Well, I let the Skyline 3-60 open for a day to see how it behaves... out of the package is flat, the next day it had domed a bit so its sponge shrank a bit, i glued it and cut it ±1.5mm bigger just in case.

I'll do the same with FX-P when the time comes just to be sure

In the case of the Airoc S that i mentioned earlier, gave it 3 layers of baby oil which flattened and reversed its dome, and expanded it about 1mm but not to its previous size... I'll test these on the weekend

**raazzz** · 07-09-2015

I have not noticed any shrinkage on my Airocs M, and yes they play better boosted in my opinion.

**Olio** · 07-10-2015

The only XIOM I know that shrinks a bit is Vega Japan.

Other Vega and OMEGA IV do not shrink.

As I am used to glueing rubbers, and I know not to stretch them, the sole reason for shrinking is loss of booster. You can then either avoid it by buying the right rubbers, or live with it (and counter it with a bit of booster to return the rubber to how it should be. Now is that illegal? in my opinion it's not, but some will disagree)

**dio_hgw** · 07-11-2015

Perhaps another logical way to control rubber shrinkage is to glue the rubber without letting it "breathe", but cut it ~2mm wider than the head of the blade. After a few days you will know if shrinkage occured and then you can adjust again the rubber to the blade dimensions. I will try it myself next time I change rubbers...

**Reaper** · 07-11-2015

yep that's what I will do, since I'm still new using Pro equipment I didn't think of that.
I had to learn this tricks the hard way

**Reaper** · 07-20-2016

I brought the thread back cause i didn't want to create a similar topic.

Anyway, after using my Tibhar FX-P for 6 months, now it has shrunk ±1.5mm vertically and horizontally, leaving the blade edge exposed and a gap at the bottom

. Fortunately i use edge tape to minimize the chance of breaking balls when hitting them with the blade's edge.

I was waiting for the new FX-S/EL-S but I think i'll now move on to Xiom Vega because of the lower price. I already know the Vega Elite shrinks fast cause i saw it in a friend's blade... So, any other Vega model shrinks so i can avoid it? What about the Omega V models?

**Olio** · 07-21-2016

Vega Pro / Asia do not shrink (Japan does). Omega V does not either.

**NextLevel** · 07-21-2016

What do you glue with?

**Tony's Table Tennis** · 07-23-2016

From what I read in the opening post - it is likely more user error than anything else

And reading again, it is indeed user error lol

Firstly, all tensor rubbers (or most) are easy to stretch when gluing on - so do not add pressure, else you will stretch it
Secondly, softer sponges are easier to stretch - hence bigger chance of shrink.
Thirdly, make sure the glue is totally dry, as wet sponge tend to stretch easier

Now and then the shrink could be due to the factory tune too, but that ratio is really low

**Tony's Table Tennis** · 07-23-2016

Originally Posted by Olio

Vega Pro / Asia do not shrink (Japan does). Omega V does not either.

Not true, I can make it stretch a lot, and it will shrink eventually

**Reaper** · 07-23-2016

Originally Posted by Tony's Table Tennis

Not true, I can make it stretch a lot, and it will shrink eventually

Are you talking about the Vegas or the omegas?

I don't like to stretch or press down hard the rubber while i'm gluing cause it may behave different than expected.

I know high quality rubber shrink, but my airoc S and FX-P shrunk way too much. My Tenergy 80FX also shrunk but it was manageable.

**Olio** · 07-24-2016

Originally Posted by Tony's Table Tennis

Not true, I can make it stretch a lot, and it will shrink eventually

Me too, but you know that's not what I meant. I meant from factory boosters drying up.

**jknakatani** · 07-27-2016

Originally Posted by Reaper

Hello, i wanted to get some info on the matter of sponge shrinking.

I just noticed after 2 and a half months of using STIGA Airoc S (7.5 hours per week) the sponge has shrunk 2mm while still being glued on the blade!! I also have been experincing loss of power on blocking (maybe is related to the shrinking sponge ?).

So far this rubber has been all but disappointments (coin size bubble, brittle and unglued rubber edges) and now this. Anyone have the same experience??

In the future am thinking of getting a soft rubber either An Evolution, or something by DHS or XIOM, any of this brands have any of these issues i'm talking about? (don'r recommend Tenergys, my 80FX is also crumbling alarmingly but no shrinkage yet)

All the rubber that I have used (Tenergy, Vega, Omega, Bluefire, Barracuda, Gewo, Cornilleau Target Pro) have shrunk as I remove them from the blade. Never occured while still glued. A friend of mine recommend to spread 1 layer of glue on the sponge, let it dry for 1 week and then spread another layer and as soon it got dried, put it on the blade. Maybe it will help you.

It is important to notice that the rubber do expand in high temperatures. Try to be sure that it is not the case.

All the best.

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