Scrubbing can damage hot stamps (1 Viewer)

[upNdown]

who knew?
I just figured if these things can survive for years and years getting tossed around casino tables all day, they'd be fine with a plastic brush.
Boy am I a dumbass.
So I finally got around to cleaning some hotstamps I recently bought. Thankfully not too many of them were too dirty, so I only ended up damaging 5-6 of them. They were just scrubbed with warm water and dish soap with a stiff plastic bristled dish scrubber, but there's definitely some damage. To the naked eye, it looks almost like the gold is chipped off the surface, with silver hotstamp remaining underneath. Upon closer examination, it just looks beat.
Here's one damaged, compared to one not:

 

[GoStumpy]

Yeah they're SUPER delicate, reason they last during use is how they are protected in their little stamp markings.. but any sort of bristles can damage them even a toothbrush.

I've yet to successfully clean hot-stamped chips with zero damage..

 

[MacGrad]

Now I'm curious... What is the best/proper way to clean hot stamped chips?

 

[v1pe]

I imagine ultrasonic would be effective and less damaging?

 

[AWenger]

I imagine ultrasonic would be effective and less damaging?

Yes and no. I've cleaned hotstamps in an ultrasonic before with little to no ill effects, but on the other hand, ultrasonic cleaners can rip holes in sheets of aluminum foil. (Google "aluminum foil test for ultrasonic cleaners"). With dirty hotstamp chips, where the dirt is over the whole chip, it's sometimes hard to tell if the damage to the hotstamp was there to begin with, or just a result of cleaning, or both. So, as always, test one chip with cleaning method, start small (time and/or solution of cleaner), and adjust.

I only ended up damaging 5-6 of them.

Hey, @upNdown, I have exactly 58 of the hotstamp Gold River 25c in varying conditions -- some are very good, and others are worse than your damaged chips. I probably have 6 chips in very good condition, and I'd be willing to make some sort of trade for your 5-6 damaged ones.

 

[BiGGyT]

I ran a barrel of The Post C&J hot stamps in the ultrasonic and I noticed a loss of hot stamp. Also noticed on some Ziegler's C&J hot stamp. Running Argosy cancelled $1's, I did not see a loss of hot stamp, so might also be a product of age and/or formulation of the stamp. Maybe the older stamps cannot take the wear the newer stamps can? Sad, because I really wanted to bathe those Post chips, but don't want to lose 1/10 of the stamp in the process.

I did have success with power toothbrush while keeping my thumb planted over the HS and scrubbing the edges and then picking the canes when gunked, but LONG process.

 

[upNdown]

Yes and no. I've cleaned hotstamps in an ultrasonic before with little to no ill effects, but on the other hand, ultrasonic cleaners can rip holes in sheets of aluminum foil. (Google "aluminum foil test for ultrasonic cleaners"). With dirty hotstamp chips, where the dirt is over the whole chip, it's sometimes hard to tell if the damage to the hotstamp was there to begin with, or just a result of cleaning, or both. So, as always, test one chip with cleaning method, start small (time and/or solution of cleaner), and adjust.


Hey, @upNdown, I have exactly 58 of the hotstamp Gold River 25c in varying conditions -- some are very good, and others are worse than your damaged chips. I probably have 6 chips in very good condition, and I'd be willing to make some sort of trade for your 5-6 damaged ones.

I'll send you a pm, thanks

 

[ChipEnvy]

Use warm water with dishsoap and a toothbrush. Cover the hotstamp with your thumb. Done.

 

[v1pe]

Data point: I've hand scrubbed (pretty vigorously with a dish brush) a few barrels of ASM hot stamped solids. Mixed results. Some come out looking great with no noticable degradation. Some come out with very little hot stamp left. I personally think it comes down to the condition of the chip/stamp before cleaning. The chips I'm working on are of varying conditions, I would say overall used condition.

 

[MaxB]

I've had bad luck with cleaning hotstamps .... below are a few different chips after I gently wet them and lightly rubbed with a glasses cloth (to avoid scratching)

Caesar's Palace :

Rio (Vegas) ...they must relabel as under the hotstamp was hidden Pioneer labels:

Bellagio 50k hotstamp (I'll never get my 50k back):