How to make acetate cards flat. (1 Viewer)

maxim_666666

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Hello, I should have written about this topic a long time ago, but I never seemed to have the time.
It all started with this thread, and I just couldn’t let it go.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/is-it-normal-for-kem-cards-to-cup-like-this.106931/
For several weeks, I was reading all sorts of information about cellulose acetate
I hope that someone will try this method as well and maybe improve the results! As the title suggests, this is about flattening cards, specifically made of cellulose acetate.
Modiano Platinum, made from cellulose acetate. I know the unfortunate story surrounding one of our sellers (Desjgn), but that’s not the focus right now.
I think Kem has a similar story when it comes to "quality."
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If you’ve received warped cards and it bothers you, you can try to return them. But what if you’ve already opened the package and played with them a bit? Often, cards start bending after being unboxed. Sometimes the bend is significant, and sometimes it’s barely noticeable.
But why does this happen? What causes it? Simply put, it’s bad luck. Humidity and heat affect your bent cards, making them temporarily flat.
They were just made that way.
I talked to my wife’s sister, who works at the Polish factory Trefl, which produces high-quality cards and games. She mentioned that card materials are often supplied in rolls (this is much cheaper for manufacturers), and cards made from these rolls often come out slightly warped. However, manufacturers don’t see this as a defect because the product is still functional for its intended purpose.

I’ve had a similar experience. I received warped cards and ended up contacting a major Modiano dealer in Italy. He promised to inquire with the factory about the issue. He was surprised that people thought the cards were defective just because they were bent. But the situation didn’t improve, and it seems the seller just sent a sample of better, flatter cards from another batch. And that was that. Things didn’t get better afterward.

I haven’t dealt with Kem cards, simply because they’re nearly impossible to find at a reasonable price in Europe. All the cellulose acetate decks I’ve ever had (Modiano Platinum), had a slight bend. This “issue” has never prevented me from enjoying the cards, and I rate them 9.5 out of 10. But it’s frustrating to have only two manufacturers of cellulose acetate cards, and neither can provide consistently flat cards.
From the reviews about Kem, it seems this happens occasionally. With Modiano, it’s almost always the case, though their warp is often so minor that my home players didn’t even notice it until I pointed it out. For example, no one is bothered by a slight bend in quality paper cards.

But if Modiano cards cost €10 per deck, Kem cards cost a hefty €30–35 per deck. That’s crazy!

One day, I came across this video by Hobbyphilic on YouTube.
At 3:13, he shared a wonderful story about his father’s cards (perhaps you can fix your mistake using this! :) ).

Car interiors can get very hot in the sun due to the greenhouse effect. On a hot day, the temperature inside a car can rise much higher than outside.
Approximate figures:
  • If the outside temperature is 30°C, the car interior can reach 50–60°C in 30 minutes.
  • At 35°C, the interior can heat up to 65–70°C in 30–60 minutes.
If this works in one direction, why not try solving the problem with the same heat?

The Method

Essentially, the method is similar to flattening poker chips: apply the desired shape, reach the necessary temperature and pressure, and let it cool.

I had six warped decks that I could experiment with. I ran many tests and am describing the method that worked for me:

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Take a piece of aluminum and cut it into a shape that fits, bending it to match the curve of the cards (1–1.5 mm).
Avoid certain clamps: some have a central groove that won’t press your cards evenly, and this shape will transfer to the cards! (I tried different materials for the plates, including glass, but aluminum worked best.)

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Submerge the cards in water. I did this simply to make them stick together, avoid slipping, and prevent air pockets. Water transfers heat to the center of the deck much faster than air.

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Stack the cards between the plates as evenly as possible—this is important (more on that below). Be sure to use two cut cards or jokers between the cards and aluminum to avoid scratching the paint. Compress the stack with two construction clamps. Don’t use more—two are enough to give the cards the desired curve in the opposite direction.

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Heat water to 55°C, no less but no more than 60°C, as the cards could become too soft and get damaged! Submerge the stack in the water.

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Wait. Let the cards heat evenly for 15 minutes. If the water cools too quickly (below 50°C), I simply added hot water from the kettle to maintain the 55°C range for at least 10 minutes.


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Remove the stack and let it cool completely in the clamps.

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Dry the cards with a soft towel to avoid scratching the paint. Essentially, just remove excess water and moisture.


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Some cards may appear warped initially due to excess humidity. (At first, I was upset that it didn’t work, but as the cards dried, everything was fine.)

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Leave them to dry for a day.
 
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Results: (After several weeks and 3–4 home games, the cards are still flat!!)
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Now for some unpleasant details. During one of the experiments, I didn’t notice that the cards had shifted slightly relative to each other. Moreover, I used a temperature above 60°C and applied four clamps instead of two. The cards became too soft, and the excessive pressure left indentations on several cards. While they aren’t noticeable unless you know where to look, it’s still disappointing....
But from the card back it is completely invisible....

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I got one legitimate question from @SwissChip. Why didn't I just use flat surfaces?

Cellulose acetate itself is a shapeless mass. And the plasticizer comes into play. I think it is also important. I tried flat surfaces. This reduced the bending, but did not completely eliminate this bending. Here 3 factors play a role: the amount of bending (the shape given), temperature and pressure.


