Hi there! I have a question about the rough and smooth. I bought an invisible deck long time ago but never used. I want to build my own cards with rough and smooth, but I wanted to know for how long does it last in the card? Thanks

It depends on the usages. The more it is used, the quicker it wears out.

If you are a casual performer (friends, family, parties), expect 1-3 years from it if used fairly regularly. And reroughing isn’t terribly hard.

It is likely that you’ll get a lot more than 3 years, which makes it one of the best values in diy magic.

But if you are going to do it daily, you’ll want a backup ready and you’ll know when it is wearing out.

Patrick

It sounds to me that the comments you have received so far are good advice. I would add that you should not be afraid to experiment. If you have some extra cards you can spray they to try different things. I have found that every can of satin spray finish laquer will work for either spraying new cards or touching up older cards. It is the spray people use to put a finish on furniture. I will send you a PM to give you more info on spraying cards. MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN A WELL VENTALATED SPACE.

Depending on what you’re doing, it will last for maybe three months minimum? It really depends on how humid the environment is (so, some folks inside pockets are very humid environment). Any routine where the roughed sides are moving against each other will also increase wear very quickly. It just depends. If you’re only doing an invisible deck routine, keep them dry and in a card clip, you can make them last years.

About doing it yourself- try a Harry Robson roughing stick. It’s the least messy option and lasts for ages. It’s also worth having one to patch up a deck when you’re at a gig or away from home.

If you try roughing spray, you need a very well ventilated area - this is EXTREMELY important for your safety.
Other than that, the single most important tip is to use a really small amount of the spray. Just a quick waft over the cards and you’re done. And let them dry properly before you touch them again.

Thanks for that, I've been thinking of using matte laquer pray for awhile myself. Good to know that you've tried this & that it works. Cheers!

You can get a roughing stick from Vanishing Inc or the dealer of your choice for about $15. It's great for touching up a ID and doesn't come with fumes like the spray.

If you find that your decks are worn it is very easy to make new ones or touch up worn ones. As mentioned, roughing sticks work quite well and are good for touching up but I have used the Krylon spray and that works as well but takes more work than the sticks.

The finish will last quite a while but it obviously depends on how many times you use the deck and how it is stored.

The nice thing about making your own is that you can make a number of variations of decks that use the principle.

This is by far the easiest solution, rather than messing with sprays.

Readily available from magic retailers like these:

- https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/5713
- https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/card-m......g-stick/