Sealing the blade

[TareqPhoto]

Is sealing [lacquering] the blade important if the type of blade or wood being used is prone for damage or splinter?

I have DHS Long 5X and i asked the coach to apply lacquering to it, i think he knows what to do and how much layer or how thin, but for someone like me who doesn't worry much or care about the blades characteristics or performance changed i just always ask him to seal my new blades for the first time only once and then forget about it, i didn't try to do a very hard test comparison between sealed and non-sealed blade using the same rubbers, and the coach sounds never warned me not to apply but also he never mind if not applying, it is just he suggest to apply if i will change the rubbers, and i do change.

I am planning to buy one more maybe last blade later, and it sounds it comes with Ebony top layer, is this wood hard enough that sealing it is unnecessary? I saw someone was peeling off the rubber from his blade and it was like bad shape of top layer wood, it made me to believe that i just should seal blindly without thinking, i mean i will sacrifice the performance over the safety of top layer really, i have so many blades and rubbers, i don't think i will die to retain the blade performance that much not to seal it.

One of my replica blade i bought had kind of splinter on the handle although i asked the coach to seal the head, i can't imagine if he didn't seal the head and i change the rubber later after a while, how would that wood become after removing the rubber then, another reason for me to seal to be safe, and i play ok and fine enjoying with the blades so far, i tried some of others players blades that i assume they never seal and i didn't feel their blades are heavenly better and higher performance even over my cheap replica blade, but reading some topics here about sealing i fee like many are just scared to lose the blade pros non-sealed as it came.

 

[lodro]

If one takes a spraycan of lacquer and applies layer after layer of the stuff until one achieves a mirror finish then yes, I am sure this could affect the performance of the blade. I say affect it, I don't say negatively affect it because for some players it will either make no difference or might affect them positively or negatively.
I seal all my new blades routinely.
I use a slightly damp ,lint-free cloth and apply a few drops of water-based polyurethane.
There is never a buildup, just enough to actually seal the surface.

 

[JJ Ng]

Is sealing [lacquering] the blade important if the type of blade or wood being used is prone for damage or splinter?

I have DHS Long 5X and i asked the coach to apply lacquering to it, i think he knows what to do and how much layer or how thin, but for someone like me who doesn't worry much or care about the blades characteristics or performance changed i just always ask him to seal my new blades for the first time only once and then forget about it, i didn't try to do a very hard test comparison between sealed and non-sealed blade using the same rubbers, and the coach sounds never warned me not to apply but also he never mind if not applying, it is just he suggest to apply if i will change the rubbers, and i do change.

I am planning to buy one more maybe last blade later, and it sounds it comes with Ebony top layer, is this wood hard enough that sealing it is unnecessary? I saw someone was peeling off the rubber from his blade and it was like bad shape of top layer wood, it made me to believe that i just should seal blindly without thinking, i mean i will sacrifice the performance over the safety of top layer really, i have so many blades and rubbers, i don't think i will die to retain the blade performance that much not to seal it.

One of my replica blade i bought had kind of splinter on the handle although i asked the coach to seal the head, i can't imagine if he didn't seal the head and i change the rubber later after a while, how would that wood become after removing the rubber then, another reason for me to seal to be safe, and i play ok and fine enjoying with the blades so far, i tried some of others players blades that i assume they never seal and i didn't feel their blades are heavenly better and higher performance even over my cheap replica blade, but reading some topics here about sealing i fee like many are just scared to lose the blade pros non-sealed as it came.

If the blade splinters easily, yes you should seal it.

I have never sealed my blade. My blades are not expensive blades. And splintering has not been a problem.

I am convinced that my Nittaku Acoustic carbon was sealed even before I purchased it. The rubber comes off that blade differently than all my other blades.

 

[ericd937]

I've had a blade sealed exactly 1 time. It was a blade ordered from Megaspin.net. The rubbers always came unglued from that thing. I'd never seal another one.

 

[lodro]

I've had a blade sealed exactly 1 time. It was a blade ordered from Megaspin.net. The rubbers always came unglued from that thing. I'd never seal another one.

we have players in the club that buy a ready made racket and play with it for a couple of decades. No kidding.
They might as well have their rubbers glued on with epoxy glue.
for those of us who replace rubbers very regularly a proper TT-glue is in order and we can not expect them to stick as good as epoxy does. 😁

The only time I had rubbers come off was when the lacquering had been applied too thick. Then one has to take a small block and lightly cut the glossy surface with about 400 sand paper.

 

[TareqPhoto]

I never had the issue of the rubbers coming off, NEVER, no matter which rubber or blade or glue, so i never worry about that part, but i just started to go with sealing maybe since 2019 or 2020, i never know about it until the coach mentioned about it for me, and i read the service can be done from TT11 but i never knew it was about sealing, so i started to do sealing for all blades i bought since that year, and also the old one when i removed the rubber just in case it might splinter or damage the top layer.

 

[Gtsnake]

Before I sealed my blades I would sometimes get splintering. I always seal them now and never have a problem. If you don't seal it you will get affected by humidity changes since the wood is porous. I just use a poly sealer from Home Depot and it's a 5 minute process.

 

[lodro]

I never had the issue of the rubbers coming off, NEVER, no matter which rubber or blade or glue, so i never worry about that part, but i just started to go with sealing maybe since 2019 or 2020, i never know about it until the coach mentioned about it for me, and i read the service can be done from TT11 but i never knew it was about sealing, so i started to do sealing for all blades i bought since that year, and also the old one when i removed the rubber just in case it might splinter or damage the top layer.

may we know which glue u are using ?

