As many of us know, the "Optically Clear Teflon Tape" offered by C.S. Hyde has considerably "upped the game" when it comes to making split type gaffs like Wong sets, Chip sets like "Sucker Punch" and even just lining the inside of an Expanded shell to silence the "talking" a bit or inside a Slippery Sam to make it slide even better. I have always had luck using the roll of 1" that I originally purchased. Where a coin was larger, I just carefully made almost invisible seams that proved to work well over time.

http://catalog.cshyde.com/viewitems/s-pt......tfe-tape

Well, I have finally ran out and decided to order a 2" X 5 yard roll so all my coin sizes can get a full, seamless covering and I just trim the outer edges carefully with a very sharp Exacto blade.

When "Sucker Punch" was released and had some issues, people advised the tape and it worked out for most who tried it. One member even got an email from the company asking for info about why "magicians were suddenly interested". While placing my recent order for myself, I left a message about custom sizes and they did get back to me. If I have exact dimensions and a quantity, they will be happy to quote me for professional die stamped circle cuts that would be exact. On the other hand, I feel It would be much simpler (and probably less expensive to have sheets (which they also sell instead of rolls) that are cut to square pieces in sizes like 1.5" x 1.5" that would cover Halves, Eng Pennies Expanded shells for each and still have enough left over to trim while the coin gets FULL COVERAGE with no seams. Also some squares of 1.75" X 1.75" that would take care of about every "Dollar Coin" as well as dollar size copper rounds which seem to run a tad larger than the dollar coins and even poker chips like "Sucker Punch" that initially had the same problems as the Wong sets did.

The SURVEY, so to speak would be - Which do you prefer and why? A) being exact round die cut stamps to be made after measuring all coins to be treated for exact specs. This would cost more but eliminate and problems that trimming could cause. OR B) The 2 size squares I mention which could be bought (probably a lot cheaper in bulk) but would have to be carefully trimmed with a razor blade or exacto knife to get an exact fit. Mistakes will be made by doing this but having several squares at a cheaper price would likely make up for the difference during the "Learning Curve".

Thanks in advance to all who answer one way or another and providing feedback as to "your choice and why". I can later contact them and see about a bulk order price and even see if we could get Murphy's or Penguin involved to carry the product ordered in bulk.

This is so far just an idea off the top of my head. If enough people are interested then I am sure this will be well worth a follow up.



I am set for myself at this time as I just ordered a 2" X 5 yard roll that will cover everything I own and then some. But, I thought the same thing when I got my first 1" roll (not sure what length I had). I am also sure in time, I will have a need for more (if I purchase more of this type coin gaff) or just need to replace over time. Hopefully by then, we will have a better solution than the almost $60 I just dropped on the roll with shipping and handling.

I just checked out this tape. I've heard from putting Teflon pads on the backs of the ), but are you using this tape on the face of the coin? That's very clever indeed. I think I will be ordering a roll. I think the sheets you mentioned would be a more versatile option. You could make a cookie cutter type device to get the circles. Thanks for bringing this up. It's just what I have been looking for?

Hey Poof.

I have the 1" roll that you mentioned, and I use that as is. I just place a piece where needed and trim the edges of the tape, and the sides are just a bit short. That makes things work fine for me. I haven't felt the need to piece it together and have a seam.

BTW I have also used mouse tape. That comes in strips; I usually get 1-1/2" x 8" strips. Easy to cut a piece off, place it on a splitter and then trim all around with an Exacto knife.

Jim

I used to use the 1" right down the center and not worry about the tiny edge that wasn't covered on the half dollar but, I started getting little bits of lint / pocket fuzz when I carried them around. It wasn't hard to clean them up (just a rub or the thumb) but eventually I would end up replacing the tape and starting over. The reason I went with the seam was to use the tape on dollar coins and poker chips. It is pretty difficult to get it even as the sides want to curl a bit as son as you unroll it. I was able to figure out a way and got nearly perfect seams eventually.

