Baking Inlaid Chips? (1 Viewer)

[MoscowRadio]

Hey everyone. I've never really considered baking chips before, but my T1000 GCOP chips have quite a few spinners in them due to the label sticking out further from the chip body. I'd like to fix this as even stacks of 20 are a pretty unstable. Can anyone here give me some pointers or do's and don't? I would really appreciate it. This is my all-time favorite set and the T1000 is pretty much the workhorse chip in my game, so I'd like for them to be as perfect as I can get them.

Thanks all!

 

[Shaggy]

Are they actually warped or is the label just sticking out indicating the recess is too shallow? Does it just stick out on one side... in the center... true spinner? If they are actually warped, I have had success removing warpage with baking while clamped between ceramic chips. Time and temp varies, but 275 degrees for 40 minutes worked well for hotstamped paulsons from the 1990's (Lakeshore quarters). The best time and temp for the BCC GCOP's will likely be different, some experimentation will be necessary.

 

[BGinGA]

T1000 GPOC spinners pretty common. There are a couple of very good baking threads on bluescreen. I'd keep temperatures down (140F) with 10-15 minute increments (slightly tighten as chips get warmer), go with clamps using ceramic blanks between each clay chip.

 

[MoscowRadio]

T1000 GPOC spinners pretty common. There are a couple of very good baking threads on bluescreen. I'd keep temperatures down (140F) with 10-15 minute increments (slightly tighten as chips get warmer), go with clamps using ceramic blanks between each clay chip.

Thanks, BG!

 

[pltrgyst]

I'd keep temperatures down (140F)....

How do you do that? Most kitchen ovens don't have settings below 170, and most don't hold their lower settings very well at all.

 

[RowdyRawhide]

How do you do that? Most kitchen ovens don't have settings below 170, and most don't hold their lower settings very well at all.

I would think you could lave the oven door cracked and monitor temps with a digital therm.....just a thought.

 

[MoscowRadio]

I have some extras that I'm experimenting on. My oven doesn't go lower than 170, so I'm baking them for 8 minutes and giving them a 1/4 turn at 4 minutes and I'll give them another 1/4 turn when they come out. Wish me luck.

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Well 8 minutes accomplished nothing. I'm gonna try for a tighter grip on the chips at 10 minutes this time.

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10 minutes = no change. Guess we're going to fifteen.

 

[Gear]

Are they actually warped or is the label just sticking out indicating the recess is too shallow? Does it just stick out on one side... in the center... true spinner? If they are actually warped, I have had success removing warpage with baking while clamped between ceramic chips. Time and temp varies, but 275 degrees for 40 minutes worked well for hotstamped paulsons from the 1990's (Lakeshore quarters). The best time and temp for the BCC GCOP's will likely be different, some experimentation will be necessary.

Oh my God - that has to be a typo. I'm sure you meant 175 degrees, not 275, right? 275 at 40 minutes would get you a puddle of chip goo.


What you could do is lay them out flat on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, bake for let's say TWO minutes, then quickly rack them to get them aligned, and clamp until cool. Part of the reason it takes so long in the oven is that there's way less heat transfer into the chips when they are already stacked.

 

[MoscowRadio]

15 minutes = not a damn thing. Going to 25 minutes at 175.

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You can find me in the PLO room.

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Baking experiment resulted in squished chips.

Now I'm looking to replace 10 of the T1000 GCOP chips. I just posted an ad in the classifieds. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Shaggy]

Oh my God - that has to be a typo. I'm sure you meant 175 degrees, not 275, right? 275 at 40 minutes would get you a puddle of chip goo.


What you could do is lay them out flat on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, bake for let's say TWO minutes, then quickly rack them to get them aligned, and clamp until cool. Part of the reason it takes so long in the oven is that there's way less heat transfer into the chips when they are already stacked.

You are absolutely correct. I intended to state 175.

As BG stated, there is a great thread on the blue screen that captured the best process as it evolved. The end result was to use blank ceramic chips as spacers while you clamped your warped chips together. While clamped, only the edges are exposed. The goal is to heat the entire chip to above its transition temperature (different for all types of chips). Remove the stack of clamped chips and let them cool. Keep the clamp in place and do not tighten it additionally. As they cool, the clamping will ensure the internal stresses don't re-warp the chip.

http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/poker-chip-care/30604-best-way-un-warp-paulson-chips.html

 

[ski_ex5]

15 minutes = not a damn thing. Going to 25 minutes at 175.

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You can find me in the PLO room.

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Baking experiment resulted in squished chips.

Now I'm looking to replace 10 of the T1000 GCOP chips. I just posted an ad in the classifieds. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry to hear that, but even 175F is just way too hot! I have to second BGinGA Dave's recommendation of 140F, or lower. I actually use just 130F for Paulsons, and let them go for 15-20 minutes. I do NOT put them in the freezer or refrigerator afterwards! I let them cool slowly on the kitchen counter, ensuring that the clamp stays snug during the cooling process, which can take upwards of an hour. (Hey, the girls were right... slower really is better! Who knew?!)

Also, having a proper clamp really helps a LOT. Just my opinion, but I don't think the caulk guns and some of the other ratchet clamps hold the chips nearly square enough, and the ratcheting action doesn't provide the fine level of tightening adjustment that's needed.

I'll post photos of my poker chip clamp tonight. If I fail to remember to do this, send me a PM to remind me!

 

[MoscowRadio]

Sorry to hear that, but even 175F is just way too hot! I have to second BGinGA Dave's recommendation of 140F, or lower. I actually use just 130F for Paulsons, and let them go for 15-20 minutes. I do NOT put them in the freezer or refrigerator afterwards! I let them cool slowly on the kitchen counter, ensuring that the clamp stays snug during the cooling process, which can take upwards of an hour. (Hey, the girls were right... slower really is better! Who knew?!)

Also, having a proper clamp really helps a LOT. Just my opinion, but I don't think the caulk guns and some of the other ratchet clamps hold the chips nearly square enough, and the ratcheting action doesn't provide the fine level of tightening adjustment that's needed.

I'll post photos of my poker chip clamp tonight. If I fail to remember to do this, send me a PM to remind me!

I appreciate it Ski, but I'm not gonna do anymore baking. I just need to replace the chips that were lost. The good die young.

 

[Zippity]

I commend your bravery. I could never bake chips. Unless they were cheap replacements that I was practicing the art on. You had serious guts.

 

[MoscowRadio]

I commend your bravery. I could never bake chips. Unless they were cheap replacements that I was practicing the art on. You had serious guts.

Or serious disregard for potential consequences. If I'd have had extras to practice on, I surely would've done that.

 

[BGinGA]

This thread is worthless without pics.

 

[ski_ex5]

This thread is worthless without pics.

Yeah yeah yeah... thanks for reminding me!

I posted a photo of my clamp, along with a write up of the procedures I use in a separate topic:

Flattening Warped Chips

I was going to post it here, but thought that a general topic on flattening chips might be a better idea (not just baking, and not just inlaid chips).