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Flattening Warped Chips (2 Viewers)

I completely understand your stacking strategy. Like Belleville washer (springs). Seems like a good strategy.
 
Shaggy said:
I completely understand your stacking strategy. Like Belleville washer (springs). Seems like a good strategy.
Click to expand...

I know you got it but here's my half-'essed' attempt to show the stack anyway... If all 'bounties' are turned up, they stack like bricks... if they are all alternated, that's as bad as it gets... If I pinch one side, that what it happens... I clamped the chips alternating 'bounties'...


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Great idea Ski! Thanks for sharing! I've got a couple warped hot stamped chips I may have to try this on.
 
ChaosRock said:
I prefer the chips to get back to room temp slowly as I don't want them to be 'shocked'... Do that with clays and did that with those ceramics... What i did not do though was to tighten the clamp as they were resting... I can definitely try that... I will try a combination of higher temperature and tighten the clamps once out of the oven... I think I can easily go 250F or even more... Let's see...
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You might want to try the fridge/freezer after they have cooled to RT, and still under pressure, just to make sure that they're really cooled down and locked into position. I would definitely try that before higher (and potentially dangerous) temps.
 
Hey Ski! I have always used a one pressure point clamp to bake the chips... However, since I need to go way up in temp for the ceramics and the clamps I have are plastic, I will have to look for alternatives... The clamp you used seems pretty good... Did you have any issues dealing with two pressure points for the two stacks you clamped? Was it hard to keep the slabs parallel? I notice this particular clamp is designed to work in angles also... I am assuming since the clamp is wood and metal I could bump the temp up without a problem right? Thanks mate!!

Paulo-

*Btw, I went up to 250F for the ceramics and they did get better... Maybe 60% there... I want to try a little higher temp...

ski_ex5 said:
This clamp works GREAT for flattening poker chips. I highly recommend it.

I'm also fortunate to have a high quality oven with a reasonably accurate thermostat, whose settings go all the way down to 100F. As others have recommended, I separate the warped clay chips with blank ceramic chips in the clamp. In all my work so far, I've flattened 20 clay chips at a time - that's two barrels in the clamps, with each barrel consisting of 10 clay chips sandwiched by 11 ceramic chips. If you try flattening more than 20 clay chips at a time (you CAN fit more in this clamp), you'll likely have to adjust the times that I've listed below (you'll probably need MORE time).
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ChaosRock said:
The clamp you used seems pretty good... Did you have any issues dealing with two pressure points for the two stacks you clamped? Was it hard to keep the slabs parallel? I notice this particular clamp is designed to work in angles also...
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I had no problem at all keeping the two halves of the wood clamp parallel with two barrels of ceramic sandwiched chip in-between the screws. The screws are FAR better to work with than ratchet type clamps. Once, I tried doing four barrels of chips (inside and outside the screws), but that was a disaster - you just can't get everything even!

ChaosRock said:
I am assuming since the clamp is wood and metal I could bump the temp up without a problem right?
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Well, yeah, until you hit the autoignition temperature of the wood and it begins to char and burn! I think wood begins to burn somewhere above 400F, but you need to check me on that. I'd be worried long before 400F, though, because you also have to think about the point where any water left in the wood begins to boil off (212F), and also the melting point and autoignition point of the clear stain/paint/varnish finish on the wood. I don't know exactly what the coating is on my clamp, so I sure don't know the melting or autoignition points!

The clamp isn't that expensive, so you could afford to ruin one in an experiment, but I'd take the necessary safety precautions. I'd have a good fire extinguisher ready, and I would absolutely not take my eyes off everything as it cooks.
 
Poker Zombie said:
If you have an attic, or even an automobile - and can wait for summer, you should be able to reach 120[SUP]o[/SUP]F. Just make sure you have a meat thermometer - I would prefer the one that has an alarm if the temp goes too high.
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For the cost of an attic, an automobile and a meat thermometer you could buy new chips :)
 
ski_ex5 said:
Well, yeah, until you hit the autoignition temperature of the wood and it begins to char and burn! I think wood begins to burn somewhere above 400F, but you need to check me on that. I'd be worried long before 400F, though, because you also have to think about the point where any water left in the wood begins to boil off (212F), and also the melting point and autoignition point of the clear stain/paint/varnish finish on the wood. I don't know exactly what the coating is on my clamp, so I sure don't know the melting or autoignition points!
Click to expand...