Maybe if you increase the temperature to 60 degrees it will work, but you have to understand that the cards will become too soft and even a small hair between the cards will be pressed into them. The problem is that I didn't have any more curved decks available to continue with. There are plenty of sealed ones, but they are OK for now.

My experience showed that even 50 degrees is enough to start bending the cards. But at this temperature the cards started to bend along the long side. Not much, but since I had achieved at least some success, I wanted to get perfectly smooth and soft cards!
 
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Those results look terrific. Excellent resource on a tricky topic. Thanks for taking the time to document and share your process!
 
Interesting... Thanks for sharing!

I've been keeping about twenty new but warped KEM double decks for years. I will definitely try this technique and if I can save even a third of them, I will be happy.
I‘ll try out this WE with warped Guild and Modianos.
Just need these aluminium plates.

You are located in Fribourg?
 
Please update with results!
Of course. But like @SwissChip , I first have to shape aluminum plates and above all get my hands on these decks, which is the least easy of tasks.. With my legendary luck, these are probably in a crate, itself under a pile of crates haha.

You are located in Fribourg?
Yes, in the lower town. You too?
 
Excellent post! On behalf of all Modiano Platinum users, I salute you!

(Please try these on warped Kem cards!!!)
I would love to. But I don't have a Kem.
Excellent and informative post.

I'm as much a card snob as anyone here. But cellulose acetate cards just aren't worth it to me due to how delicate they are. This thread is case and point.
I haven't tested it, but cellulose acetate is definitely stronger than PVC. I've had Fournier cards fall on the floor and crack, but I've never had anything like that happen to acetate on the same surface. Maybe I was lucky. I see the big problem with such expensive cards being so much trouble.
 
I‘ll try out this WE with warped Guild and Modianos.
Just need these aluminium plates.

You are located in Fribourg?
Interesting... Thanks for sharing!

I've been keeping about twenty new but warped KEM double decks for years. I will definitely try this technique and if I can save even a third of them, I will be happy.
The simplest thing you can do, and what I basically started with, is to just take a useless card...a joker or a spare...pour boiling water into a ceramic cup and simply place the card on the edge of the mug. I was able to bend the joker into an arc this way and that's how I realized this story could work and was worth continuing.
 
I remember seeing someone selling aluminum cut cards, I wonder if those could be used instead of cutting aluminum plates.
 
The simplest thing you can do, and what I basically started with, is to just take a useless card...a joker or a spare...pour boiling water into a ceramic cup and simply place the card on the edge of the mug. I was able to bend the joker into an arc this way and that's how I realized this story could work and was worth continuing.
Found a first batch!
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I will definitely try this heat technique on these!
 
I would love to. But I don't have a Kem.

I haven't tested it, but cellulose acetate is definitely stronger than PVC. I've had Fournier cards fall on the floor and crack, but I've never had anything like that happen to acetate on the same surface. Maybe I was lucky. I see the big problem with such expensive cards being so much trouble.

Maybe stronger isnt the best word, since I think the reason why they won't crack is because they're not as rigid as PVC? Resilient maybe?
 
Yep, they're KEMs. I must have a dozen of them and a dozen of WSOPs (also KEMs). New decks (under Selophane) are only slightly warped. But the phenomenon increases once they are opened.
It's because of the humidity.

I even had an experience when curved cards became like bananas after "boiling". They clicked and were bent in the center (but this is easily explained and normal if you dry them in a stack). i.e. they became even worse than they were. But after 1-2 days of drying, when the excess moisture went away, everything went away and they became flat.

Are you selling them?
 
It's because of the humidity.

I even had an experience when curved cards became like bananas after "boiling". They clicked and were bent in the center (but this is easily explained and normal if you dry them in a stack). i.e. they became even worse than they were. But after 1-2 days of drying, when the excess moisture went away, everything went away and they became flat.

Are you selling them?
The person who sold them to me probably kept them in a cellar or something. Having noticed the problem upon receipt, I personally kept them in a temperate and dry environment.

I don't think I'll sell them right now. But let me think about it a bit. I forgot about them until yesterday.
 
The person who sold them to me probably kept them in a cellar or something. Having noticed the problem upon receipt, I personally kept them in a temperate and dry environment.

I don't think I'll sell them right now. But let me think about it a bit. I forgot about them until yesterday.
That would be great! I don't need a stock of cards (I currently have about 40-50 new decks of good plastic and about 20 Bee). But I would be glad to receive Kem to make my own personal opinion about them.
 
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I‘m very impressed by the result of this technique!
As you drop the cards in the 55C water, you immediately feel how they get softer.

I took a retired deck of Platinums and what can i say it shuffles like a dream, zero slippery and even the original ‚new‘ smell is back. Crazy!
Old love - new love ; )

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I took a retired deck of Platinums and what can i say it shuffles like a dream, zero slippery and even the original ‚new‘ smell is back. Crazy!
Old love - new love ; )

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By the way, yes! I also noticed that they have become "different" from how they were initially. It's indeed a very pleasant feeling. I associate this with the fact that when they are flat, the spring-like property of a curved card disappears.
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And now I’ve flipped the deck over and am holding it by the very same corner.

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Hmmmm okay Im interested. No color transfer or anything?
I didn’t notice anything like that. I was worried about it too, but it seems that the paint hasn’t been affected in any way. The cards just get small white dots on the face during play, but that’s normal and to be expected. It’s regular wear and tear from use. The same thing happened with any plastic cards I’ve had before.
 

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