Flattening Warped Chips (2 Viewers)

I’m now experience SOME chips, in this case a rack of RHC, get absolutely putty-like. I noticed they sounded weird when I took them out of the heating pad and I was able to very easily bend one with my fingers. I flattened them immediately with very light pressure. they’re perfect now, but that was rather scary. 😱
Sounds like they were too hot. I would reduce the heat on the heating pad if possible
 
Anyone done flattening and have 43mm blanks and a flattening rack they want to sell? Thanks.
 
I’m now experience SOME chips, in this case a rack of RHC, get absolutely putty-like. I noticed they sounded weird when I took them out of the heating pad and I was able to very easily bend one with my fingers. I flattened them immediately with very light pressure. they’re perfect now, but that was rather scary. 😱
At the factory they use the pancake griddles sold at Kmart to heat the “biscuits” and cut them or put them into the presses. Thats how little heat you need
 
Anyone done flattening and have 43mm blanks and a flattening rack they want to sell? Thanks.
Most of us that are deep enough down the rabbit hole of chipping to buy everything and learn how to flatten chips are in it for the long haul. I have everything and haven't used it for a while, but would not be interested in selling just because I KNOW that at some point I'll use it all again.

No harm in asking, but I suspect your best bet is to just buy new or pay someone to do it for you. Only thing is to decide if it is worth the small investment:

- Heating pad: $30?
- Blanks: ? $20
- Quick release clamps: $20? Depending on how many you get
- Something to hold everything together (1.5"" pvc cut = free or something else $?

Ok, whatever.... my list certainly isn't exact, but I'm not too far off. It's going to cost you $75- $100 for everything new. How many chips are you going to flatten? If you have just 1 set of 500-1000 chips or whatever & that's it then you are probably better off just paying someone here to do it for you.
 
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The 3d printed rests for the chips and blanks are a great quality of life item. It's perfectly created to center the chips inside the blanks which are typically a big bigger than the chips. Not sure who sells those still. I have both the 39 mm and 43 mm chip varieties.

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The 3d printed rests for the chips and blanks are a great quality of life item. It's perfectly created to center the chips inside the blanks which are typically a big bigger than the chips. Not sure who sells those still. ....
This falls into #4 on my list. More than 1 way to do this, but you have to have something & this is 1 way. It'll cost you something... not sure how much but it would certainly work well
 
I got mine from Sparkynutz, u might shoot him a DM. He had the jig as well.
I sold 2300 blanks over last couple years. I have been out for a while now. I didn't re-order because the last quote was significantly higher than previous orders.
I also don't have the extra time to 3d print, sell and ship daily like I used to.
There may still be enough demand if someone buys in bulk.
I sure get a lot of messages for them yet.
I thought @TheLemursReturn was going to stock them in his store but haven't seen them listed.

Or maybe someone else can run a group buy.
Id be willing to make and sell a batch of jigs for discount or send the file if you wanna print your own.
 
I sold 2300 blanks over last couple years. I have been out for a while now. I didn't re-order because the last quote was significantly higher than previous orders.
I also don't have the extra time to 3d print, sell and ship daily like I used to.
There may still be enough demand if someone buys in bulk.
I sure get a lot of messages for them yet.
I thought @TheLemursReturn was going to stock them in his store but haven't seen them listed.

Or maybe someone else can run a group buy.
Id be willing to make and sell a batch of jigs for discount or send the file if you wanna print your own.

I have a batch on the way right now. Two or three weeks until listed, likely.
 
As an FYI to anyone with as little patience as me, don’t use clamps with smaller contact points. That can crack the blanks. 😞 I switched to the wooden style clamps and have had great success.
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As an FYI to anyone with as little patience as me, don’t use clamps with smaller contact points. That can crack the blanks. 😞 I switched to the wooden style clamps and have had great success. View attachment 1670426
Looks like WAY too much clamping pressure was used. Flattening chips only requires a small amount more pressure than you can squeeze using your hand. It’s so little that the barrel can often rotate within the clamp.
 
