~Card Mysteries Employing Diachilon~
Contents
THE first use of diachylon in connection with cards that I have been able to trace was by Hofzinser, the great card expert who flourished in Vienna in the middle of the nineteenth century. It seems to have been kept a closely guarded secret until the appearance of Prof. Hoffmann's last book, Latest Magic, which was published in 1918. From that time its use became increasingly popular and a number of very good tricks dependent on its use have been devised.
Diachylon, when rubbed on the back of a card, renders it adhesive without altering its appearance and if another card is pressed against the surface so treated, the two adhere, and to all intents and purposes become one card. The two may be handled freely but can be separated with slight pressure. Hoffmann advises that the diachylon in its solid form be rubbed on the card shortly before it is to be used. If used in the paste form, however, it is best to apply a very small amount with the blade of a knife. It is not necessary to treat the whole surface of a card, simply apply it to several of the pips if the face of a card is to be treated, or at the corners and the middle of a card, if the back is to be prepared. The diachylon will spread better and make a thinner film if slightly heated first. The following method of application is recommended by Judge Fricke:
'I have done this by painting the cards with diachylon dissolved in carbon tetrachloride. Due to the variation in batches of diachylon some, experimenting will have to be done. Too heavy a solution holds the cards too affectionately. It is so nearly colorless that when applied no one can notice it. Use a cotton swab, let the cards dry thoroughly before reassembling them and the deed is done. I have doped my Svengali cards this way. Thus prepared they may be given the regular overhand shuffle as well as the riffle and the two cards can be lifted with ease as one. Just sliding off the top (short) card carries with it the regular card below it.'
The Flying CardPROF. Hoffmann gives two tricks only as illustrations of the use of diachylon. In this, the first, a card box is prepared with a duplicate card, say the 7D, placed in box so that after it has been shown empty, closing it will bring the card into evidence. The top card of the pack has its back prepared and the 7D is forced on a spectator. The pack is cut to bring the diachylon card to the middle and the 7D is returned on the top of it. The performer has then merely to square the cards, squeeze them well together and hand the pack to he shuffled. Taking the pack he orders the card to leave the pack and fly to the box. He counts the cards one by one showing their faces as he puts them on the table. There are fifty-one only, the 7D has disappeared, being safely hidden behind the prepared card. The card box is opened and reveals the 7D.
By replacing this card in the box so that the flap will fall on it and so vanish it, then separating the double card in the pack, the 7D may be made to reappear in the pack. But in any case the trick in this form is rather crude, though it might be made an effective interlude in a more elaborate effect.
The Missing CardTWO complete packs and an extra card, the JD for instance, are required. Pack No. 1 has on top a card with its back prepared with diachylon and its own JD on the bottom. Pack No. 2 is unprepared. The extra JD is in your pocket.
Offer pack No. 2 to be shuffled and while this is being done, palm the JD from your pocket. Take the pack back, adding this card to the top and put the pack down. Pick up pack No. 1, force the JD and receive it back on top of the prepared card which you cut to the middle. Square up the cards, squeeze the pack and hand it out to be Shuffled Ask a spectator to name a small number; suppose seven is called. Announce that you will order the chosen card to leave pack No. 1 and appear at the chosen number in pack No. 2. First, however, to show that by a coincidence the similar card belonging to that pack is not at that number, take the pack, deal six cards downwards and show the seventh, asking if that is the chosen card. Receiving a negative reply, put the seven cards back on the top in their present order thus bringing the extra JD seventh from the top.
Now have the card named and order it to go. Take pack No. 1 and count the cards face up on the table; there are fifty-one only and no JD. Ask the spectator to come forward and take pack No. 2, deal six cards and turn up the seventh. He does so and finds the JD. Tell him to run through the pack and find the regular JD belonging to it, so proving that the identical card chosen has really passed as ordered.
Mesmerized CardsTHIS trick appeared in The Magic World, 25th June 1913, contributed by Dr. A. L. Smith.
'Fix a small piece of diachylon to the tip of the forefinger and place a card on the table. Press the finger upon it and it will adhere. Place other cards on the edge of the first and interlock them. By placing the other fingers on the outer cards, they can be raised from the table, and, apparently unsupported, remain attached to the hand. A shake of the fingers and all are instantly released.
