Ball Chain Rusting

Cables are usually Stainless Steel of some grade. There are many grades of stainless steel. Some are soft and contain other metals blended within them to alter their characteristics. Some stainless steel can stick to a magnet and others do not. Stainless steel should not rust.

Chain too come in grades of stainless steel. NP steel and galvanised steel (galvanised coating comes of easy with little heat)

NP is electroplated onto steel. NP will start to come off if the metal gets red hot. Where the metal glows red. White hot metal the NP blisters and falls away from metal.

When swinging the components may well get hot but should not be getting anywhere hot enough to cause the NP to come off.

It shouldn't rust so easily. Are you storing it some place damp?
You can't catch rust. It's a low tempreture oxidation of iron and steel in the presence of water. So storing next to some chains isn't enough.

Are you sure it isn't simply discolouring?

Take the "rust" off with some wirewool.

I was curious of how well ball chain poi work for wraps. I have only used cable and it works fine but I wan't to make a pair and it seems easier to find ball chain (hint: HOP shop ). Anyways, how do they work for wraps, and is there a difference in wrap performance for the # ball chain? Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!

The wirewool should work if it is tarnish - I used it on an old harmonica that I found the other day... but that is another story

Maybe all books are wrong. Say it isn't so....

After all the upset i had with the TV lying to me.....

If anything strange and unusual happens round here there's usually aliens at the root of it.

Cantus, Ya, aliens are usually the source of problems around here too. Especially computer-related problems..damn UFOs flying over..

It seems the only problem I may have now is with the aliens stealing my amazing ball-chain poi! Arrrrr, I'll scare em away with my scary growls!

The stainless steel does not rust, works better than the candy chain, and polishes back up after they blacken.

Another thing to think about is Safe Working Load. Based on the physics of what we do, your poi could require a SWL of up to about 100lbs. If you're using the candy chain, you only see that rating in the very large sizes (#30 or above). You can get the same load in stainless at a #10.

They too had some rust on the balls and the little link pieces between the balls. So Adam if your sending out replacements could you hit me as well?

I also have some older chains that I keep in there and they have not shown any rust, although they have discolored a little.

My own chains show some of what you are describing, I think. Some of the individual balls near the hot end have separated slightly at the seam--not quite enough for me to stick a fingernail in, but enough to be visible. The brass connectors are definitely battered-looking (the bending you see is probably partly due to the original crimping and partly to subsequent tangles and the like), but don't seem in danger of breaking. I've been using my ball-chains for about 10 months, and I can imagine that I'll need to replace them at some point, but for now, they seem to be holding up.