The edges always needed to be trimmed with a sharp X-acto knife but I have settled for getting the size roll that will fit ALL of my coins / poker chips / whatever else I may try

The reason I was wondering about the "survey question" is that I know from various threads that there are a lot of users of this tape. (I used to use mouse tape too but only on the insides of shells and between split coins where there is nothing to be seen ever). Since this tape is optically clear and can cover the face of the coins too and handle all sliding issues, I thought it may be worth bringing to the attention of Murphy's or Penguin who may be able to carry some in bulk and sell smaller packs to magicians who don't need a full roll for one set of split coins (just as you can buy extra stickers for the Wong sets). C S Hyde sells sheets that they could just order and cut to different sizes (depending on sets it would be for and let the end user trim them) or C S Hyde can quote a price for professionally die cut sizes. Basically a perfect peel and stick silver dollar size or half dollar size, poker chip size... (what ever comes down the line in the future).

Sounds good PD!

Another quick tip: When working with Ikes they always talk too much. Obviously being clad coins they never get "soft". Clear packing tape on the face makes them silent. Of course this is recommended only for stage and parlour. Similarly, to make palming them foolproof, use a Dremel tool to cut notches around the edges - again for stage and parlour.

Jim

Disclaimer- I have this Teflon on my coins. Per Todd, it need not be this tape and he indicated postal packing tape might have been superior. Regardless of type, it sure would be sweet if someone silkscreened or printed a coin relief on the tape so that in motion displays looked copasetic. I don’t know if Teflon would take such a print job.

This tape does not need anything painted or screened on it. It is “optically clear” and can go right over the face of the coin. I have some on the face of the inner coin of a walker TUC to help it open smoother and cannot tell it is there visually.

There are several tapes and such that work for helping sliding coins work smoothly. Packing tape being one of them. I have also used Carmex lip balm (it needed re-applied every few performances but it worked. Murphy’s put out a short video for owners of “Sucker Punch” after the problems started getting complained about and they gave a few less expensive options for some sheets of a product you could order and cut to fit, but with all the options out there, I have had ZERO problems using the optically clear Teflon tape from CS Hyde. It is virtually invisible, makes the coins slide like a hot knife thru butter and easy to use (even easy to replace the few times it is needed). I have also never had a problem removing it from a paper sticker (like the Chinese side of a Wong Coin) or a poker chip (like a Sucker Punch chip). The tape peels right off without damaging the paper. I cannot say the same for packing tape or some of the other products (that I have not tried). I just know this stuff works very well and I will stick with it.

You might be missing my point. If say a tails side of a coin was printed on the tape then you could prove a display of the inside of a shell.

You might be missing Poof's point.
You can get stickers, and then apply the optically clear tape over them, and still remove the tape (to re-apply), without ruining the sticker.
Therefore, having the tape clear is superior to having anything printed on it, because you don't have to print custom smooth tape for each type of coin you'd want to use - you can just print out cheap stickers yourself, and then put the tape on top. (The stickers are also easier to find, so you won't have trouble trimming the tape down to size.

To answer the original question: I think it depends a little on the bulk pricing. I'd pay a few cents (percent?) extra to not have to deal with trimming things, if just for the convenience and occasional mistake when trimming (or aligning). However, I suspect to get multiple sizes - Poker chips, dollar coins, half dollars, (quarters?) etc, would start to be tricky to maintain/stock, and would cost more since each item is ordered from CS Hyde in smaller quantities. It's much simpler to fulfill an order of "I want 12 pieces" if there's only one type than "I want 6 poker chips, 4 half dollar, and 2 dollar".

I keep hearing great things about this stuff, I should really try it sometime. But it's a lot to spend to just test out. :sigh:

A regular split coin where you never show the center, this is not necessary although it would make a great replacement if ever needed. But for coins like the Wong sets where both sides are meant to be seen and ease of sliding is a must. This stuff has been tested (and well promoted by many who have used it for a couple years now). In other applications, such as a TUC coin, I can now slide my Walker TUC “almost” as easily as a regular split coin and there is nothing noticeable on the “innermost” piece that now has even less friction with the provided Teflon disc inside the outer part. Having the innermost part covered with the CS Hyde tape even helps it slide bettter as it slides across the inner edge of the shell part (which was my biggest problem with getting full use out of my TUC).

