Homemade Proxies

[Diakonov]

Hello all.

I am looking for advice on making homemade proxies.  I've made some before using various Sharpees that came out looking pretty good, but I'd like to improve upon my future creations.  I've tried scratching off the print layer using a knife, but had some trouble being able to do that cleanly for the entire picture.  Any suggestions?

[LordHomerCat]

Acetone does wonders.  I use a little masking tape to mask off the areas I want to keep, then a cotton ball or cuetip with some Acetone on it (like you'd get from a hardware store or Walmart or something) and a little rubbing and you will soon have a relatively blank canvas.  You can also get a nice eraser and go to down, but its a ton of work and less precise.

[LotusHead]

In the vintage forum at starcitygames, there is an excellent thread/primer on making nice proxies.

http://forums.starcitygames.com/viewtopic.php?t=293409

[Vegeta2711]

Razor blade on foils if done on certain sets is pretty close to flawless material to work on. Acetone also works pretty well, but it can get messy at times and I'm really surprised at just how much you have to use at times.

[Harlequin]

The trick with acetone is to not get over-zealous with how quickly you plan on removing the ink.  If you use a cloth that is too wet and/or use too much pressure you end up like feathering the cardboard wich essentially ruins the card.  The best aproach ive found is to take a rag (like an old white undershirt) cut a managable size cloth.  Dip it into the Acetone, give it like 4-5 seconds to drip off and soak in.  Then gently rub in circular paterns... wax on wax off.  It takes a long time, and especially at first you feel like "this isn't doing anything!!" but just keep it up.  Rewet the cloth, and switch spots if it gets too dry or too full of ink.

The foils are much easier and take tons less time.  I've tried it with a few sets, and find that it seems like some cards are really stuborn.  So expect to have a few throw-aways when using foils... sometimes they just rip or split.

[mike_bergeron]

I have always had great luck with Acetone.  However, I learned that failing chemistry in High School is not helpful.  Do not put the Acetone in a platic cup....on your brand new card table....oh crap I'm an idiot. 


I like to completely blank the cards, which is best done with cotton balls, and time.  Probally 1 minute of rubbing per card, and you have a blank canvas.  I am working on a set of 4 playable proxies of vintage cards, and this is how I am going about it.

Good Luck!

[Mr. Type 4]

i would recommend buying Acetone at the drug store.  The hardware store stuff is usually dilluted, and the higher potency stuff is better.  Look for professional strength acetone based nail polish remover. 

If you want to blank entire cards i'd recommend using white bordered ones so you dont have to work at the edges too much.  Acetone can seep into the edges of the card which will really screw it up.When you find something that works, try sticking to the same set - some cards strip very easily and others are a huge pain. 

[Diakonov]

Thanks guys!  I am definitely going to give the acetone a shot next time.  Since the topic is already up, anyone interested in posting their creations?

[nataz]

just an FYI about what others said. The problem with nail polish remover is tha it has a high % of water which makes the card wrinkle. The more acetone concentration the better it will be since it will remove the paint and evaporate.

[LordHomerCat]

Yes!  I recommend against Nail Polish remover which merely has acetone.  I tried this stuff first and it was way diluted and crappy.  I like the stuff from Walmart or a Hardware store (in the Paint section) that comes in those metal cans and will be on the shelf next to the really powerful stuff like Turpentine and other paint strippers.  It is super concentrated, so that I just grab a cotton ball, hold it tight over the opening on the can (the spout? whatever), and then just turn the can over for like a second or two MAX.  The cotton ball is then damp but not wet (if you use too much, it bleeds into the card and ruins it by making it all soggy and discolored) and you can just rub the ink right off.

And yes, it should be concentrated enough that it just evaporates as you watch it (which will also make it really cold on your hands).  I would recommend against getting it all over yourself, but like holding the cotton ball without gloves is fine.

[JACO]

I would recommend getting it all over yourself, but like holding the cotton ball without gloves is fine.

I too recommend pouring Acetone all over yourself. And then lighting a match.

[LordHomerCat]

I would recommend getting it all over yourself, but like holding the cotton ball without gloves is fine.

I too recommend pouring Acetone all over yourself. And then lighting a match.

Heh, that's supposed to be "recommend against" of course =p

[nataz]

I would recommend getting it all over yourself, but like holding the cotton ball without gloves is fine.

I too recommend pouring Acetone all over yourself. And then lighting a match.

Well, if its the good stuff it should only hurt for a second - maybe.