Monday, November 12, 2012
Friday, January 29, 2010
Silk in Balloon
The theory behind the silk in balloon effect, is in two parts. Usually it is an effective vanish where you show the silk at the fingertips. Then, using known methods, you vanish the silk handkerchief.
There has been a clear balloon resting on a cup-like pedestal and the magician picks it up and it is held between two hands.
The magician then shakes the balloon and the vanished silk re-appears.
My contention is that the silk should be vanished at the same time the silk in the balloon appears. More-so, the vanish should appear as though the silk visibly penetrated the balloon.
There has been a clear balloon resting on a cup-like pedestal and the magician picks it up and it is held between two hands.
The magician then shakes the balloon and the vanished silk re-appears.
My contention is that the silk should be vanished at the same time the silk in the balloon appears. More-so, the vanish should appear as though the silk visibly penetrated the balloon.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Poor Man's Amputation by Magic Ian
Effect: a man is seen to place his arm in a mitre board as a magician places a cloth in front of his arm. The man then shows a miter saw and places it in the miter board slot and saws. The blade is seen to go to its lowest slot.
The magician then walks away from the man whose arm seems to be missing, yet his fingertips are seen still at the end of the cloth.
The magician then moves the cloth back the blade is removed, and the cloth is drawn back to reveal the mans arm is back.
Needed: one miter board set with blade and a seance cloth with gimmick.
Modification needed. The back of one half of the miter board is cut away.
Blocking and movement: as the magician covers the forearm of the man, the man bends his elbow and aligns his arm with his other one, his fingers are in his armpit. The magician holding the seance cloth has the feke at the top left of the bar, his arm crosses his body and extends to the right of the cloth exposing his fingers as if they are the mans fingers.
The miter blade is placed in the slot. The magician then moves to the right of the man.
The entire process is reversed, and after the blade is removed, the man extends his arm in the track once again. The magician pulls his hand behind the cloth timed to the revelation of the real forearm.
The magician then walks away from the man whose arm seems to be missing, yet his fingertips are seen still at the end of the cloth.
The magician then moves the cloth back the blade is removed, and the cloth is drawn back to reveal the mans arm is back.
Needed: one miter board set with blade and a seance cloth with gimmick.
Modification needed. The back of one half of the miter board is cut away.
Blocking and movement: as the magician covers the forearm of the man, the man bends his elbow and aligns his arm with his other one, his fingers are in his armpit. The magician holding the seance cloth has the feke at the top left of the bar, his arm crosses his body and extends to the right of the cloth exposing his fingers as if they are the mans fingers.
The miter blade is placed in the slot. The magician then moves to the right of the man.
The entire process is reversed, and after the blade is removed, the man extends his arm in the track once again. The magician pulls his hand behind the cloth timed to the revelation of the real forearm.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
One handed cane production method
This had been in my lecture since the 80's. I use a cotter pin on a safety pin.
This is a picture from my instructions when I sell my "flagtastick" effect.
It holds the cane under a jacket, in a box or anywhere you want until the cane is needed. the picture shows it holding a cane open with three silks attached to the end hole.
It is a cotter pin costs about .15 in a ny hardware store.
It has been used by everyone who has my effects including Jeff McBride.
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If you mount this on a table, I drill a hole in the table, and stick either the cotter pin or a 12 penny common nail thru the hole. Then I place the cane on the nail using the slide bar hole (not the silk attachment hole).
Again, I first did this in the late 70's. Some Argentinian dealers have since mentioned this method in the past few years (probably caught my lecture in Miami).
The cool thing is when you pick it up, and slide the cane off the rod, your fingers are all that hold the can from opening.
You immediately get to that position without fumbling to open the furrile.
Note: the photos are from the printed instructions included in my "flagtastick" effect. I also have a video that shows this as well.
This method has been part of the general lecture I do which includes canes and candles. Candle to silk to cane, cane in the air production, I also refer to it as a grenade cane production, when I attach a line to the cotter pin, I pull the line from a distance, and the cane appears remotely.
There are two holes in the ferrule (actually three).
The obvious one is the end hole where the silk goes.
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The next hole is the slide hole. That is where you straighten the ferrule out, stick the cotter pin, bobby pin or rod into it and then allow it (the cotter pin) to hold the cane from opening.
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When production of the cane is required, you grasp as few as two fingers where the silks and hole is (upper hole). Slide the cane off the cotter pin, and now the cane is prevented from opening by your fingers. The transfer of pressure goes from the cotter pin to your fingers.
