Hi guys, bit of an amateur question here:

I'm working on my pin out in my uninsulated garage, and it's starting to get cold 'round here. I realize that the cold will make the plastics brittle, but can cold cause any other sorts of damage to a pin?

Would storing it in my garage over the winter damage it?

I do plan on hauling it inside it work on over the winter, but with a new kid, it maybe out in the chill for a while.

Just curious.

Can't say for sure but sudden temperature changes can cause tempered glass to explode so if you move the machine from outside where is -20 to inside where it's +20 you may want to take the glass off just to be safe.  

Take the cabinet glass and BACKGLASS inside. Temperature changes are murder on backglasses. For the rest of the pin, humidity is the enemy. Cold is OK.

On the backglass, try to slow its temperature change when bringing it in by wrapping is blankets...

yipes! Sounds like I should have brought the glass in the house already. I think i'll do that tonight before it gets colder.

I agree with the glass.
But can also cause issues with electronics but this is more for older electronics

I'm the expert on this, trust me, if you've seen my array of pin sheds....

a) I keep all painted backglasses in the house, dry and constant temperature (dehumidified basement) with no ill affects.  The key to longevity and adherence of the paint is a) dry and b) no sudden or repeated temperature changes.  AS the temperature fluctuates, the glass and the paint each expand and contract at slightly different speeds, which eventually (say after 5 years or so) causes paint cracking and deterioration.  One year in a relatively stable outdoor environment, or freezing during transportation won't make a noticeable difference - so no need to panic.  The most damage is caused by a) damp environments, and b) storage in a sun exposed barn or shed where the temperature freezes at night and gets extremely hot during the day. Extreme temperature fluctuations also affect battery integrity and can cause early acid leak in alkiline and ni cad batteries.

b) Pinball machines can freeze without a problem.  When they're transported they are done so in non-environmental containers.  They are stored in cold warehouses.  They travel the high seas in sea containers. Electronics repair involves freezing spray on chips (a real deep freeze). They thaw and are as good as new.  Problems occur over time in two ways.  1) repeated condensation causes rust and chip leg and connector pin corrosion (the more humid the environment and the more cycles of thaw, condensation, the faster the rust occurs.  Rust and other corrosion can be taken care of, it's usually a cosmetic fix, or a matter of reseating chips and pins (or cleaning / replacing them).  2) the "instant" thaw.  Take a frozen pinball from the garage, bring it into a warm humid house and turn on the machine... zap!  Occasionally (but not always) the condensation generated from a quick move (and turning it on) will cause a short somewhere and then damage occurs.  The correct way is to aclimatize all electronics.  Bring it in from a frozen environment, let it warm up and any condensation to evaporate over a period of hours, then turning it on should cause no extraordinary problems.

A year or two in a relatively temperature stable but uninsulated "shed" "garage" environment will do minimal damage to a pinball (new or old).  A few years and a minute amount of damage starts to accumulate.  In particular legs and playfield chrome and screws will start to rust.  Boards usually stay relatively good unless there's a battery leak.  Decalled cabinets almost no damage (unless exposed to water or sun), and painted backglasses, cabinets and playfields eventually begin to crack (from continued expansion/contraction) and after 20 years, the paint starts to peel.

The other issue with shed/garage storage is vermin.  Mice are drawn to pinball machines as wonderful places to raise a family.  Mostly they make nests and pee on your pinball creating "mouse house" smell.  They will eat the insulation on older EM pinball wiring harnesses and rubber and some other things. Spiders are common and the cob webs need to be cleared, but not really a huge problem.

Another way to think of this is about your car.  You car sits in your garage night after night and freezes and thaws and the radio always seems to work the next day, and the paint doesn't flake off.  However, if you've been storing that Studebaker for 50 years - your mileage may vary....