# How to skin a bowling pin



## dbales (Jun 21, 2011)

I'm sure there are other ways of doing it. I've seen people turn them on a lathe using the tool to par off the plastic, but I don't have the luxury of a lathe. Plus, this way is 10x cleaner.

You start with a pin. Here I have two candidates. One is from an older set of pins, and the other is newer, and just came out of a machine that rendered it useless for play.









I start off by tapping the hole at the bottom. I used a 1/2 x 18tpi bolt with a 3/4 head. Just one I had around the shop that fit.









With my bolt threaded in and tight, I put it in the vise. I make an inscision length ways on the pin, starting at a hole in the plastic that was already there. Using a flat blade screwdriver, I gently work down my cut. And work my way all the way down the pin.

















I missed the pic of this step, but I took the razor and worked horizontally around the pin to cut away the plastic around the neck. The wood beneath was very splintery. This could be turned down smooth later.


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## dbales (Jun 21, 2011)

Ah, I pressed send on the mobile app before I was finished, well here's part 2 lol.

Then I gently pry the top off with the screwdriver. 









Then I work down about halfway down the rest of the plastic and make another horizontal cut. I used my hand once I had enough to grab to pull it off, prying with the screwdriver when its really stuck on there.

















Then repeat for the last section. Now our pin is neked and ready to turn. 









And here's the newer pin with it. The newer your pin is, the better it'll look underneath the plastic.


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## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

Well that looks interesting enough. I've been skinning pins for years, but I mostly use this.



http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=68236&stc=1&d=1365885831


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

I was interested to see how you took the plastic of the bowling pins. I often get Stainless Steel gardening tools with plastic handles, remove the plastic and put on wooden handles with brass ferrules.

But, can you tell me what happens to the pins once the plastic has been removed?. I can't think of a use for them.

Pete


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

STAR said:


> I was interested to see how you took the plastic of the bowling pins. I often get Stainless Steel gardening tools with plastic handles, remove the plastic and put on wooden handles with brass ferrules.
> 
> But, can you tell me what happens to the pins once the plastic has been removed?. I can't think of a use for them.
> 
> Pete


In my youth, I had one thrown through the back window of my car..... Twice.


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## dbales (Jun 21, 2011)

Crusader said:


> Well that looks interesting enough. I've been skinning pins for years, but I mostly use this.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=68236&stc=1&d=1365885831


That's a very tried and true way of skinning a bowling pin. Though it doesn't leave much use for the pin after skinning.



STAR said:


> I was interested to see how you took the plastic of the bowling pins. I often get Stainless Steel gardening tools with plastic handles, remove the plastic and put on wooden handles with brass ferrules.
> 
> But, can you tell me what happens to the pins once the plastic has been removed?. I can't think of a use for them.
> 
> Pete


I've seen a lot of uses for them. Some using the whole pin, others only part of the pin. I've used the tops to make shift knobs. I just finished shaping a salt/pepper shaker set using small pieces of the neck and purpleheart blanks. I've also made a lamp out of one, and plan to make a few more. Just yesterday I seen on woodbarter that a guy had turned one on a lathe to make a chisel mallet.



rrich said:


> In my youth, I had one thrown through the back window of my car..... Twice.


Wow, twice? You didn't learn the first time not to mess with that person again? Lol


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

Out of curiousity, how did you come into possession of these pins?


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## dbales (Jun 21, 2011)

thegrgyle said:


> Out of curiousity, how did you come into possession of these pins?


I'm a mechanic at a bowling alley. I have permission from my boss that all bad pins are fair game.


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

I opened one up once with plans to make a mallet. Discovered that there are holes drilled in the laminations at "strategic" points. I researched this and learned that the holes are put in to the pins (at the wide point in the pin) to help with sound creation when the pins are hit (or hit other pins) to help build excitement in the game. I would have imagined that this would preclude it's future as a mallet. I still have eight pins left if someone wants to pay shipping on about 30 pounds of maple and plastic.


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## dbales (Jun 21, 2011)

RogerInColorado said:


> I opened one up once with plans to make a mallet. Discovered that there are holes drilled in the laminations at "strategic" points. I researched this and learned that the holes are put in to the pins (at the wide point in the pin) to help with sound creation when the pins are hit (or hit other pins) to help build excitement in the game. I would have imagined that this would preclude it's future as a mallet. I still have eight pins left if someone wants to pay shipping on about 30 pounds of maple and plastic.


I have found this to be true in some pins when I first started messing around with them (about two years ago) but haven't found any holes inside the newer pins I've cut up. I'm also using AMF pins, Brunswick might be different.


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