The Great Chalk Bake Off

So if I'm understanding correctly, heating and removing moisture makes the chalk harder; hence less cast off on the table, or caking on the cue tip???

For already dry chalk, I'd take what they insert into prescription bottles to absorb moisture. Can't recall the exact chemical, but you musta seem 'em a million times.

I believe it's silica gel, or something close to that. Anyway, keep that and your chalk in an airtight container....
 
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My method removes the excess moisture that absorbent chalk sucks up. I use this on Master, Blue Diamond, and Triangles Brands of Chalk.

But WOUND NOT RECOMMEND doing this on KAMUI as I suspect it could ruin KAMUI because when I tried the product for a few hour I suspected it had a binding agent in it, like LIP GLOSS, and can only imagine where LIP GLOSS Would do in 120 DEGREE HEAT.
 
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Strange. I use Master chalk. I open my garage when it rains and leave my chalk outside so that it gets more moist. I find that it works a lot better for me. I use a lot of extreme english and rarely miscue. I miscue much more with new chalk. I also vacuum my table a lot and clean my cue ball often.
 
As I type, I've set two new Masters in my GE electric oven. It has a digital temperature control. It will arrow down the oven temperature with each press of the down arrow by 5 degrees.

I was able to easily reach my oven's minimum temperature of 170 degrees.

I wrapped the paper with aluminum foil on one piece. The other I just placed on some foil next to the wrapped piece.

So far, I'm just learning as I go, but this at least gives you a rain or shine source for 170* temperatures.

I'll leave it in for an hour or so and see what develops. A half hour in and no smoke alarms going off yet and still no stench.

I gotta think 170* for X amount of time will be more than adequate to dry out a tiny piece of chalk. I'm hoping 375* with all its side effects might not really be at all necessary.

I can't boil water without ruining it, so I'll let you guys know what happens. May have to tweak both the temperature and time. :shrug:
 
I also like my chalk a little pasty, or "wet". I swap chalks with the pool hall whenever I find one like that. However, being dry makes sense, since chalk is an abrasive and helps keep your tips from glazing over...interesting topic
 
Baking chalk makes no sense. Less moisture means more dusty and less sticky. Moisture would make it stick more....not less. I think this is a placebo effect.

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Well....

wontonny said:
The only flaw I find with this is that a piece of chalk is essentially a piece of compressed sand. Therefore, it's porous. You can bake the moisture out, but it'll eventually creep back in.

So don't just bake your chalk once, but repeatedly do it throughout the life of the cube! I put my chalks on the dash of my car to bake in the sun every so often.
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considering I usually go through a piece of chalk each practice session, I probably shouldn't have to worry about this...

Jaden
 
Well, after 2 hours at 170* I saw no change in the paper or the color of the chalk when compared to a virgin piece from the same 12 unit box.

I gave my wife one of each to mark and did a five rack blind comparison. It was impossible for me to tell any difference.

Not saying it perhaps doesn't work, but two hours at such a temperature has gotta get that chalk as dry as it's ever going to get.

Perhaps super high temperatures may harden the chalk and result in a tad less cast off, but I personally don't think the ordeal is worth the effort.

I will continue to monitor cast off over a longer period, as this was my main reason for the experiment. Also, maybe Denver is dry enough to make all this not even minimally significant.

I'll continue to monitor this thread if someone perhaps gets significantly demonstrative results. All I can truly say is that my time and temperature wasn't worth the electricity it cost.
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
Well the chalk is still drying in the garage that has stayed for the most part over 100 DEGREES the last couple of weeks. Some days it hit 115 Degrees. Played with some Master GREEN Yesterday out of the Garage,. Worked flawlesslee.
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Hey Cowboy, temperature here last week was 122 degrees. Guess spring is here. Don't know what it was in my garage but you could burn your hand if you touched the car or the steering wheel. When I moved here from Tucson a few years ago it hit 127 degrees. My chalk stays in a box on a shelf in my garage. I use Master's green and it does the job.
 
SpiderWebComm said:
Baking chalk makes no sense. Less moisture means more dusty and less sticky. Moisture would make it stick more....not less. I think this is a placebo effect.

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You tell them Spidey...want my tin foil hat?

Nick B
 
Real good stuff

Real good stuff guys. And to think I had doing it wrong the whole time. I've been soaking my chalk for 24 hours prior to play. Sometimes during play it started to dry so I use to have to dunk it in a glass of water in between shots. Sucks when you don't have a glass handy. Then you were stuck having to lick the damn thing... Not so good. Maybe had I baked it before soaking it would have tasted better? Anyway, just like me to have things backwards.
 
Got it

Okay guys, I've figured it out after speaking with a chef friend of mine... The secret is to soak it in sea water first. Let it absorb some of the salt. Then when you remove it from the salt water you need to sear it immediately at 500 degrees on every side other than the top. (Where you actually chalk up) after you sear the last side it needs to go directly to the pre heated oven at 185 degrees for 2 and 1/2 hours. When you remove it from the oven it should be placed on foil for cooling.
Now this is suppose to be the most realistic method for people to do at home. However, by buddy has figured out a dry aging method that actually gives the best results. He's even got a few that are almost done using his 6-8 month aging process, but those are only for the most serious chalk connoisseur. My buddy has serious credentials. He's worked under Zack Allen at Carnevino at the Pallazo. Those will be for sale shorty and the reservations are filling fast. If you need on the list let me know, but I warn you they are not cheap. In fact kamui chalk owners maybe made to blush.

However, on a positive note for the rest of us with modest means I hear that many pool rooms with kitchens are starting to help us out if we bring our pieces to the room an hour or so early so we may have a fresh piece for play.


I'm currently working on a dedicated chalk oven for production so these room owners can buy one so their ovens and grills can get back to feeding people.


Now for anyone without the time, or money for the decent stuff? Well, I guess you'll just have to aim slightly more center on the cuebal...
 
WTF...

I thought I heard it all when I read people were keeping their chalk in the freezer... now baking it is a real thing too?

I thought I was anal for only using my own piece that I keep in my pocket because I have no idea what is mixed in with chalk at the poolhall...
 
This thread like some many other on AZB start out with the sharing of an idea, and turned to foolishness, like WET CHALK WORKING BEST????
 
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