A finger hole in a bowling ball could be deepened to accept a smoke canister that is pressure activated.

Imagine how much cooler your strike would look with a smoke trail following the ball down the alley?

Activation sequence: 1. insert gas canister, it clicks in to place. The pressure also starts the smoke. 2. bowl 3. Bask in the glory of a perfect spinning comet-like strike.

Once you receive the bowling ball back in the rack. Click it again to pop the canister out of the ball ready for the next one.

Alternatives to smoke could include: James bond style - an oil slick (might be tricky to keep hold of the ball after this one).

Clown style - silly string

Clown style 2 - shaving foam/custard (not shaving custard, that's just silly).
-- WYBloke, Jul 08 2004

Shaving Custard http://www.halfbake...a/Shaving_20Custard
Not so silly anymore..... [DesertFox, Oct 04 2004]

strange effects... http://www.halfbake...a/Quantum_20Bowling
from the anno below [goff, Oct 04 2004]

Spectacular! (+) I think you would need to put out an awful lot of smoke though (since the ball moves so quickly). And if it is putting out that much smoke/pressure, I wouldn't want to plug it up with my finger... maybe you can have your finger hold down a button that activates the smoke when it is released.
-- luecke, Jul 08 2004


How about ball spikes? +
-- skinflaps, Jul 08 2004


With a burning, sparking fuse it would resemble a bowling bomb.
-- FarmerJohn, Jul 08 2004


Or dry ice.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 08 2004


ha ha ha! shaving custard! hee hee hee!!!
-- yellowblueberries, Jul 08 2004


The effect would be more convincing if the smoke were emmitted from evenly from the whole ball, not just one hole. Maybe if the ball were made out of a somewhat porous material, or were drilled like an airhockey table it would work. Smoke would be sent into a central distribution chamber or series of ducts and would flow out of the smaller pores or capillarys. If the smoke-maker were volatile enough, you may actually be able to get the ball to slide on sort of an airbearing. And if you make it even more volatile, the ball may actually become a bomb, shooting razor sharp ball shrapnel to go along with all that shaving custard.
-- gabe, Jul 08 2004


Or the ball were coated with a sensitive chemical which smoked from the force of contact between the ball surface and the floor. Something like nitrogen or ammonia triodide but not so explosive?

The ball return appliance could be fitted to recoat the ball every few cycles.
-- bristolz, Jul 08 2004


I like the airhockey table-style ball. The night before you bowl, bring the ball to your local dry ice vendor, who fills a special central hollow with dry ice. Before use, pour water in, and cork the filling hole. As the carbon dioxide gas begins to seep out the mini airhockey holes, pick it up and swish it a few times before giving it a beautiful roll into the pins.

Who knows what kind of crazy physics you get from a supercooled bowling ball?
-- jgong, Jul 08 2004


hmmm....yytrium and neodynium and nitrogen, oh my!
-- moPuddin, Jul 08 2004


waitaminute! what's all this talk about smoke? comet tails are made of dust, mostly. they told me this in high school so it must be true. If I can't smoke in my local bowling alley, surely the ball can't either. So why not pour some dust from your vacuum cleaner bag into the finger holes before you throw the ball? and when I say "throw"... well, you should see me bowl.

and furthermore, for maximum effect, I say the ball should glow white-hot like a real comet. I'll have the guys in the lab work on that.... a white-hot glowing whiffle-ball full of dust, ice, and ions. yeah.
-- musicator, Jul 08 2004


Too much reality overhead.
-- bristolz, Jul 09 2004


[musicator] Point taken about the composition of an actual comet, but I'm suggesting something that looks like a comet. I don't know about you, but I can't bowl fast enough (and the alley isn't long enough) for a dust-based trail to be left behind in the air, hence the smoke canister. As for the alley being a smoke-free zone, oh well, outdoor bowling anyone?
-- WYBloke, Jul 09 2004


Of course, if it was going fast enough, it migh even start behaving strangely....[link]
-- goff, Jul 09 2004


Change this to a flaming bowling ball that ignites once it leaves your hands and have the pins emit gas fumes so they'll be enveloped in a dramatic explosive ball of flame when the ball hits them and you've got a winner.
-- doctorremulac3, Jun 03 2005



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