Tyger's New Ryan Ross Bonnet

[tyger]

What were they like in '62?

Layers and layers of thin rubber bands. When you cut the bands, they contracted, and before too long you couldn't cut anymore because there was no tension on the bands, so you had to trim those ends away with scissors and go back to the pocket knife.

The balls never exploded, so we moved on to ash cans and M-80s.

[Ryan Ross]

How about the Brown Test?

That sounds like some kind of poop refrence.

Layers and layers of thin rubber bands. When you cut the bands, they contracted, and before too long you couldn't cut anymore because there was no tension on the bands, so you had to trim those ends away with scissors and go back to the pocket knife.

The balls never exploded, so we moved on to ash cans and M-80s.

Ah yes, now that you mention it, I do remember my dad telling me about that, a long time ago. I guess cutting open golf balls used to be pretty big when you guys were kids... I didn't even know they had golf during the last Punic War.

[ForresterModern]

Layers and layers of thin rubber bands. When you cut the bands, they contracted, and before too long you couldn't cut anymore because there was no tension on the bands, so you had to trim those ends away with scissors and go back to the pocket knife.

The balls never exploded, so we moved on to ash cans and M-80s.

CHEAP golf balls back in the 60s and early 70s often only had tightly wound rubber bands covered by a latex based plastic compound called balata, which actually cut quite easily with a poorly struck iron, hence the term "hitting a smiley" or "hitting a banana ball" as it was often like peeling a banana or would leave a smile (or frown, depending on your viewpoint) shaped cut all the way through the soft cover. More expensive balls had a similar cover and rubber band windings but they were aroound a solid hard rubber or cork central ball, or, if it was the really expensive variety, the central rubber ball was actually hollow and filled with a brownish fluid of questionable origin. Those fluid filled ones, when wrapped tightly with the surrounding rubber bands and the cover could "explode" if cut directly through all layers at once, if you consider a small squirt of liquid spraying out under pressure an "explosion". Only saw it once when my older brother (who was basically a gorilla at the time) hit an old "water" ball out of his bag with a 3 iron and just about cut the thing in half with his poorly focused swing. Scared the crap out of us momentarily, then we laughed our a$$e$ off when we got up to the split open ball about 75 feet up the fairway, and he realized that technically he was supposed to have to finish that hole with that damaged ball. Okay, okay, way off topic, I know.

[tyger]

Okay, okay, way off topic, I know.

Off topic? I don't understand.

Ha! Funny story. Dang. Golf has RULES? We didnt' have any golf rules when I was a kid.

[Ryan Ross]

No no- I'm pretty sure we're still on topic.

[piperdbh]

How about the Brown Test?

If it's rusty, it'll be brown. If not, it should be sort of greyish-blue-black, unless it's stainless. Or are we talking about bronze?

[tyger]

If it's rusty, it'll be brown. If not, it should be sort of greyish-blue-black, unless it's stainless. Or are we talking about bronze?

I was joking.

A chemistry teacher once told my class: "If you are taking a test and you don't know the answer, before you turn in the test, always write something in the blank, or check an option. You will mostly get it wrong, but sometimes you will get it right."

The Brown Test is sort of like the White Test, or Black's Test.

Ryan, we are still on topic, thanks for all.

[rlloyd]

Oddly enough, my chemistry teacher also told me that.

[tyger]

Oddly enough, my chemistry teacher also told me that.

Must be a Southern chemistry teacher thing. God Bless the South.

[piperdbh]

Eh, law...