I would say without hesitation, if you think you have a use for it, go ahead and take the plunge on a 1” roll or even a sheet (I think they sell sheets although shipping may end up being more than the sheet) as I recall, USPS Priority was the least expensive they even offered. I have gotten away with a 1” roll for a couple years and it served me well. This time, I just saved up the money to go all out on a product that I not only knew works, but in the size that would be more useful to me.

My personal opinion would be to go with square cut outs wit a backing and let the final user do the trim work. The undeniable fact is - not every coin of “X” denomination is the exact same size due to wear or how they were gaffed. Some get cut down a bit and other get expanded a bit and there is always regular wear and tear. My recent order was for a roll of 2” so I could cover anything in my collection. I was able to do my entire Sucker Punch Set so there is no distinction from the sliders to the exp shells to the regular chips. I also took my JJ Coin Coalition Ike Set (which has got beautiful patina now and skill slides perfectly) and I covered the patina side on all plus the face of the center coin. They now not only slide perfectly (though they already did) but they slide SILENTLY now. Not that it was a problem before but there was a bit of a click when the “re-nested”.

I think I'd lean towards the squares + trimming.
With perfectly sized circles you'd need to place them perfectly on the coins, or have to peel them off and try again - possibly lessening the stickiness or causing the tape to curl or otherwise distort?

Good call. Yes, I missed that. My bad

I'm on my second 1.5'' x 5 yd roll and to be honest I'll probably just keep going with the rolls if required.
But my use of it has now slowed down quite a bit too, now that I've applied it to everything that needs it.
I don't use my gaffs as much as a full time pro would so I rarely need to reapply it. But the tape holds up very well so even a busy pro wouldn't need to apply it very often.

Videoman, I am in the same boat. I will likely get some serious mileage out of this 2” X 5yd roll too but what would you vote if that were not the case? Precut size circles with backing that would be made to exact specs for certain coins or chips? Or the squares with backing that you would have to trim yourself? My idea is to take the info and bring it to the attention of Murphy’s to carry and sell thru online and retail stores but would like to know what the majority wants. I personally think the squares are a better idea simply because you have leeway before you trim. Getting a distributor to carry them is my ultimate goal. Even rolls can have issues. Mine always tend to curl on the sides when applied making it a bit harder to get a super flat installation.

Hey Poof, I would vote for the squares, preferably in 2'' size because I like having some leeway and that size should be large enough to cover any coin.

Side-note: When placing a piece inside a shell it doesn't need to be a perfect fit so I stick a piece on a smaller coin (i.e. a half for use with a dollar), trim to fit the half and remove and put it in the dollar shell.
AFA curling, the tape can curl when taken off the roll but I have always found it to stay flat once applied. I do try my best to stretch it as little as possible when removing a piece from the roll.

I guess whether or not I would purchase the squares or circles would depend on the price. But my guess is that Murphy's would sell these for significantly more than buying it by the roll, and even though the initial outlay would likely be cheaper I would probably opt to spend more to get a lot more.

But it's a good idea and I wish you success with your endeavor. It would be a great way for people to try it out without investing in a whole roll.

I have used packing tape for non close up situation on dollar coins, but it eventually started to peel around the edges. Does the CS Hyde tape also
suffer from this peeling issue eventually, or is the adhesive stronger?

I have not had that problem so far but that doesn't mean that it can't happen, just less likely. The adhesive is pretty good while still being able to be removed from a paper sticker without damaging the paper sticker. NOW, I have however, had to replace the tape on the heads side of the inner part on my Walking Liberty TUC. The reason though, was I was rubbing it kind of hard against the "sharper edge" of the outer shell (if you understand what I mean).

I would also say that mileage will vary depending on how and how much you are rubbing it on something that could potentually cause that.

FYI: Amazon has 1” x 5 yd rolls for $20.57 w/ a clickable $3.09 off the price! If you have amazon Prime you can get it with free 2-day delivery! No other widths listed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000REI90W/ref......bYSNEGDK
Later,
Steph

What does "a clickable 3.09" mean? I'm not seeing any further discounts when I go to that page.

When you buy it there is a discount instant coupon that will take $3.09 off the $20.57. But you have to click a box to redeem that discount.
Steph