How it‘s done? Mold imprints on chips (2 Viewers)

[SwissChip]

Does anybody knows if the mold imprints were made in the first press, or the second press when the inlay is placed?
Do they cool down the molds to prevent the inlay get melted or is there a second mold just for this step?
I wonder how much temp an inlay/label support?
Would like to cure my buttons with the label already placed.
I could press the chip with a no-mold, then cure for 10mins, place the label and press again the imprints.
Not sure if the labels support 105C in the oven…

Thanks for help!
Cheers

 

[mipevi]

Mold imprints come in the final press.

 

[Okku]

Last step

 

[SwissChip]

Mold imprints come in the final press.

View attachment 1614994

Ah yes - very nice, thank you @mipevi !
Need to give this a try next time : )

 

[CDC]

Means we can make all the RHCs into THCs?

 

[SwissChip]

Means we can make all the RHCs into THCs?

Hahaa - if it would be as easy like that!

I assume for a hotstamp they get pressed directly with the imprint mold - there‘s no need for a recess?

 

[Okku]

Hot stamp chips are stamped after the chip is made. Hence why you see warped minty hot stamp chips. It uses a different machine to do that process than creating the chip itself

 

[SwissChip]

Hot stamp chips are stamped after the chip is made. Hence why you see warped minty hot stamp chips. It uses a different machine to do that process than creating the chip itself

Sure!
The stamp is made afterwards.

I can see ‚their‘ raw chip already got a recess on them. Much easier to align and centering the spots!

 

[Colquhoun]

Hot stamp chips are stamped after the chip is made. Hence why you see warped minty hot stamp chips. It uses a different machine to do that process than creating the chip itself

And you may see chips with a strange square shape almost melted into the chip. That’s from the heated block that the hot stamp die is attached to, getting too close to the chip during the press stage. I had a number of these chips and always wondered how they got that way…

 

[Okku]

And the only reason the recess is made on an inlaid chip is because the inlay is put “into” the chip right before the final press. When the chip material is still not fully cured or heated or whatever you want to call it. When the mold is pressed, so is the inlay. That’s how you get the same cross hatching across the inlay and chip.

That’s like the ultimate final seal.

 

[SwissChip]

And you may see chips with a strange square shape almost melted into the chip. That’s from the heated block that the hot stamp die is attached to, getting too close to the chip during the press stage. I had a number of these chips and always wondered how they got that way…
View attachment 1615010

Ouch…!
Were they stamped in the factory or afterwards?

 

[Colquhoun]

Ouch…!
Were they stamped in the factory or afterwards?

Not sure, but that seems to be a fairly common hotstamp. No idea who did those and at what part during production.

 

[SwissChip]

And the only reason the recess is made on an inlaid chip is because the inlay is put “into” the chip right before the final press. When the chip material is still not fully cured or heated or whatever you want to call it. When the mold is pressed, so is the inlay. That’s how you get the same cross hatching across the inlay and chip.

That’s like the ultimate final seal.

Yes that‘s obviousely how they do.
So no textured mold when smooth inlays.

Is there a shaped recess when shaped inlays?
I think no - they just get pressed into the round recess of the clay?

 

[AlbinoDragon]

Here are a pair of circle-square cups I managed to get on eBay maybe a decade ago. You can clearly see the 'negative' of the design in the cup.

 

[smashed_potato]

View attachment 1615013
Here are a pair of circle-square cups I managed to get on eBay maybe a decade ago. You can clearly see the 'negative' of the design in the cup.

Were these considered “worn out”? Very interesting

 

[Taghkanic]

When the chip material is still not fully cured or heated or whatever you want to call it. When the mold is pressed, so is the inlay.

How long does the “clay” stay tacky enough to imprint a mold and/or press in an inlay, I wonder? Is there a mad rush to get these done after the initial pour, or is there plenty of time?

 

[AlbinoDragon]

Were these considered “worn out”? Very interesting

There was no comment one way or another in the listing or from the seller directly.