As an FYI to anyone with as little patience as me, don’t use clamps with smaller contact points. That can crack the blanks. 😞 I switched to the wooden style clamps and have had great success.
Yes, that is WAYYY too much clamping force if the ceramic blanks are cracking. You may be squeezing the chips so much that they are not just being flattened but getting thinner with larger diameter.
 
My attic in the summer gets 110ish. I've clamped chips in a Bessey and left them 24 hours and had good results. Had to slightly tighten the clamp once.

flattening chips is like good BBQ. Low and slow for best
results.

these went 17 days in the attic last summer because i forgot about them. came out stacking like bricks.

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yeah yeah ceramic spacers blah blah
 
Looks like WAY too much clamping pressure was used. Flattening chips only requires a small amount more pressure than you can squeeze using your hand. It’s so little that the barrel can often rotate within the clamp.
Could be, but I think what I had happening was maybe chips were not hot enough, but they were so warped that I was putting stress on the blank at just one point. When they cracked it happened before the clamps were tightened and chips were still visibly not flat between spacers. Added pics of pre-flattened chips for context.
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Could be, but I think what I had happening was maybe chips were not hot enough, but they were so warped that I was putting stress on the blank at just one point. When they cracked it happened before the clamps were tightened and chips were still visibly not flat between spacers. Added pics of pre-flattened chips for context
CPC chips are harder and more brittle (not soft like Paulson), so they are a lot harder to flatten. Likely higher temp is needed to soften them enough such that a much lighter clamping force is needed.

For reference, 130F on the chip surface (as measured by a cheap infrared surface temp thermometer) has been enough for Paulson to soften enough to flatten.
 
Anyone have tips on flattening BCCs? I've been very conservatively flattening some with the heated blanket method. Have some chips that are still spinners after 3 rounds of flattening, might get more aggressive with those.

Before and after pics below compared to a perfect barrel

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Anyone have tips on flattening BCCs? I've been very conservatively flattening some with the heated blanket method. Have some chips that are still spinners after 3 rounds of flattening, might get more aggressive with those.

Before and after pics below compared to a perfect barrel

View attachment 1670508View attachment 1670509View attachment 1670510
You must be doing something wrong. Look at your edges - they're all concave (except for the one that looks convex.) I'm guessing too much pressure. But whatever it is, it isn't good.
 
You must be doing something wrong. Look at your edges - they're all concave (except for the one that looks convex.) I'm guessing too much pressure. But whatever it is, it isn't good.
Too hot and way too much pressure. Happens when you tighten the clamps after they are overheated. Squish goes the chips.
 
You must be doing something wrong. Look at your edges - they're all concave (except for the one that looks convex.) I'm guessing too much pressure. But whatever it is, it isn't good.
Yep…affectionately known as “waistbanding”. I have some chips direct from CPC with that issue to some degree, but it can definitely be created at home when squishing chips under pressure.
 
Please don’t try and sell these chips to anyone. You have ruined a lot of them.
I bought some dunes baccarat $20s a while back - 10-15% showed up with edges like that, though not quite as bad. I didn't blame the seller; I'm not sure he ever noticed, and I didn't even notice in the picture. But I couldn't bear looking at them. I sold the squished ones at a loss, with clear pictures of the messed up edges.
Me, when people trash vintage chips
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Received this way if you note the before pic. I knew these were misfits when I bought them, but ya someone else might have already attempted this with these chips.

Also they were completely unusable before this, so if I get a few more good chips from this attempt it's worth it. I don't think these are even the same 20 chips in each photo
 
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Appreciate the feedback, everyone. I could spin the barrels in the clamps, made sure of that after reading this thread! I'll take better notes and before/after pics on the other inplays I am flattening. Some of these could have gotten too hot
 

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