It's lane Sanction Time

[Drillmn300]

Well for the first time in about 4 years they finally flew through the lanes and everything passed on the first try. Standing there with crow bar, sledge hammer and a home made jack that moves the kickbacks I think they knew I was ready for them. It is so strange that last year I was told my edge boards where getting close to replacement after just 2 years and this year they have more than enough room.
Life is great!
Drill

[GPS]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

I understand your happiness Drill. For many years no problems. Then we get a new inspecter. 36 (out of 64) flat gutters too high. Go figure.

[amfpinboy]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

I had to reply to this one! My manager handed me the new inspection report for this year. Hold on--- they wrote us up for peeling paint chips on the capping strips!!!Also, after 40 years of inspections they found two lanes that are now 60' 1/4"!!!! There are only two centers left in our county bowling assn.. Now we have twenty five inspectors tripping over each other to find something wrong! They broke a dozen masking unit wires and male terminals on the boards during this last visit.

[Coors]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

never had a prob with our inspectors...lol

trust me tho...ive installed a few synthetic installations and on measuring beforehand wondered how the ???? it passed to begin with.

when inspection came after installation came and probs were brought up i had xeroxed copies of the past at least 5 years worth of reports showing no problem then...LOL

it's all politics...trust me

[Steve Stafford (JBEES)]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

And where does peeling paint chips fall under ABC specs???
What a bunch of .... (you fill in the blank)

And we all wonder why ABC is destroying this sport! They don't even know their own rules. They tend to make them up as they go...honestly, is it not time for a real rules committee? Maybe one that knows how to read would be nice...

Just my two cents worth...

Steve

[Coors]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

and before anyone says im a horrible installer. im talkin about kickback width among other things. I wasnt going to move the world when the same kickbacks passed (10 3/4" +/- 1/16" from kick to outside of spot reguardless of deck manufacturer) the previous 5 years....

[Coors]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

amf pinboy

60 & 1/4???

1/4 is the thickness of the foul line...sure your inspector wasnt hittin the bottle?...lol also ask your inspector the EXACT ruling of a length of a lane

Should be -back of the foul line/beginning of the lane- to middle of head pin spot

[This message has been edited by Coors (edited 08-12-2000).]

[Lanes101]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

Food for thought!!!

ABC Associations change personnel almost as fast as McDonalds does drive-thru attendants. Much of the knowledge has not been passed from inspector to inspector. I don't know how many of you have inspected lanes, but it is not the funnest job in the world. Checking one center is not bad but when this repeats itself over and over it can become slightly monotunous(??).

Mike you need spell check!

Keep in mind that the "Brown Book" is not the easiest to understand for some one that has never been involved in lanes. My experiences working with centers have become quite a novel.

Pat



[This message has been edited by Lanes101 (edited 08-14-2000).]

[andy-m]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

How about getting inspected in June, and not getting the report until sometime in December or January. Thats how my local association works. Then I get cards from ABC telling me that the certification paperwork needs to be completed. You figure that one out. I lost faith in the system years ago.

[capiset]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

Hey amfpinboy,
I know the certification season is pretty much over but I thought I'd throw out one of my "certification specials" !! Brand new installation in British Columbia, synthetics, GS-98's and the local committee says our lanes are one inch too long. I said "Huh"? They checked two more and sure enough - 61" each. I looked at their tape, ran to my office in back, grabbed my "STEEL" tape measure and had them check again...guess what...60" on the nose. The local committee was using an ancient, cloth device which obviously had stretched out a few decades ago. (Stenciled on underside: "Property of NOAH. Return to big,wooden ark in field over there.") So they were happy to use my steel tape. Then when they came back for a reinspection on kickbacks (pit width) the guy actually said "Well, you moved one side but not the other". So my suggestion is take it all in stride, do what you can to make it easier for the committee and you'll probably also make it easier for yourself.

Bruce

[Gene Dallachie]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

I am 1 of only 2 lane inspectors in our associations area of responsibility. I have to agree with the comment that inspecting is not fun.
Our associations send out post cards or letters to each of the centers providing them with open dates and times for inpsections, first come first served. we mail these out in March trying to have all centers completed by the end of April or May, and have the centers make their corrections so that we may have them all certified by August 1 of each year. Not always possible. Some centers just will not do the work required.
Our inspectors, whom have all been trained by the certified inspectors, begin inspecting the lanes for compliance. Some of the notations and readings can be very hilarious, at times. As the senior inspector when I find some measurements recorded as out of spec. I go and check it again. Most times the untrained inspector could not read the gauge. Also when you get somebody that has been doing it for 40 years and have never been retrained you have no idea what you are going to get for readings.
As for checking the length of a lane from foul line to head pin, only required if major work has been done to the lane beds, such as replacing the pin deck or the entire lane, otherwise there is no requirment to check the length again.
Like Steve, here is my two cents worth.

[Guest]

Re: It's lane Sanction Time

To all inspectors:

If you think your job is no fun...try doing the fricken repairs!!! GEEEZE!

Our synthetics have been passing for 5 years and now we have panels not passing all over. Some as far out as 0.120!!! When I pulled up the panel...DBA installers had written on the under lane -0.085 and never put in any shims to correct it.

That stuff should have been done properly to begin with. Regardless it should have been caught somewhere in the last 5 years. Preferably after the installation.

Tech