Dartboard Maintenace

Maintain your dartboard to prolong it's life

Many new to the sport of darts don’t realise you can prolong the life of a dartboard simply by removing the number ring, turning the dartboard, and then replacing the number ring. Sounds obvious? But you may be surprised how many dartboards I have come across when the board has never been turned, and the treble twenty sisal is bulging out of the dartboard. It is true to say the manufacturers tend to place their logos at the top of a new dartboard, and many leave the board in situ.

On one occasion, I recall a young chap buying his first dartboard. He wasn’t sure which one to purchase, and I could see he was naive. I was also in the middle of a transaction, but I piped up to say I was surprised at how many dartboards I had seen that had not been turned. The young chap's ears pricked up. So, I continued to explain a dartboard needs regular maintenance to prolong its life.

On many occasions, when just throwing some social darts in a public house, I viewed the dartboard and, on many occasions, turned the dartboard. I have even had a landlord say what are you doing? I have then explained I am preserving your dartboard to give it even wear. It means you won’t have to buy a new one so often.

 

So what is involved? Very little!

If the dartboard has been hung correctly, you will find removing a couple of wedge blocks or if the dartboard is in a dartboard sprung frame holder, releasing it, you can turn the dartboard so the twenty scoring section that has been hit thousands of times now occupies a new location. The dartboard numbering system is easily removed, so you can relocate it in the correct position. It is as simple as 1,2,3

 

How often should you turn the dartboard?

This is a case of how much it is used. If you play 3-4 hours a day as professionals tend to do, you will turn the dartboard at least once per week. The same should be observed in pubs and clubs. If you play for just a couple of hours per week, you may find a monthly turn is all that is required. However, don’t leave it until the main scoring area shows signs of wear or darts fail to hold in the sisal. Move it before it gets to this stage.

My suggestion is to move the twenty at least two to four scoring sections at a time, and once the board has had a complete rotation, look for the best area to place at the top and then start the process again.

Maintaining your dartboard correctly can more than double its life. Usually, instructions are provided with each new dartboard you purchase. But the top of the top-of-the-range dartboards can set you back a lot of money, so with care, this can last the average player a long time.

 

A few Do's and Don't's to help maintain your dartboard

Do

• Rotate the dartboard regularly to allow for even wear

• Try to avoid using bunt darts

• Avoid using serrated points, as some can pull on the sisal and remove the bristles.

• Keep your dart points sharp.

• Sharpen or replace dart points that have become worn.

Don't

• Never place your sisal dartboard in water. The only dartboards that need to be soaked in water are Log-end dartboards such as the Manchester Log-end Dartboard.

• Avoid placing the dartboard above a heater, such as a radiator or open fire, as this can dry out the dartboard, causing it to wear faster.

• Don't leave turning the dartboard too late, i.e. don't wait until you see wear before turning it.