Autoignition point of wood depends on multiple factors, including the thickness of the wood, density, moisture content, and amount of time exposed to the heat. For that wooden clamp, I would guess it is oak or maple. At 350[SUP]o[/SUP] F (180[SUP]o[/SUP] C) you can expect the oak to burn in 20 minutes or so, if it were just wood. The metal screws will also play a factor, as where they contact the wood they will be heated by the air in the oven (convection) as well as by the heat carried by the screw (conduction) greatly diminishing the time to combustion. Though like ski said, the finish would also off-gas, and that could lead to toxic fumes.

David Spragg said:
For the cost of an attic, an automobile and a meat thermometer you could buy new chips :)
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I just may get in my automobile grab my thermometer, and hide out in your attic, until the FDL chips are ready to roll. I need the thermometer to check my core temperature... an attic, in Maine, in the winter would get mighty cold... (things I'll do for beautiful chips)
 
WARNING!! The temps discussed in my post are for CERAMIC chips!! For clay chips temps, please stick to Ski's original suggestion and other's throughout the thread!

Thanks Ski! I'll try to find that clamp today... Would probably only do two barrels at a time as well, although they are 44mm (hope they can fit)...

In regards to combustion, I am planning on increasing temp up only to 275, 'maybe' up to 300... I'll certainly keep an eye for any issues with both the chips and the clamp...


ski_ex5 said:
I had no problem at all keeping the two halves of the wood clamp parallel with two barrels of ceramic sandwiched chip in-between the screws. The screws are FAR better to work with than ratchet type clamps. Once, I tried doing four barrels of chips (inside and outside the screws), but that was a disaster - you just can't get everything even!

Well, yeah, until you hit the autoignition temperature of the wood and it begins to char and burn! I think wood begins to burn somewhere above 400F, but you need to check me on that. I'd be worried long before 400F, though, because you also have to think about the point where any water left in the wood begins to boil off (212F), and also the melting point and autoignition point of the clear stain/paint/varnish finish on the wood. I don't know exactly what the coating is on my clamp, so I sure don't know the melting or autoignition points!

The clamp isn't that expensive, so you could afford to ruin one in an experiment, but I'd take the necessary safety precautions. I'd have a good fire extinguisher ready, and I would absolutely not take my eyes off everything as it cooks.
Click to expand...

- - - - - - - - - Updated - - - - - - - - -

Thanks PZ... It makes total sense... I'll leave windows open for the possible fumes... I won't go crazy on temps as 250 almost did the job (although it was probably the limit for the plastic material of the old clamp i have)...

Poker Zombie said:
Autoignition point of wood depends on multiple factors, including the thickness of the wood, density, moisture content, and amount of time exposed to the heat. For that wooden clamp, I would guess it is oak or maple. At 350[SUP]o[/SUP] F (180[SUP]o[/SUP] C) you can expect the oak to burn in 20 minutes or so, if it were just wood. The metal screws will also play a factor, as where they contact the wood they will be heated by the air in the oven (convection) as well as by the heat carried by the screw (conduction) greatly diminishing the time to combustion. Though like ski said, the finish would also off-gas, and that could lead to toxic fumes.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I'VE GOT DIBS on any and all of Paulo's chips that survive the pending explosion in the kitchen! :eek: :D

Kidding aside, one other thing about the high temps... I have no clue at what point the print on the ceramic chips will melt. I bet David S or Jim B might have a clue, though. Alternately, if you have some old unwanted ceramics, you could experiment first.

Best of luck, and please be careful!
 
Hahahaha... Don't know about explosion man but a big melting mess, likely... Yeah, BG's suggestion was to torch one of those things to see how quickly they would melt/burn (or not!)

