Oiling Chips Done Right (8 Viewers)

[Lancew09]

Newbie here; just got my first set of CC's and just wanted to say thanks to @Trihonda - genius method. I can't believe the difference it made; the chips just POP now.

I managed to do 900 chips in about 2 hours. First a 30 min session to apply the oil and lay them out / pat them down with a lot of pressure -- and then after waiting ~4 hours, I hand wiped each chip (took about 90 min).

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Since you didn't wait 24/48 hrs until you wiped them off, how are they holding up? Have they faded yet? I'm about to knock out 1300 Majestics and am curious if I really need to let them soak in the Mineral Oil for 24's - I'm worried about the excess oil getting under the insert sticker.

 

[Undream]

Since you didn't wait 24/48 hrs until you wiped them off, how are they holding up? Have they faded yet? I'm about to knock out 1300 Majestics and am curious if I really need to let them soak in the Mineral Oil for 24's - I'm worried about the excess oil getting under the insert sticker.

I wiped them off within 4 hours of doing it, and they turned out pretty good -- I only have 1 rack left though (I blame this place... sold almost all of them after I touched paulsons...)

that one rack has seen only 3 plays, but, it's been a few months and they look great. I can't imaging doing this more than once every couple years if the chips are getting regular usage. Maybe only one time honestly, and oil from hands will take care of the rest.

I definitely would not let them soak for a long time. I did the water/oil mix and they literally only got a 30 seconds bath per every 20 chips or so.

 

[SendThatStack]

Since you didn't wait 24/48 hrs until you wiped them off, how are they holding up? Have they faded yet? I'm about to knock out 1300 Majestics and am curious if I really need to let them soak in the Mineral Oil for 24's - I'm worried about the excess oil getting under the insert sticker.

Let them soak. Otherwise it will fade within a month and you will need to redo it.

 

[FordPickup92]

Very helpful post...any recommendations for older chips such as aces casino/royal flush (paulson's and blue chips) ? Have some chips that are both considered red but some are vibrant and some are very pale

 

[Max D]

Very helpful post...any recommendations for older chips such as aces casino/royal flush (paulson's and blue chips) ? Have some chips that are both considered red but some are vibrant and some are very pale

Try oiling one, most will regain their color. Very light mineral oil and wipe off the excess.

 

[FiveThous]

Great pics guys, the difference is like standard tv vs 1080p, these look awesome!

 

[Twointwoout]

Holy hell.. I joined this forum to research and learn more about chips/values/what to use in a home game. Chips need to be thoroughly oiled and maintained?? What have I gotten into lol

 

[FordPickup92]

Holy hell.. I joined this forum to research and learn more about chips/values/what to use in a home game. Chips need to be thoroughly oiled and maintained?? What have I gotten into lol

Lol unfortunately yes... we wash every single chip by hand with a spot of dawn dish shop and a small piece of Mr clean magic eraser dry them all oil each one by hand leave them to dry and redry each one by hand... it's a real procedure!!!!!

Edit: shop ---- soap

 

[Coyote]

Holy hell.. I joined this forum to research and learn more about chips/values/what to use in a home game. Chips need to be thoroughly oiled and maintained?? What have I gotten into lol

Cheer up, it's not that tragic
-CPCs need to be lukewarm showered/wiped clean and oiled onlly once (out of the box ie). NOT an issue if you ordered just 1,000 or even more, if you have a chip-loving wife/partner. The emphasis is on her love for chips, not you
-Mint or lightly home-used Paulsons don't need any oil
-Filthy casino-used and seriously cleaned Paulsons require some oil.
-China Clays require lots of oil, probably repeatedly
-Plastics and "Ceramics" don't require any oil
If you hate oiling for some reason, go for Plastics, Ceramics, or mint Paulsons

 

[FordPickup92]

Cheer up, it's not that tragic
-CPCs need to be lukewarm showered/wiped clean and oiled onlly once (out of the box ie). NOT an issue if you ordered just 1,000 or even more, if you have a chip-loving wife/partner. The emphasis is on her love for chips, not you
-Mint or lightly home-used Paulsons don't need any oil
-Filthy casino-used and seriously cleaned Paulsons require some oil.
-China Clays require lots of oil, probably repeatedly
-Plastics and "Ceramics" don't require any oil
If you hate oiling for some reason, go for Plastics, Ceramics, or mint Paulsons

Side note.... we have found that lightly used sharp bccs (blue chip company) require extra oiling
Edit: or new bccs

 

[BearMetal]

-China Clays require lots of oil, probably repeatedly

I don't think CCs require oiling... It just brings out their best right? If you chose not to oil them, they wouldn't fall apart or anything.

