Is this pretty standard for cheap chip racks? And is it harmless? (1 Viewer)

[TheOffalo]

I got some cheap racks for two different sources, under $2 a rack. They look virtually identical, though I don't have tools to precisely measure them. What I noticed was that the (inexpensive, slugged) chips that I have do not rest on the bottom of the rack. This can be seen by the chip being able to "swivel" in the rack (see gif below). So that means when I have a stack of chips in the rack, they're really resting on the thin edges of the rows (see pic below), and not on the bottom of the rack. Is that pretty standard for cheap racks, or even for racks of differing prices/quality, or should the chips be resting against the bottom of the rack?

I've read the threads about racks of chips stacked 5+ high likely not damaging the chips, but I assume that's with better quality racks where the chips are resting against the bottom of the rack and not just along the edges of the rows. So does having a rack where chips are pressing against the edge rather than the bottom pose more of a concern (as far as damaging the chips go) for stacking multiple racks of chips on top of each other?

https://imgur.com/1l5vdUT

 

[LeLe]

Could it be the poker chip is the problem? Maybe they are slightly bigger than the regular 39mm ? I sometime saw plastic slugged chip advertised at 40mm size

 

[TheOffalo]

Could it be the poker chip is the problem? Maybe they are slightly bigger than the regular 39mm ? I sometime saw plastic slugged chip advertised at 40mm size

That's very likely given that these are inexpensive slugged chips (these ones, so they're not bottom of the barrel, but nowhere close to CCs, ceramics, or clay chips, obviously), but unfortunately I only had these and dice chips to try in the racks and both kinds of chips swivel in the racks from both sources.

Maybe I need to order some samples so I can test the it's-the-chips theory. ;-)

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

Could definitely be the chips. I have tons of Monacos from different batches and some are like 41mm it’s whack

Edit: @LeLe

Edit #2: I’m most likely wrong

 

[Colquhoun]

Its been discussed before...some of the cheap racks have smaller diameters and will not allow the chips to touch the bottom of the rack.
Not sure which racks will definitely fit your chips, though...

 

[AlbinoDragon]

This does look like a rack that's the wrong size for those chips. I recall years ago buying what I thought was the correct racks from my ASMs and saw this very same thing (though not quite as extreme).

I'd see if you can find a better fitting set of racks. Hopefully someone here has or has access to the chips that you do and can recommend a better fitting rack.


(As a note, these are probably OK for you in the short term, and especially if you don't stack racks. I did use the above mentioned racks for players when we were consolidating tables during touraments and even to count out starting stacks before the game started, but I never stored chips in another rack on top).

 

[TheOffalo]

Thanks @AlbinoDragon @Colquhoun @MatthewTreeTree ! The two places I bought the racks from were DPS (I got both the rack and the rack w/cover, and they are identical to the naked eye) and GSE brand from Amazon. I guess I can't assume that even though the chips were from DPS too, they'd fit the DPS racks, though my old dice chips also have the same issue with both sets of racks, so maybe these cheap generic racks are just a little narrower.

And maybe, though I'm doubtful, if I store and stack some chips (modestly, maybe only 2-3 racks high), maybe the weight would "stretch" the racks ever so slightly and cause the chips to settle to the bottom of the rack. One can dream...

 

[AlbinoDragon]

The racks are unlikely to stretch unless you added heat, and that would be terrible for the chips!! If you tried this, you would run the risk of damaging the chips in the process.

Actually, if you look at your photo above with the chips in the rack, you can see the end of the rack is what defines how wide those slots are. You might be able to push the middle outward some, but not towards the end where you have the flat part of the rack, but then you would also make the rows on either side narrower. Unfortunately, it's not quite like squeezing your foot into a shoe that's a half size too small knowing it will stretch out a bit. Most racks I have are a harder plastic and don't have much in the way of give.

 

[TheOffalo]

Could it be the poker chip is the problem? Maybe they are slightly bigger than the regular 39mm ? I sometime saw plastic slugged chip advertised at 40mm size

Could definitely be the chips. I have tons of Monacos from different batches and some are like 41mm it’s whack

@LeLe @MatthewTreeTree (is it redundant to tag if I'm quoting you too?), you are both correct! It was the chips!

