This info will save you a lot of money !

[Mr. RicharD]

I haven't read all of the posts, but Lamp Oil doesn't quite do it as good as the biobooster does. The thing about that 5 % is that is neutralizes some of the more harsher effects which allow you to actually put more layers on a sheet of say Tenergy. I actually in a 48 hour process can put up to 17 layers of it on which really tunes the crap out of the rubbers, but still keeps it safe to glue without fear or too much expansion. I've heard many players in the U.S. do this and thus don't have to worry too much about certain parameters such as the 4 mm thickness for sponge and topsheet that Lamp Oil can cause.

As for saving money, it is true that you can go out do this to save the characteristics of the rubber, but it is a lot of maintenance and requires a lot of time. I personally wouldn't spend as much time on all this as I have Chinese Rubber on the forehand and can tune Chinese rubbers on the BH which give it the same characteristics as some higher class rubbers. I still prefer Tenergy 05 on the BH and now even the Adidas P5, TZ SF to any tuned rubbers.

 

[phillypong]

Anybody tried the lamp oil boosting lately ? Please give some feedback.

 

[Der_Echte]

With the exceptions of Anders, PPP, and Mr. Richard, (who have many posts and do not often discus this tuning thing) why is this thread dominated by jokers with under 100 posts looking to boost when this data is so prominently and often posted on just about every TT forum on the planet?

Then again, why do Adham & Co make it even moar profitable for manufacturers to sell moar and moar expensive rubberz?

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Okay. My perspective. People do it. Nothing wrong with it. The chemicals are not so great for you.

Baby oil works, kitchen oil works, paraffin, torch oil, lamp oil all work, Ronson's lighter fluid does something. Almost anything that is a highly flammable solvent works. I have a friend who uses Charcoal lighter fluid and says it works better than any of the above and that he tried gasoline and it worked well too. I don't know if I would feel comfortable using gasoline though. Combining baby oil and torch oil works pretty well. But it all takes time and exposes you to hazardous chemicals that are bad for you, so, if you do it, you should know that.

And if you really want a glue effect, just try this: http://www.rematiptop.com/part.php?pid=26&cid=26&sid=11

I think the story I heard is that one day some TT player did not have any regular glue and so he used the glue he had from a bicycle inner tube repair kit. And that was the start of speed glue. That link sends you to one powerful assed can of speed glue. So, even though the TT companies do not market speed glue any more, there are still companies that make bicycle tire repair glue. And that is speed glue. If you are breaking the rules, why not go all out. If you add some blend of extra chemicals from the list above to the sponge before using Tip Top Cold Vulcanizing Fluid you might be accused of using a rocket launcher when you play.

Not all of the newer rubbers work well with boost on them but Tenergy does well with some boost on it. I like leaving my stuff alone as much as possible so I will not take my rubbers off just to boost them, but I do boost my rubbers if I have to take them off for some reason.

 

[jedimasterplk]

Very well written Carl. I can state as a fact that every top player does it. And believe me, you feel the difference when those topspins hit you....boosting adds speed and spin, but the control is great as well.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Very well written Carl. I can state as a fact that every top player does it. And believe me, you feel the difference when those topspins hit you....boosting adds speed and spin, but the control is great as well.

Agreed.

 

[phillypong]

With the exceptions of Anders, PPP, and Mr. Richard, (who have many posts and do not often discus this tuning thing) why is this thread dominated by jokers with under 100 posts looking to boost when this data is so prominently and often posted on just about every TT forum on the planet?

Then again, why do Adham & Co make it even moar profitable for manufacturers to sell moar and moar expensive rubberz?

First of all, the amount of posts is no measure at all for the quality of the posts (posts like : Draw your favorite player... are not really giving any plus to table tennis players, what about : What's your favorite color ?...).
It would be a lot better to count the amount of words a person posts, so posts like : "Lol" are not weighing as much as other posts.

Fact is : the production cost of a TT Rubber is about 0,5 to 2 € a piece , so why would we players keep paying 30 to 50 € for a piece of rubber that looses its performance after 3 months of play ? To pay the houses and Porsches of the sponsored players and company's !

Also it should be cleared out that tuning is NOT against the ITTF regulations (sorry Carl, but tuning is not breaking the rules), only if you use solvents with a certain volatility you brake the rules (like a lot of what you mention in your post).