Speaking of dibs, I don't remember, do you have a tourney set of Royal Yaks?


ski_ex5 said:
I'VE GOT DIBS on any and all of Paulo's chips that survive the pending explosion in the kitchen! :eek: :D

Kidding aside, one other thing about the high temps... I have no clue at what point the print on the ceramic chips will melt. I bet David S or Jim B might have a clue, though. Alternately, if you have some old unwanted ceramics, you could experiment first.

Best of luck, and please be careful!
Click to expand...
 
ski_ex5 said:
I'VE GOT DIBS on any and all of Paulo's chips that survive the pending explosion in the kitchen! :eek: :D

Kidding aside, one other thing about the high temps... I have no clue at what point the print on the ceramic chips will melt. I bet David S or Jim B might have a clue, though. Alternately, if you have some old unwanted ceramics, you could experiment first.

Best of luck, and please be careful!
Click to expand...

FYI - Ive put ceramics in an oven at 500 degrees and nothing happens.
 
Tommy said:
Wikipedia:
Click to expand...

I am aware. I posted as I was surprised someone had any results at 250 degrees.

Don't forget that ceramic chips are not 'fired' though. I think your temps relate to fired ceramic.

I was experimenting as one of the overseas ceramic producers makes a lot of other products from the same material including cookware. I expected them to melt so I threw a couple of chips in the oven once :)
Anyway, it didn't affect the printing either.

Caveat - I accept no responsibility for the results of other people's experiments :) :) :)
 
Yeah David, I have a rack of 44mm that came 'convex'... No results until I got to 250, then they got a lot better but not totally flat... That's why I will try keeping up in temp a bit...

Paulo-

David Spragg said:
I was surprised someone had any results at 250 degrees.
Click to expand...
 
ChaosRock said:
Yeah David, I have a rack of 44mm that came 'convex'... No results until I got to 250, then they got a lot better but not totally flat... That's why I will try keeping up in temp a bit...

Paulo-
Click to expand...

Wonder what made them convex in the first place?
 
That is exactly right... I had a rack of custom 44s made and they all came convex... Did not want to go back and replace them as it would be a p-i-t-a... They are bounties so I am not that worried... It's just the challenge of fixing them... lss, bad batch of blanks is my guess...

links_slayer said:
I was going to ask the same question. Maybe just a defective batch of blanks?
Click to expand...
 
Ceramics generally can withstand very high temperatures, such as temperatures that range from 1,000 °C to 1,600 °C (1,800 °F to 3,000 °F)
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Yeah, but 'ceramic' chips are not made of true ceramic material (like tile, pottery, etc.). They are just a version of high-temp plastic with bonded polymers for added strength.

TenPercenter baked a bunch of chips in a muffin pan a long time ago at ever-increasing temperatures as part of an evil chip experiment (full story on bluescreen). The only chips that did not deform were 'ceramic' chipco's -- although the print quality did eventually begin to boil off and fade.
 
Tommy said:
Wikipedia:
Ceramics generally can withstand very high temperatures, such as temperatures that range from 1,000 °C to 1,600 °C (1,800 °F to 3,000 °F)
Click to expand...

I wasn't worried about the chips themselves, I was worried he'd melt the paint.
 
Digging up old threads here... haha :D

I'm curious if anyone has tried sitting in a sauna with their clamped chips instead of trying to use an oven at low temps. There were several posts I've read from other threads and at the old blue wall where people were using ovens at 170F since that was the lowest setting their ovens would go. But here, people are recommending much lower temps between 120F and 150F. I'm thinking that sitting in a sauna with my chips might do the trick. Plus, you have the added benefit of keeping an eye on them throughout the process and could adjust your clamp accordingly.

I have a few TRKs that I'd like to flatten out, and am concerned that they could me more susceptible to damage from higher temps than Paulsons.

First I just need to find me some ceramic blanks and a proper chip clamp.
 
Placing the clamped chips in a hot car also works - but under cover, avoid direct sunlight.
 

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