• Baking bowling balls to rejuvenate them can instead ruin them, some say, and the efficacy of the practice is also disputed.Bowling Ball image by yuri4u80 from Fotolia.com
  
  As bowling balls are used over and over again, they can become slick with the oil used on the lanes. This has led to concerns that the oil might be responsible for diminished ball performance and speed. Baking bowling balls to correct this possible problem is a practice that some shops and manufacturers have tested, but there are dangers associated with it, to both people and the ball.
  
  

Chemical Loss

• One of the results reported in tests by Ebonite, a company that makes bowling balls, is that baking a bowling ball will cause the oil to be pushed out through the pores in the ball. However, more than oil is lost during the baking process, Ebonite says. Bonding chemicals that hold the bowling ball together, such as the layers of epoxy that allow it to function properly, may be lost after repeated bakings. These chemicals can be hazardous, producing noxious fumes and caustic to the skin if touched, so cleaning them up carefully after they are baked out of the ball is very important.
  
  

Cracking

• Bowling balls are specifically shaped and assembled into their finished forms. If you bake a bowling ball, the ball will expand and contract in reaction to changes in temperature. This process puts stress on the ball, especially because it is not usually made of a single piece, but rather of layers held together. This added stress can cause the bowling ball to crack at certain points, such as the finger holes and any existing cracks or divots.
  
  A severe crack can ruin the ball. Very sudden cracking could cause the ball to explode, presenting a hazard to anyone nearby and possibly damaging or destroying the oven.
  
  

Performance

• There are conflicting reports in the industry on whether baking the oil out of bowling balls rejuvenates them or simply exposes them to a damaging environment. Ebonite says its tests show that while baking the ball can remove oil, it does not restore the ball's original performance or make it a better bowling ball. UtahBowling.com, however, says it has reports of testing done by Brunswick, another bowling company, showing that, if done safely and only when necessary, baking a bowling ball can prolong the life of the ball and restore it to its original performance level.