Hey all,

I’ve been splitting cards and making gaffs. I’ve found a decent spray adhesive creates a better feel than rubber cement. However, the cards still buckle or bubble when they are bent too far (same with rubber cement).

My question is, how good can homemade gaffs get? I’m trying to determine ifs something I am doing wrong or could do better. Alternatively, maybe what I have is as good as it gets outside of buying machine made gaffs.

Thank you!



Eldini

You can make them yourself as good as the ones you can buy depending on what you want to put into it. I have been converting Bicycle Standard / Rider Backs into Phoenix Back Gaffs for years and they are top quality. Here is a great place to start before you get into buying the more expensive devices used by the pros and intermediates like myself.

https://www.lybrary.com/the-gaff-factory......750.html

This will introduce you to much better materials like DMT over wet glues to get that perfect "snap" in your gaff cards.

After several years making gaffs I can say you can make almost perfect gaffs, achieving great results with even simple materials like school glue. Problem is, when you get down the rabbit hole you find yourself shopping for glues, tools, jugs and you end up better equipped than a professional... yet you don’t need any of that, just a lot of practice. Over time you will learn how to eyeball the perfect alignment you previously could get only with a tool. Agreed that DMT is the perfect way to glue gaffs, the learning curve is steep and you will get frustrated a lot before getting it right, but the satisfaction of handling a perfect gaff made by you is priceless. (For the rest, they say, there’s MasterCard)

Thank you for the replies! This is exactly the information I was looking for.

It is a strange obsession indeed. But one day I’ll get it right!


Eldini

For more info on gaffing tools, check out my recent review.
https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view......orum=113

Strange indeed but when you make that first N-Stripper Deck and pull your aces in one pull, Kings in the next then all 4 Queens, OR you cut your first deck of end strippers with just enough of a brief that only you notice it is there, and you look at your pile of fresh personalized double facers that only you know what they are for... You know it was worth the journey.