Hotstamping BCC TM (1 Viewer)

[doakwolf]

Hey all,

Fairly new to the forum and quite clueless when it comes to custom chips.

I've read on a bunch of posts over the last few months which have mentioned certain members here have the ability to hotstamp chips. Is anyone able to please give me a run down of what's involved?

I'm thinking about buying some t-molds from holdempokerchips and would love custom stamps. I'd need to get the blanks shipped directly to the "hotstamper" in the USA since the site doesn't ship internationally and then have them stamped and forwarded to me in Aussie. It would be about 300-400 chips, I guess. I'm not after a fancy custom stamp, just some basic 25c and $1 (maybe a 50c) in gold foil.

Am I aiming for something which just isn't going to happen or is this possible without breaking the bank? If it's going to head to "break the bank" territory, I guess I'll wait, save up and head to classicpokerchips instead and go the full hog.

Cheers,
Jeremy.

 

[ChaosRock]

Hey J-!

We had a few members of the community who were great hot-stampers... They are no longer doing it unfortunately... There's quite a few people looking around for a good one... One of the great stampers we had, Corey (cgraham86), has recently posted on CT that depending on demand he could go back stamping but I haven't seen anything concrete after that...

I think your idea of a solid HS set using the BCC's t-mold chips is great... I actually have a planned tourney set on those ready to go for as soon as I find someone to do it... Apparently those chips are great for HS, CPCs are kinda hard to work with, at least that's the opinion of some experts...

The putting together of a set like that wouldn't be cheap but I don't think it would be close to 'braking the bank'...

 

[jbutler]

has anyone actually reached out to collin/monkeydog to see if he's still interested in doing it? i know he still has the equipment and he did an excellent job on my chips. i know it's only a part-time hobby for him, so he has fit it in his schedule when possible, but i think it's worth a PM/email to see if that's an option.

fwiw the t-molds are apparently quite easy to stamp. i and at least one other member have recently reviewed the stock of t-molds available at HPC with an eye toward a set. it is now and is all but certain to forever be the last opportunity to obtain new BCC chips. if anyone has an interest, i would encourage you to buy now and ask questions later because the stock at HPC is all that is available anywhere to my knowledge.

 

[abby99]

BCC T-mold chips are awesome. However, keep in mind that BCC no longer exists, so when HPC's inventory is gone, it might be nearly impossible to acquire additional blank chips. If there is any chance that you might want to expand your set in the future, either buy everything now from HPC or go in a different direction (custom inlaid chips from CPC). I'm sure there are many of us who would like to add on to a custom set but can't because the manufacturer either is no longer in business or no longer produces chips for the consumer market.

 

[ChaosRock]

has anyone actually reached out to collin/monkeydog to see if he's still interested in doing it? i know he still has the equipment and he did an excellent job on my chips. i know it's only a part-time hobby for him, so he has fit it in his schedule when possible, but i think it's worth a PM/email to see if that's an option.

fwiw the t-molds are apparently quite easy to stamp. i and at least one other member have recently reviewed the stock of t-molds available at HPC with an eye toward a set. it is now and is all but certain to forever be the last opportunity to obtain new BCC chips. if anyone has an interest, i would encourage you to buy now and ask questions later because the stock at HPC is all that is available anywhere to my knowledge.

I wrote to monkeydog a few times without success and later on I remember him stoping by here (it could have been CT) saying he wouldn't do it anymore... :-( He's definitely a talented guy...

Agree 100% about getting the t-mold blanks before they're gone...

 

[LabMonkey]

Collin (monkeydog) has done great work in the past, but can be difficult to communicate with in my experience. I spent a good part of last year working with him to make some fracs for my Overland set. He was the only stamper that would even consider an attempt to stamp my TRK blanks. Evidently the hardness of the chips poses significant problems for hand operated hotstamp machines. Unfortunately, this picture of what might have been is all I have to show for his effort. The project was abandoned after inconsistent results from test stamps (but look look how nice that BCC MGK stamped!).

