How Do You Folks Store You Pachinko Balls

[sparky kilowatt]

I've had a pachinko machine for over 45 years, always left the balls in a plastic container with a screw on lid, but by no means airtight. Made the mistake sometime last year of leaving about 500 in the machine while it sat in our family room, end result, about 300 rusted balls that even tumbling wouldn't fix. Having just bought more balls, I'm thinking about a "Rubbermaid" type of storage container.

How are you folks storing your pachinko balls when they're not in play?

[Moparformances]

i leave my balls in the open air but i don't have coastal humidity to deal with

desiccants will be your friend

[sparky kilowatt]

Thanks Moparformance, I was planning on getting some silica packs from Amazon to put in a container with the balls, leaning towards a Tupperware / Rubbermaid type but haven't decided on the exact type yet.

[Peteybob]

I used to use Rubbermaid containers with the silica packs years ago when I had a few machines but now the balls are in trays and exposed. Given there are so many balls and many machines now played a few times every week I don't bother packing and unpacking the balls anymore. Seems that they stay in good shape here in Michigan given that I tumble and polish all of them annually.

[compirate]

Perhaps a silicone spray? Then wipe them to remove excess?
Haven't done it, just a thought.

[sparky kilowatt]

Perhaps a silicone spray? Then wipe them to remove excess?
Haven't done it, just a thought.

When I tumbled some balls a while back I was researching how to protect the balls and I thought I had read somewhere that it wasn't good for your machine. I would think that wiping them as you described would alleviate the potential for "gunking" up my machine, but I'd like to hear from someone who has done it before.

[takethecastle57]

I keep my Pachinko Balls in my apartment and No Rust on them .

In the past I received balls with the machines that were do pitted and rusted they were only good for paper weight in a old mason jar or ballast for a project . Hum

Once the Chrome plating is pitted or worn it's time to retire them . buying the gently used from the 21st century Pachinko Parlors is the best for the Machines and your sanity .

[takethecastle57]

Or for Long Term storage go to Amazon and get those plastic kitchen containers Four packs that you use for : Cereal, Sugar, Flour, Rice , Oatmeal, with a bunch of Silica packs to suck up the moisture like I use for my Filament Spools for my 3d printer ( I also get a non-electronic humidity and temperature meter to monitor the Filament health).

[takethecastle57]

I got the 6lbs jug of Silica Gel Beads that are Rechargeable a couple of years ago from Amazon and they include 16 pull string mesh bags for under $30 U.S.

[sparky kilowatt]

So I ordered a 14 cup Rubbermaid storage container and some silica pouches, hopefully this will help keep my remaining 500+ balls and the 750 I just bought in better shape. Humidity / moisture in the air where I live seems to promote rust, I've swapped out the balls on my pinball machine as well, but for some reason I haven't had the same issues with corrosion on them as I did on my pachinko balls.

[Lazarus]

If this topic came up when Arbby was still around he would say he keeps his in his pants pockets!

[sparky kilowatt]

If this topic came up when Arbby was still around he would say he keeps his in his pants pockets!

[Ahab]

I use ziplock bags. I also place a least one silica gel packet in each ziplock bag.

Remember anything you put on you balls will come off inside you machine as they go through it. I clean my balls occasionally, but I never put anything on them for "protection."

[sparky kilowatt]

My 14 cup Rubbermaid container arrived, so here's how I'm storing them from now on.