Mercury Card Fold - Timing?

[RickEverhart]

Hey guys,
I know and understand how to do a mercury card fold, but am not happy with the "sound" that is being made during the fold of the card nor am I comfortable with the timing / misdirection needed.
Folding the card into quarters is NOT my problem as I've gone through about 3 decks so far practicing the movements and motions. I am getting the card nearly perfect each and every time.

Does anyone have any working knowledge, experience, or resources they could point me to that perhaps demonstrates more of the timing or misdirection / direction moment to pull it off? I need to be able to become more confident with this as I want to start using it in a few effects, mainly Regal's Clarity Box which is an outstanding prop by the way.

Thus far I have looked at Sankey's Paperclipped DVD and Regal's Clarity Box.

 

[krab]

Adam Willber talks about it some in his Worker Part 1 video. When he does it he just talks over it. The effect he uses it for is Boxer whis is one of three card to impossible location I do right now. The other two are clarity box and FOB.

 

[Randy]

David Williamsons Torn and Restored Transpo uses the fold as well. I think he just does it the move when all the heat on the card on the table. I'd have to reread the book and watch his Penguin lecture again to see when he times it.

The other thing you could do is try to learn how to do the move on exhales and relax your muscles when you do it. Thus when you are talking, people will get the feeling that the trick is over and won't sense that it's coming.

As far as the number of decks it takes... 3 decks is way too little. I've heard stories of how Tommy Wonder went through around 300-400 decks just practicing the move. Another thing, is that you don't REALLY want the card folded perfectly. It's a good thing if it looks off.

 

[RickEverhart]

Thank you kindly gentleman. I will look into these resources. I know I really need to just suck it up and starting doing it in front of my spectators and if I get caught....that will be part of my learning experience as well. Eric Jones told me the same thing when he was first starting to do quarters on people's shoulders and such.

 

[Randy]

Here is what you do. You bring out the Clarity Box right before you perform, you tell the audience that this is the bomb under the table and you will deal with it later. You then go on to perform whatever you want (thought I would suggest doing something like Card to Impossible Location, just to lead them down the garden path.) After the signed card ends up under the card box, a glass and then maybe your wallet. You simply point to the Clarity Box and while ALL the heat is on the Clarity Box you do the move.

 

[RickEverhart]

Randy...that is kind of what I have been thinking about all day. Maybe just pointing to the Clarity Box and stating, "This box has been sitting here the entire time...blah blah blah.... and as everyone looks just hit the mercury fold then and try to talk over the "sound" of the fold.

 

[Randy]

Well that and unless you are performing in a super quiet location (which most restaurants are not), you shouldn't have anything to worry about. You just do the move when they think the routine is over. Then you bring it back to the box and do whatever presentation you want from there.

 

[RealityOne]

Rick:

Start with your left hand palm up and deck in right hand biddle grip. Make sure your left thumb is above where it normally is in dealing grip. The outer left corner of the deck should be at the bottom of the first phalanx of the thumb. The front outer edge of the deck should be halfway across your left first (index) finger. As you begin the move, rotate the left index finger 90 degrees clockwise. That should buckle the card, leave the bottom card touching the bottom (palm) side of your left index finger and the side of your index finger in contact with the bottom of the deck. Continue as usual and the edge of the bottom card should not touch the bottom of the deck as you pull back.

 

[RickEverhart]

Thanks David. I will try that. I'm assuming that will take and clean up some of that "scraping" or clicking sound on the slide back?

 

[RealityOne]

Thanks David. I will try that. I'm assuming that will take clean up some of that "scraping" or clicking sound on the slide back?

It should because the outer edge of the card is no longer contacting the bottom of the deck -- there is a small gap between where the card contacts your finger and where your finger contacts the deck. If my explanation isn't clear, let me know and I can show you on Skype.

 

[Luis Vega]

I don´t know if I could help with this... but I have the superman coin bend..as you know you need to do the bending using both hands, but the motion itself is "funny" and not natural... but when I need to do it, I simply bend over a little and tell the person " excuse me, I forgot what is you name again?" like wanting to hear it more clearly by bending a little...and this hides the motion perfectly...so you can try it and see how it goes...

 

[RickEverhart]

My first trial run will be this Friday for my 4th grade classes at school. I will have 3 different tries at it (Clarity Box) so I will see what tends to work best. Thank for the info Luis. Hope you are doing well.