So after getting your playfield all stripped down and clean, you finish with a couple coats of wax.
Does anyone clean and wax their balls?
Is it possible to benefit from this or dumb idea?
-Mike
(Topic ID: 254726)
Always wax them after handling.Years ago I put up a Judge Dredd for a few months and balls/bolts in a bag. 3 months when I was ready to shop it out, all 6 pinball had finger print rust on them.
St. Louis, MO
I always do. Also when I sell a game I send it off with new balls(of course) that I waxed up real good just in the case the new buyer forgets or just doesn't do it
I stopped doing that at some point after I got married. I figured if she wasn’t waxing why should I?
Quoted from jackd104:Yes. I also wax the glass on both sides, the legs, cabinet, translite, and my own flipper fingers.
Yes to waxing the balls.
But why wax the glass? On both sides, too. And the cab? A coat of wax on that will last forever.
I never handle the pinballs with bare hands. Always use a cloth and wipe them down every time I clean and wax the playfield. This stops any rust. Wax does not adhere well to the balls, anyway.
Yes, and I never handle them with my bare hands. Either gloved hands or a microfiber cloth. The oils from your hands will react with the metal (and just about any steel part in the game).
Years ago I bought a bunch of new balls and put them on the shelf. When I went to use them a few months later there was quite a bit of surface rust on all of them. Since then, I keep them stored submerged in motor oil. It only takes a few minutes to clean them using some lacquer thinner when it's time to change the balls.
Quoted from GSones:Years ago I bought a bunch of new balls and put them on the shelf. When I went to use them a few months later there was quite a bit of surface rust on all of them. Since then, I keep them stored submerged in motor oil. It only takes a few minutes to clean them using some lacquer thinner when it's time to change the balls.
I store mine in baby oil.
Quoted from cottonm4:I store mine in baby oil.
Really ? In a ziploc or plastic container?
Coated or completely covered?
-Mike
I see so far 43% thought this was "stupid poll"
But I was genuinely asking and knew it would come with humorous answers.
-Mike
Quoted from Grizlyrig:it would come with humorous answers.
Shave first, then wax. Unless it's really cold out. Then leave the hair to help keep them warm.
Unless you mean to wax them and then pull the wax/hair off, no. Too painful.
LTG : )
On a serious note (sorry) what grade of steel do they use for the balls? I am a metallurgical engineer and now I am kinda curious. I guess I had just assume they were 304l stainless
Quoted from NC_Pin:On a serious note (sorry) what grade of steel do they use for the balls? I am a metallurgical engineer and now I am kinda curious. I guess I had just assume they were 304l stainless
It's some flavor of carbon steel as stainless would not work well with the magnets. I'm sure there are some posts discussing the various steel options.
Wow I never even thought about it but now I’m going to store my balls in a dark oily place with low humidity. I have some finger prints on a couple balls in play right now. #worriedaboutrustyballs
Quoted from GSones:It's some flavor of carbon steel as stainless would not work well with the magnets. I'm sure there are some posts discussing the various steel options.
Good point...at least for the 304L, but it could be made out 440C or another grade of martensitic stainless steel. The martensitic grades are ferromagnetic.
However, I suspect you are correct... it is probably something like 1045 or even a bearing steel like 52100.
Quoted from dudah:Never thought fingerprints would have such a drastic effect as rusting the balls,
Salt, sweat, acids. All kinds of things are on your fingers. Coming from within, or from things you handled.
LTG : )
Saint-Étienne
In all seriousness I haves tried waxing my balls. It makes the game play crazy for a short period of time and then the wax wears off and everything is back to normal. I think I remember Vid saying not to bother waxing balls but to always handle them with cloth, never bare hands. I’m not religious about it but I generally wipe my balls with an alcohol soaked rag after handling them.
Quoted from DaveH:This was from a shop job I did a few years back on my Tron.
Mmmmmmm. Brand new waxy Tron balls...
[quoted image]
What happened to those? Looks ugly.
-Mike
Quoted from DaveH:There is wax all over them. I then wiped them down, let them dry, and finally microfibered the hell out of them. I thought that was the question
I've never waxed my balls, so I wasn't sure what I was looking at in your pic. Almost looked like damaged balls.
-Mike
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