Since there are new members coming to a very long thread, I’m going to stand up for the oil-and-water method.
* Warm water
* An absurdly small amount of mineral oil
* A strainer in a deep sink, or even better a salad spinner basket and its basin
Put 1-1.5 racks into the strainer and dunk into the very lightly oiled bath. Lift and lower several times. Agitate with a wood spoon or your fingers to make sure every surface gets treated.
Remove and spread the chips out on towels. I like to give them a twist as I do so. After 5 minutes flip and twist to dry the other side.
Then leave laying out, flipping occasionally, to fully dry.
If you feel there is oil on the inlays, just dab them with a cloth.
If you overoiled, a quick spin in a microfiber cloth will remove excess.
But I can’t overestimate how little mineral oil is needed. We’re talking maybe a quarter cap per batch, max.
This is a really light and efficient method. Forget what your 3rd grade science teacher told you. It works. If you are going for more outrageously saturated looks, then by all means use a cloth. But I don’t see the need.
P.S. I do not find that quality clay chips in new/very good condition absorb and retain water much at all.
So the drying times I see here seem wildly excessive. The first time I oiled chips, this site put the fear of god into me so I had fans going, and kept the chips laid the chips out for 36 hours, flipping constantly… Totally unnecessary IMHO.
P.P.S. To promote consistency and further ensure dryness, I will sometimes at the end do a shuffle session, giving each barrel a few shuffles on a dry towel or other cloth, 10 chips at a time. But this is just the chipping obsesssive in me. Probably unnecessary.