Diamond Chip Cleaner ??'s

RussB42 · Tweet this Post! #1 10-26-2009, 10:04 AM

I have been cleaning my Flea Mkt Find chips with liquid laundry detergent. This takes too long as the chips are extremely dirty. Been in the old case for at least 20yrs or so, not being touched.

Some of the chips already have weak Hot Stamps from use and age and cleaning them with the detergent takes some more off.

I ordered some Cleaner and need to know if:

Do I need to wear gloves when cleaning chips with DCC, expecially since I have some small cuts on my fingers?

How long should I soak them and should I scrape off the dirt clots on the chips 1st?

Do I rinse or not and then oil if I do not rinse?

If pic's are needed , they are in the post RussB42's Flea Mkt Find attempting to post pic's.

I appreciate your responses.

mizuchaud · Tweet this Post! #2 10-26-2009, 10:28 AM

I didn't use gloves, but I didn't bathe in it either.
Be careful with the hotstamps. Don't soak too long. Would be a shame if the DCC started taking away some of the foil.

I don't know if it would, since I only cleaned inlaid paulsons with it...

dew4au · Tweet this Post! #3 10-26-2009, 10:53 AM

I bought some Diamond Chip Cleaner to clean some of my dirty Aztars, and honestly I could not tell a difference between it and soap water.

Unless someone can prove me otherwise, I'll be sticking to good ol soap water.

shaboo · Tweet this Post! #4 10-26-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussB42

Do I need to wear gloves when cleaning chips with DCC, expecially since I have some small cuts on my fingers?

How long should I soak them and should I scrape off the dirt clots on the chips 1st?

Do I rinse or not and then oil if I do not rinse?

If pic's are needed , they are in the post RussB42's Flea Mkt Find attempting to post pic's.

I am using DCC to clean my Paulson "Emerald Princess". The dirtiest of them - including the hotstamped $1's - spent 90 to 120 minutes in DCC with absolutely no negative effects: no color bleaching, no drying out, no hotstamp damage. According to the usage instructions you should not rinse them, but only wipe them dry with a soft towel, which is what I am doing, too. Wearing gloves is definitely recommended, as DCC makes your fingers very slippery. With no color bleaching or drying out oiling shouldn't be necessary, at least with regard to my EP chips the effect was barely noticeable.

ellased · Tweet this Post! #5 10-26-2009, 12:00 PM

i have no idea what`s in dcc, but i`m guessing chemicals. as a general rule, if you have fresh cuts on your fingers, putting chemicals on them is not the brightest of ideas. protect yourself, get some gloves. at the very worst, just swipe some from your local hospital. everybody`s worried about h1n1, i`m sure there will be boxes everywhere.

dew4au · Tweet this Post! #6 10-26-2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellased

i have no idea what`s in dcc, but i`m guessing chemicals. as a general rule, if you have fresh cuts on your fingers, putting chemicals on them is not the brightest of ideas. protect yourself, get some gloves. at the very worst, just swipe some from your local hospital. everybody`s worried about h1n1, i`m sure they`ll be boxes everywhere.

Primary ingredient is Trisodium Phosphate (TSP). It's not listed as a known carcinogen, but why risk it. Use some gloves! It can burn the skin in high enough concentration, but DCC has never burned my skin. TSP is also used as a cleaning agent, and is available at your hardware store. Some people just buy that since it's cheaper, and cut it with water. The only question is how much?

But, like I said, I'll just stick to soap water.

mattjrocks · Tweet this Post! #7 10-26-2009, 09:30 PM

There is a thread around here explaining the use of TSP. My local paint store had an alternative called TSP-PF (Phosphate Free), They told me plain TSP wasn't available anymore. It is used to clean decks, prep for painting, etc. I got a box for $3.00 and it was way more than enough to clean 600 Outposts. I just put about 2 tablespoons in about 64 oz of warm water, agitated them by hand, and let them soak for about 10 mins. The dirt and grime was basically wiping off with a soft bristle brush (one of my wife's fingernail brushes). I did add about 2 more tablespoons to the solution when I cleaned the $1.00s because they were super grimy. Bleached out the color a little bit since TSP/TSP-PF is also degreaser and will remove all the oils. Rinsed thoroughly and oiled after drying. I did wear latex gloves but I don't think the PF version is as volatile as plain TSP. For $3.00 at my local Sherwin Williams paint store I figure I have enough to clean thousands of chips if need be.

RussB42 · Tweet this Post! #8 10-26-2009, 10:47 PM

Thanks for the info. I have a bottle comming, and if I run out I will go the the paint store and get some more.

These chips are from the late 60's early 70's and I just didn't want to damage them or the Hot Stamps.

ovo · Tweet this Post! #9 10-27-2009, 12:44 AM

usually soak for 10- 15 minutes, but test on one chip first. Shouldn't need to oil, if chips are really dirty, have a bowl of clean water, drop them in for a quick rinse, as just wiping them down can leave dirty residue . I usually scrub with a toothbrush. Stuff works great, wish it was cheaper.

rakrul · Tweet this Post! #10 10-27-2009, 09:09 AM

I put them in the black pot first, with 50/50 DCC/water. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes, then I took the sponge and cleaned with the rough side and put them into them empty chromed container. When I was done, I dumped them on a towel, dried them, and then oiled them.

Only cleaned the 5s and 25s.

I found the DCC tons better when it came to cleaning out the gunk from the nooks and crannies of the TH&C.