 

[jbutler]

Collin (monkeydog) has done great work in the past, but can be difficult to communicate with in my experience. I spent a good part of last year working with him to make some fracs for my Overland set. He was the only stamper that would even consider an attempt to stamp my TRK blanks. Evidently the hardness of the chips poses significant problems for hand operated hotstamp machines. Unfortunately, this picture of what might have been is all I have to show for his effort. The project was abandoned after inconsistent results from test stamps (but look look how nice that BCC MGK stamped!).

i will grant you that Collin isn't the most reliable communicator. that was sort of what i was trying to say in my post above noting that he's fitting a part-time hobby into his already set schedule. and i know of another PCFer who has had a similar and perhaps even more extended wait. it was made easier for me and my MGK stamping job because i am for whatever reason (and in total opposition to my daily lived experience) extremely patient with chip orders.

that said, even assuming delays or difficulty in communication, if/when i pick up some t-molds, they're going to Collin to stamp if he will take the job because he turned this...

...into this...

did it take some time? yes. was it worth it? without a doubt.

and please excuse the parched MGKs above. their thirst has since been quenched and it brought out the bright colors even more.

 

[LabMonkey]

i will grant you that Collin isn't the most reliable communicator. that was sort of what i was trying to say in my post above noting that he's fitting a part-time hobby into his already set schedule. and i know of another PCFer who has had a similar and perhaps even more extended wait. it was made easier for me and my MGK stamping job because i am for whatever reason (and in total opposition to my daily lived experience) extremely patient with chip orders.

For clarity, in no way should my post be taken as disparaging to Collin. I presented him with a difficult task and I believe he tried his best to succeed. I just wanted other PCFers to understand that it may take some repeated emails and effort to get a conversation going with him. Much like the A-Team, if you have a (chip) problem... if no one else can help.. and you can find him... maybe you can hire him.

 

[LabMonkey]

And, those Clermont Lounge chips are sick. As in they make me feel ill that I don't have an awesome MGK set like them.

 

[jbutler]

For clarity, in no way should my post be taken as disparaging to Collin. I presented him with a difficult task and I believe he tried his best to succeed. I just wanted other PCFers to understand that it may take some repeated emails and effort to get a conversation going with him. Much like the A-Team, if you have a (chip) problem... if no one else can help.. and you can find him... maybe you can hire him.

not at all - i didn't take it that way and i'm sure he wouldn't either. i think it's absolutely fair to give your experience. i routinely recommend a mechanic in my area who takes forever to do the work, but whose ethics and work are beyond reproach (well, business ethics i guess - as i understand, he's quite the womanizer). but when i recommend him, i always note the customer should not expect same day service.

as they say:

 

[12thMan]

Jbutler, I have a form of that sign hanging in my office. I firmly believe in it, and one of the beliefs I try to model my business after is under sell/ over deliver. I'm not cheap, I may not be quite the quickest, but I am the best and I try to give my customers the advantage of quality/fair price/and as quick as I can. If someone wants something other than that I show them my sign and tell them to pick any two...

/thread jack

 

[doakwolf]

BCC T-mold chips are awesome. However, keep in mind that BCC no longer exists

Yeah, I know. It sucks! Another chip manufacturer gone...

I would love to buy heaps but I can't really afford it now since I've already blown my chip budget by about 300%.

Hence my long term plan is some ASM customs (6 months from now?). These hotstamps (should they happen) will be a minor set. Nothing serious. I'm starting to think I may need to just buy the solids and just sit on them until someone (maybe me?!) decides to start hotstamping... Solids are OK. I actually like them but I wonder if some of my friends will struggle with blank NCV chips LOL

 

[courage]

@cgraham86 may be doing it wrong... what's CT?

@monkeydog agree. Very talented but slow and will sometimes go weeks without responding to email or FB message. It's been over a year waiting for 400 md-50's I've never seen, delivered from CPC --> Canada.

 

[ChaosRock]

@cgraham86 may be doing it wrong... what's CT?

ChipTalk...

Man, just reading your post brought me the sight of you HS set... Oh my...