Also, this is the first I've seen the Mr. Clean Eraser referenced when cleaning the chips. I thought it was just Dawn and a damp microfiber cloth. Does the MCE scratch the clay?

 

[Twointwoout]

Cheer up, it's not that tragic
-CPCs need to be lukewarm showered/wiped clean and oiled onlly once (out of the box ie). NOT an issue if you ordered just 1,000 or even more, if you have a chip-loving wife/partner. The emphasis is on her love for chips, not you
-Mint or lightly home-used Paulsons don't need any oil
-Filthy casino-used and seriously cleaned Paulsons require some oil.
-China Clays require lots of oil, probably repeatedly
-Plastics and "Ceramics" don't require any oil
If you hate oiling for some reason, go for Plastics, Ceramics, or mint Paulsons

Paulsons for me then!! Sounds like they’re just plug and play! There seems to be a lot of similarities to chip collecting and reloading

 

[FordPickup92]

I don't think CCs require oiling... It just brings out their best right? If you chose not to oil them, they wouldn't fall apart or anything.

Also, this is the first I've seen the Mr. Clean Eraser referenced when cleaning the chips. I thought it was just Dawn and a damp microfiber cloth. Does the MCE scratch the clay?

No it doesn't scratch them at all!!! Its gentle on the surface but tough enough that the ones that are boogery or in our case some of our chips were black on the pink or yellow spots it cleaned them up nicely!! @Ben8257 and I have done his aces casino and my PCAs like that they come out nice most of the time

 

[FordPickup92]

A previous pcf'er recommended the MCE to us

 

[Coyote]

I don't think CCs require oiling... It just brings out their best right? If you chose not to oil them, they wouldn't fall apart or anything.

Also, this is the first I've seen the Mr. Clean Eraser referenced when cleaning the chips. I thought it was just Dawn and a damp microfiber cloth. Does the MCE scratch the clay?

CCs "require" oiling if you want their colors to pop up. But nothing is really "required" in a hobby; humans are said to be able to survive without any poker chips at all...
WIth respect to cleaning, I am not an expert, since I have onlly acquired brand-new CPCs (just shower and soft-wipe, cleaning-wise), mint Paulsons, and casino-used Paulsons, already cleaned.
A few home-used Paulsons I got benefited from some cleaning too, which I did one-by-one, with a medium hardness toothbrush and American-type dish soap, marketed in southeastern Europe as "Fairy"
For serious dirt/gunk and large numbers of chips, I guess an ultrasonic cleaning machine is indispensable.

 

[FordPickup92]

At most we've had some of the reds and greens (vibrant colors) bleed a slight amount and seems like we may be scrubbing the color away but they regain their shine and look good as new after a good oiling

 

[FordPickup92]

So here's a hot stamp el Dorado of @Ben8257 before

And after

 

[SendThatStack]

Paulsons for me then!! Sounds like they’re just plug and play! There seems to be a lot of similarities to chip collecting and reloading

Not necessarily. These are GPI "Paulson" monacos. Edges come chalky. I think i actually oiled all of these and the top two seem to have dried out some. They can get even more color, ill check when I get home later.

 

[AWenger]

I think i actually oiled all of these and the top two seem to have dried out some. They can get even more color, ill check when I get home later.

I have some darker blue Paulsons, and a few of them tend to dry out more so than other colors do. I have to re-oil the darker blue chips more often to keep the color dark & saturated.

 

[SendThatStack]

I have some darker blue Paulsons, and a few of them tend to dry out more so than other colors do. I have to re-oil the darker blue chips more often to keep the color dark & saturated.

Yeah i think it only happened with the blues. The rest seem fine.

 

[Jeevansluck]

Gotta oil (mineral USP) CPCs
My .02 of experience worth

 

[asian bino]

Holy hell.. I joined this forum to research and learn more about chips/values/what to use in a home game. Chips need to be thoroughly oiled and maintained?? What have I gotten into lol

"Need" is a very strong word. Despite what people here say, Chips 'need' nothing. They've been living in casinos being mistreated fine for years.

If you'd like your chips to be clean (get rid of the hooker juice) they can be cleaned via various methods read about on this site, and then possibly oiled.

However the TYPE of chip is significant. Paulson clays LIKE oil. Chipco ceramics do not. But NONE of it is --NEEDED--. All a matter of preference. The first chips I got long before I joined this foru got cleaned with a toothbrush and baking soda. Valuable chips (I would say 2$+ a chip) should -probably not be cleaned that way, but, honestly, you probably aren't doing any monetary damage

 

[bachismyhero]

I know this is an old thread but I found the description and photos in the OP very helpful... will definitely consult this when I pick up my first clays.