I have the "convenience" of being in L.A., so I decided to order some Outlaws from DPS for pickup today, and they sit in both the DPS and GSE trays just fine. If I try to swivel them, I can feel that the chip is touching the bottom of the tray. Putting a Monaco and an Outlaw together, and it's obvious the Monaco has a bigger diameter. Bummer because I have and want to use "standard" racks w/my Monaco chips, but I guess they'll go in my cheapo aluminum case instead.

BTW - mini-review of the Outlaws, really nice design, the "mold" that says Outlaw around the outside of the face and the pistol where the stripes are look really great! But the edge coloring is very inconsistent. My Monaco chips' edges are not identical, but the variations are within a very narrow range. The Outlaws by comparison are very uneven.

It's not that the base color is different, it's that they have these spots/stains on them (you can see near the stripes in the $25 Outlaw chip one above). I got green ($25), black ($100), and $500 (purple) chips, and it's least noticeable in the black chips, followed by green, and most noticeable in the purples:

I'm going to email the company tomorrow, but at 14¢/chip I'm sure this is within their tolerances. I just wish that the edges on the Outlaws were as consistent as with their Monacos.

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

Love the update, man! I’ve personally spent hours separating and sorting though my sluggers - with enough frustration I ended up going with @BR Pro Poker for my main set! Haven’t looked back, only forwards. Got a few custom designs I’ve been sitting on for when the capital comes in. I’ll happily be one of their biggest future customers and even happier to use my own designs

EDIT: Until then, it’s all smiles with my semi-custom set

 

[LeLe]

You can’t ask for perfection for cheap plastic metal slugged, there a reason why they are budgeted

You can consider getting card Mold ceramic they are quite affordable at 30-35c per chip at custom design with very good quality control

 

[TheOffalo]

Love the update, man! I’ve personally spent hours separating and sorting though my sluggers - with enough frustration I ended up going with @BR Pro Poker for my main set! Haven’t looked back, only forwards. Got a few custom designs I’ve been sitting on for when the capital comes in. I’ll happily be one of their biggest future customers and even happier to use my own designs

EDIT: Until then, it’s all smiles with my semi-custom set

You can’t ask for perfection for cheap plastic metal slugged, there a reason why they are budgeted

You can consider getting card Mold ceramic they are quite affordable at 30-35c per chip at custom design with very good quality control

Hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining about chips that cost 12¢ and 14¢--maybe mildly frustrated that the cheaper chips have more consistent colors--just glad to know I wasn't going crazy about the Monaco not fitting my racks.

I've definitely eyed the ceramics from BR Poker and the card mold threads, but trying to be good and not fall down the rabbit hole too bad.

I have an idea about what to do with the racks for the Monaco. Experimentation time!

Edit: Experiment "failed". I took an emory board and tried filing down the edges of one row of a rack (one that was broken anyway), and I still couldn't get the Monaco chips to sit against the bottom. I'm gonna keep trying to file the edges down as a proof of concept, but it's a "fail" because even if it ultimately works, I'm not going to take the time to file down all the edges of all my racks (or even just enough to hold my Monacos).

 

[LeLe]

You may be too late for the rabbit hole thing once you found PCF

I have bought 1 Paulson set, 1ASM Solid set, 1 B&G Plastic & 1 Card Mold Ceramic and numerous sample till date since i join here

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

Yeah... it’s too late... sell yo car... buy moar chips

*Not promoting bad decisions <3

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

In all reality, you can get your use out of the DPS chips! I actually like them, and recommend them!

We know you’re not complaining either - it’s a flaw in the design and really shouldn’t happen. It’s just bad company practice with questionable QC!

When you start to read “THC”, card molds, “leaded”, and “House Molds”, etc... and start doing your research on the matters... the rabbit hole is your new home

CHIPS ARE POWER

EDIT: I’ve owned Paulsons and GPI chips, I sold them all off because I realized the value in ceramics and good company ethics... plus it’s way more work to achieve the same outcome when you are way less limited already with ceramics. I’m not here to start the clay vs ceramics debate either. Real clays hold their value longer. The clay doesn’t wear like the ceramic ink does (with 99999hours of use)

Went ceramics because I’m a “drive the it until doors fall off” type of guy

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

Chips, our power.

 

[LeLe]

In all reality, you can get your use out of the DPS chips! I actually like them, and recommend them!

We know you’re not complaining either - it’s a flaw in the design and really shouldn’t happen. It’s just bad company practice with questionable QC!

