[tonypap]

EDIT: IT IS NOT SAFE TO USE ACETONE - YOU MUST USE NON-ACETONE NAIL POLISH REMOVER




I recently removed the cancellation hotstamps from 20 River City chips I received in the mystery box. Process was basically effortless; the nail-polish remover did all the work. 20 chips took about 5 minutes.

All I did was dip the cloth in the nail-polish remover and lightly rub the hotstamp. Within about 4-5 seconds of rubbing the hotstamp disappears. After cleaning both sides I dipped the chip in water to get rid of any excess nail-polish remover and then allowed it to dry on a paper towel.


Items needed: wash cloth, nail-polish remover, bowl with water (to rinse), paper towels.


BEFORE:


AFTER:


(this chip has also been oiled w/mineral oil)



Questions/Comments?

[jdunford]

To anyone who wants to repeat this, avoid getting nail polish remover on the clay part of the chip or around the edges of the inlay. I tried cleaning some chips with acetone once. I found I can dissolve a Paulson Cherry chip in a beaker of pure acetone (not just the hot-stamp). Nail polish remover has some other stuff in it, so it might not be quite as harsh, but still: Caution is advised!

[Vince]

If you only remove a hotstamp foil, it's ok.
When I removed the stamps from my St. Jo's (which had the "normal" black ink cancelation stamp underneath it) I dropped them in denatured alcohol. It takes off all the stuff, foil and ink. When you use nail polisher remover the black ink might soak into the actual chip.

It also might attack the surface/crosshatch of the chip

[dap325]

Works good, but like Vince said.. be careful if you're doing this to St. Jo's $1's. The "black ink" under the hotstamp stained a few of mine. You just have to be careful.

On a side note... drilled, notched and hotstamped?!?!? They really did a good job on those chips .

[tonypap]

WOW! I wasn't aware of any of that. I must say, I was pretty careful when I was doing this. I didn't soak the cloth, and I only applied the cleaner to the inlay so it really didn't get on the clay.

Maybe I should delete this thread before people damage their chips???

[Vince]

I thought these were pretty known facts.

[Roc-A-Fella_1]

Funny, I was just testing out some nail polish remover on one of my extra, badly cracked St. Jos $25 chips. I think i over did it and caused the black stamp to stain the inlay. As a result, i tried to remove the stain and put more nail polish remover and burned off some cross hatching near the edge of the inlay. I ended up just snapping the chip in half to see what's inside for myself first hand. Thank God i didn't do them all and don't plan to. I rather like the hotstamp on the .50s. I can only imagine that most of my St. Jos will be bare from all that nail polish remover. Please dont report me to the Chip Abuse Police....

Can you guys recommend another alternative that isn't as abrasive to the clay of the chip itself?

[BigKyle]

I thought the key was to use non-acetone nail polish remover. Cleaned my St. Jos like a charm with no damage to the inlay.

[JoseRijo]

Originally Posted by BigKyle

I thought the key was to use non-acetone nail polish remover. Cleaned my St. Jos like a charm with no damage to the inlay.

That's right. Tony, you should just change the title of the thread (to NON-acetone).

Rubbing alcohol does the trick and will also clean the chip pretty well. You'll need to oil it afterwards.

[tonypap]

Originally Posted by JoseRijo

That's right. Tony, you should just change the title of the thread (to NON-acetone).

Rubbing alcohol does the trick and will also clean the chip pretty well. You'll need to oil it afterwards.

good idea....title changed!