 

[FordPickup92]

I know this is an old thread but I found the description and photos in the OP very helpful... will definitely consult this when I pick up my first clays.

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to check back in!!!

 

[bachismyhero]

Thanks - certainly will!

 

[The Nuts]

Just got my first set of chips, a set of china clay dunes, and am excited to oil them up.

However I don't have/use plastic racks. I have a metal case with felt lined racks. How is that going to affect things?

Thanks!

 

[FordPickup92]

Just got my first set of chips, a set of china clay dunes, and am excited to oil them up.

However I don't have/use plastic racks. I have a metal case with felt lined racks. How is that going to affect things?

Thanks!

Make sure you let them dry for 2 days flipping them over in between and after day 2 wipe away the excess shouldn't soak into the felt.... dont oil too heavily if you have sticker inlays...too much oil can loosen the inlay

 

[FordPickup92]

Make sure you let them dry for 2 days flipping them over in between and after day 2 wipe away the excess shouldn't soak into the felt.... dont oil too heavily if you have sticker inlays...too much oil can loosen the inlay

Also if they are used you may want to wash the edges

 

[Stibnite]

I must say, I just love you guys. Wonderful to read through all of the comments. Been busy and haven't checked in for awhile.

After reading through many questions, I would like to address the most important ones.

1) When the oil fades, do I have to redo the compression technique?
Answer: No. It is a one-time seal deal. I noticed some colors which weren't used as much fade a little over the course of a few months after the initial oiling. All you need to do is dab a little oil on a microfiber cloth, and rub it over the edges (don't even have to remove them from the racks). You can touch up over a 1000 chips in minutes. Easy as massaging your wife's feet. Bear in mind, the edge is the only part which gets the visual benefit.

2) Can I oil plastics/ceramics?
Answer: Plastics would gain no benefit from oil other than becoming slippery and will get plenty from your fingers. Ceramics can benefit slightly (especially if used), but not much visually. Only benefit I found was it made them (slightly) easier to shuffle in the ones I tested. I wouldn't bother. Bear in mind, the mineral oil does dry after a couple of days no matter what surface it's on, so assuming it'll make the surfaces ongoingly slippery is a myth. It can, however, cause chips to stick together a little on the facings if they're placed together before it's finished drying.

3) Oil+Water technique, does it work as well?
Answer: This was one of the first methods I tried. Visibly, it works almost as well at first (though I incurred splotchy results in darker colored chips). Problems I ran into was the water+oil method didn't fully clean off the factory dust from new chips--leaving some fine sandy grit mixed in with the oil which had to be wiped off (leaving me wiping every chip individually anyhow). I also noticed that in many sets (including 1000 pc Milanos), a lot of stickers are offset or not fully attached (I'd say a good 15% of them), and unless pressed firmly prior to submersion, you'll reduce or remove the stick from the stickers almost guaranteed once a batch is dunked. Since there is no compression taking place, this method won't properly seal the pores, but will still give decent results nonetheless. If you have already compression sealed your chips, then the Oil+Water technique would be a decent way to revitalize the set later on very quickly. Although, even more quickly would be referring back to question/answer #1. Overall, this method was, to me, a success as well; and unless you're OCD like me, it should be sufficient for someone wanting an easier and quicker method.

4) Will colors transfer to other chips if using the same cloth?
Answer: I did not experience this with any chip type I tested, but it may be from pressing too hard. I would lighten your compression and see if that stops the color from transferring.

5) Do I have to wait 12-24 hours to dry?
Answer: This depends on what appearance you want. If you let them air dry, they will become a bit more glossy and be easier to maintain in the longterm. If you let them sit a few hours and then wipe them off, you're sorta double working yourself, and you'll get more of a matte finish. If you want a cleaner, less glossier look, then that may be the best course for you to take. That said, they'll fade into a matte look after a few months anyhow, so not sure I'd want to double work myself on wiping the chips when they'll air dry without needing to wipe them again within 24 hours. Remember, the mineral oil will dry on its own. No need to wipe it off.

So happy to see all of the positive results these past few years with others who incorporated the methods. My chips have only been touched up once since the original post, and it took me under 10 minutes just wiping the edges and rolling them around in the racks. I couldn't be happier with this method and very thankful I got the opportunity to share it with others.

 

[Attaxxman]

Excellent tutorial. Chips look great too.