Hey guys,
I'm working on some coin stuff using a shell but I notice at times I get a really bad "tin" noise. I think I remember reading somewhere that some people put teflon inside their shells to prevent this kind of noise. If so, how does one go about doing that? Are there any other methods to prevent such noise? Many thanks!


Roberto

Roberto, Teflon may minimize the tin noise, but it's mainly used for ease of handling. IF you're going to use a s***l with the risk of it making a noise, you want to COVER that sound. One eample is to drop two coins together in the other hand thus masking the tin noise. Hope that helps.

When nesting or un-nesting, just be gentle. When dropping coins from say, right hand to left hand, place nested coin into left hand first ( shell side against palm ). When you drop the rest of the coins one at a time on top of the shelled coin, it will sound as it should.

The method I use came from my Dad; (who, interestingly, does not know the first thing about magic) uses a thin layer of wax. Put the gimmick in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill the metal while melting a bit of wax (I use casting wax, but even simple candle wax would work).

This will take a couple of practice runs to get a thin and consistent coat... let a very small bit of wax drop into the [ and with a quick rolling motion turn it over and drop the wax out. The cold will only solidify the wax that immediately contacts the metal while the rolling motion will distribute evenly and prevent any wax from thickening before being dumped out.

Again, this will take a few experimental trials but of course the ease and simplicity of the wax allows for mistake. If done carefully you are left with enough wax to completely prevent metal on metal, without causing a coin to lodge in the [ or leaving a visible gap or seam

Forget melting wax into the shell. Most of your problem is in the handling, as already mentioned. You can add Teflon - Tango sells disks of Teflon already cut to size for half dollars and dollar coins. Or use a bit of mouse tape, available at http://www.mousetape.com

Jim

I have never come across it, but the mouse tape seems a good idea as well; because I used electric tape for a strech and it works great.

How thick (comparatively) is 'mouse tape'? It seems the application would require it to be fairly thick

J-Mac, I've seen a number of posts concerning Mouse Tape, can you elaborate a little on why this is popular amongst coin magicians, and any negatives associated with its use ?

Thanks

Sorry for hi-jacking this thread!

I would mostly agree.

Keep practicing and you won't need anything added.

Thanks all for the feedback. I might try either the teflon or that mouse tape. And yes, I agree that a lot of it is in the handling but every now and then even with proper handling, if the shell sticks to my thumb when it's resting on a coin I'll get the tin noise. Doesn't happen all the time, just wanted to know what you guys use/do to minimize it.


Roberto

Mouse tape is clear, very, very thin, and offers similar abilities to Teflon with regard to making coins slide easier. Also, like Teflon simply because it prevents metal on metal contact, it helps to alleviate the noise caused when a coin nests into a shell.

Nothing helps the "tinny" sound that you mentioned, Roberto, except handling. You cannot allow coins to openly clink together with a shell; or speak over it.

Jim

A great over-the-counter solution is a Slippery [

Although unwieldy relative to a standard [ and a more expensive option, they're designed explicitly for this problem. From a respectable machinist, they can be just as versatile and more resilient than a standard shell modified at home to nest silently.

As a matter of fact, the only Morgan silver Dollar gaff I've ever come across was a slippery shell

I find the sliding/slippery shells more difficult to use - for me, anyway. If it isn't a locking shell then it is very easy for the nested coin to "peek" out a little, naturally always at the worst possible times!

Jim

Jim is right. Handling is what sleight of hand is about, not only visually! As Roberto underlines with this topic, we work at deceiving minds not just the eyes and magic is not in the props.

If my memory serves me well, it seems to me that in his DVD Shell Shocked, Barry Taylor is suggesting several moves to act casual without having any tin noise betraying the perception of the eye.