What oils can be used as boosters?

Im going to stick to baby oil. It is cheap and effective but takes longer to dry. Really added a higher gear to my cheap chinese rubbers, but made the rubber a little springier in the low speed game. Made spinny serves spinnier and made looping underspin much easier. My process if u are interested, otherwise skip to last paragraphs.

1) Apply a thin layer of glue to slow the absorption process. Let dry.

2) spread liberal layer of baby oil with paintbrush. I drop several drops on the sponge and start spreading. Not too much to wear it starts dripping on over the sides, but enough to have a coat. Wait 12 hours.

3) at this point there is a layer of mush on the sponge as the glue and oil has congealed beyond absorbtion. If the rubber had a reverse dome, by this time the rubber will have leveled. Apply second layer liberally like the first and wait another 8 to 12 hours.

4) depending on the rubber there will now be a dome of around 2 cms. If this is a h3 neo, u are done with the layers and start to wait. Apply a third layer if u want more and wait for 3 to 5 days or until the 2+ inch dome diminshes.

5) apply glue to rubber and paddle and stick it on.

This has been my most recent method. The slower the process, the more through the results. Rush it and you can ruin the rubber.

I am sure the more experienced users have better advice then i, as i only recently started messing around.

Sometimes I wonder,


Why dont people who boost just dip the rubber and sponge to a bucketful of oil, kinda like blanching or deep frying without heat.

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BeGo said:

Sometimes I wonder,


Why dont people who boost just dip the rubber and sponge to a bucketful of oil, kinda like blanching or deep frying without heat.

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Click to expand...

The effect of the stretching oil on the rubber and/or the combination can be undesirable if not controlled.

You mean do it like the pimple rubber players?

Tinykin said:

You mean do it like the pimple rubber players?

Click to expand...

I admit I am unfamiliar with either boosting and pips treating, hence my question.




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They should make a rubber with a shrunken sponge when they glue the rubber to it. When the sponge expand to its natural state, the same effect is gaind as with boosting.

I heard through the grapevine that sunflower oil might be very good. I am not sure what Kailin oil is made of. I currently don't boost but the temptation is calling...

I think someone who's rich in this forum should buy several h3 neo sheets (provincial preferably) and boost them using different kinds of oil (baby oil, sunflower, kerosene, etc) and compare it with expensive booster (seamoon, kailin) and did a review video

this way our biggest mystery will be answered

When I got hold of the Rakza 7 and 7s, I put them on a composite off+ blade. I was impressed by most properties but not the speed. So I boosted them with parafine. Not much difference putting them back on the composite but then I finished my Banda JO Blade and swithed the rubbers over to it. HUGE difference! Now as the boost is werting off, I feel the hole setup loosing in several properies. Mostly speed and spin. Control is different but still present. No doubt in my mind that boosting plays an tremendous part of the performance/sales-game previously descussed.

Wont anything that domes a rubber have at least some effect on spin and speed? Since the topsheet has stretched creating a tensor effect?

fais said:

Wont anything that domes a rubber have at least some effect on spin and speed? Since the topsheet has stretched creating a tensor effect?

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or destroy it because the sponge becomes too mushy or the liquid goes through to the topsheet and destroy it :s

BeGo said:

Sometimes I wonder,


Why dont people who boost just dip the rubber and sponge to a bucketful of oil, kinda like blanching or deep frying without heat.

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Click to expand...

The oil causes the sponge to expand. It would also cause the topsheet to expand. But it also causes the glue to have less grab and be more gooey. It is a solvent that causes the glues used for the rubber to be less sticky until they re-dry. So if you did that, you would cause the topsheet to separate from the sponge.

Even without that kind of method for boosting, if you use too much booster, you can cause your topsheet to bubble up because of the pips separating from the sponge.

Usually more flammable substances cause more boost effect. Like paraffin or Ronson's lighter fluid cause the sponge to expand more than baby oil. But when those evaporate the boost effect is gone and the sponge shrinks back to its original size.

