|
|
BeThePlunk Special user West of Boston, East of Eden 887 Posts |
I just received my first flipper, and I think there's a problem. First, it's very hard to open. I need the point of a knife. Second, it snaps shut by itself. If I lay it on a table, it just pops shut and ten I have to reach for the knife. The instructtional DVD (from a reputable source) is poorly made in that I can't navigate the menu page. I only get to see one or two clips and it's a mystery to me how or why I see them.
You can't help me with the DVD, but can someone give me some instruction on how a flipper is supposed to behave? PM me, please, if it's really secret stuff. Thanks for any help. |
tbaer Inner circle Pennsylvania 2003 Posts |
Most regular flipper coins don't stay open when you lay it on a table, unless you buy one of those flippers from the famous coin men mentioned a lot here on the Café. I used to have one, but they are very expensive. Those flippers can lay flat on a table and they don't spring shut.
But you can try stretching out the bands that came with the flipper. But it still probably won't lay perfectly flat on a table even after the band is stretched. Stretch a band over some object for a day to stretch it out some. You shouldn't need a knive to open the flap. You should be able to hold the coin at the bottom section that is secure with the right hand if you are right handed and give the coin a quick jerk downward, the flap should open just enough so you can grab it with your right finger, but you have to be very quick. After some practice it becomes very easy. |
inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2350 Posts |
Tbaer is right... it sounds like you have a "traditional" flipper, not a "gravity" flipper.
Don't use the knife, you'll likely ruin the thin rim/edge. If shaking your hand downward with a quick jerk doesn't work, try banging your hand against the palm of your other hand -- and be sure you're only grasping the small part that doesn't flip out, and of course be sure the flippy part is on the bottom. If you want a "gravity" flipper you can try replacing the band with a slightly larger/weaker one. |
Stanyon Inner circle Landrum, S.C. by way of Chicago 3433 Posts |
An important question,... Who's Flipper is it?
Stanyon
aka Steve Taylor "Every move a move!" "If you've enjoyed my performance half as much as I've enjoyed performing for you, then you've enjoyed it twice as much as me!" |
BeThePlunk Special user West of Boston, East of Eden 887 Posts |
Well, I bought the flipper on eBay. It came from China but the DVD was produced by a well-respected American. But like I said earlier, the DVD dosen't play all that well. Maybe I fell into a Chinese rip-off. (I hate to sound negative, but many rip-off DO originate there.)
I tried stretching the band. It worked for a bit, but it got over-stretched quickly and now the pieces don't nest well. It sounds like I want something called a gravity flipper. Which ones would the Café recommend? Thanks, David |
David Neighbors V.I.P. 4910 Posts |
Well To Me In my 45 years Of Doing Magic! And creating Magic! The BEST G.Flipper I have ever Come by Are The Lassen G. Flipper Ones!!!
|
Tom G Inner circle 2895 Posts |
It does sound like a poorly made standard flipper. When it comes to gaffs you should stick to known manufacturers. No name imports are just throwing your money away unfortunately.
|
inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2350 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 31, 2014, Tom G wrote: This doesn't sound like a poorly made flipper at all. It sounds like a properly made traditional flipper -- no initial comments or concerns were expressed about the look or fit of the coin, just that it stayed shut and "needed a knife" to open it. The current issue came from stretching the band to make it act like a gravity flipper which it (apparently) is not. Quote:
I tried stretching the band. It worked for a bit, but it got over-stretched quickly and now the pieces don't nest well. That's a user induced band problem, not a manufacturing issue. I doubt the OP has actually taken the flipper apart to stretch the band, so what's happened is the parts of the band "inside" the flipper have stretched to provide more "give" where the pieces meet. For the most part, the band hasn't actually been stretched larger, the band material has just been distributed differently around the circumference of the coin and when the band naturally recovers from the bit of stretching that did occur, it jams up the works in the gap between the two pieces. As I said above, the way to make a traditional flipper act like a gravity one is to use a different band. In addition to the issue just described, stretching one sized for "traditional" use compromises it and makes it more likely to break. |
BeThePlunk Special user West of Boston, East of Eden 887 Posts |
Inigmntoya, you got it exactly right. What led me astray is the DVD (what I could see of it) showed the flipper opening part way by itself so that the operator could open it flat with one hand. That's what I tried to reproduce and what got me into trouble. There's more to learn here than I first realized.
|
tbaer Inner circle Pennsylvania 2003 Posts |
The way I stretched my bands was I got a wooden dowel rod and placed the bands over it and I left them set for a day.
|
BeThePlunk Special user West of Boston, East of Eden 887 Posts |
So, taking the flipper apart for repair last night, I realized that it has a magnet in it. I can't figure out what the magnet is good for since it doesn't stick to the main body of the coin. Lots of learning in store for me obviously.
|
tomsk192 Inner circle 3894 Posts |
It might come in handy with a holdout...
|
Motor City Special user Metro Detroit Area 587 Posts |
As tomsk192 said you can use it with a holdout. Also, you can use it with a shimmed expanded shell which will "lock" the two coins so you can toss them into a topit or handle them as one coin.
Troy Hooser has some very nice stuff in his book, "Destroyers," using the flipper coin. I believe the book is still available at www.vanishingincmagic.com. |
David Neighbors V.I.P. 4910 Posts |
Yea If Your Looking For Some Routines For A G. Flipper I have some Stuff using One In the 1 St. hardbound !
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Trick coin trickery » » Flipper Help Please (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |