talkmagic.co.uk

Hi..

Could any of you tell me how to make a closeup mat (black).. like what material to use (mat velvet type ?) etc.. etc..

Can I get one anywhere and can I get spare material for it ? The spare material is very important.. hence my suggestion to build one.

Thanks

Slippery

hobby craft does foam sheets that can be layered to make a close up pad or mat.

Apparently most Close-up mats are made outta Wet Suit material.

Dar_Kwan wrote:Apparently most Close-up mats are made outta Wet Suit material.

Most of the ones I've had or seen are more like those foam mousemats - with the foam beneath and a thin, elastane fabric glued to the top.

They need to primarily be spongy - to aid 'getting below' the cards, and also need to have a grip, to aid card spreads and stuff - but not TOO grippy.

I suggest you contact a mousmat manufacturer, they could probably supply the stuff in big sheets. Although, buying a close-up pad in plain colours is NOT too dear anyway... and you could strip the material off, if need be.

If you're considering 'black-art' type effects, i.e. hiding things using the background of the mat colour as camouflage, it's possible to get away with murder on a black close-up mat... (hinty hinty)

I'l go with Dar Kwan on this one. Most wetsuits have that elastane section on one wide which will be fine for card spreads and grips, and some of the older types of wet-suits have a knobbly rubber section on the otherside of the foam which would grip the table. So Neoprene is probably the way forwards. If you live near the coast you could go to a boat supplies/yaucht supply shop and they will have it on rolls(should).

If you're considering 'black-art' type effects, i.e. hiding things using the background of the mat colour as camouflage, it's possible to get away with murder on a black close-up mat... (hinty hinty)

never thought of 'black-art' on a close up pad, DOH.

I bought a close up pad from The Card Collection (cards4magic.co.uk) for £5 and its large enough to customise or whatever if need be.

Apparently most Close-up mats are made outta Wet Suit material.

I know what you mean by this, usually the underside is made of neoprene to add grip to the surface your using and the top side is covered in a very thin layer of lyrca type material; just like a wetsuit. If you want to make your own i suggest using a neoprene layer of about 2-3mm. As far as the top layer is concerned you'll just have to experiment.

Another option is to use felt on top, although the "fluffyness" of it probably won't help any black art type effects, if you catch my meaning.

The felt idea is cool, except if any of you have had experience of felt mats, they tend to wear quite easily.

I've just telephoned a company who supply us with promo items, such as mousemats, and they DO buy the stuff on large rolls. They then die-cut it to shape.

Their 'premium' range is indeed neoprene backed, with a fabric cover (although the bloke said 'It's not QUITE wetsuit grade'... and in fairness, it would probably be a better soloution to go this route, or buy a regular close-up mat, and then try and source a matching fabric.

This would also surely be a cheaper and more flexible option, as a nice close up mat costs only about £10. Then, just nip down to your local fabric shop and get some matching material.

Separating the top bonded layer from the foam backing would be near impossible, methinks, without damaging it.

I am trying to do some Black-Art type stuff.. hence the need to to find something suitable to use.

Sounds like a bought mat would work as long as I could get some matching material..

So how effective is a standard closeup mat for Black-Art (I want to do semi to closeup stuff with it)..

Thanks

Slippery

Personal advice...

The velvet type of close-up mat is by far the best to go for. The cheaper, mousemat 'wetsuit' type fabric ones gather muck and dust quicker, whereas the velvet ones seem to just brush clean....

Also, for black art, the velvet type is usually a much deeper and darker black, owing to the extra dimension of the velvet fabric (as opposed to the sheer surface of the other 'wetsuit' type)

Black-art works pretty well at speed on the velvet type, but your lighting needs observing. Black-art involving 'enclosed' areas, such as the mouths of glasses and rings etc. is fine, and almost undetectable, but covering coins and cards etc. would need an almost completely dark room, I think.

there is also a material out there called Valour/Velveteen, it's bags cheaper than Velvet & Doesn't have that white sheen which Velvet sometimes gets when it's rubbed the wrong way, this helps immensly with the lighting aspect

Dar_Kwan wrote:there is also a material out there called Valour/Velveteen, it's bags cheaper than Velvet & Doesn't have that white sheen which Velvet sometimes gets when it's rubbed the wrong way, this helps immensly with the lighting aspect

I am quite sure that Velveteen (or similar) is used in car interiors... for trims and headlinings. Maybe that's a starting point...?

I just went to a fabric store

Thanks again everyone..

As helpful as ever..

I think I'll try both velvet and velor as they seem to be the real choices..

Off to the fabric store I guess..

Thanks again for all your help

Slippery

sorry
but i would suggest you buy one they are nto that expensive. Check your local magic shop. Or you could go to www.magictricks.co.uk and pay £10 an d get one. I got one and its great well worth my money.

Ben bale

i just bought my first close up mat from penguin europe for just $11 about £8 and it is lovley a perfect size and thin enough to roll up and put in my magic box

Pcwizme