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It is elegant, as your palm is seen empty, the silks hang as if you are holding a silk or silks (it will not look any different if you did not have a cane.).
There is no movement as normally needed to release the ferrule.
Also, if you have the set-up mounted in the jacket, and you reach for the silks, it looks as though you merely took silks from your jacket as they hang so naturally.
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Oh.. the third hole which can also be used, is the rivet hole.
This is a picture from my instructions when I sell my "flagtastick" effect.
It holds the cane under a jacket, in a box or anywhere you want until the cane is needed. the picture shows it holding a cane open with three silks attached to the end hole.
It is a cotter pin costs about .15 in a ny hardware store.
It has been used by everyone who has my effects including Jeff McBride.
------------
If you mount this on a table, I drill a hole in the table, and stick either the cotter pin or a 12 penny common nail thru the hole. Then I place the cane on the nail using the slide bar hole (not the silk attachment hole).
Again, I first did this in the late 70's. Some Argentinian dealers have since mentioned this method in the past few years (probably caught my lecture in Miami).
The cool thing is when you pick it up, and slide the cane off the rod, your fingers are all that hold the can from opening.
You immediately get to that position without fumbling to open the furrile.
Note: the photos are from the printed instructions included in my "flagtastick" effect. I also have a video that shows this as well.
This method has been part of the general lecture I do which includes canes and candles. Candle to silk to cane, cane in the air production, I also refer to it as a grenade cane production, when I attach a line to the cotter pin, I pull the line from a distance, and the cane appears remotely.
There are two holes in the ferrule (actually three).
The obvious one is the end hole where the silk goes.
-------
The next hole is the slide hole. That is where you straighten the ferrule out, stick the cotter pin, bobby pin or rod into it and then allow it (the cotter pin) to hold the cane from opening.
-----------------------
When production of the cane is required, you grasp as few as two fingers where the silks and hole is (upper hole). Slide the cane off the cotter pin, and now the cane is prevented from opening by your fingers. The transfer of pressure goes from the cotter pin to your fingers.
----------
It is elegant, as your palm is seen empty, the silks hang as if you are holding a silk or silks (it will not look any different if you did not have a cane.).
There is no movement as normally needed to release the ferrule.
Also, if you have the set-up mounted in the jacket, and you reach for the silks, it looks as though you merely took silks from your jacket as they hang so naturally.
------------
Oh.. the third hole which can also be used, is the rivet hole.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Phillips file Home-made Himber
I discovered this little file at a flea market, it fits the applications of the Himber style wallet and a switch pad. Very simple yet baffling methodology.
Effect one: A card is selected and folded, then placed into a wallet.
The magician writes a prediction on a pad. The wallet is opened and the card is read.
The prediction matches.
Effect two: The magicians asks a spectator to write a four digit number and write it on the page in the file booklet. This is repeated two more times and the file book is then closed.
The booklet is then opened and handed o a fourth spectator and they are asked to add the numbers. The final answer is called out. The magician turns over a blackboard with chalk on it and the added number matches.
The wallet can open from either end, but if you open it while the writing facing right. You will notice the book has the writing on the left.
You can make your own by getting some of those refrigerator magnets, those thin magnetic squares that hold ads on them. Just sandwich two together. Glue some accordian pleated paper to the insides of the sandwich, and you have the gimmick.
Notice the writing is facing the left in the picture. The booklet should be opened from right to left as before, but since the booklet has secretly been turned, the writing inside will have the index on the right and text heading at the right side. You are also actually seeing the
other side of the pages.
If I lift the booklet covers, you can see the fan-fold of the pages.
During the trick, no one spectator will see the same side. Three spectators write on one page, when you take the booklet back, the last spectator will actually add your pre-written numbers.
Notice the indexes have switched sides.
Note: You can write directly on the pages, but I suggest sticking post-its on the page, so you can use the switch device indefinitely.
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To Restate: You take the booklet out and open it to a page that has the post it note. You hold the booklet as you have the spectator write in the book. You then move to the next spectator and they write a four digit number, and the the last. You close the booklet briefly.
You then turn to a person behind that group, or someone at the other end of the room.
You re-open the booklet (from the other end), showing the new spectator the group of three numbers. You call out the numbers and have someone looking at the prediction on a chalkboard or in an envelope on the stage. The prediction matches the total.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Mini Milk Pitcher
In the 70's, the vaccuum or double-walled insulated mugs were just starting to be produced. I had been going to trade show, and bought some insulated mugs. I noticed the similarity to the construction between that and the milk pitchers that were on the market. The current magic milk pitchers had a liner inside that was removeable for cleaning, but they were also problematic, as they sometimes cracked or some were glued in place and made cleaning difficult.
