Guillotine Card

[Tom Frame]

Guys,

I opened the panel of my Zig Zag card and turned the card sideways, so the panel was pointing upward. I closed the panel. Watching the panel close reminded me of a more sinister piece of hardware.

Thus Spake Zarathustra roared in my head and fireworks exploded in my pants. After much toiling with cards and collaborating with a steel fabricator, I created a prototype of the world's first Guillotine Card!

It's not a gaff. It's not a trick. It possesses no magical features. It's a fully functioning pasteboard guillotine.

The blade is stainless steel, with a sharp edge. The blade assembly lands with a decisive, satisfying clunk.

My fabricator is going to tweak the blade assembly a bit for surer operation. We haven't discussed how much he's going to charge because I don't care. I just can't wait to get my hands on the finished version.

Once I find out how much the blade assembly costs to manufacture, I'll decide if it's feasible to offer my Guillotine Card for sale.

For now, rejoice or complain that it even exists.


https://imgur.com/RUyOnRZ

[Raj]

Interesting idea Tom! Looking forward to seeing where you take it.

The subject line reminds me of Rob Bromley's rather clever Guillotine Deck.

In effect, the magician spreads a deck showing a hole running through the faces. The deck is inserted halfway into a card case which also has a hole. A spectator is invited to put their finger through the hole in the case and the outjogged deck is plunged through their finger. There's a nice feature where the case is split in such a way that it can be removed from either side of the spectator's finger, leaving the latter "impaled" in the deck as a visual ending.

The photos here may help illustrate: https://www.martinsmagic.com/allmagic/c ... b-bromley/

[Q. Kumber]

Have a listen to this and maybe you too will have a brilliant idea and even fireworks in your pants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szdziw4tI9o

[Tom Frame]

I’ve never been pleased with the plastic bases for the guillotine card. Unlike their naturally occurring iron, carbon and plant counterparts, they’re synthetic and look tacky in comparison.

So, I gave myself an early Christmas present. A bitsy buzzsaw of doom!

https://imgur.com/iTbImrQ

I used my tiny toy of terror to create wooden supports.

I think the guillotine card looks better.

https://imgur.com/ypa40jT

[Jonathan Townsend]

@Tom, you're close to the design of the card rise gaff.

[Tom Frame]

Jonathan,

I hadn't thought of that, but you're right.

L. Vosburgh Lyons is spinning in his grave.