Oiling Experiment (1 Viewer)

[Grimalkin]

So I’ve seen a lot of threads on here regarding oiling with mineral oil, or letting natural oils from fingers oil the chips, or feeding your players bacon cheeseburgers to oil the chips

So I got to thinking, how to emulate a bacon grease or a beef grease room temperature consistency (like a paste) while using a mineral oil which will not go rancid.

So going back to my axe collecting days when I hand made a bunch of leather sheaths I decided to make a mineral oil/beeswax mixture that has a room temp consistency that looks like a pasty goop and moves around still (not too solid). The beeswax will act much more of a host to keep the oil remaining in the pores of the clay, similar to how wax keeps boiled linseed oil in leather (with a BLO/beeswax mix).

Initially just testing it on some China clays (royals). I just put some on my fingers and oiled the edges and surface of the chips, and wiped it off after. The mixture melts on my fingers into a pure liquid, to give an idea of how thin the mixture is.

On the left are the beeswax oil mixture, right side is mineral oiled about 5 days ago, which are already wearing off. Hard to tell from pics but in person there is a difference for sure.

I’ll report back after more time has elapsed. But I am 99% sure the mixture will not fade nearly as much as pure oil, if it fades at all, unlike the mineral oil which seems to not have good staying power. My only slight concern at this point is how oily these chips will be after a few days even though I thoroughly wiped them off.

 

[joeyshin]

Do CCs need oil?

 

[Grimalkin]

Oil really brings out the colour in them, and they do look “chalky” without oil.

 

[Budha]

Interesting, keep us posted. I have a couple old wrecked Paulson’s that someone over exposed to TSP that might be a good test.

Whats your ratio of mineral oil to beeswax?

 

[Grimalkin]

I used a 20 parts light mineral oil 1 part beeswax

 

[BigJackJones]

For Science

 

[Budha]

I used a 20 parts light mineral oil 1 part beeswax

Need to get my hands on some beeswax and I’ll give it a go.

For science!!

 

[Grimalkin]

Need to get my hands on some beeswax and I’ll give it a go.

For science!!

Initially I was going to do 10:1, but after I saw how much beeswax there is in 1g, decided to double the ratio, it looks like I hit the nail on the head as the consistency of the mix is very nice. It’s also important for the mixture to be a liquid when oiling the chips, which is accomplished when rubbing it in with the heat from the fingers. Then just wiping off the excess. One could also warm up the mix before oiling to make sure it’s pure liquid.

Looking forward to your findings also!

 

[ngmcs8203]

Do CCs need oil?

They come chalky and need a little to look their best.

 

[Colquhoun]

I would worry that any beeswax will create a buildup making it a dirty, sticky mess.

 

[Grimalkin]

I would worry that any beeswax will create a buildup making it a dirty, sticky mess.

I see your point, but once the mixture is absorbed into the clay pores it isn’t coming out, same as the oil you put on the chips doesn’t come back out creating a mess. Excess is wiped off so there’s nothing to make a mess but I’m going to test all this in the coming weeks.

The mix is not sticky, it is very oily.

 

[AlbinoDragon]

There aren't as many pores in chip clay that you might imagine. It's not like the inside of a coffee cup. "Clay" chips are composites.

 

[Grimalkin]

There aren't as many pores in chip clay that you might imagine. It's not like the inside of a coffee cup. "Clay" chips are composites.

Ya I agree, however in the end I feel there won’t be much difference between hand oils, bacon grease, burger grease, chip oils, and this mix when it comes to attracting dirt and grime.

 

[Colquhoun]

Ya I agree, however in the end I feel there won’t be much difference between hand oils, bacon grease, burger grease, chip oils, and this mix when it comes to attracting dirt and grime.

But why try to replicate all that nastiness? Mineral oil alone will treat the chip cleanly.

 

[Grimalkin]

Ya what put me on this path was the staying power of mineral oil is lacking. I don’t feel like oiling my chips every month or 5-6 months even, I want to oil them once.

 

[Colquhoun]

Ya what put me on this path was the staying power of mineral oil is lacking. I don’t feel like oiling my chips every month or 5-6 months even, I want to oil them once.

You’ll still need to re-oil after cleaning anyway

 

[BigJackJones]

This is for science.

 

[AlbinoDragon]

Ya I agree, however in the end I feel there won’t be much difference between hand oils, bacon grease, burger grease, chip oils, and this mix when it comes to attracting dirt and grime.

I had burger grease on my chips once. I went on vacation for a couple weeks after a game where someone came in with Jack-in-the-Box and ate it while playing. When I opened the cage after vacation, the stench was unbelievable.

All the chips got a thorough bath and a new "no eating at the table and wash your damn hands" rule.