Diachylon ForceTHE card to be forced is prepared with diachylon and a large tray is required.
Give the tray to a spectator to hold, false shuffle the pack, retaining the card to be forced on the top. Spread the cards with their faces to the audience showing that they are well mixed, then spread them out on the tray face down. A second person is invited to make a free choice of any one card and to push it out of the line of other cards still face down. Gather up the rest of the pack and hold it face down in your left hand. The selected card remains on the tray for the moment. Ask if that is the card that is wanted, then pick it up, put it face down on the pack, i.e. on top of the diachylon card, press it down with the left thumb as you take out a pencil and have a spectator mark the back or initial it.
This force may used as a prediction trick. Write the name of the diachylon card on a slip of paper, fold it, give it to a spectator to hold, then proceed to force the card by the method described.
The Queen Turns OverREQUIRED are a red-backed pack and a double-backed card both sides of which are red. Prepare one side of this card with diachylon, and the face of the QD in the same way.
Hold the QD with the double-backed card squarely behind it, place the AH in front of it and the AS behind it, showing the cards back and front fanned, as being three cards only.
Close the fan and squeeze the cards making the QD adhere to the back of the AH. Holding the cards face downwards remove the middle card, apparently the QD, really the double-backed card and place it red back upwards on the table. Show the two aces back and front as two cards only. Turn them face up, pick up the supposed Q and insert it, still red back upwards, between the two A's.
Close the fan and press the cards making the prepared side of the double-backed card adhere to the back of the QD. Separate the AH from the face of the QD with a slight push and show the three cards are face up, the QD has mysteriously turned over. Backs and faces of the cards can be freely shown.
Diachylon Book Test - Forcing A NumberTHIS subtle forcing of cards to represent numbers was originated for use in connection with a book test. It will suffice here to explain the method of forcing only.
Suppose, for instance you desire to force the number 364. From a pack of cards take out any 3 spot, 4 spot and 6 spot and prepare the backs with diachylon. To each of them press any other card so that each pair is back to back. Place the three double cards, the diachylon causing each pair to adhere, on the face of the pack with the faces of the three indifferent cards showing.
When the time comes to force the number introduce the pack, take off the three bottom cards and stand them, faces outwards against a book, a glass or any other object, remarking that they will be used as indicators. Hand the remainder of the pack to be thoroughly shuffled.
Let a spectator cut the pack about one-third down, place one of the indicator cards face up on the lower portion and have the cut replaced. Go to another person and repeat the process, having the cut made about half way in the pack and the last cut about two-thirds down. When putting the double cards face up in the pack be careful no one can get a glimpse of the card below. State that the cards following the face-up indicator cards will be used to represent the number required, pointing out that the method employed ensures that the number is arrived at by pure chance. Run over the backs of the cards and on coming to the first reversed card press the two cards apart, take away the faced card and have a spectator remove the next card himself. Do the same with the next two faced cards. The values of the cards being taken as numerals, the required number is forced.
Another Diachylon ForceA SPECIAL pack is made up of twenty-six ordinary cards and twenty-six all alike. The backs of all the ordinary cards are prepared with diachylon and on each one a card from the other twenty-six is pressed. The pack is then squeezed, making the pairs adhere. So prepared, the pack can be fanned freely, all the faces will appear different. To force any one of the similar cards simply spread the pack face down and have any card pointed to, divide the pack at that card, push forward the top card with the left thumb, separating it from its diachyloned mate, for the spectator to take. Or any number may be called and counted to, the top card of the next pair being pushed off alone.
Twin Aces
GravattPREPARE any indifferent card with diachylon on its face. On this card place an A and press the two cards together. They can be freely handled as one card. Lay this double card upon the table and overlapping it place the other A of the same color. Have the pack shuffled by a spectator and ask him to take out and retain one card. Take the pack, show the two A's, and retain one card. Take the pack, show the two A's, really three cards, place them on the top, slide off the top card, the indifferent one and, calling it the first A, push it in the middle of the pack. Take the next A and put it on the bottom. Have the selected card put on top of the pack and one complete cut made. The selected card is found between the two A's.
