New chrome legs only a year old rusting

[David_Vi]

Got these legs in Feb last year for Centaur. Brand new.

It's lived in our pinball room and kitchen, been to Pinfest and NERG.

It went away on loan at the weekend, while packing it down I noticed rust.

I tried to clean a bit of it up before putting them in the van which is probably why it looks worse.
There's spots of rust on the levellers too.

I've not found any rust on any of our other legs yet but still have to check Diner which has always lived next to Centaur when in the kitchen

Should new legs rust this quickly? I thought chrome protected metal from rusting like this?

 

[new forest pinball]

Reason is obvious. Those legs are wpc!
Ain’t no Centaurs got time for that kind of nonsense!……..

 

[David_Vi]

Reason is obvious. Those legs are wpc!
Ain’t no Centaurs got time for that kind of nonsense!……..

Yeah wrong legs, I got what I could at the time and was misinformed

I'm thinking of getting new legs and using the rusty ones to get powder coated for another game.

 

[FinalFight]

Could be the condensation when cooking?
Maybe keep windows or a door open when you do

 

[Jagspete]

I'm guessing chroming thinner on the back, either way that looks like corrosive liquid spilt down it, salty drinks?, iron bru?

 

[AlanJ]

you got a phantom piddler in your east anglia pinball posse

 

[Pick Holder]

I had some guitar parts re-chromed 4 years ago.
They already need doing again.
I also have other guitar parts re-chromed 25 years ago.
They are still as good as the day they were done.

Spoke to my platers about it - and they blamed the quality of modern chrome compared to what they got a couple of decades ago.

Was having the same conversation with a jukebox restorer. He also said modern chroming is no where near as good now.

 

[DRD]

you got a phantom piddler in your east anglia pinball posse

Some very strange things happen in East Anglia

 

[David_Vi]

I'm guessing chroming thinner on the back, either way that looks like corrosive liquid spilt down it, salty drinks?, iron bru?

That running is from me trying to clean it then not drying it properly before putting it in the van

 

[s000m]

You sir need a dehumidifier

 

[Sven Normansson]

They've barely seen the chroming tank! Bin and get the correct bally legs. Very hard to get real quality chromed legs now.

 

[Pick Holder]

They've barely seen the chroming tank! Bin and get the correct bally legs. Very hard to get real quality chromed legs now.

Yes mate, blame all the H&S.
The layer is so thin now.
Have seen chrome being sprayed recently!

 

[David_Vi]

You sir need a dehumidifier

If it was the environment wouldn't my other items rust, like the lockdown bar on centaur and diner?
Diners legs have rust but they were always in bad condition, not brand new.

 

[Ant-H]

If it was the environment wouldn't my other items rust, like the lockdown bar on centaur and diner?
Diners legs have rust but they were always in bad condition, not brand new.

If the lockdown bars are stainless steel, then that would be the reason why there’s no rust on them.

Due to the shape of the legs, the backs get far less prep work before plating so the plating will be thinner which is probably why they rusting in those areas.

I think there’s a few factors why rust has appeared so quickly. As others have said, the change in the chemicals used in modern chrome plating is more environmental friendly and definitely not as good. Some platers I spoke with don’t even offer the service anymore.

Personally I think it’s the quality of the chrome. A decent plating company will chemically strip the metal then polish it prior to dipping.
They would also use the triple plate method. So it would get a layer of copper followed by nickel and then finally the chrome.

Im not sure which country the legs are manufactured but they are mass produced, so preparation will be minimal as will be the thickness of the chrome.

 

[David_Vi]

Thanks Ant,

At least it might not be me I did make it worse in the rush when packing it down.

I'm considering getting them powder coated and getting the correct legs for centaur. When we work out which game could use powder coated legs

 

[Bobbdobalina]

So on the back of this, where’s the best place to buy quality chrome wpc legs?

 

[s000m]

So on the back of this, where’s the best place to buy quality chrome wpc legs?

@David retro

 

[Replay]

Bally pre-88 legs

Bally (pre 1988) grey finish classic style legs (4) - Pinball Heaven

Set of legs for early Bally pinball machines pre 1988 in original grey finish.

www.pinball.co.uk

 

[David_Vi]

Mine were from Pinball Mania, about a year ago.

I assume they're all from the same source?

 

[Ant-H]

Thanks Ant,

At least it might not be me I did make it worse in the rush when packing it down.

I'm considering getting them powder coated and getting the correct legs for centaur. When we work out which game could use powder coated legs

If you want to avoid rust, powder coating will definitely sort that out

 

[Ant-H]

Mine were from Pinball Mania, about a year ago.

I assume they're all from the same source?

Yeah, I’d guess there all made in the same place