"Ya what put me on this path was the staying power of mineral oil is lacking. I don’t feel like oiling my chips every month or 5-6 months even, I want to oil them once."



All oils evaporate. If chips aren't in play, they are going to dry out naturally. If the chips are sitting for 5-6 months, that's going to happen anyway.

Good luck with the experiment. I am curious how this works out.

 

[Grimalkin]

Ya this mix smells read good actually, love the smell of beeswax. In any case ya we will see what happens here. I’ll leave them for a few days and see if they are oily at all to the touch.

 

[Budha]

The beeswax could potentially “seal” the chips, similar to using it on wood. (Not Uber durable, but effective)

 

[Grimalkin]

The beeswax could potentially “seal” the chips, similar to using it on wood. (Not Uber durable, but effective)

Yes exactly, also very similar to saturating leather with beeswax to make it water proof. Ideally warming up the chip will help with saturation but I would be concerned about the vinyl labels if too warm. Probably best to stick to hand warmth.

 

[GreekRedEye]

I am following! Makes me wonder if anyone has tried a "drying" oil for wood (like linseed or tung) on chips. I suspect it would end badly, but I am curious.

 

[Grimalkin]

Small update, came home today and the mixture was too thick after sitting all day. Going to change ratio to 60:1 to make it thinner and see how it goes. I’ll let this mix sit for longer, then I’ll try it on 5 more chips to compare.

I also noticed the 20:1 ratio had a bit of a “after film” on my skin after using it and didn’t absorb quick enough into my skin, due to the wax. I tried some 60:1 on my fingers rubbed it into my arm, and it had a noticeable decrease in “film” perception and it absorbed much nicer, even hard to notice any film. As an FYI, most if not all skin care products have beeswax in them, so it does absorb into the nicely into the skin, which is one of the attributes I am wanting from this mixture.

 

[Labrat]

But why try to replicate all that nastiness? Mineral oil alone will treat the chip cleanly.

Showing my age, here, but I have a couple meerschaum pipes that are at least 20 years old and I've repeatedly re-coated them with beeswax. I'm curious to see how this turns out because the beeswax on the pipe definitely gives a protective coating that stays on the outside. This is what causes the meershaum to turn to a caramel color after extended use.

Not sure how much the wax will actually penetrate the chips, as meerschaum is one of the most porous minerals on earth and the wax seals it without much penetration.

Pretty cool experiment, though.

 

[Grimalkin]

Showing my age, here, but I have a couple meerschaum pipes that are at least 20 years old and I've repeatedly re-coated them with beeswax. I'm curious to see how this turns out because the beeswax on the pipe definitely gives a protective coating that stays on the outside. This is what causes the meershaum to turn to a caramel color after extended use.

Not sure how much the wax will actually penetrate the chips, as meerschaum is one of the most porous minerals on earth and the wax seals it without much penetration.

Pretty cool experiment, though.

Pure beeswax on its own is hard to penetrate into materials, for my old leather sheaths I had to warm the leather in the oven at 200f then apply melted beeswax into the leather. Of course when you cut it with oil it’s a much different story.

 

[digirati]

but I’m going to test all this in the coming weeks.

This is very interesting and your photos make it look like a very good mixture. If you could put a reminder to share an update in a few months that would be appreciated. Just in time for when I might receive my new CPC sets.

 

[Labrat]

Pure beeswax on its own is hard to penetrate into materials, for my old leather sheaths I had to warm the leather in the oven at 200f then apply melted beeswax into the leather. Of course when you cut it with oil it’s a much different story.

This is why I said it's a cool experiment.

 

[digirati]

If chips aren't in play, they are going to dry out naturally. If the chips are sitting for 5-6 months, that's going to happen anyway.

Question: If you don't oil your chips and they "dry out naturally" as you stated, is there a risk of damage to the chips? Do they crack? I'm new to this so just want to know if there's a "required maintenance" to CPCs or is it just a nice thing to do for appearance sake.

 

[Grimalkin]

I’m a new guy around here, but I’m just doing it for looks. from what I gather, no harm in leaving them as is from the manufacturer.

 

[AlbinoDragon]

Question: If you don't oil your chips and they "dry out naturally" as you stated, is there a risk of damage to the chips? Do they crack? I'm new to this so just want to know if there's a "required maintenance" to CPCs or is it just a nice thing to do for appearance sake.

It's not going to damage them, they just lose some of their brightness and pop. A little touch of oil and they look great again.

There are folks who chose not to oil at all and they don't have damage problems. Honestly, oil is really only necessary for new CPC's as they appear dull straight from the factory. New Paulson's don't need it and those only after a deep cleaning or Ultra treatment.

Oil is purely a cosmetic thing. I have yet to see any physical benefit to oil in nearly 20 years of my time with playable clay chips.