TurnoPREPARE the face of a card with diachylon and put it at the bottom of the pack. A card is freely selected, then put face down on the face of the pack (i.e. on top of the diachylon card) and is initialed by the spectator on its back. Lift it off with the diachylon card adhering to it and put it face down on the table. Spread the pack with its faces towards you, pick up the double card, the diachylon card now uppermost, insert it in the fan: to the spectators you have simply replaced the initialed card facing the same way as the rest of the pack. In reality when you separate the two cards the initialed card is face up in the face-down pack.
The same trick can be done by wetting the thumb and transferring saliva to the face of the bottom card.
MelroseBEFOREHAND smear some diachylon on the tip of your forefinger. Using any pack hand it to a spectator to shuffle thoroughly. Instruct him to put the pack face down on the table and cut about the middle, then take the top card of the lower portion and note what it is. This done tell him to put the card face down on top of the other half which you indicate by touching it with the tip of your forefinger, rubbing some of the diachylon on it, then to complete the cut by placing the other half on top. Pick up the pack giving it a squeeze and hand it to the spectator to again shuffle.
Take the pack back and order the card to vanish. Deal the cards face up asking the spectator to see if his card appears but not to name it. There are fifty-one cards only, the chosen card being dealt with the diachylon card as one card. Announce that you will make the card reappear and instruct him to say nothing but merely think 'Stop' when he sees it. This time hold the pack face up and when you come to the double card push the prepared card off and stop on the next one, the chosen card.
Two ViewpointsANY pack of cards may be used but you must have a little pot of diachylon paste in your pocket.
Hand the pack out to be shuffled and while this is being done get a small daub of the diachylon on the second fingertip of your right hand. Take the pack and in laying it on the table face down rub some of the diachylon on the face of the bottom card. Invite a spectator to cut, lift up the top card of the lower portion, note what it is, put it face down on the upper part of the cut and complete the cut. The bottom card with the diachylon on its face is thus brought on top of the chosen card. Pick up the pack, giving it a squeeze, and have the spectator shuffle it. In the meantime get a little diachylon on the tip of your left second finger. Take the pack and putting it face down on the table rub the diachylon on the bottom card. A second spectator now cuts, takes a card, notes it and reassembles the pack in the same way as was done with the first card. Again pick up the pack, give it a surreptitious squeeze and have it shuffled by the second spectator.
Take the pack face down in your left hand, push the cards off one by one into your right hand and drop them haphazardly on the table. You can tell by feel when a double is reached, push the two apart, the top one will be one of the chosen cards, note the exact spot where you drop it. Do the same with the second double card. Borrow a penknife and have your eyes covered with a folded handkerchief. By glancing down the sides of your nose you can locate the positions of the two chosen cards. Move the point of the knife round in circles gradually approaching one of the cards, then suddenly stab the knife down on it. Lift the card on the knife point and have it acknowledged. Do the same with the second card.
Diachylon Stop TrickPREPARE a card with diachylon on its face and place it on the bottom of the pack.
False shuffle, keeping the bottom card in position. Fan the pack and allow a spectator to choose a card freely. Under cut about half the pack and have the card returned on what was the top of the pack. Drop the cut on it thus bringing the diachylon card on top of the selected card. Squeeze the pack as you square it up and tap both sides and ends on the table to prove the card completely lost amongst the others. Have the pack shuffled.
Take the pack back. Instruct the spectator to concentrate on his card and announce that you will deal the cards face down and that although you cannot possibly know either what the card is or where it is in the pack, you will infallibly find it by unconscious cerebration, or any other pseudo-scientific means you care to name. Deal the cards face down. You know by feel when you come to the double card. Push the top one, the prepared card, off and stop dramatically on the next. Have the card named and slowly turn it over.
Reversed Color SurpriseUSE a blue-backed pack for this feat and with it one red-backed card, say the QD. Place this card second from the bottom reversed, and the blue-backed QD about sixth from the top. Prepare the back of the top card which may be any card at all, with diachylon.
Force the blue-backed QD. Under cut for its return so that it is put on top of the diachylon card, drop the lower portion on top. Cut the pack, square the cards giving them a secret squeeze, and an overhand shuffle. Order the card to turn over, have it named and instantly spread the pack, backs up, showing the QD face up.