There were cups that made it out into the wild around that time that shouldn't have (there's a post here somewhere with more details, but it had to do with Red Ott mostly being a dingus when he was trying to sell ASM Vegas.)


[Here's the post: https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/redbellys-crown-jewels.3820/ ] The cups I have were NOT part of this, but the timing is about right if my memory is correct. They might have been a couple that slipped out of the factory outside the ones that @Redbelly got. I don't know for sure and this is just a guess.

 

[SwissChip]

View attachment 1615013
Here are a pair of circle-square cups I managed to get on eBay maybe a decade ago. You can clearly see the 'negative' of the design in the cup.

Great pic - thanks!
Clearly only the rings and mold design.

 

[Okku]

Is there a shaped recess when shaped inlays?
I think no - they just get pressed into the round recess of the clay?

That's right they all use the same cups, but the inlay itself is what makes that recess where the inlay sits flush with the chip material. It's basically creating an indentation before fulling curing with the chip.

How long does the “clay” stay tacky enough to imprint a mold and/or press in an inlay, I wonder? Is there a mad rush to get these done after the initial pour, or is there plenty of time?

This I'm not sure and I don't know if there is any information on here about that. Spragg or Sarles would know exactly this information. Plenty of heating and cooling needed during the process I'm sure.

 

[BGinGA]

Mold imprints come in the final press.

View attachment 1614994

Not necessarily. Depends on the company, process, and sometimes even operator. And some chips are made using only one pressing.

First pressing may have been done with a no/blank mold, or with the same mold as the final pressing, or even using a completely different mold (mold imprint intended to be obliterated with the final pressing).

Plenty of examples exist of mold ghosting, where the imprints from first pressing were still visible after the final inlay pressing. Some BCC C&S chips, some Paulson THC chips, and even some Burt/ASM HHR chips exhibit this condition.

The mold imprint is supposed to be applied during the final press, but sometimes imprints from the previous pressing still shine through.

 

[BGinGA]

How long does the “clay” stay tacky enough to imprint a mold and/or press in an inlay, I wonder? Is there a mad rush to get these done after the initial pour, or is there plenty of time?

It's my understanding that a molded chip can still be "re-molded" so long as it hasn't been machined. The heat-under-pressure generated will soften the chip enough to make it malleable.

 

[Tonysquander]

These are good reads too:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/how-compression-molded-clay-chips-are-made.75629/

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/home-made-clay-poker-chips.55717/

 

[justsomedude]

How long does the “clay” stay tacky enough to imprint a mold and/or press in an inlay, I wonder? Is there a mad rush to get these done after the initial pour, or is there plenty of time?

It's my understanding that a molded chip can still be "re-molded" so long as it hasn't been machined. The heat-under-pressure generated will soften the chip enough to make it malleable.

This is also what warming plates are for.

The basic process is batch mixing the various compounds into a "dough" and then flattening it, most likely in a two roll mill. The sheets are then transferred to tables for cutting the inserts (edge spots) and creating complete charges (the soft dough shaped "chip" before it gets compressed). Excess is kept on warming plates for workability.

Once the dough charges are fully compressed in the molds/platens, they are set to cool (to room temp), and ultimately lathed for sharp edges.

 

[acezag]

There was no comment one way or another in the listing or from the seller directly.

There were cups that made it out into the wild around that time that shouldn't have (there's a post here somewhere with more details, but it had to do with Red Ott mostly being a dingus when he was trying to sell ASM Vegas.)


[Here's the post: https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/redbellys-crown-jewels.3820/ ] The cups I have were NOT part of this, but the timing is about right if my memory is correct. They might have been a couple that slipped out of the factory outside the ones that @Redbelly got. I don't know for sure and this is just a guess.

Wow - thanks for sharing that!
Who knew that CSQ was a hair's breadth from disappearing into a landfill. Crazy!