Double Bass New Harmony Endpin Ball problem

[DoubleMIDI]

It can happen even with such an add-on like a nut or washer. It depends on the flat area pressing against the rubber, the thickness of the rubber below and the softness of the rubber.
And not to forget the weight of pressing.

The NH seems to have an insert that catches the spike effectively similar to your nut insert (see the first picture in this thread). My super endpin metal part has a cylindrical insert of about 10 mm diameter. In both cases the rubber got weared out so that the insert were visible through a hole.

Your hint works with harder rubber if there is no metal insert in the endpin rubber. It the softer rubber better prevents from slipping the endpin with an angled bass or cello hold.
BTW, the Wolf super endpin can also be used on cello.

And a 1/8 bass is a lot lighter than my german 4/4 5-string that is build with rather thick wood.

 

[J_Bass]

You can use a tennis ball (or a smaller one, as long it's rubber and hollow) and, with a x-act knife, do a linear cut. Not a hole, a cut, like a crack.

Then, for transport, you just have to press the ball and the "mouth opens", allowing you to put the ball over the end pin.

 

[J_Bass]

Like this:

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Or a cross cut.
But I wouldn’t use a ball with a felt surface like a tennis ball because it might slip too easily on polished surfaces.

If the push-over ball is just a little bit larger than the endpin rubber ball, cutting off a bit less than half of it, so that the remaining inner diameter of the hole is just a bit smaller than the diameter of the ball might work better.

 

[Mark_T]

I assume you refer to my last post.
If you have read the beginning, you would have seen that I am referring to an alternative with a different mounting method. And if you would have read it completely, you (hopefully) would have understood that the rightmost is the metal part using a cello endpin rubber.
Because of the 10mm diameter limit it only works for solid metal endpins that are not too thick.

No, I was replying to the OP. He may have a New Harmony endpin, but the rubber tip he has looks more like this:

Clef Double Bass Endpin Tip

Than like this:

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If the OP has worn a round ball down to the point where seemingly half if it is gone, I'll be very surprised, unless he's dragging it across the floor for 2 hours a night.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

No, I was replying to the OP. He may have a New Harmony endpin, but the rubber tip he has looks more like this:

Clef Double Bass Endpin Tip

Than like this:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

If the OP has worn a round ball down to the point where seemingly half if it is gone, I'll be very surprised, unless he's dragging it across the floor for 2 hours a night.

OK, one can be fooled into thinking this, but relooking at it it can as well be a ball where the lower quarter was rubbed off.

I agree that IF one only has the instrument on stage you need a lot of dragging around to get the rubber off, but that doesn‘t primarily on stage but during transport on the streets where the soft rubber can easily get off by abrasive surfaces.

And the insert goes about 3/4 into the ball, so you get there a lit quicker as you thought before.
I think my Wolf super endpin rubber ball survived a bit more than a year before I needed to replace it because of a similar hole.

This is not the sturdy hard endpin rubber that can survive for decades, the soft rubber works extremely well for an angled endpin, but is a lot more abrasive.

 

[BassFalcon]

This may sound a silly, but has anybody considered dipping the ball in some rhino liner or some other type of truck bed liner? I have zero knowledge about truck bed liner but I know I have felt some that seemed very grippy. Or even something like Tool dip or flex seal? If you are wearing through balls this quick it seems like it might be a good plan to have a can of something like that around and when you start wearing through the dip, you clean it off and give it a few more dips that way you never actually wear through to the ball.

 

[JBarz]

I’m well familiar with truck bed liner paint, MonstaLiner, and LineX and can tell you without a doubt none of them are the right product for this particular job. Not only not grippy enough, but the stuff would wear/peel off pretty easily as it wouldn’t actually adhere to the rubber, but instead simply coat it. I don’t see what the issue is with the new harmony balls - I use one on my ergonpin daily for the past 6mo and have no signs of wear.

 

[BassFalcon]

I’m well familiar with truck bed liner paint, MonstaLiner, and LineX and can tell you without a doubt none of them are the right product for this particular job. Not only not grippy enough, but the stuff would wear/peel off pretty easily as it wouldn’t actually adhere to the rubber, but instead simply coat it. I don’t see what the issue is with the new harmony balls - I use one on my ergonpin daily for the past 6mo and have no signs of wear.

Right on. Just thinking. I have a wolf super endpin stop that has likewise lasted for decades.

 

[Brilee]

This has been my solution. I've been experimenting with making endpins with all kinds of 10mm rods and tubes and I add the Saddle Rider spike and screw-on rubber ball. Good on all floors so far. Endpins — Saddle Rider Music LLC

 

[robobass]

Wear like this must come from excessive contact with pavement. I would suggest finding a piece of 1" wood dowel rod, cutting it to maybe 1-1/2" length, then drilling a 3/8" hole halfway into it. It will self thread onto the tip. Then always remove the ball put that on whenever transporting the instrument.