Let the spectator draw the card and hold it face up. Remark, 'I don't know what you are thinking about but the lady is blushing all over.' The card is turned and the red back is revealed. Run over the faces of the pack and show that there is no other QD.
Diachylon Super Color ChangeA RED-BACKED pack of cards, preferably of the bicycle air cushion type, and a blue-backed card with the same back design, are required. Prepare the face of the blue-backed card with diachylon and place it on the face of the pack.
Show the pack, shuffle it, keeping the bottom card in position, and casually make some remark about the shade of red that the backs have. Spread the cards, keeping the blue-backed one covered, and allow a spectator to make a perfectly free selection of a card. Have him note it and show it to several others for a reason that you say will be explained later. Undercut for the return of the card and drop the lower portion on top, bringing the prepared blue-backed card on top of the selected card. Squeeze the pack while squaring the cards, tap the sides and ends on the table showing all fair. Shuffle overhand with the faces of the cards towards the front.
Spread the cards in a wide fan, backs towards you, and ask the spectator and those to whom he showed his card, to set their minds intently on it. Ask if they can see the card in the fan, then say you will pass your forefinger slowly across the top of the fan and when they see it arrive at the card tell them to think, 'Stop.' You have simply to stop with your finger above the blue-backed card. This is acknowledged to be the right card. Draw it up half-way out of the fan and ask the spectator to blow on it. Turn the fan round and show that its back has turned blue. 'Quite natural,' you say, 'you know you blew on it.' The card may be removed and shown on all sides and dropped on the table with perfect safety.
Flyaway CardsREVERSE the two bottom cards of the pack and on the upper of the two put a smear of diachylon.
Allow a spectator to freely select a card; as he looks at it quietly drop your left hand to your side, turning it over, bring the hand up with its back uppermost and the pack will be reversed, but without any alteration in its appearance owing to the two reversed cards. Put the chosen card squarely on the pack face up and have the spectator initial it. The upper of the two reversed cards will adhere to the initialed card as you take it off and insert it face up in the middle of the pack. Again quietly drop your left hand to the side as you say you will make the chosen card vanish and another card reverse itself in its place, Raise the left hand with the pack now right side up. If you can secretly turn the bottom card over to bring it face down with the rest of the cards, do so, if not, turn the top card to show it and replace it, then boldly draw out the bottom card sharply turning it as you do so, show it and put back on the bottom. Spread the pack backs uppermost, the initialed card has gone and another card shows up reversed. Withdraw this card, the initialed card is stuck to its back face downwards, and place it (the two as one) on the table, face up.
Spread the pack and have a search made, the initialed card has disappeared. Insert the double card, still face up in the face-up pack, square the pack and riffle shuffle it thoroughly. Hand the pack to the spectator. Order the chosen card to return to the pack reversed. He spreads the pack face up, one card is reversed, it is the initialed card.
The same trick can be done by simply wetting the thumb and transferring some of the saliva to the back of the uppermost of the two reversed cards.
Ace TranspositionTWO packs are required, one red-backed, the other blue. From both remove the AH and the AS. Treat the backs of the top cards of each pack with diachylon. In the red pack put the blue-backed AH second from the top and place the red-backed AH in the middle. In the blue-backed pack place the red-backed AS second from the top and in the middle put the blue-backed AS. Fan the red-backed pack face up and remove the AH from the middle, keeping the pack face up, take off about a dozen cards from below, square them up and put them down face up beside the AH. Put remainder aside.
From the blue-backed pack remove the AS from the middle with the pack face up, separate about a dozen cards from the bottom, square the packet and put it face up beside the AS, put rest aside.
Take the red-backed packet, put the red-backed A on top, i.e. on the diachylon card, cut once and squeeze the packet.
Take the blue-backed packet, put the blue-backed AS on top, also on the diachylon card, cut once and squeeze the cards.
Spread the red-backed packet face up, take out the AH (blue-backed) keeping the face to the front and drop it thus into a goblet, place the double card from the packet against the goblet red side face out as an indicator. The remainder of the packet drop behind the AH.
