The Magic Café
Username:
Password:
[ Lost Password ]
  [ Forgot Username ]
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The workers » » What makes a deck easy to fan? (0 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

David Duffy
View Profile
New user
Philadelphia, PA
18 Posts

Profile of David Duffy
I am curious because we all know when you purchase a fresh bicycle deck it spreads and fans so easily. Why when you work a deck in for even a day or two do your fans get choppy and fan in stacks? I know my skills are decent to the point if I have a new deck I can make an evenly spread fan.
Stanyon
View Profile
Inner circle
Landrum, S.C. by way of Chicago
3433 Posts

Profile of Stanyon
Dirty hands are the biggest culprits. Grease and oils from your hands are transferred to the deck and grab dirt, grit and gunka which ruins the slick finish of your new deck.
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!"
MickeyPainless
View Profile
Inner circle
California
6065 Posts

Profile of MickeyPainless
Steve nailed the main culprit, grease and grime!
A deck doesn't last me very long but I always wash my hands before handling and when I'm done I most often faro face up into face down and put them in a Porper clip. That seems to keep em fresh a bit longer! Another card killer is humidity!
I buy 12 packs of Bikes at Costco for 13 bucks so at that price I don't worry about getting more than a couple days out of a deck!

Hospitals, nursing homes and rehab centers are always happy to receive a donation of a couple doz. almost new cards every other month or so! Hell, after you get to know the staff maybe work out a deal to do a little for fun and for free gig to hone your chops!

MMc
David Duffy
View Profile
New user
Philadelphia, PA
18 Posts

Profile of David Duffy
Thanks so much for the feedback. I've noticed myself when I use an alcohol based cleaner on my hands I can handle the deck without much hassle. Perhaps I should have put two and two together. Does the fanning powder sound like a good solution or does this just fix the dirt and grime issue for a short time?
Jell92
View Profile
New user
Denmark
93 Posts

Profile of Jell92
Nah, in my opinion fanningpowder makes the deck even more clumpy and sticky;)
MickeyPainless
View Profile
Inner circle
California
6065 Posts

Profile of MickeyPainless
Don't know anything about fanning powder but I do know that alcohol dries out your hands! I sometimes use the washless type hand cleaners like Purel but I then follow up with a dab of Neutrogena hand cream, work it in well then wait a min. or so for it to set in before picking up my cards!

MMc
DomKabala
View Profile
Inner circle
I've grown old after diggin' holes for
2827 Posts

Profile of DomKabala
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Playing-Cards.html
The above link will explain the manufacturing process that playing cards undergo.

If you look at step 4 in the Manufacturing process you will find out that the cards are given a clear polymer coating to give them a slick, glossy finish and make them longerlasting.

But nothing lasts forever and I assume that this coating wears away after repeated shuffling, fanning, etc.

One thing I do notice... the more you faro/riffle shuffle a deck of cards the quicker the coating wears away.

Cardamagically,
Dom.
:) Smile
We don't stop playing when we grow old...we grow old when we stop playing.

God is enough, let go, let God. Gal 2:20

"Anything of value is not easily attained and those things which are easily attained are not of lasting value."



Smile Smile Smile Smile
gadfly3d
View Profile
Special user
963 Posts

Profile of gadfly3d
Quote:
On 2009-05-01 01:29, Jell92 wrote:
Nah, in my opinion fanningpowder makes the deck even more clumpy and sticky;)


If that is the case you are either no using good powder or applying it incorrectly. That said a deck with fanning powder does not feel slick like a new deck but will fan more evenly.

Gil
Jell92
View Profile
New user
Denmark
93 Posts

Profile of Jell92
Yeh maybe clumsy and sticky is not the right words to use, but they do get strange feeling to them, that I dislike!;)
The Amazing Noobini
View Profile
Inner circle
Oslo, Norway
1658 Posts

Profile of The Amazing Noobini
"What makes a deck easy to fan?"

I would have to answer your skill more than anything else. With a Pressure Fan at least, you should be able to fan a deck which is a week or two old without much noticeable unevenness.

I'm still having unpredictable results with my Pressure Fan, but when I get it right it produces a nice even fan which should look good to the uninitiated.

I think that if you were to shoot a professional DVD on XCM or something, you would want to take additional steps to ensure the smoothest fan possible, but the first of those steps would be to open a fresh deck anyway. Smile
"Talk about melodrama... and being born in the wrong part of the world." (Raf Robert)
"You, my friend, have a lot to learn." (S. Youell)
"Nonsensical Raving of a lunatic mind..." (Larry)
SolitarySoul
View Profile
New user
Doylestown, PA
60 Posts

Profile of SolitarySoul
You know, it's funny, though...

A new deck fans great. A slightly broken in deck fans less great - especially if only a few cards have gotten dirty. But, a really broken in deck often fans REALLY GREAT. It's as if having the right amount and type of dirt across all the cards uniformly acts as fanning powder and helps things along.
jstone
View Profile
Inner circle
Someday I'll have
1473 Posts

Profile of jstone
What makes a deck easy to fan? Using Jeff McBride's hands.
Mr Rubiks
View Profile
Regular user
134 Posts

Profile of Mr Rubiks
What makes a deck easy to fan?

Practice man, practice.........
M for Magic
View Profile
Special user
673 Posts

Profile of M for Magic
Hookers
DStachowiak
View Profile
Inner circle
Baltimore, MD
2158 Posts

Profile of DStachowiak
Quote:
On 2009-05-04 15:59, The Amazing Noobini wrote:
"What makes a deck easy to fan?"

I would have to answer your skill more than anything else. With a Pressure Fan at least, you should be able to fan a deck which is a week or two old without much noticeable unevenness.

I'm still having unpredictable results with my Pressure Fan, but when I get it right it produces a nice even fan which should look good to the uninitiated.

I think that if you were to shoot a professional DVD on XCM or something, you would want to take additional steps to ensure the smoothest fan possible, but the first of those steps would be to open a fresh deck anyway. Smile

I have never developed a decent pressure fan. I guess I got lazy when USPCC started using the slick finish they currently use, and I was suddenly able to fan cards beautifully without pressure. "Like the spokes of a wheel..."
Don
Woke up.
Fell out of bed.
Dragged a comb across m' head.
Pete Biro
View Profile
1933 - 2018
18558 Posts

Profile of Pete Biro
Strong hands and practice. And keep you tools (the cards) clean.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
Jonas
View Profile
Inner circle
Sweden
1065 Posts

Profile of Jonas
Fanning powder indeed helps fans, but makes a lot of sleights more difficult. It doesn't make the cards more slippery, it only distributes the friction more evenly amongst the cards.
http://www.youtube.com/jonashaglund < Card flourishes and some other stuff.
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The workers » » What makes a deck easy to fan? (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 <

ROTFL Billions and billions served! ROTFL