“PTI” and another YouTube Video
Hello bowling fans,
No, I didn’t misspell “pit”. 🙂 “PTI”, as in ‘pardon the interruption’. Unfortunately the site was hacked and we were down for a bit. Many thanks to my wife/techie guru for helping me get the site back up and running. Unfortunately we were unable to recover the Guestbook and FAQ pages so I will be starting those over. I’m trying to stay positive and look at this as a sign of how popular the site is, but it makes me sad that people feel the need to do such things.
In happier news….. I uploaded a new video to YouTube. This one shows an entire 10 frame game, condensed down to around 5 minutes. The video will give you a good idea of the authentic pin action we get on our lane.
In other updates, I completely tore out the pit and made some changes. Before, the ball and pins would all lay in the pit together. Now, the pins fall through the pit and go to a collection area behind the pit. Why did I do this? I have redone the pinsetter so that pins can be pre-loaded into the table while it is raised and they are automatically released and spotted when the table is lowered. I didn’t want to have to reach into the pit and pick up pins while having to worry about a bowled ball coming into the pit. Now, as the pins get knocked over they slide back through an opening in the pit that is wide enough to allow the pins through while not allowing the ball to go through. So now, we can simply retrieve the pins out of the collection area just behind the pit and load them up without having to worry about the ball hitting you. The pins are also much easier to get to now, they end up right behind the pit wall instead of having to reach over the back of the pit wall to get them. I cushioned the pit board and covered it in black nylon so that the pins would slide through easier. I’ll take some pics and post them up soon.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for sending me your questions, comments and conversations.
May 11th, 2010 at 10:52 am
Sorry to hear the site was hacked. This is a great site and very informative. I got my pins yesterday and am expecting my candlepin balls in the next few days. Next up is the lane. Thanks again for creating such an informative site.
James
May 11th, 2010 at 11:52 am
James, thank you for the kind words. I am excited for you! Please keep me posted on the progress of your lane.
-Chad @ Basement Bowling
May 12th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
So good to see the site back up and running properly! I am even more happy to see your newest video! I really do think you should think of showcasing some of the pictures you’ve received from other basement/garage bowling enthusiasts… Just a thought. 🙂
May 13th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Hi Colleen, I think this is a great idea and I have been thinking about adding something to the site where I feature projects of other bowling fans that write to me.
So bowlers, keep the messages and pics coming and let me know if you want to have your project featured and I will look at adding that feature to the site.
May 12th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Hey, Chad. Sorry your site got hacked, it is too bad people feel like they should be able to do that kind of thing.
Have you heard of anyone making a lane and/or pit that were completely portable? After talking to my neighbor who runs a cabinet shop, he gave me some ideas as to how that could happen. But i was wondering if you knew of anyone else who had built a modular or portable lane.
Take care, and hope it doesn’t take too long to get your site back to where it was.
May 13th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Thanks for the comment Matt. Yes, I have had other bowling enthusiasts write to me and send me pictures of their modular lanes, it can definitely be done and I have seen some nice ones. It can be a little tough to get the lane surface lined up and level. And usually they are made to sit pretty low to the floor so it has a little different feel and usually the pit area has to also be very shallow. But if you want something that you can take down or move, or you want to save some money, then it is definitely an option.
May 13th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Sounds good…any of the folks who went the modular route use legs that fold underneath the lane to prop it up? That’s what i was thinking along those lines. i get what you mean about the low ground effect, my original lane from about 10 years ago just laid out on the floor, and th epieces didn’t meet or level well.
I have so many ideas to do this but wouldn’t mind some ideas from other people who have tried this and succeeded. I’d love to see pics of what others have done. i hope you get something up with pics of others’ projects. of course i’d be willing to send pics of my efforts as well.