(Topic ID: 38101)

How to store & restore balls?

By badpenny61

11 years ago


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  • 47 posts
  • 26 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 11 years ago by badpenny61
  • Topic is favorited by 2 Pinsiders

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#1 11 years ago

I was waxing my HS today and remembered I had a set of new, unused PINBALLIFE's Premium Ultra-Gloss Pinballs, figured now was a good time to put them in the pin (3 months in storage). I kept them in the individual ziplocks in the bigger ziplock in a pin and when I got them out they had lite surface rust in spots...damn it! Now they are in my tumbler with crushed walnut shell and NO additives (flitz or polish). What is the best way to store pinballs? What is the best way to refurbish pinballs? Any and all advice is welcomed, Thanks, Bill

#2 11 years ago

I think I'd buy new ones. Cheap, and not worth the time/risk to clean them up.

If they don't come with cosmoline or oil on them, I'd definitely use a light film of 3 in 1 oil on them to store them.

Clean them before using.

LTG : )

#3 11 years ago

Thanks, LTG

#4 11 years ago
Quoted from LTG:

I think I'd buy new ones. Cheap, and not worth the time/risk to clean them up.
If they don't come with cosmoline or oil on them, I'd definitely use a light film of 3 in 1 oil on them to store them.
Clean them before using.
LTG : )

+1.

I know one guy on KLOV actually puts them in a jug completely covered with oil. LOL.

#5 11 years ago

Usually they have a light coat of oil in the little bag they come in.

If they already have become rusty, they might not be a good quality batch and into the trash they go.

#6 11 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

they might not be a good quality batch and into the trash they go

Too bad I just ordered 9 more Monday...Uuurgh!

#7 11 years ago

I keeps my balls in a sack!

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

#8 11 years ago
Quoted from Frax:

+1.
I know one guy on KLOV actually puts them in a jug completely covered with oil. LOL.

That is what I do, I order them 250 at a time and split them with the pindoc.
He does the same thing.
Used ones go to my buddy who does ornamental iron.

#9 11 years ago

ThePostmaster said: "I keep my balls in a sack"

He must mean this product>>> The Ball Sack ; )
http://www.pinballnews.com/learn/ballsack.html

www.Team-EM.com

#10 11 years ago
Quoted from badpenny61:

What is the best way to store pinballs?

They're shipped to resellers in small boxes lined with plastic slathered in motor oil. And I mean slathered. Lots and lots of oil. Before they're put in a game or shipped to you, they're usually cleaned.

Quoted from badpenny61:

What is the best way to refurbish pinballs?

Metal polish, although messy and smelly, works wonders. Before any ball is replaced, it should be polished first. Metal polish and microfiber cloth. If you can still see noticeable tarnishing or scratches, go ahead and replace it. Most clean up to look like new. Way, way too many good balls being replaced.

#11 11 years ago

A few years ago I started keeping the old pinballs in a gumball machine. It works as sort of an art piece within the collection.

#12 11 years ago

BTW everyone says to replace the pinballs every year, but how come noone says to replace the powerball in TZ? Cant it damage your playfield too if you dont replace it?

#13 11 years ago

^^^ cool idea.

#14 11 years ago
Quoted from Capper96:

BTW everyone says to replace the pinballs every year, but how come noone says to replace the powerball in TZ? Cant it damage your playfield too if you dont replace it?

Doubtful because it doesn't rust or get pitted, and isn't used as much. Plus the originals might be harder to find? I know they make a newer one out of diff'rent material.

#16 11 years ago

There was a thread around here with people wanting to clean their powerballs (ha), even though it says in the manual it should get aged.

#17 11 years ago
Quoted from TheLaw:

There was a thread around here with people wanting to clean their powerballs (ha), even though it says in the manual it should get aged.

Aged, except it gets that silvered color from metal dust and shavings and eventually enough so it could trigger a metal sensor and the game won't know the difference between steel ball or powerball.

LTG : )

#18 11 years ago
Quoted from LTG:

Aged, except it gets that silvered color from metal dust and shavings and eventually enough so it could trigger a metal sensor and the game won't know the difference between steel ball or powerball.
LTG : )

Well sure...I mean give it a once over but people are obsessed with tumbling this days...you gotta be careful. My TZ is "6-8 years old" and I've never had a problem...not location or anything but you know what I'm saying. Or maybe not, I can't tell these days.

#19 11 years ago
Quoted from Frax:

I know one guy on KLOV actually puts them in a jug completely covered with oil. LOL.

I do that. I order 50 or 100 at a time, and I have a jug of motor oil with a child-proof top that I put them in. Then I have an antenna magnet thing that I take them out with. Works great.

