[CallToSee]

Any thoughts on oiling ASM chips?

I have read the general discussion about oiling chips, and I have an order of custom ASM chips in the works. Most of the discussion makes oiling sound like a pretty good idea.

However, I tried oiling several of the ASM samples I have. I notice that little to no oil seems to penetrate the clear laminate they have over the inlays. The only place I could really tell a difference was on the edges of the chips. The flat surfaces did not really change color, only the rolling edge changed noticably. On the flat surface, it just seemed to make the chips a little slick, until it finished drying.

Are ASMs different in terms of oiling because of the clear laminate? Any opinions appreciated.

[Mike Sears]

Originally Posted by CallToSee

Any thoughts on oiling ASM chips?

I have read the general discussion about oiling chips, and I have an order of custom ASM chips in the works. Most of the discussion makes oiling sound like a pretty good idea.

However, I tried oiling several of the ASM samples I have. I notice that little to no oil seems to penetrate the clear laminate they have over the inlays. The only place I could really tell a difference was on the edges of the chips. The flat surfaces did not really change color, only the rolling edge changed noticably. On the flat surface, it just seemed to make the chips a little slick, until it finished drying.

Are ASMs different in terms of oiling because of the clear laminate? Any opinions appreciated.

Some CT members have reported problems with ASM inlays coming off their chips. Due of this problem (as rare as it may be) I would not oil ASM'S because of the small chance that oil could penetrate the inlay and stain it.

Deep Felt

[MetalSlug3]

I oiled around 500 of my Mardi Gras clays. Really don't think it was worth the trouble, and I do agree that chips feel a bit slicker afterwards.

[Poppadaddy]

Originally Posted by DaiTauHa

Can you please elaborate on this jojo? Does the mineral oil somehow deteriorate the inlays over time?

Does any one know if oiling chips that are hot stamped affects the foil of the stamp?

[Mike Sears]

If your chips feel slick after oiling I suspect that you are not drying them enough. You should let them set for a few days between layers of cotton towels to give the oil a chance to be absorbed into the chips and the towels. Then dry them with another terry-cloth towel one chip at a time.

I do agree that this is a lot of work.

[A-Ro]

I'd always thought it was best to only oil the edges.

[Mike Sears]

Originally Posted by A-Ro

I'd always thought it was best to only oil the edges.

If you oil the face of the chip it will bring out the color. It also helps the chips to resist dirt and grime.

[jamby]

I oiled my low-denomination Pharaoh chips since Boondocker had already oiled the high-denom tourney chips that I bought from him and I wanted them to be in similar condition. It was a time consuming experience, but well worth the effort.

You just have to be careful to not overdo it with oiling and saturate the inlay. Also, be sure to dry them well afterward.

A light mineral oil treatment really brings out the lustre in new clay chips.

-jamby

[jdunford]

Originally Posted by 2_hotty

Another con I found is that they are slicker after they are oiled. At least my Desert Palms were. It wasn't terrible, just a little slicker. The colors stood out a whole lot more though. I mean a lot. Like night and day difference. Might have just been those chip colors, but man, what a difference.

In addition to the dramatic improvement in colours, I found that oiling actually made my Samurais grippier, rather than slicker. Not sticky; just grippier when stacking, shuffling, etc. This might be because oiling removed the dust (which might have acted like a solid lubricant). It might also depend on what oil you use. I used a "heavy" (high molecular weight) white mineral oil from Sigma-Aldrich (a major chemical supplier for the Chemistry Department at University of Toronto... where I work). If you use a lighter oil ("light" mineral oil or a baby oil or something), then they might come out slicker.

Oh, and I found no damage to inlays whatsoever. I think it would only matter if your inlays were glued on...

[legend]

You know what they say....the oily boid gets the woim.