This thread started on using WD40 and or paraffin (=lamp oil) to lightly boost and refresh rubbers that have lost their spin/speed/control to be able to play a lot longer with them.
I am 100% shure almost every player and visitor of this forum has rubbers that have lost their playing characteristics. Therefor info on using this WD40 or lamp oil on these rubbers and the result it gave is very useful to everybody.
I myself have been able to play with my Andro Revo Fire for 2,5 years (2 years of competition play and about 2 times a week training) thanks to the WD40 trick, after 1 year the spin was easily 30% lessened.
Paraffine used in a well ventilated area is really not harmfull (when you go to a gas station and fill up , you get a much bigger amount of solvent in your body!).
Also i want to say that i tested baby oil also, and it didn't work at all ! Olive oil (or other veggie oil) helps to restore grip on the topsheet as well (and is not harmful). Also things like gasoline will work but will quickly wear out the rubber, just as the speed glue did , but the stuff i mentioned , applied in moderation does not kill your rubber quickly).

I am convinced that real testing results on rubbers you guys have can help players to save money (or let them buy the rubber they prefer, knowing it will last twice as long as normal). So why not share the results on this thread.
Just mention the rubber, color thickness , the product you used and an appreciation of the result of the reviving attempt.(spin/speed/sponge hardness changes)

On other forums there are not a lot of specific results listed for different rubbers , so here we can make a difference hopefully.

I can state that for ESN rubbers (i did Andro Revo Fire(red), Tibhar Nimbus (red), Donic JO Coppa Gold (black), Andro Impuls Speed (black), Tibhar Genius Optimum + (black) i got this one for free from a friend who wanted to throw it in the bin! ) WD40 and lamp oil works well (baby oil doesn't).

OK guys , let the results be known pls, you can help a lot of players with it. (Table tennis equipment companies don't like this info)

 

[JustAlt]

Phillypong, tuning is against the rules, because it strecthes the sponge, witch causes the topsheet to strecth too. Altering the topsheet's properties is against the rules. I'm not going to quote that rule here because I'm writing with my cellphone but you can look for it yourself.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

(sorry Carl, but tuning is not breaking the rules), only if you use solvents with a certain volatility you brake the rules (like a lot of what you mention in your post).

you need to know the rules better. As JustAlt states, anything that changes the playing charicteristics of the rubber is a banned substance including baby oil. Paraffin, by the way, is a chemical that is hazardous to your health so it is one of the chemicals you seemed to be referring to, a VOC.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

By the way, I think the info you are presenting is good and useful. I boost myself when I am putting my rubbers on. But, it is against ITTF rules. So people who do it should know that. I think the rule is misguided and is clearly not about your health if non hazardous materials like oil also would be breaking the rules.

Baby oil helps to expand the sponge. It does not do much for the top sheet but it expands the sponge. It does not work on all sponges though. It does work on Hurricane and Skyline sponge, on Mambo, Tenergy. There are things that work better. I do like paraffin, as long as you know it is dangerous and to use it in a well ventilated environment.

 

[ttmonster]

If any kind of boosting is banned and if you are serious to improve your skills why should you boost a new rubber ? ( I am not talking about trying to liven up old rubbers ) .
If you are boosting, then that would be detrimental to your game because your technique on loading spin on the ball will get worse by the day , and in the long run your body position will get worse because the rubber is your job for you .
So isn't it when somebody starts boosting rubbers from day 1 they are indirectly assuming that they are going to play recreationally ?
I know every pro worth his salt says that CNT players boost and have special boosters that cannot be caught, unless we are able to prove it in the long run it is a redundant argument.

 

[Aussieron50]

.I have tried lamp oil boosting lately on my globe 999 chinese national training rubbers and the effects are really good , lots of speed and spin , I really like the extra pace on the ball it supplies , way better than speed glue and so cheap !there was a little expanding of the rubbers but it stops after a few applications ...

 

[WFal]

I was the President of ASTI and co-invented the ASTI speed glue and booster. About 6 months ago I decided to develop a safe highly effective tuner. I was interested in reading the posts on this thread concerning the Dandoy Bio Booster, which the product ad claims is " harmless, biodegradable and without by-oil product bio booster". Several people posted that the Dandoy contains 95% paraffin oil. This is either incorrect or Dandoy is misrepresenting its product. Paraffin oil is derived from petroleum. Secondly, it is not perfectly safe as if you swallow it and you regurgitate it and gets into your lungs, it is harmful. I know this as the product I have developed has a small percentage (approximately 20%) of paraffin oil and I am required to put a warning label on the package because of this chemical. I gather that several players at the recent US Olympic trials used the Dandoy booster. So I am sure it works quite well. However, I should point out several disadvantages if indeed the product is 95% paraffin oil. First, it takes a lot of the oil to boost spin and speed. Secondly, it is near impossible to use this solvent on a rubber where the sponge has a glue buildup, as the oil turn the adhesive to mush. Thirdly, the vapor pressure of ultra-pure paraffin oil is approximately 0.05 mm/hg. To pass the mini-rae test you need to have less than 3 ppm reading. According to my calculations this solvent may just pass but it will be very close to the limit. I don't want to turn this thread into advertisement for my new tuner (which does pass the mini-rae test), however, I would be interested to know what others think of the Dandoy and other products, especially if someone can confirm that these product contain 95% paraffin oil.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

If you are boosting, then that would be detrimental to your game because your technique on loading spin on the ball will get worse by the day , and in the long run your body position will get worse because the rubber is your job for you .
So isn't it when somebody starts boosting rubbers from day 1 they are indirectly assuming that they are going to play recreationally ?