When you start to read “THC”, card molds, “leaded”, and “House Molds”, etc... and start doing your research on the matters... the rabbit hole is your new home

CHIPS ARE POWER

EDIT: I’ve owned Paulsons and GPI chips, I sold them all off because I realized the value in ceramics and good company ethics... plus it’s way more work to achieve the same outcome when you are way less limited already with ceramics. I’m not here to start the clay vs ceramics debate either. Real clays hold their value longer. The clay doesn’t wear like the ceramic ink does (with 99999hours of use)

Went ceramics because I’m a “drive the it until doors fall off” type of guy

You cant go wrong with either as long as it your preferences

I find myself enjoying all type of chips thus i collect what i can within my budget

 

[Colquhoun]

Edit: Experiment "failed". I took an emory board and tried filing down the edges of one row of a rack (one that was broken anyway), and I still couldn't get the Monaco chips to sit against the bottom. I'm gonna keep trying to file the edges down as a proof of concept, but it's a "fail" because even if it ultimately works, I'm not going to take the time to file down all the edges of all my racks (or even just enough to hold my Monacos).

It's all geometry. The only way youll be able to file enough rack for the chip to touch the bottom is if you file the sides all the way to the bottom.
A section of a larger diameter will never fit into a smaller one.
For example:

Just need larger racks.

 

[TheOffalo]

Damn @Colquhoun, I feel like I'm back in math class, in a good way! Thanks for the visual aid! I assume it doesn't matter that the rack isn't a "full" half circle, but more like the 1/3rd or 2/5th of a circle?

I'm guessing the Matsui/Apache racks would work because they can hold both 39mm and 43mm?

(My original thought was if the chip was just 1mm (or a fraction of), then shaving down a little bit of the edge may let it sit just a tiny bit lower. But I see the error of my ways.)

 

[Colquhoun]

Damn @Colquhoun, I feel like I'm back in math class, in a good way! Thanks for the visual aid! I assume it doesn't matter that the rack isn't a "full" half circle, but more like the 1/3rd or 2/5th of a circle?

I'm guessing the Matsui/Apache racks would work because they can hold both 39mm and 43mm?

(My original thought was if the chip was just 1mm (or a fraction of), then shaving down a little bit of the edge may let it sit just a tiny bit lower. But I see the error of my ways.)

View attachment 790240

True, it certainly would sit lower, but ultimately still catch the edges.

 

[TheOffalo]

So I emailed DPS about the discolored edges of the Outlaws, especially on the purples, and they responded with:

The reason why there is some discoloration is that the chips are not coated with oil after the chips are produced. The reason why is we did this is because it makes the chips very slippery when stacked. With the oil applied, it does give the chip a darker and rich color but we didn't want the chips to fall when they're stacked on the tables.

Despite reading here that oil wouldn't help cheap slugged chips, I thought it was worth a shot...

I happen to have a little wood mineral oil, so I used a microfiber cloth, and using only a few drops on the cloth, oiled just the edges of the chips, and it helped.

I did first wipe down the stack with just a slightly wet microfiber cloth (I had done this yesterday too to clean the chips out of the box), and it darkened the edges a bit while damp but that only lasted a short time and the chips went back to a chalkier look.

After oiling the edges, I left the chips alone for a half hour, then wiped off the excess. I let them sit for another hour, then wiped them off again. They've been sitting out for the last 3-4 hours and so far they haven't returned to the original chalkiness. They still don't look as consistent as the Monacos out of the box, but they're definitely more evened out.

Will see how they look tomorrow...

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

So I emailed DPS about the discolored edges of the Outlaws, especially on the purples, and they responded with:



Despite reading here that oil wouldn't help cheap slugged chips, I thought it was worth a shot...

I happen to have a little wood mineral oil, so I used a microfiber cloth, and using only a few drops on the cloth, oiled just the edges of the chips, and it helped.

I did first wipe down the stack with just a slightly wet microfiber cloth (I had done this yesterday too to clean the chips out of the box), and it darkened the edges a bit while damp but that only lasted a short time and the chips went back to a chalkier look.

After oiling the edges, I left the chips alone for a half hour, then wiped off the excess. I let them sit for another hour, then wiped them off again. They've been sitting out for the last 3-4 hours and so far they haven't returned to the original chalkiness. They still don't look as consistent as the Monacos out of the box, but they're definitely more evened out.

View attachment 790770

Will see how they look tomorrow...

Holy shit! Those look amazing!

I was gonna oil plastics a while ago but everyone on here was saying not to do it. How do they feel?

