Magnetic Matrix

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Tom Gilbert
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Magnetic Matrix

Postby Tom Gilbert » May 16th, 2015, 10:42 am

A friend and I were discussing this the other day. The use of magnetic coins and shimmed cards. Not sure how practical it would be, but surely someone has come up with this before. One thing I mentioned to my friend, if someone came up with a good routine, everyone would be doing it by now.

Has there been any work on this?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 16th, 2015, 12:13 pm

Matrix is so easy to do, why would that be necessary?
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Tom Gilbert
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Tom Gilbert » May 16th, 2015, 12:21 pm

That's what our conclusion was, but you know how sometimes we can complicate things with gimmicks.

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Fredrick
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Fredrick » May 16th, 2015, 2:23 pm

Shawn Farquhar marketed a matrix effect that used steel core coins and a magnet years ago. But as Richard points out, it may not be worth the effort.
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Tom Moore
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Tom Moore » May 16th, 2015, 5:10 pm

Back when i worked in a magic shop we sold an effect that was a pad with magnets in, magnetic coins and banknotes with shims in - it was basically a self working matrix as the different strength of the magnets made the coins automatically attach to the banknotes (and the pad) so that the matrix happened entirely automatically

It was very cute but also completely impractical - 5 gaffed coins, 2 gaffed banknotes and a specially engineered close-up pad all so you could avoid having to learn the most basic moves.
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 16th, 2015, 5:59 pm

Al Schneider's Matrix has almost no sleight of hand. The only thing is the Pick-Up Move, which any child could learn.
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Aaron Sterling
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Aaron Sterling » May 16th, 2015, 8:16 pm

Tom Gilbert wrote:Has there been any work on this?




He sells the method on his site.

Bill Mullins
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Bill Mullins » May 16th, 2015, 9:08 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:Matrix is so easy to do, why would that be necessary?


Maybe to fool magicians (once you've seen the Dingle-Schneider pickup move, it's not very deceptive). Or for a contest act.

A matrix routine uses cards, coins and a mat -- none of which are handled by spectators. You could gimmick all three. Shell coins, magnetic coins, shim cards, cards with pockets to hold coins, black art, pockets in the mat.

Thomas Gagnon
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Thomas Gagnon » May 20th, 2015, 7:51 am

Derek Dingle’s “The Dingle Coin Mystery,” which was a coin assembly that uses magnetic shells and a shim card, was marketed by Ken Brooke in 1970 and was released at British Ring Convention. However, it used all U.K. coins of various sizes.

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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Jonathan Townsend » May 20th, 2015, 8:07 am

The one aspect that seemed useful was the magnetic pickup under a spread of two cards. IE you bring the cards over a coin, spread the cards and proceed, seeming to leave the coin on the table as you move away with the remaining cards in your hand.

As to whether losing the truly mundane nature of the props in favor of exactly what a layman might expect is an improvement... see what works for you.
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Jardani » July 28th, 2015, 3:50 am

There is a marketed effect by Wayne Dodson called coin flux that uses the magnetic principle plus another combined that I quite beautiful. Also I own the triception set by Mark Mason and Bob Swaddling and within the DVD it has a matrix routine using that principle along with the set. Personally I use four coins and a shell;I have no reason to go that route. I've also seen an incredible matrix using a mixture of black art and magnetic principles; but the creator escapes my mind.

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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Bob Farmer » July 28th, 2015, 12:25 pm

It makes more sense to use credit cards rather than playing cards. I worked out a routine back in the dark ages that used a magnetic strip on some (cancelled) credit cards and Canadian coins (since they are already attracted to magnets).

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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Jonathan Townsend » March 31st, 2017, 10:34 am

The pickup move is fine if you've got a soft surface or edge of the table nearby.
But there's something about using physics to do the heavy lifting that appeals.
Especially for the steal(s) earlier rather than after-the-fact activity.

What is the credit history on that pickup/spread steal for the coin used in the Dingle assembly routine?
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Tom Stone
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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Tom Stone » March 31st, 2017, 1:15 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:Matrix is so easy to do, why would that be necessary?

It was not necessary for Yank Hoe to change hats and corks to cards and coins.
It was not necessary for Al Schneider to leave Sympathetic Coins behind and come up with Matrix.
...always good to explore for joy rather than necessity. :-)

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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Bob Farmer » March 31st, 2017, 7:04 pm

I suspect Dingle learned it from Ross Bertram when Dingle lived in Toronto.

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Re: Magnetic Matrix

Postby Jonathan Townsend » March 31st, 2017, 8:06 pm

Are we looking at the same item? Much as I like the single card pickup sleight/ruse - the one I'm looking at is the gaffed item for use on a hard surface. It's at the bottom of the Dingle Coin Mystery instructions. You spread the two cards and set down the topmost of the two over where the coin should still be ;)
Thinking it could work out to carry three cards in a wallet and use the wallet itself as the fourth cover. Making the wallet a little thicker for the magnet seems sensible.
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