#20 11 years ago

Hey,

Aside from the odd issue you had with brand new balls having rust on them, my ball restoration process involves throwing the old ones away and putting in new ones. Might the old ones be okay? Maybe, maybe not. For ten bucks a game on machines with a super duper multiball like Apollo 13 when the game cost well into four figures in the first place, I don't lose too much sleep over the issue.

Luke

#21 11 years ago
Quoted from badpenny61:

I kept them in the individual ziplocks in the bigger ziplock in a pin and when I got them out they had lite surface rust in spots...

It's very possible those rust spots were there the whole time. Did you examine the balls closely when you first got them?

#22 11 years ago
Quoted from Fatsquatch:

A few years ago I started keeping the old pinballs in a gumball machine. It works as sort of an art piece within the collection.

Be careful if the globe is glass, a buddy of mine did this and added one ball too many and the globe exploded and glass and pinballs went everywhere.
It was a large one 2/3 to 3/4 full.

#23 11 years ago
Quoted from gweempose:

It's very possible those rust spots were there the whole time. Did you examine the balls closely when you first got them?

His mistake was thinking the balls would be protected by putting them in ziplock bags. Oxygen and moisture still gets in. Combine oxygen, moisture and steel and you get... rust. Three months is plenty of time for rust to take hold.

Can't explain all the physics behind it, but balls that are regularly used don't oxidize as fast as balls standing still. If you're going to store them, give them an oil bath.

#24 11 years ago

A tumbler or vibratory cleaner with ground corn cob media and Flitz will make the balls look new.
(If they are not pitted).

Any polished metal will oxidize (rust) with contact of moisture. A coat of wax keeps the oxygen away as does a coating of heavy oil.

#25 11 years ago

" Metal polish, although messy and smelly, works wonders."

I decided to polish my balls tonight. Turned out great!

20130201_000543.jpg20130201_000543.jpg 20130201_000610.jpg20130201_000610.jpg

#26 11 years ago

Update- ~Tumbled the balls for two & a half days (1 1/2 no polish, 1 day with FLITZ). Turned out like brand new, I think I caught it soon enough, before they pitted. Am going to try tumbling the balls I just took out of the pins, then take you guys advice (if they turn out nice) and store them in a container of oil. Any suggestion on type of oil, motor oil, lite oil, What?
Thanks, Bill

#27 11 years ago
Quoted from badpenny61:

Any suggestion on type of oil, motor oil, lite oil, What?
Thanks, Bill

I use extra virgin olive oil, rather than mobil 1, it makes for a much nicer smell when playing.

#28 11 years ago
Quoted from twinturb089:

a much nicer smell when playing

Ha,Ha, seeing how I'm in the south I think I'll use peanut oil, Southern Fried Pinball! Bill

#29 11 years ago

I just hand polished the pinballs from one of my machines using a rouge jewelry polishing cloth, they had minor wear and had a matte cloudy look to them. After about 20 minutes of hand polishing each they came out looking like new with a mirror finish and the game plays much different not to mention faster and quieter now. I could have bought new ones but why throw out what is perfectly restorable.

#30 11 years ago
Quoted from dnhayden:

I decided to polish my balls tonight. Turned out great!

Maybe it's the flash, but they look like they have tiny flashes.

LTG : )

#31 11 years ago

Briefs...boxers don't work as well.

#32 11 years ago
Quoted from 72Devilz:

I just hand polished the pinballs from one of my machines using a rouge jewelry polishing cloth, they had minor wear and had a matte cloudy look to them. After about 20 minutes of hand polishing each they came out looking like new with a mirror finish and the game plays much different not to mention faster and quieter now. I could have bought new ones but why throw out what is perfectly restorable.

Exactly. It kills me when I hear of people replacing balls every year. It's like throwing out bullets because they're dusty. Pinballs deserve better than that. When I do retire one, it's a solemn moment. Like burying a friend.

Also, I'm hardly a tree hugger, but it's an easy way to keep your carbon footprint slightly smaller. I reuse whatever I can. Buying an aftermarket board is a last resort.

#33 11 years ago
Quoted from phishrace:

Exactly. It kills me when I hear of people replacing balls every year. It's like throwing out bullets because they're dusty. Pinballs deserve better than that. When I do retire one, it's a solemn moment. Like burying a friend.
Also, I'm hardly a tree hugger, but it's an easy way to keep your carbon footprint slightly smaller. I reuse whatever I can. Buying an aftermarket board is a last resort.

Every penny saved gets me that much closer to my next machine or maybe it's that I am just too impatient to wait for a replacement part to arrive.

#34 11 years ago

I wanna dip my balls in it

#35 11 years ago

As LTG says, a ziplock bag with a few drops of 3 in 1 works very well if you are not buying your balls 50 at a time.

