What oils can be used as boosters?

[UpSideDownCarl]

I did apply the glue first...

I like the glue being on first as well. The glue is rubber also, the boost also makes the glue more elastic.


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[Hamasaki_Fanz]

If the rubber isn't doming excessively, it wont hurt to try to glue it on. If the rubber doesn't stick around the edges and keeps lifting despite the glue, stick a stack of books on the blade and leave it for another 2 days or so. Or, wait another day before you stick it on, either way the performance will be the same and the results will be identitcal a week later.

It looks like this. I need to glue it in 16 hours, any suggestions on what to do? the sponge is 99% dry now.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

You probably can glue that. But you could also wait a few more hours and then glue it and put it under the stack of books if the edges still want to come up.


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[Hamasaki_Fanz]

nice, can't wait to try this beast out xD

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[fais]

It looks like this. I need to glue it in 16 hours, any suggestions on what to do? the sponge is 99% dry now.

Looks good. Can you arc the rubber horizontally instead of vertically and upload another picture? I am curious to see how heavy the dome is along the horizontal line, since that is the common technique for attaching the rubber to the paddle.

If it is dry then you can resume gluing. I test how strong the arc tension is by placing the rubber topsheet down first and pressing on the back of the sponge with my index finger right in the center. If the rubber flattens and remains flattened for a bit, then you know the arc wont fight the glue too much. If the sponge springs right back up and refuses to flatten, then wait for it to dry a bit more.

 

[Hamasaki_Fanz]

Sure, will do tomorrow, 1 AM here.
good night.

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[Pnachtwey]

Liquids don't compress much and spring back like gases do.
I don't see how an oil that doesn't evaporate to a gas can make a sponge springier. Perhaps it can help and old and brittle sponge but I wouldn't use a booster on a new rubber.
PO evaporates quickly but wears off quickly. PO is the only oil I would use for boosting but....
I don't boost. I have tried PO and speed glue. It don't see where it helps that much if at all. Boosting and speed gluing is a hassle.
I would rather buy a more springy sponge.

 

[NextLevel]

Sure, will do tomorrow, 1 AM here.
good night.

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Rubbers are supposed to be glued while curled up - the issue is whether they will stay on or not.

 

[NextLevel]

Liquids don't compress much and spring back like gases do.
I don't see how an oil that doesn't evaporate to a gas can make a sponge springier. Perhaps it can help and old and brittle sponge but I wouldn't use a booster on a new rubber.
PO evaporates quickly but wears off quickly. PO is the only oil I would use for boosting but....
I don't boost. I have tried PO and speed glue. It don't see where it helps that much if at all. Boosting and speed gluing is a hassle.
I would rather buy a more springy sponge.

The lower the level of the player (less looping/spinning capability), the less benefit they derive from boosters and speed glue.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I am thinking that you might need to know how to loop to feel the effect of a booster on a rubber. Or, perhaps it is that you need to have some feeling for the ball on the racket. Or perhaps it's both.

Why does olive oil cause the sponge to expand? The expansion of the sponge may be why the booster enhances the playing characteristics of the rubber. But....I dunno....that could be wrong.

It does seem that once the fast evaporating VOC chemicals evaporate and the sponge shrinks back to the original size, usually the boost effect is gone. But it is true that the chemicals that evaporate faster and are more dangerous to your health are also the ones that give a better boost effect, at least until they evaporate fully. And the liquid in the pores concept could be why baby oil, when you use too much makes the sponge feel mushy for a while.


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[Hamasaki_Fanz]

Looks good. Can you arc the rubber horizontally instead of vertically and upload another picture? I am curious to see how heavy the dome is along the horizontal line, since that is the common technique for attaching the rubber to the paddle.

there, I think it's possible to be glued now [emoji2]

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[fais]

Looking forward to hearing about your before/after boosting play experience

 

[Hamasaki_Fanz]

Ok, There's the review:

First of all, thanks to fais and carl who have helped me during the boosting process. Dayum my rubber now smells very nice :3
I was a noob when I bought this rubber along 2 years ago. I bought it along with my DHS PG7 (clipper clone, 7 ply, composition=dhs 506) directly from China. I did my research and fount out that the softer the sponge, the easier to spin. And my friend said chinese rubber demands good technique, so if you use chinese rubber, you will acquire the perfect chinese technique. Considering all of that, I bought neo H3 province 38 degree.., and when I tell my friend he laughed, he said you need hard sponge for chinese rubber, 39/40 would be perfect. Now I understand why...

TL;DR : The rubber boosted was 2 yearold H3 neo Province 38 degree, the condition is decent, still can produce deadly amount of spin. Tackiness is still there but not that tacky anymore.

Boosted 2 layers, and I put it on my new Viscaria, so I cant do head-to-head review.

