Anyone know the "material" used for an invisible deck?

There are several threads on this subject.

Click on search at the top of the page and search for invisible decks. I'm sure you will find what you are looking for.

If you search for roughing spray you will find what you are looking for.

Try this;

http://www.hamptonridge.com/product_page......uid.html


Frank.

I heard that Testor's brand meduim dull coat finish works well as roughing spray and cost a bit less than "roughing spray".

I've heard of people useing evrything from orangejuice to hairspray...

The following is excerpted from the alt.magic FAQ which I wrote for that document:

There are three substitutes for roughing fluid that I have personally used and recommend.

The first is Testors Dullkote 1260 which can be bought in hobby shops where plastic models are sold. This is the same exact product that is sold in magic shops using a different label. The cost is about the same as magic shop prices so the label is the only difference. You can get about 10 decks with one can.

Krylon Matte Finish Clear is another perfect substitute. Any hardware store selling Krlyon brand paints will have it. You can get as many as 25 decks from one can.

Photo Fixative Matte Finish Clear Spray in nearly any brand works great, too. Any photo shop, frame and picture mounting shop, craft
shop, artist supply shop or hardware store should have some of this. The number of decks per can will depend on the size of the can.

Some tips: Spray light coats, not heavy coats and wait until the paint is completely dry between coats. Have patience. If you touch the cards while the paint is wet, you'll leave fingerprints and smudge the ink on the cards. The ink dissolves when the paint is wet. If you wait, the ink will dry again and no damage will be done to the cards.

After dry, look carefully at each card to make sure the entire surface is evenly sprayed. The shiny finish on cards should not show through at all or the action will not be right.

Use only fresh, new decks when spraying the coat on. Any debris or dirt on the cards will be there for eternity if you spray over it.

The more care you take in preparation, the less fumbling you will have to do in performance.

Best Always,
Ray

Great tips, Ray! But *I* like to mask off the center 1-inch (horizontally) of each card and leave it uncoated.

That makes separating the selected card a breeze. You use the same pressure, but move your thumb slightly toward the center of the card and they slide gracefully apart.

I used to do that, too.

Once, I handed a deck to a friend who didn't know I had left the strip blank in the center. The look of surprise on his face was priceless when he went to spread out the cards.

He knew I always carried the deck with me and I actually forgot about that "twist" on my deck. Had I remembered, I would have simply declined to loan it and explained why to him later.

I've gone away from that technique these days preferring to simply apply the right amount of pressure. It became too much trouble to make the decks up with that strip in the middle missing.

Best,
Ray

Of course, an Invisible Deck costs me 7 bucks.

A standard bike deck – costs 3 and rouging spray cost 5 and my time and energy don’t come free either.

So – in the long run – Id rather support my local magic shop and local magic owner and purchase my decks from him. I want him to be in business for me when I need something big – so I might as well buy the small things from him also…

This is my opinion – I’m probably going to “suffer the slings and arrows” on this one,

:D

The originator of the Invisible Deck is long gone from this world. You honor him by being concerned about making your own deck.

In certain areas of the world, Bicycle cards are not common. Other brands must be used or even custom decks. Because of this, knowing the technique and the material used is important.

This particular effect is one that has been manufactured by too many manufacturers to count.

Ray

DK--

I wonder where you are shopping? At Walmart, Bikes are $1.25 and a can of Testors is 1.99 (and good for about 8 decks).

But the REAL value is that I can customize them, as described in a previous post, (for another quarter's worth of masking tape!)

For $7, I can make two IDs and two "Brainwaves"!

Regarding the strip in the center void of roughing. I made and easel of cardboard on which about 15 cards rest. By reversing a 1" wide piece of masking tape (the sticky side faces out) I am able to stretch it across the cards to create that voided area.

For masking out the center strip, there's an easier way that involves no potential mistake or damage from removing the tape.

Get some laminating edging material from Home Depot and lay it across the middle of a row of cards that are lain out for painting.

Best,
Ray

Use testors dullkote. it lasts the longest.

It took you 4 and a half years to figure that out?
Thanks for all of the testing

Hi Everyone,

Try the Roughing Stick from http://www.stevensmagic.com Absolutely brilliant!

I use "Gold Bond" powder. Sprinkle a pinch on the right side of the card and rub the sister on it together blending the powder in real good. It makes a good traction.

Another tip that I would give concerns the type of card stock to use. Smooth, untextured finishes work best for roughing. The best are some of the smooth PVC cards. Not only do they rough extremely well, but they're great for use in very humid conditions. Paper cards have roughing failures, in humid conditions.

I have had exactly the opposite experience, the Dullcote goes dead long before the Krylon..