Keeping Tarot Edges Clean

[JoJoCat]

It could also be the cardstock quality and coating - I've noticed some seem more robust than others. A dramatic option, if it gets too bad in the future, may be to trim the deck. Pherhaps you'll need to replace this one sooner rather than later. It's only paper, after all, so it won't last forever under regular handling.

Totally agree on cardstock and coating. My mystical cats deck is soooo glossy and slippery. But this main deck (night sun) gets the grime stuck to it and half the time feels tacky or sticky when I shuffle. Otoh part of me thinks it reads well bc it absorbs energy from sitters so well-- cleaning the deck is a small price to pay for that haha!


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[gregory]

This is a VERY unusual tip, Nissy. I mean gregs. Gregs!

Not that unusual, Flizzy - I've known it all my life. And you can also have fun pressing squished bread on newspaper - it picks up the print !

 

[Barleywine]

"Squished bread" is the "plumber's friend" (not that one, a different one!) It has to be something doughy and gross for eating - like Wonder Bread, not the artisan stuff - but if you're replacing copper piping in an existing water system, a process which is known for drawing water to the location and ruining the solder joint, just roll up a wad of white bread and stuff it in the end of the pipe upstream of the joint. When you're done, run the water and the bread dissolves and washes away. Works like a charm. Never heard of it as an eraser, though.

 

[gregory]

Wow thanks - we needed to know that. Seriously. Up to now we have used a freezing gun

I'm AMAZED no-one else seems to be aware of it as an eraser though - it is so wonderfully gentle and the rest. SO useful.

 

[Shaymus]

What I've used on my decks is one of those "ultimate cloths" for doing mirrors, glass etc. After wetting the cloth and wringing it out (almost dry), take the full deck, hold it tight (you may have to rest the brick on a table), then wipe the ends. You'll be surprised how much black dirt comes off.

Shay

 

[Laura Borealis]

But once or twice --particularly with Place's Vampire Tarot -- I have ended up with ragged, exploded, scary edges.

What a mental image!

If it were me, and the dirt was bothering me, I'd color the edges to disguise it, as suggested earlier. Here is a thread with lots of good info, if that idea appeals to you at all.

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=234582

 

[Padma]

Wow thanks - we needed to know that. Seriously. Up to now we have used a freezing gun

I'm AMAZED no-one else seems to be aware of it as an eraser though - it is so wonderfully gentle and the rest. SO useful.

Actually, when I saw the thread title, the first thing I thought of was - bread.



The other solution is to use a kneadable art eraser. It is a little square of stuff similar to plastecine - all squishy rubber. You knead it in your fingers till warm and pliable, and then you lay it along the dirt and lift the eraser blob off. It has no oils or anything sticky in it, lifts dirt like a charm, and was created for paper, so it won't damage your deck.

 

[Barleywine]

The other solution is to use a kneadable art eraser. It is a little square of stuff similar to plastecine - all squishy rubber. You knead it in your fingers till warm and pliable, and then you lay it along the dirt and lift the eraser blob off. It has no oils or anything sticky in it, lifts dirt like a charm, and was created for paper, so it won't damage your deck.

I used those when doing charcoal drawings in art school, which can be a messy medium. They work great but (maybe I should say "and") aren't especially aggressive.

 

[Padma]

I used those when doing charcoal drawings in art school, which can be a messy medium. They work great but (maybe I should say "and") aren't especially aggressive.

Yup - I use them still, even after art school. I use mine to lift away pencil, if my tonal values are too dark for what I want. Works amazingly on graphite, so I thought it would lift a fair amount of dirt off, too.

 

[FLizarraga]

Not that unusual, Flizzy - I've known it all my life. And you can also have fun pressing squished bread on newspaper - it picks up the print !

"Squished bread" is the "plumber's friend" (not that one, a different one!) It has to be something doughy and gross for eating - like Wonder Bread, not the artisan stuff - but if you're replacing copper piping in an existing water system, a process which is known for drawing water to the location and ruining the solder joint, just roll up a wad of white bread and stuff it in the end of the pipe upstream of the joint. When you're done, run the water and the bread dissolves and washes away. Works like a charm. Never heard of it as an eraser, though.

Actually, when I saw the thread title, the first thing I thought of was - bread.