Without
getting too involved and opening up myself for a never
ending argument
(this subject
is close to religion).
I'll
touch on some light subjects to watch for when
reading ice.
Falls
in Ice
-
most of the
falls I've seen have been due to curlers not releasing
their rocks clean. Ice with a foot or two of curl usually
brings up the words " The ice is falling "
instead of " Sorry guys I flipped the handle
out!". Runs in ice I do see that are weight sensitive
and once in a while falls usually occur on outside sheets
because of drafts. Be honest about your release of your
rock and you may see less falls. Oh by the way, if you know
where the fall is why can't you skips broom for it! You've
seen it for 8 or 10 ends! Isn't it part of reading ice? Or
is it because sometimes it falls there and sometimes it
curls there. Hmmmmm, could be my release???
Ice
is Slanted
- I've been told
on occasion that my ice was slanted towards the glass.
Because they noticed rocks traveling towards the glass were
faster. Because of the glass, you have heat transfer and
the pebble is warmer on the glass side. Usually a 2 degree
difference! Club heater positioning will also affect this.
Curl
of Ice
- After the last
flood your ice is perfectly level. Then your icemaker will
shave, pebble and adjust ice & air temperature for
curling.
Pebble -
the
most important factor of good ice (assuming the ice is
level). Pebble will affect your curl and speed of your ice.
The harder you have to throw a rock the less it will curl.
Your icemaker will control the pebble by pattern, pebble
size and temperature. Pebble that builds up will also
affect the shaving of the ice and curl. Pebble will break
down quicker if the ice surface temperature is not
sufficient. Once your pebble has broken down you will
notice a slow down in speed of your ice and more curl. Your
rocks will also tend to pick up more debris with flat ice.
Flat spots on ice are usually caused by curlers placing
their hands or knees on the ice which melts the pebble
away. Your four foot area will also tend to wear out much
more quickly because of the increased play into the four
foot area. Synthetic brooms can also take some of the blame
on wearing down pebble quicker. Your icemaker has the
important job of combining the proper pebble pattern,
pebble size, pebble temperature, ice surface temperature,
humidity and heat to make your curling experience a
pleasant one. He also has to track the weather outside as
this also affects what he does with the pebble, ice surface
and air temperatures.
Shaving
the ice -
a machine used by icemakers to shave off old
pebble and dirt. The best ice to curl on is ice that has
just been shaved and pebbled. It is free of dirt and old
pebble. The icemaker shaves off all the old pebble and can
also control some spots on the ice surface that need
attention. He varies his shaving pattern and usually shaves
once a day to provide good ice. Shaving I feel should be
done on a daily because of dust constantly falling down on
your ice surface. The shaver has a floating blade and will
follow any high spots created by over pebbling! That's why
pebbling is so important. The shaver was never meant for
levelling ice!
Ice -
curl
is also affected by the temperature of your ice. If the ice
is harder (colder) then you will have less curl and if
warmer then more curl. But this may also affect the speed
of your ice. Your icemaker will make the necessary
adjustments to the ice temperature to balance it with your
pebble and building requirements.
Greasy
Ice
-
if you go out
and notice your ice is greasy (slippery) or looks very
shiney. Let your ice maker know, that darn plant may be
down!
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Stones The Delivery
Sweeping
The
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