Ultrasonic Chip Cleaning (19 Viewers)

[Pony]

I now use one of these in conjunction with a quick run through the ultrasonic. The ultrasonic gets some gunk off and shakes the rest loose. The scrubber really gets the chip clean and allows me to reduce the time in the ultrasonic for more sensitive chips like red base which tend to come out looking really dry and thirsty afterwards.

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Scrubber-Household-Purpose-SonicScrubber/dp/B007D0H4OK/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1HLASOUXB58YK&keywords=sonic+scrubber&qid=1671061287&sprefix=sonic+scrubber,aps,104&sr=8-5

I would agree - the purple and red chips I ran through did come out looking fairly "thirsty" compared to the whites.

 

[toothpic]

I would agree - the purple and red chips I ran through did come out looking fairly "thirsty" compared to the whites.

Oiling will help a bit, but sometimes they just look eternally parched lol

 

[mitch3r]

this is super helpful thanks for posting!

 

[WillyTLT]

Thanks again to @ski_ex5 for posting this!

If anyone is on the fence about getting an ultrasonic, do it! I've cleaned a lot of chips by hand including my first set of Crystal Parks (before magic eraser was even a thing). Never again.

Just cleaned these 200 this morning. Fast and great results.

Thanks @justincarothers for the Binions!

 

[brewdawg]

So now I have 2 reasons to get an ultrasonic. Cleaning chips and cleaning gun parts. Guess it is time to invest.

Now to find the best one for both tasks.

 

[opengun]

Thanks again to @ski_ex5 for posting this!

If anyone is on the fence about getting an ultrasonic, do it! I've cleaned a lot of chips by hand including my first set of Crystal Parks (before magic eraser was even a thing). Never again.

Just cleaned these 200 this morning. Fast and great results.

Thanks @justincarothers for the Binions!


View attachment 1064962

which model cleaner did you use? I'm researching now for chips, jewelry, gun parts.

 

[WillyTLT]

I got this one from Amazon. It's good size. I have to double the amounts from these instructions to fill it. And it says it's supposed to be fun to run it.

VEVOR Commercial Ultrasonic Cleaner 6L Professional Ultrasonic Cleaner 40kHz with Digital Timer&Heater 110V Excellent Cleaning Machine for Watch Instruments Industrial Parts Excellent Cleaner Solution https://a.co/d/i0CHTcz

 

[WillyTLT]

6L is currently out of stock though. Dang.

 

[BearMetal]

I got mine off eBay ... I bet it's cheaper there too.

 

[Moxie Mike]

Looking for advice on TSP alternatives. I have a friend coming over Wednesday to clean her poker chips... they're not Paulsons so I don't know how they'll hold up to the TSP I have on hand. I don't know what they are - more than likely they're a dice-chip-esque composite plastic product. I actually expect them to be fine in the TSP but you never know.

We'll obviously test a few to see how they do - but I would like to have an alternative cleaner on hand in case the don't pass the test.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can dispense.

PS Yes I realize this has probably been discussed multiple times, but this thread is 48 pages long. Cut a brother some slack

 

[tabletalker7]

Looking for advice on TSP alternatives. I have a friend coming over Wednesday to clean her poker chips... they're not Paulsons so I don't know how they'll hold up to the TSP I have on hand. I don't know what they are - more than likely they're a dice-chip-esque composite plastic product. I actually expect them to be fine in the TSP but you never know.

We'll obviously test a few to see how they do - but I would like to have an alternative cleaner on hand in case the don't pass the test.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can dispense.

PS Yes I realize this has probably been discussed multiple times, but this thread is 48 pages long. Cut a brother some slack

All my chips are ceramics and the ultrasonic cleaner they sell at harbor freight works great for me. Pretty cheap too.

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-oz-ultrasonic-cleaning-powder-91593.html

 

[allforcharity]

Looking for advice on TSP alternatives. I have a friend coming over Wednesday to clean her poker chips... they're not Paulsons so I don't know how they'll hold up to the TSP I have on hand. I don't know what they are - more than likely they're a dice-chip-esque composite plastic product. I actually expect them to be fine in the TSP but you never know.

We'll obviously test a few to see how they do - but I would like to have an alternative cleaner on hand in case the don't pass the test.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can dispense.

PS Yes I realize this has probably been discussed multiple times, but this thread is 48 pages long. Cut a brother some slack

Most of us use metasilicates, marketed as "non-phosphate TSP". Lundmark, Red Devil brands off Amazon come up often. They are safe for the Paulsons, TRK, ceramics, and plastics that I've tried. Be very careful with, or avoid entirely, the ASM/CPC products with them.

 

[philhut]

Looking for advice on TSP alternatives. I have a friend coming over Wednesday to clean her poker chips... they're not Paulsons so I don't know how they'll hold up to the TSP I have on hand. I don't know what they are - more than likely they're a dice-chip-esque composite plastic product. I actually expect them to be fine in the TSP but you never know.

We'll obviously test a few to see how they do - but I would like to have an alternative cleaner on hand in case the don't pass the test.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can dispense.