Spin: the topsheet can produce really spinny shot, like holy cow spinny!!! I can see that my shot lands on the table more (which probably will go out using my pg7+unboosted h3) due to the high amount of spin helping the ball to curve down.

Speed: Definitely faster (viscaria helps this too) but this comes with double edge. I think 38 degree is too soft to be boosted. Doing forehand spin using my unboosted H3, I can really feel the ball goes in penetrating the sponge, while the tackiness holding the ball, and with front-upward motion lifting the ball and producing the spin. I couldn't really feel that anymore (probably this is what people call dwell time), probably also because of the of viscaria. I think I need more time to adjust.

Control: I can get good control, but I know this comes from the blade. Even my backhand now becomes amazingly good. I can block perfectly and punch like mike tyson. I think I prefer the unboosted h3 more (again, probably due to 38 degree becomes too soft and springy)

Conclusion: don't boost 38 too much, probably 1 layer is enough also dont buy 38 degree H3 LOL

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Nah, 38 degree H3 is the best one. Way better than the harder ones. The 38 degree one is more than hard enough. And boosted 38 degrees is still better than the harder ones. That is at least my opinion. Everyone will feel differently. But once you get used to it, that will work well for you. 38 degrees is meant to be boosted like all the others. When you are used to it, the 38 will give you more spin and more control than the other H3 versions.

 

[fais]

Nah, 38 degree H3 is the best one. Way better than the harder ones. The 38 degree one is more than hard enough. And boosted 38 degrees is still better than the harder ones. That is at least my opinion. Everyone will feel differently. But once you get used to it, that will work well for you. 38 degrees is meant to be boosted like all the others. When you are used to it, the 38 will give you more spin and more control than the other H3 versions.

Very interesting Carl. In my experience the 39 degrees was a little too soft for me after 2 layers of baby oil (but still spinny and thoroughly enjoyable). I suppose I prefer them a little harder (thats what she said?) as I like to swing full force at everything. Did the 38 deg boosted retain a high gear or did it bottom out at high speeds?

 

[Hamasaki_Fanz]

wait im male lol...
what do you mean with retain a high gear and bottom out at high speeds? sorry Im not native english speaker..

I suppose I prefer them a little harder (thats what she said?) as I like to swing full force at everything.

I know right? It feels too soft, I think 40 is the best when boosted

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Well, I must admit, I used 38 degree H3 boosted a long time ago, maybe 4 years ago, but, I hit hard and as long as you brush, it grabs the ball great. I am sure that there will always be some who like harder rubbers and some who like a bit softer. But that sponge is not like Tensor sponges and the 38 degrees means something different than a 38 degree tensor would. 38 degrees felt fine to me. It may just be getting used to it. But, it is also try that I was using paraffin and not much baby oil to boost H3. I did not like what the baby oil felt like with the H3. For me, paraffin worked on H3 much better.

But, again, everyone has different tastes. Der_Echte likes to use rubbers that I think are pretty soft on his FH and he plays great with them. I have never liked super soft rubbers, for FH but H3 at 38 degrees did not feel super soft to me.

 

[Hamasaki_Fanz]

I heard softer rubber is better for those who bend the elbow when hitting (like Timo Boll), and harder rubber is better for Chinese style...

btw Carl, http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/f...rubber-is-this-SO-AMAZING&p=123982#post123982

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I heard softer rubber is better for those who bend the elbow when hitting (like Timo Boll), and harder rubber is better for Chinese style...

btw Carl, http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/f...rubber-is-this-SO-AMAZING&p=123982#post123982

I come from playing baseball when I was a kid. I can swing hard. The hardest thing for me to learn in playing was not to simply bang into the ball with full power but to brush past it.

If you watch Ma Long's forehand, he swings with his whole arm but on contact with the ball his elbow starts bending. I think it is more the big impact. My forehand can have very big impact. It was actually also hard for me to learn to get the elbow to bend and change angles on my stroke. My stroke is perhaps, still too big a stroke for my needs.

But, again, everyone is going to like something different. My main point about the 38 degrees, it should be fine boosted once you are used the player is used to it.

 

[NextLevel]

I agree with Carl - when it comes to sponge hardness, it depends on how you swing but more importantly, your preferred contact depth for brush spin and drive spin. I don't swing consistently hard enough to get spin with hardnesses above Chinese/Japanese 38 degrees. I did use 39 degree Big Dipper for a while and did okay, but the 40 deg was another story.

It has nothing to do with bent elbow and everything to do with how you want the ball to come off your racket, swing speed and preferred contact depth.

The main advantage of tacky rubbers is the ability to control short balls or fast balls with tack, but the tack slows down the ball so you need bigger strokes to get spin and speed. I couldn't block with them when playing lower level players so I stopped using them.