Not sure I get this. Boosting is trying to get a similar effect to what you would have gotten from speed glue. All the pros used to use speed glue when it was allowed. Did their technique get worse from using speed glue to boost their rubber's performance? Did they assume that they would only play recreationally? Wang Liqin got caught for boosting and disqualified from a tournament that he WON. Is he a recreational player because he was boosting?

Again, I don't think you need it. I boost my rubber before I put it on and then I leave it unless something causes me to have to take it off and then I will reboost. If the effect wears off, I just keep playing. I don't really care. Almost all the rubbers I use were used by someone else first. But, I would still boost a new rubber. If you put the right amount of boost on, it feels really good and makes it fun to play.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

By the way, here is the rule:

Law 2.04.07 - The covering material should be used as it has been authorised by the ITTF without any physical, chemical or other treatment, changing or modifying playing properties, friction, outlook, colour, structure, surface, etc.

Here is an article on the subject by Greg Letts: http://tabletennis.about.com/od/speedglue/a/ban_speedglue.htm

 

[YosuaYosan]

Now I think that playing rubbers as they should could save quite some amount of money..

 

[WFal]

The ITTF rule does not make sense as any means of attaching the rubber to the blade will "modify playing properties". One cannot play with the bare sponge so it must be attached. The adhesive will fill in the pores of the sponge, thereby modifying its properties. Further, as the ITTF no longer has a list of approved adhesives it is up to the player to decide what means of attachment should be used. Each adhesive will have its own characteristics. Further, the amount of adhesive will also be a factor. Also one could put different amounts of adhesive on different locations of the sponge. And as far as I can tell one could use more than one type of adhesive (Haifu approach) either in series, or for that matter in parallel. Any adhesive will outgas over time so it is up to the player to decide how long he/she must wait for the racket to be "legal", which means it passes either Enez 1 machine test (local test) or the more stringent mini-rae test (usually major national and international tournament). Even a fresh sheet of rubber will not pass, as was the case recently for one well known US player. So if you are in the unfortunate position that both your main paddle and backup have a tear in one of the sheets, you cannot be sure that a fresh sheet will pass even using water-based adhesives. Shortly after the release of this "double think" law, which not only is logically flawed but also requires that each player be a chemist (an ideally own a 3 thousand dollar test machine), I asked for the resignation of the ITTF President. This occurred several years ago and I am still waiting from Mr. Sharara to send me a copy of the minutes showing the vote that gave him the right to rescind the list of approved glues. He promised to do this.

I agree that we should be concerned for the health of the players and that some of the motives of the President and others in the ITTF are positive. But the fact remains that the most recent approved adhesives had very low VOCs, and were extremely safe compared to commonly available products in stores. Now that there are no approved adhesives each player can choose what they want to do. Where before, a player was very likely going to use the approved glues, they are now more likely to experiment with a range of non-table tennis related adhesives, and in some cases solvents. This makes it more probable that they will be using potentially less safe products than before. Further, it is well known that the top players in the world play with tuned sheets. Some from the factory and some not. It is even said that top players shave the edges of the rackets so that the sponge measurements will not to be able to detect that the sponge is in reality too thick.

just my two cents.

 

[ttmonster]

I guess I did not express myself clearly Carl , what I wanted to know is why do any of us try to boost when its illegal in competitions.

Now, this is the point what I was trying to make :
1. Boosting alters the behavior of the rubber and the sponge. It makes it softer and gives your more power + spin + control from the softer sponge, from what I understand from reading all of your posts.
2. In that case, any given attacking stroke will be easier to make if you are using a boosted rubber. So over a period of time the effort to make the stroke perfect using footwork, weight transfer and proper form would reduce. Won't it?
You would not need to use your body to make the amount of spin you want if you can get it from just using your arm /wrists ad slowly your positioning will get worse. ... And I am talking about players who are focussed towards developing their games, not just playing it for fun and trying to beat all the people in their club.
3. Now regarding Wang Liqin , from what I understand, he did go through a rough patch initially and had considerably less success just after the speed glue ban.

