How to retrieve a playing card from under the floor?
Discussion
I'm a bit confused to be honest.
Generally, cellars don't have floorboards so I can only imagine that you let them out of their cage and allowed them upstairs so it's actually your fault it happened.
You need something long, strong and straight to get to the card and something to grab it with.
You could make it a game to keep them occupied so give them a carving knife and some Superglue and leave them to it.
Alternatively, you could seal all the doors and windows of the house and turn all the taps on.
The house will fill with water and the card will float up to directly beneath the floorboard.
You could then use some tweezers or some chop sticks to gently ease the card through the gap between the boards.
What Top Trumps set is it?
Generally, cellars don't have floorboards so I can only imagine that you let them out of their cage and allowed them upstairs so it's actually your fault it happened.
You need something long, strong and straight to get to the card and something to grab it with.
You could make it a game to keep them occupied so give them a carving knife and some Superglue and leave them to it.
Alternatively, you could seal all the doors and windows of the house and turn all the taps on.
The house will fill with water and the card will float up to directly beneath the floorboard.
You could then use some tweezers or some chop sticks to gently ease the card through the gap between the boards.
What Top Trumps set is it?
Dribble a generous amount of glue onto the card though a drinking straw inserted through the gap in the floorboards. Make sure that the glue generously coats the card, but be careful not to allow the glue to get anywhere else, or the card may get irretrievably stuck.
Next,using a small funnel attached to a clean dry drinking straw, carefully pour iron filings onto the glue on the card.
Wait overnight for the glue to set.
Hire one of those enormous electromagnetic grabber jib crane things that they have at larger scrap metal recycling plants.
Don your hard hat and safety goggles, steel toe capped boots and a pair of rigger's gloves. Not strictly necessary, but hey, you'll look the part and impress the kids.
Now remove the complete window and frame from the room for access. ( You may also have to knock out a substantial amount of brickwork to get the jib and electromagnet positioned directly over the gap in the floorboards.
If this proves difficult, you could try going through the roof instead.
Carefully position & lower the electromagnet until it is just over the gap, and switch on the power supply. The card should now be attracted upwards towards the gap, and it should be possible, using tweezers* or one of the other methods previously suggested, to manipulate the card back up between the floorboards. Even with your toecaps firmly clamped onto the giant magnet.
JOB DONE ! And the floorboards are perfectly intact.
And buy a carpet.......
And get somebody to turn off the power supply to the magnet.
HTH
Next,using a small funnel attached to a clean dry drinking straw, carefully pour iron filings onto the glue on the card.
Wait overnight for the glue to set.
Hire one of those enormous electromagnetic grabber jib crane things that they have at larger scrap metal recycling plants.
Don your hard hat and safety goggles, steel toe capped boots and a pair of rigger's gloves. Not strictly necessary, but hey, you'll look the part and impress the kids.
Now remove the complete window and frame from the room for access. ( You may also have to knock out a substantial amount of brickwork to get the jib and electromagnet positioned directly over the gap in the floorboards.
If this proves difficult, you could try going through the roof instead.
Carefully position & lower the electromagnet until it is just over the gap, and switch on the power supply. The card should now be attracted upwards towards the gap, and it should be possible, using tweezers* or one of the other methods previously suggested, to manipulate the card back up between the floorboards. Even with your toecaps firmly clamped onto the giant magnet.
JOB DONE ! And the floorboards are perfectly intact.
- It is preferable to use non-magnetic tweezers.
And buy a carpet.......
And get somebody to turn off the power supply to the magnet.
HTH
Edited by glenrobbo on Saturday 24th January 13:23
Nyphur said:
carreauchompeur said:
FLOORBOARD PISS FLOAT CARD TO SURFACE
Excellent 
a. To generate a sufficient flow rate you would have to invite all of your mates around and invite them to piss over your floor AND you'd have to fill them to the brim with beer first so it may involve a considerable cost, (of course you my not have enough mates and you would have to invite some complete strangers and you don't know where they've been).
b. Once the card saving micturition reaches a "floating" level I'm afraid you you may well be defeated by surface tension, the card may well float but horizontally. You may have to orchestrate some sort of rhythm in you donors to create a wave action to tilt the card vertical ready for lifting through the floorboards (here I would definitely go with the tweezers over the straw method of extraction).
Worth a try though I think.
PS Don't forget the pictures.
Norfolkit said:
The urinary flood approach is certainly feasible and while worthy of Archimedes himself it may present a number of problems.
a. To generate a sufficient flow rate you would have to invite all of your mates around and invite them to piss over your floor AND you'd have to fill them to the brim with beer first so it may involve a considerable cost, (of course you my not have enough mates and you would have to invite some complete strangers and you don't know where they've been).
b. Once the card saving micturition reaches a "floating" level I'm afraid you you may well be defeated by surface tension, the card may well float but horizontally. You may have to orchestrate some sort of rhythm in you donors to create a wave action to tilt the card vertical ready for lifting through the floorboards (here I would definitely go with the tweezers over the straw method of extraction).
Worth a try though I think.
PS Don't forget the pictures.
You've already tried this approach haven't you,too much detail to not have a. To generate a sufficient flow rate you would have to invite all of your mates around and invite them to piss over your floor AND you'd have to fill them to the brim with beer first so it may involve a considerable cost, (of course you my not have enough mates and you would have to invite some complete strangers and you don't know where they've been).
b. Once the card saving micturition reaches a "floating" level I'm afraid you you may well be defeated by surface tension, the card may well float but horizontally. You may have to orchestrate some sort of rhythm in you donors to create a wave action to tilt the card vertical ready for lifting through the floorboards (here I would definitely go with the tweezers over the straw method of extraction).
Worth a try though I think.
PS Don't forget the pictures.
The first part sounds fun.
Norfolkit said:
Nyphur said:
carreauchompeur said:
FLOORBOARD PISS FLOAT CARD TO SURFACE
Excellent a. To generate a sufficient flow rate you would have to invite all of your mates around and invite them to piss over your floor AND you'd have to fill them to the brim with beer first so it may involve a considerable cost, (of course you my not have enough mates and you would have to invite some complete strangers and you don't know where they've been).
b. Once the card saving micturition reaches a "floating" level I'm afraid you you may well be defeated by surface tension, the card may well float but horizontally. You may have to orchestrate some sort of rhythm in you donors to create a wave action to tilt the card vertical ready for lifting through the floorboards (here I would definitely go with the tweezers over the straw method of extraction).
Worth a try though I think.
PS Don't forget the pictures.
Drill a hole? Then use the grabber, or am I being too serious! Children can be difficult.
I have a loft full of China's toy economy. Either I wait for them to be collectable or the floor collapses.
Thinking of it, I am not likely to get more of China's toy economy but do have loads of Top Trumps card sets.
One card less would probably not lessen my loft burden but if I have the correct one, could make you a hero!
What is the card? I doubt there was just the one printed.
I have 3 Beanie Baby Tuffy dogs due to the catastrophic loss of one.
I was in Singapore, wife at home. Both got replacement Tuffies, got home and the original was found.
Now have 3 forlorn Tuffies!
I have a loft full of China's toy economy. Either I wait for them to be collectable or the floor collapses.
Thinking of it, I am not likely to get more of China's toy economy but do have loads of Top Trumps card sets.
One card less would probably not lessen my loft burden but if I have the correct one, could make you a hero!
What is the card? I doubt there was just the one printed.
I have 3 Beanie Baby Tuffy dogs due to the catastrophic loss of one.
I was in Singapore, wife at home. Both got replacement Tuffies, got home and the original was found.
Now have 3 forlorn Tuffies!
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