When operating the King Kone machine and adjusting the potentiometer dial, the starting value displayed on the screen averages around 12 to 15 with a max speed of 30.

This is intentional and a result of the weight (load) of the top moving platform and other components attached to it, such as the metal perforation plate and other hardware. Without any applied load of flower loaded into pre-rolls, the default weight of the platform is just under 1lb.

Therefore, the power sent to the motor via potentiometer needs to reach enough rpm and, respectively, torque to overcome the default weight of the platform.

For example, if you were to remove the top platform along with other load-bearing components, the starting value of the motor would display a value of 1 or 2.

The reason there is a delay in starting point/value when ramping up from zero on the display is because of the default load of the components such as the platform, metal plate, weight of flower, bearing friction, etc.

There shouldn't be any issue with application to metal parts, especially anything that is powder-coated.

Yes, up to 95% is fine, but note that if soaking or using aggressively, it might discolor the parts.

Not recommended.

It's advised not to soak any parts with metal parts that are not powder-coated, such as the perforation plate that the pre-rolls sit on that come with the machine or on the conversion kit.

If a liquid solution is used on any of these parts, it's recommended to thoroughly dry them and even apply a light coat of machine oil followed by a wipe down to prevent contamination.

Tamping Fingers?

Yes, no problem. It has no effect on the resin fingers, but the 3D printed part tends to absorb water if soaked for more than half a day or so. The result is that the part will gradually bleed out the water during the drying process, which could be an issue in terms of contamination. This is especially true when parts have lower infill percentages.

3D printed parts?

Same as the Tamper.

Metal components could be placed in a dishwasher if needed.

Steel coated in black oxide.

Air compressor/air duster/brush/soak.

Although black oxide is technically oxidized metal, it can still rust over time, especially if soaked without properly being dried off and lubricated. Soaking for several hours using non-abrasive (no solvents) cleaner such as dish soap is fine so long as the plates are thoroughly dried and then applied with a silicone lubricant spray (3M spray silicone lubricant or similar).

After applying lubricant, it would be ideal to thoroughly wipe off the lubricant to avoid contamination of silicone with the pre-rolls or flower.

Link to recommendation: 3M Spray Silicone Lubricant