From the blue-backed packet take out the AS (red-backed) keeping its face to the front, drop it into a second goblet on the other side of the table. Take out the double card and place it blue back outwards against the side of the goblet as an indicator. Show the faces of the rest of the cards and drop them behind the AS.
Change the positions of the two indicator cards and order the two A's to pass across to the opposite glasses. Show that the change has taken place and hand the goblets and cards to be examined.
Drop the indicator cards on their respective packs and snap them apart.
Remote Control Improved
Orville W. MeyerTHIS is an improvement on the original trick by Annemann in that the use of any special card is eliminated and the trick can be done with any two packs of the same size with contrasting back designs. To prepare, take any card, say 2H and prepare its face with diachylon. Place the red-backed 2H on the bottom of the red-backed pack.
Run through the blue-backed pack and remove the prepared 2H not allowing its face to be seen and have it initialed on the back by a spectator. Announce that you will place the card somewhere in the red pack, put pack and card behind your back and place the card on the bottom of the pack, therefore if anyone has noticed the 2H at the bottom no change is visible, a 2H still shows there.
Bring the pack forward and spread it on the table face up, but keeping the two deuces under the end cards. Have someone indicate any card. Leave that card face up on the table, gather up the pack and put it face down on your left hand. Pick up the chosen card and drop it on the face of the pack for someone to initial on the face. Press the card down so that it adheres to the prepared 2H and they become practically one card. With the left thumb deal the apparently single card face up on the table and hand the pack to a spectator to deal through and find the blue-backed, initialed card. It is not there. Pick up the card on the table, have the initials on the face acknowledged, turn it over and show the blue back, the initials on it are also acknowledged thus proving that from amongst fifty-two cards that very card has been picked out.
Card In PocketREQUIRED a full pack of fifty-two cards and the Joker. Treat the back of the Joker with diachylon and place it on top of the pack.
Riffle shuffle the pack several times, retaining the Joker on the top. Spread the pack face down and invite a spectator to draw out any card and note carefully what it is. Gather up the pack, undercut for the return of the chosen card so that it goes on top of the diachylon back of the Joker, drop the lower portion on top, square the cards, secretly squeezing them, and hand the pack to the spectator to shuffle. Take the pack and put it in your outside right coat pocket. Riffle over the top edges of the cards and locate the double card, that is the Joker and the chosen card stuck together, take them out, face towards you and put them in your upper left waistcoat pocket.
Ask the spectator to remove the pack from your pocket and count them. He finds fifty-one. Tell him to run over the faces and take out his card. In the meantime you have separated the cards in your waistcoat pocket with right thumb and fingers, pushed the Joker right down and drawn the chosen card upwards so that about half its back shows. The spectator announces that his card is not in the pack. He takes the card from your waistcoat pocket after naming it.
It will be noted that the prepared card is subtly got rid of and the pack is ready for any other effects.
The Diachylon Do As I DoAS USUAL a red-backed pack and a blue-backed one are used. Prepare by treating the bottom card of the blue-backed pack with diachylon; next above it place any red-backed card from the other pack. Pick out its duplicate with blue back and put it sixth from the top. The red-backed pack is unprepared.
To begin. with, force the red pack on a spectator in the usual way. The spectator shuffles his pack while you false shuffle the blue pack. Each puts a card face down on the table, you taking the sixth card, while the spectator puts out any card, neither card being looked at. The packs are squared and placed face down on the table. Place your card on top of the spectator's pack and he puts his card on top of yours. Both packs are given one complete cut. Hand your pack to the spectator, squeezing it as you do so, and he hands you his. Both packs are spread face downwards, the odd colored cards are pushed out. They are turned over and prove to be the same.
Refer to section 'Do As I Do' for methods with unprepared cards.
A Real Magical Vanish
GravattFROM a red-backed pack take out the AH, AS, and QH. Prepare the face of the QH with diachylon. Place a double-backed card, one side red, the other side blue behind the QH well squared together and arrange the two A's in a fan with the QH and the double-backed card between them so that when shown back and front they appear to be three cards only. Prepare the top card of a blue-backed pack with diachylon.