It seems to me that there are amongst the table tennis glues two kinds:
One for players that are constantly experimenting (me) changing rubbers from one blade to the others, buying new blades to experiment with etc. For us the glue should hold firm but should be easy to remove, this for me is what the revolution glue does just fine.
The second lot of players might belong to the group that basically fits their rubber of choice and the rubber stays on the blade for quite a long time, here one might as well use a glue that sticks real good , of course it might be a bit more difficult to remove.

 

[JJ Ng]

may we know which glue u are using ?

It seems to me that there are amongst the table tennis glues two kinds:
One for players that are constantly experimenting (me) changing rubbers from one blade to the others, buying new blades to experiment with etc. For us the glue should hold firm but should be easy to remove, this for me is what the revolution glue does just fine.
The second lot of players might belong to the group that basically fits their rubber of choice and the rubber stays on the blade for quite a long time, here one might as well use a glue that sticks real good , of course it might be a bit more difficult to remove.

I know the question is not directed toward me.

I have used Revolution 3, Donic Glue Vario Clean and Neottec Glue. They all work pretty well.

I have more of an issue that the edge of the rubber was not glued properly so I have to apply two layes on the rubber every time now.

I have peeled the rubber off and never had the blade splintering. My blades were not sealed. I think a lot of it also have to do with the quality of the blades. I don't buy expensive blades per se but the blades seem to work fine. I don't really care about how nice the finishing of the handles are. I rather buy more blades than nice handles so I can experiment. But once I know I like certain blades, I will buy a few of them so I can try out different rubber combination.

 

[lodro]

I know the question is not directed toward me.

I have used Revolution 3, Donic Glue Vario Clean and Neottec Glue. They all work pretty well.

I have more of an issue that the edge of the rubber was not glued properly so I have to apply two layes on the rubber every time now.

I have peeled the rubber off and never had the blade splintering. My blades were not sealed. I think a lot of it also have to do with the quality of the blades. I don't buy expensive blades per se but the blades seem to work fine. I don't really care about how nice the finishing of the handles are. I rather buy more blades than nice handles so I can experiment. But once I know I like certain blades, I will buy a few of them so I can try out different rubber combination.

I fix up blades for other club member and sometimes i wonder what kind of glue was used, much too strong. First one ripps off the top cover then has to "surgically operate" the sponge off the blade and then there is sometimes still a layer of glue left.

 

[SleepyMaster]

I never sealing BTY blade and never had a problems with regluing or splintering when taking off the rubbers.

But when I ordered some Nittaku, and Yasaka blades from tt11, I have picking sealing as an added option

 

[lodro]

I never sealing BTY blade and never had a problems with regluing or splintering when taking off the rubbers.

But when I ordered some Nittaku, and Yasaka blades from tt11, I have picking sealing as an added option

that's so nice

 

[SleepyMaster]

that's so nice

I started to like you, buddy 😉

 

[Doum]

Some blades, like my Xiom ALX are sealed from company.

 

[TareqPhoto]

may we know which glue u are using ?

It seems to me that there are amongst the table tennis glues two kinds:
One for players that are constantly experimenting (me) changing rubbers from one blade to the others, buying new blades to experiment with etc. For us the glue should hold firm but should be easy to remove, this for me is what the revolution glue does just fine.
The second lot of players might belong to the group that basically fits their rubber of choice and the rubber stays on the blade for quite a long time, here one might as well use a glue that sticks real good , of course it might be a bit more difficult to remove.

In the past from 2015 i used to buy Butterfly Free Chalk as one coach was using it for a while, and it was maybe difficult to remove with it, but later another coach who i just chose him to glue the rest until today told me he doesn't need my glue and he is using another one from Donic, i believe it is "Glue Vario Clean", he mentioned it is medium so i didn't try to debate with him.

I was kind of a player who is just want to stuck with certain rubbers on a blade for long time until i was careless about cleaning the rubbers and also started to buy more blades, by that time i thought maybe sealing is a good time only when i knew about it from the coach, because he knew that i will keep changing or testing or buying more, so maybe that is why he is using Donic products as sealing and gluing, i bought a booster for two rackets i did, but i wasn't paying attention to the type of woods need sealing, and i ask now if i buy a blade that has for example either Koto wood or Ebony wood top layer is it good idea to seal?!!!

 

[TareqPhoto]

I started to like you, buddy 😉

WT.?!!!

 

[TareqPhoto]

Some blades, like my Xiom ALX are sealed from company.

How did you know? They mentioned it already or you asked them to?

 

[lodro]

In the past from 2015 i used to buy Butterfly Free Chalk as one coach was using it for a while, and it was maybe difficult to remove with it, but later another coach who i just chose him to glue the rest until today told me he doesn't need my glue and he is using another one from Donic, i believe it is "Glue Vario Clean", he mentioned it is medium so i didn't try to debate with him.

I was kind of a player who is just want to stuck with certain rubbers on a blade for long time until i was careless about cleaning the rubbers and also started to buy more blades, by that time i thought maybe sealing is a good time only when i knew about it from the coach, because he knew that i will keep changing or testing or buying more, so maybe that is why he is using Donic products as sealing and gluing, i bought a booster for two rackets i did, but i wasn't paying attention to the type of woods need sealing, and i ask now if i buy a blade that has for example either Koto wood or Ebony wood top layer is it good idea to seal?!!!

I am a lazy bugger and can not be bothered to remember which woods need sealing and which do not. So i simply seal every new blade .It really is only a 5min job.

 

[superbackhand]

is it considered legal sealing the blade if it changes the characteristics of it?

 

[lodro]

is it considered legal sealing the blade if it changes the characteristics of it?

no problems . These characteristic-changing rules only apply to the rubbers not the blades, and a thin film of varnish will not change the characteristics of a blade