 

[BGinGA]

he turned this...

...into this...

sorry, but lol'ing at the thought of jbutler owning a set of custom tournament chips..... pick any date, and I'll take the over on when/if they ever see play.

otoh, those are some very nice-looking chips.

 

[jbutler]

sorry, but lol'ing at the thought of jbutler owning a set of custom tournament chips..... pick any date, and I'll take the over on when/if they ever see play.

otoh, those are some very nice-looking chips.

pick any date and i'll take the under. boom free money. pls forward my winnings to the goats.

 

[BGinGA]

Sept 2, 1995. Please send my winnings to the goats.

 

[BGinGA]

Seriously though, you have actually used this set? When/where? And more importantly, how did you finish?

 

[jbutler]

Seriously though, you have actually used this set? When/where? And more importantly, how did you finish?

it was used for the satellite at the BBotB this year. i can't remember where i finished, but i think i actually bubbled in third (first was entry to BBotB ME, second was like $80 or something). Keith or Dennis should remember whether i bubbled as they came in first and second, respectively if memory serves.

EDIT: it was Dennis, not Clay who came in second.

 

[monkeydog]

Hey all,

Just thought I'd chime in with a bit of an update (that'll probably be a bit of a ramble!!)

First off, I owe a huge apology to Courage for the delay in stamping and a huge thanks for his patience in waiting for chips that still haven't been done.

I also offer an apology to all who emailed or PM'd without getting a response.

Personal Side

I've gone through a fairly large upheaval in my personal life that started in October (right as I went on a 2 week trip to China...yeah timing!!!) that has now finally (mostly) resolved itself.

During that time my focus was on my work and my children and at the end of most days I was thoroughly exhausted...not enough energy or thought to respond to messages let alone actually do any stamping...oddly enough, stamping may have helped as I find it quite therapeutic for the most part.

My job is rather demanding in both time and brainpower and stamping has always been only a hobby and a way for me to help the community...there really is no way to make money stamping at the rates that the market will bear...I would guess to make a "profit" you would need to be in the $0.50/chip range.

I enjoy the process of stamping (when I have the time!) and I truly enjoy being involved in the design process as well as being able to help someone get the chips they want.

Technical Side

My first machine was a manual stamper...Kingsley M-101...you can get them on eBay for around $500. I bought it on a total lark...(may have been drinking and ebaying) and had no idea what I was doing with it. I warn anyone who buys a manual stamper...it really is an art that you have to practice...and when each chip costs $1+ it can be pricey to learn.

The physical act of stamping consists of three main elements...heat, pressure and dwell time (the amount of time the die is in contact with the chip). All three vary a bit by manufacturer, colour and mold. With a manual machine you can set the temperature but the only control you have on pressure and dwell time is how consistent you can be with your arm and brain...and over a couple of hundred chips your elbow aches and your mind wanders.

Another component is chip placement before the die strikes it...a couple of things come into play here...initial placement of the die on the machine (affects where the stamp sits in relation to the chip)...this step drives me crazy and takes the most amount of time. The other thing is the orientation of the spots in relation to the stamp...I like them all to be the same...this takes more time as you have to look at the spot and place at the same reference mark every time.

The final step is scraping the chip. I am a HUGE believer in this...I would rather stamp a little deep and get flash (the excess material that is displaced) then stamp shallow and not get as crisp of a stamp. Scraping is tedious...you take a razor blade and manually remove the flash from every chip. I've got a scar or two from this step...took me awhile to realize if I wrapped my middle finger in tape I'd avoid the slicing.

There are some stampers that don't think you need to scrape...stamp light and move on...my thoughts are that we'll see how the stamps look after a couple years of use.

My current setup is a Kingsley AM-101, a digital, pneumatic machine and one of the last models Kingsley made. $1700 plus an air compressor. This machine allows me to set temperature, pressure and dwell time. Upside to this...once you dial in the machine your consistency is great and you don't get as tired...the mind still wanders though and the machine doesn't really recognize a difference between a chip and your finger (the first and only time I ever got myself it hurt like hell for 2 weeks...thought I was going to lose a nail!!).