Baby oil or any other oils don't really evaporate. Over time the oil dries up. But the oil sinks into the sponge and expands it. And then the sponge actually does not shrink back.

But any of the chemicals used for boosting are solvents that cause the glue that you use to put the rubber on the blade and the glue they use to bond the topsheet and sponge, to dissolve and get more gooey.

But, if you used booster to cause the topsheet to expand, and the sponge to expand, you would not get the same effect as you do when you expand the sponge and thereby put tension on the topsheet as it is stretched.

So baby oil actually does a better job than paraffin?

I like the way paraffin feels better. I like a combination of paraffin and better than either alone. But it depends on what your definition of better is.

I would play around with them to see how one feels in comparison to the other. Baby oil can make the rubber feel more mushy but doesn't seem to give as much speed or spin. Paraffin, the sponge does not soften as much but you feel more trampoline from the topsheet because the sponge expands more, at least until the paraffin evaporates. But if the rubber is glued onto your racket it can take the paraffin a while to evaporate.

It is all such a pain in the but though. I would rather use good, new rubbers that don't need much messing with.

UpSideDownCarl said:

The oil causes the sponge to expand. It would also cause the topsheet to expand. But it also causes the glue to have less grab and be more gooey. It is a solvent that causes the glues used for the rubber to be less sticky until they re-dry. So if you did that, you would cause the topsheet to separate from the sponge.

Even without that kind of method for boosting, if you use too much booster, you can cause your topsheet to bubble up because of the pips separating from the sponge.

Usually more flammable substances cause more boost effect. Like paraffin or Ronson's lighter fluid cause the sponge to expand more than baby oil. But when those evaporate the boost effect is gone and the sponge shrinks back to its original size.

Baby oil or any other oils don't really evaporate. Over time the oil dries up. But the oil sinks into the sponge and expands it. And then the sponge actually does not shrink back.

But any of the chemicals used for boosting are solvents that cause the glue that you use to put the rubber on the blade and the glue they use to bond the topsheet and sponge, to dissolve and get more gooey.

But, if you used booster to cause the topsheet to expand, and the sponge to expand, you would not get the same effect as you do when you expand the sponge and thereby put tension on the topsheet as it is stretched.

Click to expand...

This sum much of the question.

Thanks Carl!

That means, the research now focusing on substance that can expand the sponge without solving the glue, which basically still nil now.

Yea I like paraffin-effect too.

UpSideDownCarl said:

I like the way paraffin feels better. I like a combination of paraffin and better than either alone. But it depends on what your definition of better is.

I would play around with them to see how one feels in comparison to the other. Baby oil can make the rubber feel more mushy but doesn't seem to give as much speed or spin. Paraffin, the sponge does not soften as much but you feel more trampoline from the topsheet because the sponge expands more, at least until the paraffin evaporates. But if the rubber is glued onto your racket it can take the paraffin a while to evaporate.

It is all such a pain in the but though. I would rather use good, new rubbers that don't need much messing with.

Click to expand...

My assumption is, and correct me if I'm wrong, paraffin creates a stronger effect that lasts shorter, where as baby oil creates a milder effect that lasts longer? Also, i imagine paraffin shortens the life of the rubber (like speed glue), does baby oil? I would guess not really, but I could be wrong.

EDIT: also, regarding the mushyfication of the glue layer, while a bit more problematic, in my experience is easily overcome with a newer layer of glue and stack of books.

Sounds right. When the oil is absorbed by the sponge the glue dries out enough to be more sticky again. And something to press the sponge onto the racket after the glue becomes more sticky again is all you need. Books work.

I have not noticed that paraffin makes the rubber last for a shorter period. But it may.

I would say in general the assumption is accurate. I feel like baby oil softens the sponge more but does not expand it as much and paraffin expands the sponge more but doesn't soften it as much.

So they create two slightly different effects on the rubber. Or, that, at least was my experience when I used them.


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