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Looking after your balls - New balls already worn.

David_Vi

David_Vi

Site Supporter
5Years
Joined
Sep 3, 2019
Messages
3,990
Location
Sudbury
Back to basics...

I bought a load of new balls, left some in the bag they came in behind the coin door on one pin.
A couple months later I decided now was the time to swap them in.
But they weren't shiny and had black dings on them.

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They looked worse than the balls already in the pin.
So i shoved them in a box with other old balls..

All the existing balls in my pins aren't as shiny but none have wear like at least 10 new balls I had stored in various places. I feel like I might have ended up with dodgy balls (but I didn't check them that closely on purchase) or I have somehow stored them incorrectly?

I found some other new balls I had stored elsewhere and they were fine!


Am I missing something regarding new balls? Should they be stored in a particular way?

Are some balls shinier than others?
Whats the difference between carbon steel and chrome steel?
 
Last set was from Pinball Bazaar, have also brought from Pinball Mania, both came with a light coating of grease/oil just gotta remember to give them a good clean first.
 
I'm so confused why a load of new ones were already worn and pitted. Surely moving around in a bag wouldn't cause that much damage considering balls hit each other in the actual game and trough 🤔
Maybe I was just unkucky?

I might buy a bunch from Pinball Bazaar, they appear to be shiny!
 
The pitting is surface corrosion I think rather than physical damage. When I first got my pin I put in new balls even though the old ones were fine. I left the old ones on a window ledge, in no time they were surprisingly rusty.
 
kev a said:
The pitting is surface corrosion I think rather than physical damage. When I first got my pin I put in new balls even though the old ones were fine. I left the old ones on a window ledge, in no time they were surprisingly rusty.
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Interesting!
How does this not happen with the ones in the pins? Yet some new ones in a bag or drawer.
 
Not sure to be honest, guessing moisture in the bag and no airflow = corrosion
 
used balls. give em to the northern lights guys. @replicas

they sell them at pinball events. apparently casual visitors often want to buy one as a memento.

I’m still waiting for someone to figure out “ball art” - your favourite pinball artwork in miniature on a steel ball. 😂😂
 
I'd love to make some ball art but haven't figured out the best way to glue my balls together yet. It sounds uncomfortable.
 
AlanJ said:
David, i’m not printing them, my cousin overseas is but they won’t arrive until he visits in sept.
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Ahh!
Well, if there's any spare... 😂 No problem waiting, the (ball) pyramids weren't built in a day.
 
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