The insulated cups could be modifed very easily to make excellant milk pitchers. You merely drilled a few holes in the plastic, and the milk pitcher application could be applied.
Drill one hole at the top of the cup or pitcher, as an air release valve. Then, onthe other end of the inside of the mouth of the glass or pitcher, drill several holes in a cluster on the inside of the pitcher. This allows the liquid to fill.
To set it up, submerge the cup in a sinlk full or a conatiner full of the liquid you wish to vanish. Preferable, is the fake milk called oom, or "oil of milk" (water based machine oil). You can use real milk, or a dark liquid.
The object is to fill the inside liner of the glass and then empty the main container out. So the glass is in essence empty, but the liner of the insulated mug is full of liquid.
As you pour or tilt the glass, the liquid will come out from the liner and enter the main body of the glass or cup. The level of the liner will deplete and soon equal the contents of the glass.
When you right the cup, it should look as if 2/3 of the glass has vanished. If you held a rolled up newspaper in front of that glass as you poured, the illusion will be that the liquid has been poured into the news.
Place the cup aside, and then unroll the news as if the liquid has vanished from the paper.
------------------
The insulated cups could be modifed very easily to make excellant milk pitchers. You merely drilled a few holes in the plastic, and the milk pitcher application could be applied.
Drill one hole at the top of the cup or pitcher, as an air release valve. Then, onthe other end of the inside of the mouth of the glass or pitcher, drill several holes in a cluster on the inside of the pitcher. This allows the liquid to fill.
To set it up, submerge the cup in a sinlk full or a conatiner full of the liquid you wish to vanish. Preferable, is the fake milk called oom, or "oil of milk" (water based machine oil). You can use real milk, or a dark liquid.
The object is to fill the inside liner of the glass and then empty the main container out. So the glass is in essence empty, but the liner of the insulated mug is full of liquid.
As you pour or tilt the glass, the liquid will come out from the liner and enter the main body of the glass or cup. The level of the liner will deplete and soon equal the contents of the glass.
When you right the cup, it should look as if 2/3 of the glass has vanished. If you held a rolled up newspaper in front of that glass as you poured, the illusion will be that the liquid has been poured into the news.
Place the cup aside, and then unroll the news as if the liquid has vanished from the paper.
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Several dealers have made these milk pitchers and sold them, but you can find these in most dollar shops in many sizes and they look so "ungimmicked" and natural, they are actually a better device than the commercial ones.
Miniature Money Production
Creamers at a restaurant made a great impromtu magic item. Some of the fast ideas were Chink-a-Chink, Matrix, and cups and balls in miniature. For a while I sought to have a special clear cover made so I could make a miniature rice bowls effect. I soon found that there were just too many varieties of creamers to make a standard gimmick.
A creamer opening (in some places) has a circumference that is equal to a quarter. You can also place pennies dimes and nickels into the empty creamer. Cap it off with the quarter wedged into the creamer mouth.
Get the second creamer, and visibly pour salt into it. Over pour so that the salt it in a sligt mound. Then take your finger and level the salt level with the mouth of the creamer. Turn the coin loaded creamer (careful not to expose the coin load) upside down over the salt filled creamer and turn it over three times. When you lift the creamer, the salt will be resting on top of your coin load and it will look like the salt load has doubled.
Level it again, and cover the creamer with the empty side. Turn it over again, only once. As you lift the cointainer, squeez it a bit so that the quarter will dislodge and the coin load will fall onto the empty container. You have made a mini rice bowls with a coin load finale.
A creamer opening (in some places) has a circumference that is equal to a quarter. You can also place pennies dimes and nickels into the empty creamer. Cap it off with the quarter wedged into the creamer mouth.
Get the second creamer, and visibly pour salt into it. Over pour so that the salt it in a sligt mound. Then take your finger and level the salt level with the mouth of the creamer. Turn the coin loaded creamer (careful not to expose the coin load) upside down over the salt filled creamer and turn it over three times. When you lift the creamer, the salt will be resting on top of your coin load and it will look like the salt load has doubled.
Level it again, and cover the creamer with the empty side. Turn it over again, only once. As you lift the cointainer, squeez it a bit so that the quarter will dislodge and the coin load will fall onto the empty container. You have made a mini rice bowls with a coin load finale.
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