I can understand the argument that through boosting "I can pick up a 10$ chinese rubber and make it behave like Tenergy, and I will switch to Tenergy just for tournament play or I am not playing tournaments in the foreseeable future" ....

I am not supporting or opposing the motive behind the speed glue ban, it might or might not have been done at the behest of the manufacturers. But now that it is a reality , should we not accept it and try to make the best of what is legal if we are serious about competing officially ?

Not sure I get this. Boosting is trying to get a similar effect to what you would have gotten from speed glue. All the pros used to use speed glue when it was allowed. Did their technique get worse from using speed glue to boost their rubber's performance? Did they assume that they would only play recreationally? Wang Liqin got caught for boosting and disqualified from a tournament that he WON. Is he a recreational player because he was boosting?

Again, I don't think you need it. I boost my rubber before I put it on and then I leave it unless something causes me to have to take it off and then I will reboost. If the effect wears off, I just keep playing. I don't really care. Almost all the rubbers I use were used by someone else first. But, I would still boost a new rubber. If you put the right amount of boost on, it feels really good and makes it fun to play.

 

[WFal]

TTmonster,

From my research it is legal for a factory to "tune" a sheet and this includes the use of solvent doping of the sponge. Many tt rubber manufacturers advertise "tuned" sheets. In many cases top players will receive the tuned sheets directly from the factory. As these tuned sheets have a limited shelf life, it is less likely that the "average" player who buys such products will receive the "fresh" sheets that perform as well as those provided by the factory directly to the world class players. So the ITTF has created a system where the elite players get better equipment than the rest. This was to some extent true before the "banning" of "speed gluing" but has been exacerbated with the rule changes. Worse yet is the technology gap between what the players on the Chinese National team have access to, versus other international players. You cannot even buy the "tuner" used by the National team. Who knows what research chemists "cooked-up" for these players. After all the Chinese Team have access to some of the best chemists and researchers. Given the importance given to the sport in China I would not doubt that they have developed tuners that will give them an edge over their competition. And these tuners can be used legally by the manufacturers.

Your analysis of the benefits of tuned sheets is reasonably accurate. You do get more speed and spin with less effort, as well as more control. However, it is also true that the top end achievable from a speed glues or tuned sheet cannot be achieved through better technique or more "athletic effort".

There are many players who I know that are very unhappy playing with rubber that is not "tuned". They are forced to use much faster blades to make up for the lack of speed. This reduces not only the control and feel but also reduces the spin relative to the speed. One of the ITTF goal in recent years was to slow the game down so the points could be extended. A noble goal. That was one of the reasons why the 40 mm ball was brought in. The ball unfortunately is much less stable than the 38mm ball due to excess deformation of the larger ball on contact compared to the smaller ball (they both have the same wall thickness). One of the hypes for the 40 mm ball was that it would be easier to see on TV. This of course was not the case. What did occur in my opinion with the 40 mm ball is that players are more likely to get injured as more effort is needed to be competitive. This is especially true on the backhand for most players. Next the ITTF decided to ban the speed glued rubber, claiming it was for safety reasons. However, the main reason IMO was to "slow the game down". What really happened is that there is even more of a gulf between the elite players and the average tournament players. The top players in the world get special equipment and many even have a $3K mini-rae machine to make sure their equipment will pass the "sniffer test". There is only 1 mini-rae tester in the US (USATT in Colorado Springs). So you simply don't know as a player if your equipment will pass until you get to either the US Nationals, US Open or the Olympic or World team trials.

So TTmonster how do you know what you are playing with is legal unless you test it on the Mini-Rae. There have been many false negatives with this equipment as it is so sensitive. How do you know that your adhesive does not outgas too much as there are no approved glues. How do you know for sure that your rubber sheet is not outgassing too much? Maybe the sheet that you have used in the past from a manufacturer is different this time.

As I told Adham Shirara the current rules put too much responsibility on the player and not enough on the manufacturers. The ITTF rules are illogical and unenforceable if someone is intent on "breaking the rules". Finally they require each player to be his/her own "chemist" as there is no approved method of attaching the rubber to the blade.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Nice post WFal.

As far as technique and equipment, regardless of the equipment you are using and whether you are boosting or not, you can always continue working on technique. Just like some players who use pips will stop working on technique and get worse in some ways because the pips do a lot for you, and others work on their technique and keep improving, if you are boosting and working on your technique and your footwork to get into position, and using your weight transfer, your legs and your hips to help power through backspin, or to help you re-loop topspin with power, your technique will keep improving. No matter what equipment you are using if you rely on it and let it do the work and do not focus on the process of improving your skills, your skills might not improve. But if you are working on your technique and improving it, and you have help from a coach who can get you to improve, things will improve.