I just put in a few drops and moving everything around in the bag until everything looks well coated. I like 3 in 1, it comes off easily with a rag, no need to use any solvent to remove it like if you used something heavier like motor oil.

#36 11 years ago

Like this,,,

Fruit-of-the-Loom-1992-Briefs2.jpgFruit-of-the-Loom-1992-Briefs2.jpg

#37 11 years ago
Quoted from badpenny61:

Any suggestion on type of oil, motor oil, lite oil, What?
Thanks, Bill

Mineral Oil has no taste OR ODOR or color. Fill a plastic peanut butter jar halfway with it and add pinballs.

We use lanolin to prevent precision gauge blocks from rusting because even a fingerprint could hurt the accuracy.
http://www.amazon.com/FLEXBAR-Lano-Lube-CONTAINER-APPLICATION-inspection/dp/B001BPT5PY/

I may just use this, and then post a review on Amazon to tell people how effective it is on my balls.
http://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-Lanolin-Breastfeeding-Mothers-Grams/dp/B005MI648C/

Post edited by rancegt : People wouldn't stop licking their balls to figure out what I was talking about with the taste thing.

#39 11 years ago

Even the super polished balls are only $1.50.

I don't know what your guys earn, but even if it's only $25 per hour, it can't be worth your time to polish, restore, demagnetize or whatnot.

I put new ones in before each pinball show, and replace them after.

Otherwise I put new ones in every year, or if I see any marks on them at all.

#40 11 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Even the super polished balls are only $1.50.
I don't know what your guys earn, but even if it's only $25 per hour, it can't be worth your time to polish, restore, demagnetize or whatnot.
I put new ones in before each pinball show, and replace them after.
Otherwise I put new ones in every year, or if I see any marks on them at all.

You're not wrong, but the original question was regarding new balls developing pits after sitting around for a while. I've seen it too, and I think I will oil my new pinballs from here on out.

#41 11 years ago

I like briefs, those are a little tight on my big balls

Quoted from rancegt:

Mineral Oil has no taste or colo

I'm NOT tasting my balls, LOL

Quoted from bintzknocker:

You could always store them in this

I've got a better idea, some of my ex's have volunteered their boyfriend's

Quoted from vid1900:

Even the super polished balls are only $1.50

Just an experiment

Quoted from rancegt:

You're not wrong, but the original question was regarding new balls developing pits after sitting around for a while. I've seen it too

But it may be my fault I cleaned them and tried them in my VND and then stored them without oiling them, I just thought they would not rust up so quick with the high polish, my bad. Bill

#42 11 years ago
Quoted from badpenny61:

I'm NOT tasting my balls, LOL

Noted, and edited for clarity.

Quoted from badpenny61:

But it may be my fault I cleaned them and tried them in my VND and then stored them without oiling them, I just thought they would not rust up so quick with the high polish, my bad. Bill

I live in the desert and I've pulled them from the baggy to find pits a couple of months after I ordered them. I think someone up thread mentioned that the vendor probably cleans them to avoid having n00bs but their oily balls in their nice machines. I like to have spares on hand, so oiling them when they arrive makes sense to me.

#43 11 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

I don't know what your guys earn, but even if it's only $25 per hour, it can't be worth your time to polish, restore, demagnetize or whatnot.

It's not a matter of money. Pinballs are weapons of war. Not some candy that fell out of your toddler's mouth, only to be tossed into the rubbish. They deserve proper respect. When a ball is truly ready to be retired, one should observe a moment of silence for the fallen warrior. Throwing out perfectly good balls is unpatriotic, if you ask me. d

No restoring, demagnetizing or whatnot. Just polish them for 30 seconds or so each. You'll be surprised just how minty they get.

Quoted from phishrace:

Also, I'm hardly a tree hugger, but it's an easy way to keep your carbon footprint slightly smaller. I reuse whatever I can. Buying an aftermarket board is a last resort.

#44 11 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Even the super polished balls are only $1.50.
I don't know what your guys earn, but even if it's only $25 per hour, it can't be worth your time to polish, restore, demagnetize or whatnot.
I put new ones in before each pinball show, and replace them after.
Otherwise I put new ones in every year, or if I see any marks on them at all.

"only" $25/hour?

#45 11 years ago

How about storing them in a plastic jar with the dry packs (Desiccants) that come with some packages? Bill

#46 11 years ago
Quoted from badpenny61:

How about storing them in a plastic jar with the dry packs (Desiccants) that come with some packages? Bill

Your container isn't likely air tight. So those packs can attract moisture too.

And unless you dry them out frequently, same problems.

I think a light oil film is the way to go. Easy to do, easy to clean before use.

LTG : )

#47 11 years ago
Quoted from LTG:

I think a light oil film is the way to go

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