Something wrong with my powder ?

[myfish]

I'm no cardist, flourisher yet but, I'm trying to learn.

So, long story short, bought various stock to see what I like, played around, got 2 decks to the point where fanning without pressure simply didn't happen.

Purchased fanning powder from a UK supplier ( I won't say in case it breaks rules).

Decks were bikes, standard riders.

Into a plastic bag, a big one actually, 1/4 teaspoon powder into bag.

Shake. etc etc

Collected cards and collated. All cards are powdery now.

Riffled out excess.

Packets now stick like glue, fans are like, 3 to 5 leaf at best in clumps of 7 to 10 cards ?

So, clearly I've done something very wrong or I've added sugar powder.

This can't be normal right ?

[Don Boyer]

It looks like something caused your powder to absorb excess moisture.  Either that or you still have excess powder on the cards.

Fanning powder used to be a big deal when decks were more expensive relative to people's incomes - these days, few people use it because cards are fairly cheap and the coatings most well-made decks come with (assuming you aren't buying dollar-store, bargain-basement decks) are more than adequate to giving the cards good slip over the life of the deck.  I know bog-standard Bicycles are pretty cheap in the States but a bit harder and more costly to come by in the UK, so I can understand your desire to get the most life out of them that you can.

You also might get better results if you apply the powder to the cards individually.  The dump-em-in-a-bag method is pretty haphazard as far as insuring good, even coverage on all the cards.  Consider using a clean, unused brush, something soft like what a woman might use for applying blush or concealer or what a forensic team would use to dust for fingerprints, or even a big artist's brush that's adequately soft-bristled.  Apply it VERY lightly - a little goes a long way, too much is no good.  If you can't find any of that, try a small amount of powder and two hand towels - place a small pile of powder on one towel, move the card over and in contact with the towel to get the powder on, use the clean towel to get the excess powder off.

When handling any cards, powdered or not, make sure your hands are COMPLETELY CLEAN.  Use a greaseless moisturizer on your hands, making sure it's completely absorbed into the skin before handling the cards.  And accept that your spectators will NEVER treat your cards as well as you do - to them, they're playing cards, a cheap, disposable commodity, nothing to get excited about, whereas to a magician, they're the tools of the trade, especially if the magician also happens to be a collector!  I've almost completely stopped performing randomly for people with costly or rare decks, using only the cheap, easily-obtained stuff - I know they're going to get mishandled so it's easier on my budget that way.

[myfish]

Thanks for the reply.

That deck is still 'very sticky' and I likely, in hindsight, applied too much powder, to cards too greasy already. I'll never actually know, it's a game of assumptions but since this happened, I'm using multiple decks at once now to lessen usage impact.

Powdering was simply an exercise in trying to get longer life. Didn't work.

[Don Boyer]

Thanks for the reply.

That deck is still 'very sticky' and I likely, in hindsight, applied too much powder, to cards too greasy already. I'll never actually know, it's a game of assumptions but since this happened, I'm using multiple decks at once now to lessen usage impact.

Powdering was simply an exercise in trying to get longer life. Didn't work.

Yeah, if the cards are too far gone to start with, no amount of powder is going to save them.  Always make sure your hands are clean before handling them - or simply use cards that are well-made but also cheap enough to easily replace.

A tip: some people find that smooth-finish cards, like Aladdins, Aviators or Ivory Finish Bees, are better when it comes to lasting longer and resisting perspiration and finger grease.  Aladdins in particular are known for this - the story goes that they use a special stock for them that's better in hot, humid climates, but I personally think it's just that they're using a firm, smooth stock without the pockets that an Air Cushion or similar finish provides.  They're also generally stiffer than cards of the same thickness that have embossing in the paper - my theory as to why is that the embossing process, by pressing little pockets into the surface of the paper, weakens the structure of the card itself, in much the same way that a solid sheet of metal is stronger than a similar sheet that's been perforated with holes in a fine pattern throughout.

[myfish]

Again, many thanks for the reply.

I was using standard bikes. I am very new to card 'manipulation', not cards and play canasta, poker and bridge. However, the actual card 'play' always intrigued me and so, I started to experiment.

I thought nothing wrong with standard bikes but then I got hold of some 'turners'. I mean, for me, the difference was for the better.
Being on bee stock, I then go some bees for practice and found I liked the thicker stock.

I haven't moved outside of those finishes really and even my copag 310 decks are 'similar' in finish.

I 'DO' have hands the greasy side of right but not too bad. I can ruin a standard bike deck into zero fanning mode in around 3 hours of actual use. I really do like that rougher edge though and find lifts and counting 'easier', not easy yet....

I will powder another deck, 'carefully' as it must have been my in-experience causing the initial failure and perhaps trying to create a good deck from something way too far gone.

[Don Boyer]

Again, many thanks for the reply.

I was using standard bikes. I am very new to card 'manipulation', not cards and play canasta, poker and bridge. However, the actual card 'play' always intrigued me and so, I started to experiment.

I thought nothing wrong with standard bikes but then I got hold of some 'turners'. I mean, for me, the difference was for the better.
Being on bee stock, I then go some bees for practice and found I liked the thicker stock.

I haven't moved outside of those finishes really and even my copag 310 decks are 'similar' in finish.

I 'DO' have hands the greasy side of right but not too bad. I can ruin a standard bike deck into zero fanning mode in around 3 hours of actual use. I really do like that rougher edge though and find lifts and counting 'easier', not easy yet....

I will powder another deck, 'carefully' as it must have been my in-experience causing the initial failure and perhaps trying to create a good deck from something way too far gone.

Good luck with the fanning powder.  It's been in use for many decades now, but fanning powder isn't really a cure-all for what might ail a deck's performance - some would argue it can make things worse rather than better.

Try getting a few premium decks from magic/playing card retailers - there are some that have standard Bicycle Rider Backs on them, but are of higher quality like the Turner Gold Seal Bikes.  For example, there's the Bicycle Elite Edition cards from Penguin Magic, or, if you can still find them, the Professional Bicycles from the Conjuring Arts Research Center (they're out of print but you can still find them here and there).  The latter also came in Ivory as well as Air Cushion finish.  I say this because for years now, USPC has set the default coating for all custom deck work to "Magic Finish" - unless specifically requested otherwise, all custom decks they make have a higher-grade, slicker coating on them to start with than there standard, mass-produced decks.  If you're willing to experiment a little, try getting some NOC decks or Crown decks from the Blue Crown - they're pretty popular and great for magic and cardistry.

[EndersGame]

Ah yes, fanning powder.

I have a lot of fans, and because so many people ask for my autograph, going to public places became a problem for me. I felt stalked and harrassed, especially when my fans were accompanied by paparazzi. With the right fanning powder, however, these problems are now over.

But you need to use the right powder for your fans. I first used talcum powder, and it had minimal effect on my fans, no matter how much I used. Then I upgraded to dynamite powder. Now when I toss out some powder and pull out a box of matches, I get instant results, and my fans immediately take off in all directions.

I highly recommend the use of good quality fanning powder by all celebrities. (Note: You will have to provide your own matches.)

[myfish]

 

hahaha

Actually, tried the stuff twice more. better results but you know what, I don't like it.

Just gonna keep fresh decks at hand.

[Don Boyer]

hahaha

Actually, tried the stuff twice more. better results but you know what, I don't like it.

Just gonna keep fresh decks at hand.

Can't say that I blame you.  These days, fanning powder is considered pretty old school.  I still have some around but I haven't actually used it in years.