A scratched up ball will tear up the playfield faster than a new smooth ball.

With a new ball, I always clean off the oil with a degreaser, and put some wax on it. Then replace the ball as needed.

An SOS sponge is coarse steel wool with soap. That's just going to scratch up the ball.

Once a ball is used, I recycle it. Although, lately, I've been dropping them into a clear plastic globe.

+1 on waxing a new ball before using it. Where can you recycle old pin balls?

If you don't have magnets in your game, then I recommend using the harder chrome pinballs as they will stay smoother longer. The Ball Baron has the Ninja pinball that is quite nice and I use them.

Def wax new balls. I usually wax my plunger at the same time. I used to like to wax the knockers too but that's when I was way younger and was still in the honeymoon phase. I would love to change/wax balls/shooter rod weekely but the older I get I feel like I only do it every couple mounths. Sometimes there is a birthday or anniversary in the mix and they get changed/waxed extra.

I put balls in a tumbler when there are a little used. It takes a few days to get them back super polished. Probably not worth it. I do them 20-30 at a time for 2-3 days

If a ball isn't chipped I shine mine up a soft moist cloth, Mother's mag wheel polish and elbow grease, holding the ball and rubbing it into the cloth and rotating it to cover the whole surface. I could use a tumbler but I need the exercise and I like pinball balls too much to just throw them away.

I put my old ones in a large beermug looks cool
I saw someone put them in his gumball machine

I buy the harder chrome balls, de-grease them and wax my playfields regularly. Balls with just minor scratches and chips soon kill playfield surfaces so cheaper to replace a ball or two than have to restore a playfield!

What kind of wax should one use? The same as for the playfield?

Same as you use for PF. I use Mothers gold but peoples preference on here when it comes to wax is varied to say the least.

Take out balls from game, look at them under light and magnification:

Hazed: In the tumbler overnite.
Scratched/nicked: In the never to be used again bucket.

Don C

I've polished some pretty nasty ones to shinier than new using a lathe, various light abrasives, then Mother's Aluminum and Mag polish.

I usually take most of my machines to TPF each year... it's become a "religion" for me to replace the balls with new ones as I wax the PFs (clean the titans) for TPF each year. That way every machine I have has fresh balls for the abuse they'll receive at TPF.

I tend to wipe my new pinballs with a rag before I put them in the machine; nothing else is really done at that point since the PF has already been waxed.