Chips and Stamp-ability

ASM - all good - very consistent
BCC - all good - very consistent
China Clay - no frigging way - they shatter like a dinner plate
TRK - not possible - this was a terribly sad realization for me and led me to selling my King's Crown set...I'm not sure if it the age of the chip or the surface but I could just not get anything consistent...I went through close to a rack of chips (blanks I had) trying to get the Overland's done for LabMonkey...I tried every combination of temperature, dwell time and pressure.
Paulson - no issues - I don't like doing the chips that were milled out though...the small ridge around the edge can cause problems

Current Status

Now that life (outside of work) has settled a bit I will be getting back to stamping...with the first set being for Courage.

I will always be open with the fact that if you want me to stamp your chips it will take a long time but you will be more than happy with the finished product.

I am in Canada but have a US shipping address for convenience.

Costs

I need to talk to my die vendor to update but it should be in the $15/die range...and cheaper the more dies you get.
Cost per chip....$0.25 to stamp and $0.05 to scrape

If you have any questions feel free to ask...just be patient for a response!!

 

[courage]

Collin,

Great to hear from you, and sorry for the many struggles you've had of late.

Awesome stamping summary and interesting to hear the challenges. You should post a pic sometime of your latest machine, sounds like a beast!

Looking forward to those delicious md50's! Can't tell you how much I love that set and will be happy it's big enough for my weekly game.

 

[abby99]

It's great to have you back, Collin, and I'm glad to hear that you've made it through the difficult times. Wishing you a bright and rosy future.

 

[courage]

Bump.

 

[Mr Tree]

I didn't realize monkey dog was back in the stamping game. Anyone have any thoughts on if if be better going with him or ASM for a new hot stamped set?

 

[courage]

I didn't realize monkey dog was back in the stamping game. Anyone have any thoughts on if if be better going with him or ASM for a new hot stamped set?

@monkeydog tagged so he can answer this (he's been on the forum the past week or so buying/selling).

I haven't seen the quality of work from CPC or if they can do custom dies. Quality from Collin is excellent but communication and delivery time is poor.

 

[Mr Tree]

@monkeydog tagged so he can answer this (he's been on the forum the past week or so buying/selling).

I haven't seen the quality of work from CPC or if they can do custom dies. Quality from Collin is excellent but communication and delivery time is poor.

Thanks Chris,

CPC can do custom dies but I believe they are more expensive than the ones monkeydog has quoted. I believe David Spragg said the equipment they use requires a heavy stamp.

 

[Ghoti]

Just discovered this thread. Does anyone know if holdempokerchips still has those bcc tmolds in stock? I thought bccs were difficult to come by and now I find this--want to make sure it's not too good to be true. Secondly, where can I find samples of the colors (online source/pics are cool, I just only see the blue chip on their site). Sorry to derail a bit.

 

[ruskba]

Just discovered this thread. Does anyone know if holdempokerchips still has those bcc tmolds in stock? I thought bccs were difficult to come by and now I find this--want to make sure it's not too good to be true. Secondly, where can I find samples of the colors (online source/pics are cool, I just only see the blue chip on their site). Sorry to derail a bit.

The website is a little wonky. Go to the following link and then click the "zoom" button on the picture. Use the arrows and you'll be able to see all the colors.

http://www.holdempokerchips.com/T-Mold-Blanks-Sample-Set-(18)

 

[Irish]

The website is a little wonky. Go to the following link and then click the "zoom" button on the picture. Use the arrows and you'll be able to see all the colors.

http://www.holdempokerchips.com/T-Mold-Blanks-Sample-Set-(18)

Also to note that if you go to the main page, the main scrolling picture box (4th pic in the series) shows all the t-mold colors in stacks.

The last time I spoke with them (about a month ago), they had plenty of stock for each color listed on the site. If you're seriously considering getting a set, buy a sample set first (and oil the chips), the sample picture in the link above doesn't do the colors justice.

 

[Ghoti]

Sweet, thanks guys.