 

[TheOffalo]

Holy shit! Those look amazing!

I was gonna oil plastics a while ago but everyone on here was saying not to do it. How do they feel?

They feel good! Not chalky and not oily either--I went over them multiple times with the clean part of the microfiber to remove as much excess oil. If your plastics have a sort of dull look on the edges, I don't think it'll hurt. I didn't oil the face, only the edges. What chips do you have?

I went ahead and did the green $25 and black $100 Outlaws too, and they really helped the greens been more even. The $100s didn't show as much of the discoloration, but oiling those really reduced the chalkiness that made them look more dark gray. Now they actually look black. (Sorry, no before pictures. Should have taken some!)

 

[Colquhoun]

Since mineral oil does not evaporate...I'm sure tomorrow will look the same. And the next day, and the next day.

 

[TheOffalo]

Since mineral oil does not evaporate...I'm sure tomorrow will look the same. And the next day, and the next day.

Well then it was worth trying, conventional wisdom about not oiling cheap plastic slugged chips be damned.

(Thought I read about people checking in with how chips looked after a while after oiling, but I guess that's more due to how they look from use and not just sitting around. I will be using these, so will see how they hold up.)

 

[Colquhoun]

Well then it was worth trying, conventional wisdom about not oiling cheap plastic slugged chips be damned.

The conventional wisdom is true, that since the oil is not actually soaking in to a plastic chip, its only laying on top.
It gives an darker appearance, for sure. Much like Armor-all makes an old dashboard look better.

*please note I am not suggesting Armor-All for plastic chips, but you get the idea. Proceed at your own risk.

 

[MatthewTreeTree]

I’d be interested to see an update tomorrow no matter what!

Would you be interested in handling/shuffling a few chips for a day and update with pics after they’ve been held on too?

 

[TheOffalo]

The conventional wisdom is true, that since the oil is not actually soaking in to a plastic chip, its only laying on top.
It gives an darker appearance, for sure. Much like Armor-all makes an old dashboard look better.

*please note I am not suggesting Armor-All for plastic chips, but you get the idea. Proceed at your own risk.

I found it interesting that the vendor said they'd oil these chips but for the slipperiness factor, and figured it couldn't hurt. How about Turtle Wax?

I’d be interested to see an update tomorrow no matter what!

Would you be interested in handling/shuffling a few chips for a day and update with pics after they’ve been held on too?

Here's a shot from this afternoon:

A bit of "chalkiness" has come back on the $500s but overall they're still a bit more even compared to out of the box or after an initial damp cloth wipedown. The $25s and $100s didn't have as much of the discoloration in the first place and seemed to have kept the deeper color from oiling better.

Not much of a chip shuffler; haven't quite got the knack for it, but sure I'll give it a try.

 

[AO33]

I got some cheap racks for two different sources, under $2 a rack. They look virtually identical, though I don't have tools to precisely measure them. What I noticed was that the (inexpensive, slugged) chips that I have do not rest on the bottom of the rack. This can be seen by the chip being able to "swivel" in the rack (see gif below). So that means when I have a stack of chips in the rack, they're really resting on the thin edges of the rows (see pic below), and not on the bottom of the rack. Is that pretty standard for cheap racks, or even for racks of differing prices/quality, or should the chips be resting against the bottom of the rack?

I've read the threads about racks of chips stacked 5+ high likely not damaging the chips, but I assume that's with better quality racks where the chips are resting against the bottom of the rack and not just along the edges of the rows. So does having a rack where chips are pressing against the edge rather than the bottom pose more of a concern (as far as damaging the chips go) for stacking multiple racks of chips on top of each other?

https://imgur.com/1l5vdUT

View attachment 789621

Can I ask where you got them from. I have to buy 100 racks

 

[TheOffalo]

Can I ask where you got them from. I have to buy 100 racks

The racks I got where the chips don't seem to sit all the way down were from DPS, for $1.25 each plus shipping: https://www.discountpokershop.com/100pc-casino-style-chip-rack-p-13.html.

If you have Amazon Prime, these might be a better deal since you don't have to pay for shipping, and maybe the chips would sit more deeply: https://www.amazon.com/Brybelly-Clear-Acrylic-Trays-Pack-10/dp/B008X9I958/

Here are the same racks with lids: https://www.amazon.com/Brybelly-Acrylic-Poker-Covers-10/dp/B008G3TYM8/