[jamby]

I think that drying them is critical and I would also never submerse a chip in oil. A light wipe with a towel dampened with oil is sufficient.

-jamby

[jdunford]

Originally Posted by noelsarchs

This is absolutlely insane and not needed, submersing a chip in oil for an hour. Clay is a porous material, why saturate it? The oil will surely get into that chip and eventually show up under the inlay somehow with no place to go.

I'll let my shrink be the judge of whether I'm insane or not, thank you very much!

Actually, I got the idea from PokerChipReview.com (http://www.pokerchipreviews.com/oiling.html), as posted above by 7thSeat. Keep in mind I did this with BCC chips partly because they are so hard and I was using a very high density oil. I don't think I'd submerse (softer) Paulson or TR King chips in baby oil (and I'm not familiar with linseed oil) or "light" mineral oil, as these will be more readily absorbed.

It's been a few months since oiling my Samurais, and there is no visible damage in any way. They are still very hard BCC chips, and still have a higher pitched sound than (unoiled) Paulson chips. In fact, my only complaint is some of the immediate effects of oiling (namely the colour enhancement, especially of the red, green, and black chips) are starting to wear off as they continue to dry out. I haven't decided if oiling will be a "one-time only" treatment of these chips (as originally intended) or maybe a yearly tradition...

[EmptyPocs]

Originally Posted by noelsarchs

This is absolutlely insane and not needed, submersing a chip in oil for an hour. Clay is a porous material, why saturate it? The oil will surely get into that chip and eventually show up under the inlay somehow with no place to go.

I've found it makes no difference in the result if you soak for 5 min to a week except that you will get oil creeping into the inlay if you them soak too long.
This is especially noticable in a WHITE inlay. You get a darkish halo creeping towards the center.
I've not had an inlay deteriorate yet but guess I could try harder (I'm into chip torture)

I dunk 25 at a time for a few minutes.
Then let them drip in a strainer.
Then roll them up in 2 sheets of paper towels.
Insert 25 more in the oil.
By the time I have 5x25 stacked in paper i
then unroll one batch with each new batch being dunked and buff those with a thick towel.
Repeat.
Do a last wipe down if needed.

[jdunford]

Originally Posted by EmptyPocs

I've found it makes no difference in the result if you soak for 5 min to a week except that you will get oil creeping into the inlay if you them soak too long.
This is especially noticable in a WHITE inlay. You get a darkish halo creeping towards the center.
I've not had an inlay deteriorate yet but guess I could try harder (I'm into chip torture)

I dunk 25 at a time for a few minutes.
Then let them drip in a strainer.
Then roll them up in 2 sheets of paper towels.
Insert 25 more in the oil.
By the time I have 5x25 stacked in paper i
then unroll one batch with each new batch being dunked and buff those with a thick towel.
Repeat.
Do a last wipe down if needed.

Did the dark inlay go away after, or was it permanent? I didn't see this with my Samurais (white or black side).

Other than the amount of time in the oil, our procedures are nearly identical, except instead of using a strainer, I just "scraped" the chip surface once on each side with a plastic spatula to get the majority of the oil off before laying them between paper towel sheets. And I put about 75 in oil at a time (which is partly why they were in oil for about an hour).

[EmptyPocs]

Originally Posted by jdunford

Keep in mind I did this with BCC chips partly because they are so hard and I was using a very high density oil. I don't think I'd submerse (softer) Paulson or TR King chips in baby oil (and I'm not familiar with linseed oil) or "light" mineral oil, as these will be more readily absorbed.

They are still very hard BCC chips, and still have a higher pitched sound than (unoiled) Paulson chips. In fact, my only complaint is some of the immediate effects of oiling (namely the colour enhancement, especially of the red, green, and black chips) are starting to wear off as they continue to dry out. I haven't decided if oiling will be a "one-time only" treatment of these chips (as originally intended) or maybe a yearly tradition...

I agree. Blue chips really need that oil. Others not so much.
I think Paulsons are just greasy naturally from whatever gunk they mix in with the clay. TRK's I noticed little effect but even though the edges really need it --it wears off like it never was there after use,

Blue Chips stay quite colorful after their christening bath, but you get that nice dry-chaulky look to go with it. They 'dry out' but the color stays.

I have some very worn Modern Clay that look great with a touch up, but they really do not need the oil anymore.

I've never used 'heavy oil'. How were your results?
I used spoon oil, but after the initial illusion of great color, it fades right back fown to the mineral oil after a few day to a week. Might as well just use mineral oil becaue spoon oil is so thick it's a pain to apply and is too costly.

[jdunford]

Originally Posted by EmptyPocs

I agree. Blue chips really need that oil. Others not so much.
I think Paulsons are just greasy naturally from whatever gunk they mix in with the clay. TRK's I noticed little effect but even though the edges really need it --it wears off like it never was there after use,

Blue Chips stay quite colorful after their cristening bath, but you get that nice dry-chaulky look to go with it. They 'dry out' but the color stays.

I have some very worn Modern Clay that look great with a touch up, but they really do not need the oil anymore.

I've never used 'heavy oil'. How were your results?
I used spoon oil, but after the initial illusion of great color, it fades right back fown to the mineral oil after a few day to a week. Might as well just use mineral oil.

Well, I got the mineral oil from my lab (I'm a chemistry grad student). The red, green, and black Samurais come very chalky, and light right up when dropped in the oil (there are lots of pics on CT if you search around... not of mine, but my result looks similar)! After a couple of months (and just a couple of games), they've become less bright, but not chalky. Actually, they probably look their best right now. As far as feel, the heavy oil makes them grippier (but I wouldn't call them "sticky") rather than slippery. They still have that characteristic higher pitched "click-clack" BCC sound to them, so I don't think they've lost any of their hardness.

[EmptyPocs]

Originally Posted by jdunford

Did the dark inlay go away after, or was it permanent? I didn't see this with my Samurais (white or black side).

.

No it's there and doesn't appearto be leaving.
I'll do a scan later and post it.
I see it if I look but it really doesn't bother me and I've never had anyone even notice.
This may be highly dependant on the chip and particualr inlay. It may not even happen at all with other chips. I've never soaked a TRK or Paulson for very long and do not have any ASM's.

[noelsarchs]

All you have to do to properly oil a chip is just get your finger a bit wet with the MINERAL OIL and take stacks of 5 and do just the edges. There is no need to make this difficult and risk your chips.

Wipe it off, let it sit overnight, then wipe again.

If the chip makers thhought soaking a chip in oil was a good idea, why have they not done this themselves long ago?

[OnTheButton]

I oiled my new ASM's.

They were darn near "dusty" when they arrived, and now the color is WOW on them.

The wife and I just coated them by dipping our fingers into a small bowl of mineral oil, and re-dipping them when they got dry., laid them out for the night, damped them with a beach towel and put them away in racks the next morning.

I noticed this morning they were still a little slick, so I laid them out again on the towels for the warmer day instead of the cooler night.

When I get home today I'm going to "molest" them with white cotton gloves as I put them away. After that, the job is done, and the rest will have to happen naturally.

I'm sure after a couple of games the oil will transfer and absorb into the players and into the chips themselves, but the difference in color on the chips made it well worth the while. My Mandarin Red chips look like freaking cherry candy now, instead of bits of dry construction bricks.

[EmptyPocs]

Oil Halo.
Left green is almost to center. Black right is mostly at top and left.


Slightly darker areas.
It's there, but your bad cards should bother you more