Coaches Chalking the Bars...

[layceexkoda]

I am the assistant coach at a high school in Indiana. We had been having a problem with the janitors at out school cleaning the bars every night after practice.... There would be absolutely nothing on them when we would go to practice the next day. Ever since this happened, the bars will not stay chalked at practice. I bet we chalk to bars after every gymnasts goes. Its almost like it just won't stick anymore. Has anyone else had this problem.

Is there anything that we can do to make the chalk stick like it is supposed to??

Thanks

 

[raenndrops]

1. I would find out what they are cleaning the bars with.
2. I would hang a note on the bars asking them NOT to clean them.
3. I have no other advice, but (hopefully) if they stop cleaning them, eventually the chalk will stay on.

 

[layceexkoda]

We told them not... And they haven't done it anymore.... But we need a way to have the chalk stay!!!

 

[raenndrops]

You may have to get the bar professionally stripped and start over... if they used an industrial strength wood polish, that will need to be removed before it will hold chalk.

 

[gymdog]

You probably have to carefully sand it, then you could try using a little honey. What do they look like now? Shiny? Can you see the fiberglass (like the wood is worn off?)

What kind of bars are they? If you need to sand them you can contact the manufacturer for the right product, they make a thing to use.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

You may have to get the bar professionally stripped and start over... if they used an industrial strength wood polish, that will need to be removed before it will hold chalk.

NO! that's not what you do. geesh.

light grit sandpaper. do not go around the bar. go end to end and very lightly. pretend like your attempting to sand something from glass. so light you won't scratch the glass, understand? take your time and go slow. little at a time.

at the end of the night. spray bottle with coke in it. spray the rail lightly. the coke will remove any sediment left from whatever they put on there. leave it on overnight.

next day. spray bottle with water. lightly spray and then begin rubbing chalk in. again, do it the length of the bar and not in a circle. should be fine after.

 

[saddlupasb]

Opposite of my problem where I can't keep it from building up so much that it is ripping their hands. I will get all the chalk off and after one practice it's back to overly chalky. Ugh.

 

[raenndrops]

NO! that's not what you do. geesh.

light grit sandpaper. do not go around the bar. go end to end and very lightly. pretend like your attempting to sand something from glass. so light you won't scratch the glass, understand? take your time and go slow. little at a time.

at the end of the night. spray bottle with coke in it. spray the rail lightly. the coke will remove any sediment left from whatever they put on there. leave it on overnight.

next day. spray bottle with water. lightly spray and then begin rubbing chalk in. again, do it the length of the bar and not in a circle. should be fine after.

Dunno - you ARE the type of professional I was referring to
The only part of what you said that I didn't think of was using coke. I knew about the end-to-end very light sanding and the water.