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I Have Finally Perfected the Magnetic Card set-up

I have read a lot of disscusions regarding the production of a card that can be manipulated by a magnet. Some of them seem to be a little too complicated. My method does not use belt sanders, bespoke built card presses or even a scalpel, but produces a perfect card the exact thickness as normal and indistinguishable from a normal card. To produce them very few tools are needed and once you have learnt the method you can make one ready to use in 5 minutes....... Here it goes.

Step 1. [u]Splitting a Card the Malphas Way
To split a card the first stage is the universally accepted method of tapping the corner onto a wooden table. Just tap the corner on the table gently for a minute or so and it will start to come apart. A standard bicycle card is made from three layers. The face layer, the dark core layer and the back layer. Which layer to peel depends on what gaff you are setting up (double face, double back, etc.) but as this tutorial is for a magnetic card we will be peeling of the back layer.
Seperate the back layer and peel it back around 5mm. This can be done with fingertips (I bite my nails)and should be very easy to do without tearing the card. Then place the card face down onto a nice flat table or surface. Take another card from your deck and gently wedge the long edge between the back layer and the dark core. Push down so as to keep the bottom two layers of the card flat on the table.
Then you can start gently peeling the back of little by litte. All the time pushing the support card down and forward into the crack. Try to use more finger and spread the pressure so the bottom two layers are evenly held tight. Once you get the hang of this you should end up with a perfectly intact back and the remainder of the card is also untorn. Most other methods I have heard involve using two card to make one, through either polishing or tearing. This saves you a card and hey it's not much, but the sense of satisfaction is worth more than just 10p.

Step 2. Preparing the Card Surfaces
The next step is to prepare the layers to be stuck back together. Now at this moment I feel it is worth makeing a short statment about glue. If you use cruddy glue you get cruddy results. Wet glues will warp the surface of the card and look irregular. Lumpy glue will make a lumpy card, and has been known to then give a lumpy performance. Permanent spray mount does the job nicely if you you use it well, rubber cement is okay, better when diluted. But personally I use a Permanent Pritt Roller. If you've not seen these, they are great and there a a few differant brands around. You can get them at staples, whsmith or any good stationary shop. The little plastic machine rolls a thin layer of strong adhesive and they are incredably accurate. This is great as for good results you need the glue to go all the way to the edge of the card.

Step 3. Adding Steel
Steel shim is good for this as it can be cut into strips or shapes from maximum coverage and is very thin. I find razor blade work fine aswell. They also can be cut with good sharp scissors and also by stroking them with a magnet can be magnitised themselves. Were you place the steel is up to you. Personally I cut a razor blade into two pieces and snip off the irregular ends. Then I place one at twelve aclock just where the line is above the angels head (on a bicycle) and one piece at three aclock about 10mm in from the edge. I find this causes the card to move smoothly back and to the right when I'm doing a PK self cutting cards routine. But it's certainly worth experimenting (let me know any good combos).
Just stick your steel to the double layered half or the card.

Step 4. Reforming the Card
Now do this first bit nice and slow. Line up a corner and gently touch the layers together. Then slowly line up the next corner and push the layers together. Firm down the card with your fingers buy rubbing it onto a table. Then get the phone book or some other similar big thick paperback book (argos catalogue, dummies guide, etc.). Wedge the long side of the card into the spine of the book about a quarter of the way from the back.
Now put the book on a flat floor (not carpet) and stand on it. I like to dance a bit, but try and apply good pressure to the spine edge. Do this for a minute and then take the card out, turn it aroung and put the other edge into the spine. Stand on it again for a minute.

Step 5. Amaze People
Thats it. Now go out and work some magic. I use them for Phamtom cuts and Rising Cards. Please tell of any interesting routines. I'm sorry if this was a bit long but personally I'd always rather have a long but accurate discription than a short one that doesn't make the method clear.

Hope this was useful to you...

Beaye Malphas

Mwa ha ha hahahaha.

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