PS Yes I realize this has probably been discussed multiple times, but this thread is 48 pages long. Cut a brother some slack

I use only regular household ingredients
-tap water @42 celcius (no hotter)
-dish soap (a healthy amount)
-course salt (table salt or Epsom salt is fine, goal is a hypertonic solution)
Shake 1 barrel at a time if very dirty up to a rack for 20-30 seconds, I then brush each chip lightly with a brush and then reshape for 30 seconds and rinse under the tap for a barrel of dirty paulsons. If doing a whole rack maybe shake for 30 seconds, take out the tray rinse under a strong tap while shaking the contents in the tray to move the chips around and shake again. You should consider a max shake time of 2 mins for any chips.
I have had great results with this method, no chips bleached out or damaged. Never go higher than 42celcius or your chips may warp.

 

[philhut]

this is a before/after example per the above

after

 

[Shaggy]

I use only regular household ingredients
-tap water @42 celcius (no hotter)
-dish soap (a healthy amount)
-course salt (table salt or Epsom salt is fine, goal is a hypertonic solution)
Shake 1 barrel at a time if very dirty up to a rack for 20-30 seconds, I then brush each chip lightly with a brush and then reshape for 30 seconds and rinse under the tap for a barrel of dirty paulsons. If doing a whole rack maybe shake for 30 seconds, take out the tray rinse under a strong tap while shaking the contents in the tray to move the chips around and shake again. You should consider a max shake time of 2 mins for any chips.
I have had great results with this method, no chips bleached out or damaged. Never go higher than 42celcius or your chips may warp.

Have you tried this process (or one similar) on CPC/ASM/Burt chips?

 

[Tonysquander]

Have you tried this process (or one similar) on CPC/ASM/Burt chips?

I tried it on some L molds and it worked well.

 

[philhut]

Have you tried this process (or one similar) on CPC/ASM/Burt chips?

I haven't needed to clean my CPC's yet, I could cycle a tester to see what happens next time I run chips thru.

 

[JP1984]

@Azphrodite welcome to PCF!

 

[allforcharity]

I didn't realize I had such a backlog of chips to clean.

Got some time tonight to oil them right....

 

[Rooster410]

I use only regular household ingredients
-tap water @42 celcius (no hotter)
-dish soap (a healthy amount)
-course salt (table salt or Epsom salt is fine, goal is a hypertonic solution)
Shake 1 barrel at a time if very dirty up to a rack for 20-30 seconds, I then brush each chip lightly with a brush and then reshape for 30 seconds and rinse under the tap for a barrel of dirty paulsons. If doing a whole rack maybe shake for 30 seconds, take out the tray rinse under a strong tap while shaking the contents in the tray to move the chips around and shake again. You should consider a max shake time of 2 mins for any chips.
I have had great results with this method, no chips bleached out or damaged. Never go higher than 42celcius or your chips may warp.

Does this method use an ultrasonic cleaner?

 

[philhut]

Does this method use an ultrasonic cleaner?

Yes, "shake" referring to turning on your ultrasonic. I had always used the unit with the lid off. Today I was running some chips with the lid on. With the Venmo 6L it seems like there is a slight improvement in performance with the lid on.....? More total vibration??? Some darker chips can be run as low as 36 celcius, avg 39-41 but never over 42 celcius to avoid warping. Also if washing multiple racks a pre soak in soapy water while running the others helps loosen up dirt before shaking.

 

[allforcharity]

I run at 43C and have never warped a chip.

 

[BearMetal]

During the winter months in NJ, the wild BearMetal can be seen hoarding poker chips to sustain itself through the long, cold season. An opportunistic hunter, there is very little discretion used when deciding which chips to acquire. As Spring approaches, he will wait for the females to leave the nest and then proceed to clean all of the chips he has been stashing. He must do this in solitude to prevent alarm from the alpha female over the amount of clay which has been accumulating in the corner of nest.

I gotta say, those Sycuan $2's cleaned up REALLY well! Like, brand-spanking new! The Elsinore's $5s did too!

 

[azbrad]

if this doesnt prove you are a legend i dont know what would.

 

[Rooster410]

The @philhut method works pretty good!

 

[LeLe]

The @philhut method works pretty good!
View attachment 1123446

Is that too much oiling and some oil leakage onto the label?

 

[Rooster410]

Is that too much oiling and some oil leakage onto the label?

View attachment 1123688

No clue.. I am milling them so not worried.

 

[Goldfish]

View attachment 1121913if this doesnt prove you are a legend i dont know what would.

I got the same pop up when I bought my salad spinner a year ago. PCF still going strong!! Hahaha.

 

[allforcharity]

No clue.. I am milling them so not worried.

You mean replacing the inlay? You should have done that part first, then clean.

I usually oil before I put the replacement sticker on. Some people reverse this.

 

[Rooster410]

You mean replacing the inlay? You should have done that part first, then clean.

I usually oil before I put the replacement sticker on. Some people reverse this.

I wanted to see how the ultrasonic would work before milling 600 chips. Now I will mill, clean, label and then oil.