|
Clean Tuning is a product that provides
the same effect as speed glue: speed, sound and game sensation--But it is not a
glue. Clean Tuning contains no VOCs and is legal under new ITTF guidelines.
After the application of Clean Tuning the effect lasts for about 14 days during
which you will not need to do a second application. Clean Tuning is to be
applied on the back of the rubber only (to the sponge). To adhere the rubber to
the blade you then need to use a self adhesive film or a VOC-free glue.
Clean Tuning Extra is a product that
provides the same effect as speed glue: speed, sound and game sensation--But it
is not a glue. Clean Tuning contains no VOCs and is legal under new ITTF
guidelines. After the application of Clean Tuning the effect lasts for about 4
WEEKS during which you will not need to do a second application. Clean Tuning is
to be applied on the back of the rubber only (to the sponge). To adhere the
rubber to the blade you then need to use a self adhesive film or a VOC-free
glue.
Detailed instructions on how to use this new
product can be found in the PDF here:
http://neu.tibhar.de/downloads/VOC-free%20table%20tennis.pdf
Warning: This product (and all other speed
glues and alternatives) stretch the rubber, increasing the tension on the
topsheet. Some high tension rubbers or Tensors are not designed to be used with
speed glue or alternatives as it put too much tension on the topsheet. Some
rubber are glued together better than others, so using speed glue or
alternatives, there is always a risk of damage to the rubber.
Differences between Clean
Tuning and Clean Tuning Extra
According to Tibhar, and
as confirmed by several players, the difference between the 2 products are
listed below:
The Clean Tuning (CT) acts quicker, is quicker to dry but results in it not
lasting for as long (2 weeks). The Clean Tuning Extra (CTE) takes longer to dry
but lasts longer. Tibhar tells me the effect of both products is the same.
So in our opinion, to make the choice, consider;
CT is:
- Cheaper
- a good option if you just want to try it to see what it's like.
- Quicker to dry, so of you need to glue up just before an event it may be
better
- You can put in more layers within a shorter period for greater effect
- Perhaps more suitable for players that play at irregular intervals, and only
glue up for certain events.
CTE:
- A little more expensive
- Takes more time treat the rubber, so you need to plan ahead
- More suitable for players that play at regular times, and just need to glue up
once every 3-4 weeks.
Review and instruction (by Alex)
Warning: This product (and all other speed glues and
alternatives) stretch the rubber, increasing the tension on the topsheet. Some
high tension rubbers or Tensors are not designed to be used with speed glue or
alternatives as it put too much tension on the topsheet.
Instructions:
Note: Below are my own notes and tips, please read the the instruction that
come with the product first and follow them carefully.
1. Put the rubber with the sponge up onto a flat surface. If the rubber has a
plastic protection sheet on the topsheet, remove this first. This allows the
topsheet to stretch with the sponge as it expands, reducing the strain on the
topsheet and the bond to the sponge.
2. Apply a layer of Tibhar Clean Tuning Extra onto the sponge covering the complete
surface evenly. Note the applicator is a little tricky to get going the very
first time. I found I needed to push the sponge on the tip down many times while
sqeezing the bottle, to get the liquid to come out. Once it starts coming out,
rub the whole tip into it and keep sqeezing until the whole tip is saturated
with the liquid. Then it becomes easy to apply onto the sponge consistently and
evenly.
3. Wait for it to soak in and for the sponge surface to feel dry. This only
takes about 10mins or so, probably depending on weather conditions. The rubber
will slowly start 'doming', which is normal and expected.
4. At this point you will probably wish add the next layer for greater effect, and
keep repeating for more effect. As the doming becomes greater, you may have
to push down the rubber sheet to stop it from 'scrolling up', as this may get
some of the liquid onto the topsheet.
WARNING: The 'doming' effect as the sponge is expanding puts
strain on the topsheet and the bond between the topsheet and sponge. There is a
limit on how much strain a rubber can handle, depending on the type and quality
of the rubber. The majority of rubbers should be able to handle 4-5 layers, but
take care adding too many.
5. After the final layer, leave the rubber to dry until the dome starts
coming down. Pictured below is the dome after 5 layers 24hrs later.
It is highly recommended to leave the rubber until the dome is
well down, as it may be very hard to get it to stick to the blade if you don't.
It also allow the liquid to fully activate within the sponge, which takes time. Note that the effect of the dome coming down is not an indication of the effect
wearing off, but merely the topsheet stretching further, allowing the rubber to
flatten out.
6. Now the rubber is ready to be attached to the blade. If there
is any residue or dirt on the sponge (not likely), wipe it off with a tissue or
dry cloth...
It is recommended to use a water based glue to attach the rubber to the blade. The water based glue is very
easy to remove before the next application (after the effect wear off).
7. After gluing and clamping the rubber to the blade, it's ready
to use for play. The effect should last for about 3-4 weeks, and should be quite
consistent during this period.
8. When the effect starts to wear off, remove the rubber from
the blade. As is usually good practice with any speed gluing procedure, leave
the rubber off the blade for at least 24h, to allow it to shrink a little since
it's been under high tension for such a long time.
9. Remove the layer of glue from the rubber. This allows better
penetration of the Tuning to the sponge, and might avoid making a mess when the
liquid mixed with the glue layer. As there will still be significant active
components present in the sponge, less applications are required to get the same effect
(exactly how much less may take a little experimenting as this depends on the
initial application, the duration it was used for and the rubber type).
10. Repeat from step 3., remembering that less liquid will be
required to give the same effect for another 3-4 weeks.
Review of Tibhar Clean Tuning
Extra (by
Alex):
I used the Tibhar Clean Tuning Extra on a Tulpe 007 Japanese sponge (40-43 deg), on
a Galaxy ALL+ blade.
I followed the procedure above, applying 5 layers of the liquid. As you can see from the picture above, the final dome was huge and I
did not want to add further layers! Obviously this will vary from rubber to
rubbers with difference sponges and hardness's.
After the 5 layers I left the rubber to dry for about 36hrs. By this time the
dome was still quite large, but had started to come down a little. Next time
I'll most likely leave it a little longer again, making the gluing to the blade
a lot easier.
Since I have a durometer (specifically for measuring sponge hardness), I
measured the sponge hardness before and after the rubber treatment. Although the
absolute readings are yet to be worked out, I would estimate the sponge hardness
dropped by about 3 degrees. This is quite impressive for a VOC free alternative!
More layers may drop this further.
Since the dome was quite big, and I had never used a water based normal glue
before, I had a little trouble getting the rubber to stick, but eventually got
it stuck to the blade fairly well.
Well the results were not disappointing, the speed glue effect was great!
There was a huge increase in speed and spin, and the rubber felt significantly
softer too. The sounds was not quite as loud as with some VOC glues I've used,
but the effect and feel was virtually the same!
More layers of
Tibhar CTE would likely offer even more effect. I also still have to test how long
the effect lasts and how consistent they are, and how well the 2nd application
works... However this products and the Falco
Tempo Booster are the best I've seen so far and very
impressive, and certainly genuine alternative to VOC speed glues.
I have yet to test the Tibhar Clean Tuning (without Extra), which I would
expect to produce similar results. I'm not sure what the difference is between
the 2 as yet... I suspect it's a slightly less concentrated version since it
last about 2 weeks. The advantage of this would be that the rubber would not be
under tension for the full 4 weeks, and can shrink back a little before
re-tuning after 2 weeks. It is also cheaper...
Click here for pricing / purchase the Tibhar Clean tuning from One of a
Kind Trading Australia
|
