[Question] Using a dryer to beat in a disc?

[Rastnav]

In this video, at the 7:20 mark, Robbie C. explains using a dryer to heat a (new) disc for 10 minutes, then bending it slightly downwards all around the rim, and letting it cool on a flat surface. He says this will rapidly create a beat in disc, and is actually fairly easy to over-do.

Anyone else ever done this?

 

[kevdiv48]

nope. throwing it in the dryer isn't really necessary. you can lower the PLH by bending the rim down ("tuning") without added heat. This is not a new method.

 

[Moose33]

In this video, at the 7:20 mark, Robbie C. explains using a dryer to heat a (new) disc for 10 minutes, then bending it slightly downwards all around the rim, and letting it cool on a flat surface. He says this will rapidly create a beat in disc, and is actually fairly easy to over-do.

Anyone else ever done this?

I've played with Robbie. He's a good dude.

This is too much work for an inconsistent result though, just go play a woods course.

 

[jmdaire27]

If you don't want to synthesize the usage of a disc, I think you can beat in a disc by throwing it on the course, too. If you wanna do it rapidly, use it in a one disc round a couple times. Or buy the same disc in a different plastic (ie Champ vs Star vs Pro vs DX). Or buy used. Or by a disc that might fill in that slot in your bag that might act like a beat in ____ disc (ie TB vs TL). Shrugs.

 

[VictorB]

I've tried it, but on no heat mode (just for the tumbling in the metal) would not recommend. Artificially beating in a disc like that doesn't have the results you'd expect, I found the couple of discs I did this with years ago to be kind of squirrely. Tuning on it's own seems to be fine, though. But if you really want to accelerate the wear on a disc then throw it on every hole for a few rounds or throw some thumbers/spike hyzers repeatedly

 

[ThrowBot]

This is too much work for an inconsistent result though, just go play a woods course.

"Go play a woods course" is also too much work for an inconsistent result.

 

[VictorB]

Turns out, beating a disc in an even, consistent, and reproducible way is actually difficult

 

[Moose33]

"Go play a woods course" is also too much work for an inconsistent result.

Agree to disagree. At least you don't risk losing months of useful wear with overheating the plastic and changing the shape in a way you didn't intend.

 

[seedlings]

Hey, throw tomahawks into the dirt as hard as you can, as many times as you want, and it beats in quickly. Alternately, throw spike hyzers and grenades if you want to walk more. About 20 hard shots will get an Innova disc closer to the numbers.

If you want a Z Buzzz that hyzer flips and turns all day, good luck. Let me know if you figure out that trick.

 

[R-Ogre]

Hey, throw tomahawks into the dirt as hard as you can, as many times as you want, and it beats in quickly. Alternately, throw spike hyzers and grenades if you want to walk more. About 20 hard shots will get an Innova disc closer to the numbers.

If you want a Z Buzzz that hyzer flips and turns all day, good luck. Let me know if you figure out that trick.

Buy a Meteor?

 

[seedlings]

Buy a Meteor?

Naw, man. I've heard the cool cats throw 4 molds and beat them up.

 

[Rastnav]

Agree to disagree. At least you don't risk losing months of useful wear with overheating the plastic and changing the shape in a way you didn't intend.

This wasn't suggested for discs that were already getting beat in, but rather brand new ones.

It makes sense that if this worked that doing it without the heat would also work, just more slowly.

As for other suggestions on how to beat in a disc, the video goes through many/all of the various ways to beat in a disc. I was just curious whether this particular one actually worked and was used by anyone.

Maybe I don't throw hard enough or something, but I've yet to really have a disc really beat in, or at least not in a way where I would ever call an overstable disc anything like "flippy". I have one X Soft Challenger that I think is more understable than it once was, but it's not a disc I currently bag. I have a retro Mercy that's probably more understable than it was brand new, but it's still basically just a straight disc. Maybe I have a poor understanding of how much flight characteristics might change with a beat in disc.

My ESP Zone might be mellowing, I suppose, but I throw it forehand almost exclusively and I kinda suspect it has more to do with improving the pop on my forehand.

 

[Armus Patheticus]

Midrange discs respond most dramatically to wear on the bottom of the rim. Bashing a mid against a tree a few dozen times has surprisingly little effect, but knock a big chunk of bead off and you'll see a real difference in flight.

 

[flatflip]

Midrange discs respond most dramatically to wear on the bottom of the rim. Bashing a mid against a tree a few dozen times has surprisingly little effect, but knock a big chunk of bead off and you'll see a real difference in flight.

That's been my experience, too. Skip shots off the concrete do way more to alter the PLH than impacts do.

 

[Dingus]

Why a dryer? A pot of boiling water gets the disc perfect in a matter of seconds, and your disc gets clean in the process!

For me, boiling a disc is in preparation for flattening, which is to return a beat disc into a more stable form. Really the opposite of what was posted. BUT, if you wanted to lower PLH, all you would need to do is take a larger diameter disc, say a Roc, cut a notch out of the rim to prevent suction, place on top of the boiled disc, and put a cast iron skillet on top of that. The rim from the Roc would push down on the target rim in a perfect way.

 

[Rastnav]

Why a dryer? A pot of boiling water gets the disc perfect in a matter of seconds, and your disc gets clean in the process!

For me, boiling a disc is in preparation for flattening, which is to return a beat disc into a more stable form. Really the opposite of what was posted. BUT, if you wanted to lower PLH, all you would need to do is take a larger diameter disc, say a Roc, cut a notch out of the rim to prevent suction, place on top of the boiled disc, and put a cast iron skillet on top of that. The rim from the Roc would push down on the target rim in a perfect way.

I imagine because boiling water is much more aggressive. A dryer on low is at about 125F as opposed to 212F. Yes, seconds vs. minutes, but I imagine that it's quite easy to overdo the boiling water technique?

Why do you need to avoid suction? Is the idea to quickly move the nose of the target disc and then quickly take the frying pan and the application disc off?

 

[Dingus]

Having boiled discs hundreds of times I can say there are no ill effects from it.

You want to avoid suction because it warps the dome. A surprising amount of suction can happen as the air cools. I have a grate that I use to prevent suction on the bottom side of the boiled disc, otherwise you get a horrible puddle top.

 

[VictorB]

Having boiled discs hundreds of times I can say there are no ill effects from it.

this is not a statement I thought I'd ever see on a disc golf forum. Number of times I have boiled a disc over 16 years: Zero

 

[ThrowBot]

If you are using a clothes dryer to beat in discs, toss in a few gallons of gravel as well. Really speeds up the process.

 

[Rastnav]

If you are using a clothes dryer to beat in discs, toss in a few gallons of gravel as well. Really speeds up the process.

Just so we are clear, the dryer is just a way to gently heat the disc. The actual beating in discussed in the video results from repeatedly flexing/slightly folding the disc downward, all around the rim, which I think other people referred to as tuning.