Two Table Tennis Myths

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Guys there are two myths that are going around the club I want to ask if any of you have info about that your general opinion.

Myth 1. Chinese rubbers get little swirls on the top sheet like waves if you play with a lot of quality spin and power. (around 4 to 6 months after using)
Myth 2. Blades optimal playing time is 6 months for slow all wood blades and around 1 year for the faster blades after that the playing characteristics have nothing to do with the original state of the blade.
 
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says MIA
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Guys there are two myths that are going around the club I want to ask if any of you have info about that your general opinion.

Myth 1. Chinese rubbers get little swirls on the top sheet like waves if you play with a lot of quality spin and power. (around 4 to 6 months after using)
Myth 2. Blades optimal playing time is 6 months for slow all wood blades and around 1 year for the faster blades after that the playing characteristics have nothing to do with the original state of the blade.
Nope and nope.

 
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About blades, so... wood:
- it's a "living" material: depending on the seasons, climate conditions, even how your home's heater system work, some things will change, the wood will be more dry or more wet, it's charasteristics will change a bit so.

- BUT, in fact it happens for big pieces of woods, without any layer: I've owned guitars and basses that had 3 or 5 pieces/layers neck that were not affected by temperature and moisture conditions, not the same for the 1 piece necks I have to setup 3 or 4 times a year.

- therefore I also do not think those temperature, moisture conditions would affect that much a blade with 5 or 7 THIN layers compared to a guitar or bass neck.

- of course the state of the blade may vary a little from heavy temperature + moisture differences, but that would require really BIG differences: of course a Viscaria may certainly not play the exact same in Bali during the hot wet season VS in Toronto during the cold dry winter, but it would not be affected THAT MUCH because of the number of thin layers composing it.

- What goes around comes around: as a living material, there are variations indeed, but they are very subtle, and the original and optimal state of the blade may come back as the climate conditions are back to the state when you previously felt the blade was playing optimal.

- only aging really affect a blade, as it affects woods in general, and it requires way more than 6 months or 1 year to affect a blade drastically: what your clubmates have experienced is only season's changes IMHO.
 
says Table tennis clown
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Music&Ping;343512 said:
About blades, so... wood:
- it's a "living" material: depending on the seasons, climate conditions, even how your home's heater system work, some things will change, the wood will be more dry or more wet, it's charasteristics will change a bit so.

- BUT, in fact it happens for big pieces of woods, without any layer: I've owned guitars and basses that had 3 or 5 pieces/layers neck that were not affected by temperature and moisture conditions, not the same for the 1 piece necks I have to setup 3 or 4 times a year.

- therefore I also do not think those temperature, moisture conditions would affect that much a blade with 5 or 7 THIN layers compared to a guitar or bass neck.

- of course the state of the blade may vary a little from heavy temperature + moisture differences, but that would require really BIG differences: of course a Viscaria may certainly not play the exact same in Bali during the hot wet season VS in Toronto during the cold dry winter, but it would not be affected THAT MUCH because of the number of thin layers composing it.

- What goes around comes around: as a living material, there are variations indeed, but they are very subtle, and the original and optimal state of the blade may come back as the climate conditions are back to the state when you previously felt the blade was playing optimal.

- only aging really affect a blade, as it affects woods in general, and it requires way more than 6 months or 1 year to affect a blade drastically: what your clubmates have experienced is only season's changes IMHO.


All so well spoken. Let usnot forget that all these layers of wood are actually sealed on both sides with glue which further prevents moisture to actually get at it. Many of us will also seal the 2 top surfaces with some lacquer.
Me finks this myth is a goner

 
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All so well spoken. Let usnot forget that all these layers of wood are actually sealed on both sides with glue which further prevents moisture to actually get at it. Many of us will also seal the 2 top surfaces with some lacquer.
Me finks this myth is a goner


Old Strats and Gibsons ES 335/345/355 from the 50's were really well lacquered, but their sound have changed a bit since decades. Of course it depends on the lacquer used: nowadays polyurethane finish is harder, and thicker, but it will not prevent from any moisture issues, as I've said I have to setup one of my 1piece jazz bass neck polyurethane finished at least 3 or 4 times a year.EDIT: if you don't want a blade to "move" AT ALL for decades, use marine epoxy resin, but it's not a good idea as it will completely change the blade's charasteristics.

It depends more on the moisture the cell cavities can absorb: more wood --> more cell cavities, less wood i.e. thinner wood layers --> less cell cavities. That's why, OBVIOUSLY, it takes way more time to dry big pieces of wood than thinner ones, say veneers.

Also, glueing several numbers of wood layers prevent from any wood movement/shrinkage after water evaporation, that's why luthiers NEVER build one piece guitar bodies, and also why a guitar or bass neck is filled with an adjustable truss rod to prevent from too much shrinkage, some necks even have some carbon/graphite rods filled in either sides of the truss rod.
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftheartoflutherie.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F02%2FIMG_0945.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
https://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Design/Nature_of_Wood/2_Wood_Movement/2_Wood_Movement.htm

 
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my former coach also is still using his 30+ year old DHS 08 which was given to him when he trained in China. The blade looks bad on one of the its part at one side but still plays very well. It is as fast as a Primorac Carbon and heavy at 118 grams shakehand.
 
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