Show the three cards, AH, QH, AS, fanned, back and front. Close the fan and squeeze the cards so that the QH adheres to the back of the AH. Holding the cards face down draw out the middle card, the double-backed card, calling it the QH. The red back shows and as you immediately spread the two aces showing their faces there can be no suspicion that the card is not the Q. Put the two A's, with the Q adhering to the back of the AH in a spectator's pocket.
Take the blue pack, spread it showing backs and faces, square it up and drop it face up on the supposed Q, press down on the pack as you make one complete cut thus causing the red back of the double-backed card to adhere to the back of the prepared blue card.
Order the red-backed Q to pass from the blue-backed pack and rejoin the two A's in the spectator's pocket. Spread the blue-backed pack, every card is blue backed. Take the cards from the spectator's pocket, spreading the Q and the AH apart as you do so and throw the three cards on the table one by one.
Mr. Gravatt describes this effect as a masterpiece, leaving it to the reader to judge for himself upon trying it. We also will leave it at that.
The Acme Spirit TestFROM any pack of cards take five that have a large proportion of white space on the faces, say four 2's and a 3. Prepare the edges of one card by rubbing a little diachylon on them. This card can then be easily picked from amongst the others by the slightly sticky edges.
Place the prepared card in the middle of the five, fan them out and ask a spectator to take one. Usually the middle card is taken, if so ask him to write the name of any deceased person on it. Turn away as this is done, and tell the spectator to put the card in his pocket when he has written the name. In the same way names of living people are written on each of the other four cards. Finally the five cards are mixed up by the spectator and placed face down on your right hand which you immediately put behind your back. If desired you may be genuinely blindfolded. Placing the cards to your forehead one by one you infallibly announce the card with the dead person's name on it-simply by feeling the slightly sticky edge as you place it to your forehead.
If the prepared card is not taken the first time have a name of a living person written on it, hand three other cards for names of living persons and the prepared card last for the dead name.
Number PleaseBEFOREHAND place a very small pot containing a little diachylon paste in your waistcoat pocket.
From any pack which has been thoroughly shuffled let a spectator freely select a card, note what it is, replace it and you secretly bring it to the top. Ask spectator to name any number from one to fifty-two. Get a tiny daub of the diachylon on your right thumb and rub it on the back of the top card, the chosen one.
Suppose twenty is the number chosen. Count the cards from your left hand into your right one by one taking each succeeding card under the one before it, so keeping the cards in the same order, the chosen card remaining on top of the cards in the right hand. When you reach the twentieth card put it on top of the packet in the right hand and put the remainder of the pack down. Take the packet of twenty cards in your left hand, square the cards perfectly and press down with the left thumb as you have the spectator name his card. The two cards adhere and you turn them over as one.
The Sympathetic Pair-No. 1THE top card of the pack is prepared with diachylon.
Invite a spectator to think of any card he pleases and write its name on a slip of paper; you do the same, writing the name of the top card. Spread the pack, face out and ask the spectator to find his card and remove it. Under cut the pack and have the card replaced on top of your diachylon card. Drop the lower portion on top, square and squeeze the pack. Spectator may now shuffle freely by the overhand method. Take the pack, let the spectator open and read the names on the slips, find the double card and push the two apart as you show them.
The Sympathetic Pair-No. 2TWO duplicates of cards in the pack are required. Suppose the cards are the 10S and 5D. Cut the duplicates a little shorter and stick the two regular cards together with a little diachylon on the back of one. Put this pair anywhere in the pack, the two short cards on top.
Force the two shorts and have them replaced and the pack shuffled overhand by the spectator. When you take it back and riffle the ends you stop at the double card automatically, separate the two cards and show that they have come together. The duplicate short cards will not appear during the riffle.
The Sympathetic Pair-No. 3BEFOREHAND get a little diachylon under left thumb-nail. From any pack, thoroughly shuffled, allow a card to be freely selected, noted and replaced. Bring it to the top and have another person select a card. As he notes it transfer the diachylon to the back of the top card. Under cut the pack for the return of the second card so that it goes on top of the first one. Drop the lower portion on top, square and squeeze the cards and hand them to be shuffled overhand fashion. Finally the cards are named and you show they have come together; push them apart as you show them.