Felting mint chips (1 Viewer)

turtle

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I bought these from a local PCFer some time ago, planning to felt these soon. Any tips on whether I should wash or oil them before? Thanks!
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Oiling them is a good idea imo. They’ll be less brittle and have less of a chance of chipping etc. also, the colors will pop more!
 
put them in play.
I can agree the HSi that came from Jim’s sale, needed the damp cloth routine, as @Marius L mentioned.

I also think just getting them in play will get them naturally oiled from human hands.

This all said, I had a terrible experience with my HSI. I found the same “orangey” substance that plagued the snappers, on my $25S and $5S. I’m surprised that nobody else seemed to experience this, but I had to clean and wash so many chips, it forced me to dislike them entirely and sell the lot.

There is no harm in lightly oiling the edges, if you ask me. I’ve oiled many of my Paulsons, especially black chips, which seem to absorb mineral oil at a higher rate than other colors. Dark shades of green can be thirsty too.

Everyone has mixed opinions. The chief determining factor for me, is the porous nature of these chips and a sort of “seal” the mineral oil can provide, can only benefit the chip. I’m an oil guy!
 
Big bowl of water.

Put chips in water, slosh around nice and loving like.

Wipe off, Dry off, with pretty rag.

Let them air dry.

Oil.

Wait a few hours, maybe a day.

Wipe off.

Play.

Win poker.

Smile.
So does the water help? I always wondered if you needed to wash mint chips with water before oiling
 
Thanks for all the replies! Will definitely be giving these a wash. Still undecided on whether to oil or not, does oiling make them easier to shuffle?
 
New Paulsons I prefer to just get into play so the natural oil from everyone's hands conditions them. They aren't as dusty as new CPCs.

After a few sessions they will be looking very nice.
 
Thanks for all the replies! Will definitely be giving these a wash. Still undecided on whether to oil or not, does oiling make them easier to shuffle?
IMO no point in oiling NEW paulsons. Casino used chips that has been thoroughly cleaned definitely appreciates some oil though.

For these just do a light wipe down with a damp cloth and you're good to go!

Shuffling makes them easier to shuffle, just to get the super sharp edges rounded ever so slightly.
 
Even with CPC chips, I only like to oil the edges and not the face of the chip.

Only chips I will oil are ones that I've cleaned with an ultrasonic or by an oxy soak and then put a brush to. Those come out looking really parched so the oiling helps revitalize the colors. This is mostly needed on red chips as red Paulsons seem look dried out the most after a cleaning to get rid of hooker juice.
 
Under UV light, it shows that it gets everywhere. This was from cleaning primary 25s:

I didn’t think to oil them to possibly lock in the dust. I just don’t like oiling chips unless they’re REALY dusty like new CPCs. I like chalky chips.
Ha....!
I was just going to post this about these chips. (These are the secondary rack)

If you have not washed them yet, handle the $25 chips and then look at your hands (and whatever else they touched) under a UV light.
The $5's also appear to have this fluorescent dust on them, but not like the $25 chips.

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I wouldn’t wash them and I wouldn’t oil them. Just play them!

Oiling them is a good idea imo. They’ll be less brittle

This is a consideration. It’s a theory. I don’t buy it mostly because I hate oil. But some chippers believe this is true, and they could be right.
Another theory is that oiling chips is like scotchguarding them - makes them less resistant to picking up grime. I also don’t know if this is true, but it’s a theory that some chippers believe.
Do what you want.
My bottom line is that they’re poker chips and not to overthink it (though we all exist here to overthink thinks.)
 
Use the water method of oiling. Best of both worlds.

Yes, it works despite what we all remember from 5th grade science class.

No, you don’t need to use much oil at all. I would use less than half a capful from the mineral oil bottle per 200 chips.

I recommend using the basket from a salad spinner (no spinning, just dunking).

People love to say “let them get oiled naturally by the action,” but unless your regs are total slobs, and you are hosting more than one weekly game, it could take years to accomplish the effect you want (deepening the color, adding some protection). Plus players’ hand “oils” will contain all kinds of crud. I would prefer the underlayer be clear and clean.
 
Any tips on whether I should wash or oil them before?
I'm in the pro-oil camp, even for new Paulson chips.

Clay chips will soak up liquid, oil, etc. Why let the first exposure to the pristine clay be to 'hand' or 'body' oils that may or may not be clean or may be clean, and from hands that have touched food, potato chips, face/hair, etc? Food oils can go rancid. (I don't know about body oils). Instead why not first give 'virgin' clay chips a light oiling with mineral oil -- a neutral type of oil that will not go rancid.

At a minimum, I like to do a light oiling to the outside of the chips, a barrel at a time, with a microfiber cloth.

Some of the colors will look better, too, being saturated by the mineral oil.
 

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