Mitch Leary
2003-10-23 20:52:09 UTC
Just saw the new Joe Steven's Spirit Cabinet and thought I'd share the
secrets here. The effect is offered for sale in the latest Steven's
catalog, No. 54, Winter 2003, Page 3. Price $255.oo.
This is a table top model, not the full sized human version
normally seen on stage. Several tricks have been combined into this
little cabinet including the Astro Ball effect, the Dean's Box effect,
and the Ring on Rod effect.
I think it's best to explain these tricks individually. You can build
a poor mans mock-up from from all sorts of materials, including
cardboard. And believe me, if you do these tricks with something that
people are used to seeing, like a cardboard box or a childrens lunch
box, you'll put the effect in the miracle class. If you bring out a
fancy painted box like that offered in the catalog people
automatically think it's a trick box of some sort.
Ring on Rod EXPLAINED:
A brass curtain ring and a long brass rod are passed for examination,
completely ungaffed. Rod is run through holes in the side of the box
and sticks out each side. Front doors are opened, ring set inside,
doors closed. Doors reopened and the ring has jumped up and linked
onto the rod. Two rings are used. As the rod is threaded through the
holes the second palmed ring is secretly threaded onto rod, but pushed
way over into a small recessed area in the side of the box. The
examined ring is set on the floor. Doors are closed. there are
various ways to get the ring into position, the easiest is to simply
tilt the box knocking the ring on the floor over to the side and out
of view. The same tilting action slides the second ring to the center
of the rod. Doors are opened and it looks like the ring has jumped up
onto the rod. This can also be accomplished with clear threads, one
pulls the floored ring out of the way, the second pulls second ring
over to the center of the rod.
Astro Ball Effect: EXPLAINED
A wine glass is placed in the cabinet and a little rubber ball is set
down on the floor of the cabinet beside it. Doors are closed, then
re-opened and the ball is now inside the glass. The ball has a long
piece of clear thread attached to it. There is a little pinhole in
the cabinet directly above the glass and the thread runs through it
and outside the cabinet. When you pull the thread from outside the
box the little ball raises up so its hanging directly over the glass.
Then you release the thread and the ball falls into the glass. This
all happens behind the closed doors of the little cabinet. When you
re-open the doors the miracle has apparently occured.
Shoe Laces Interlaced (Dean's Box Effect): EXPLAINED
You take the _centers_ of two very long colored shoe laces and poke
them in through the holes in the sides of the box; lets say red
through one side, white through the other. Then you close the doors.
You stick your hands in through the rear doors and bring out the shoe
laces LINKED. Note the ends are always in view sticking out of both
sides of the box. You pull the rest of the shoe laces completely
through the cabinet and hand them out for insection--including the
cabinet. It's completely ungimmicked in any way for all of these
effects.
The way the show laces are linked inside the cabinet is childs play
but looks mysterious as hell. With your hands inside the box and out
of view, all you do is twist them together around so they look linked
on top, then you bring out _this portion_ of the shoe laces, NOT the
tangled mess directly below them which would give the trick away. So,
the audience sees the linked centers in your hands, yet the ends are
sticking out of the holes in the sides of the cabinet. For some
reason it never enters their minds that there might be a tangled mess
out of view inside the box. Then, you slowly drag the rest of the
shoe laces through the box carefully un-tangling the mess as you do,
all the while keeping the centers in full view.
All of these effects are extremely simple but baffle the hell out of
those not in-the-know. I hope you understand the last effect, it's
very hard to describe with words. I's normally done with silks and is
in dozens of magic books.
-Leary-
secrets here. The effect is offered for sale in the latest Steven's
catalog, No. 54, Winter 2003, Page 3. Price $255.oo.
This is a table top model, not the full sized human version
normally seen on stage. Several tricks have been combined into this
little cabinet including the Astro Ball effect, the Dean's Box effect,
and the Ring on Rod effect.
I think it's best to explain these tricks individually. You can build
a poor mans mock-up from from all sorts of materials, including
cardboard. And believe me, if you do these tricks with something that
people are used to seeing, like a cardboard box or a childrens lunch
box, you'll put the effect in the miracle class. If you bring out a
fancy painted box like that offered in the catalog people
automatically think it's a trick box of some sort.
Ring on Rod EXPLAINED:
A brass curtain ring and a long brass rod are passed for examination,
completely ungaffed. Rod is run through holes in the side of the box
and sticks out each side. Front doors are opened, ring set inside,
doors closed. Doors reopened and the ring has jumped up and linked
onto the rod. Two rings are used. As the rod is threaded through the
holes the second palmed ring is secretly threaded onto rod, but pushed
way over into a small recessed area in the side of the box. The
examined ring is set on the floor. Doors are closed. there are
various ways to get the ring into position, the easiest is to simply
tilt the box knocking the ring on the floor over to the side and out
of view. The same tilting action slides the second ring to the center
of the rod. Doors are opened and it looks like the ring has jumped up
onto the rod. This can also be accomplished with clear threads, one
pulls the floored ring out of the way, the second pulls second ring
over to the center of the rod.
Astro Ball Effect: EXPLAINED
A wine glass is placed in the cabinet and a little rubber ball is set
down on the floor of the cabinet beside it. Doors are closed, then
re-opened and the ball is now inside the glass. The ball has a long
piece of clear thread attached to it. There is a little pinhole in
the cabinet directly above the glass and the thread runs through it
and outside the cabinet. When you pull the thread from outside the
box the little ball raises up so its hanging directly over the glass.
Then you release the thread and the ball falls into the glass. This
all happens behind the closed doors of the little cabinet. When you
re-open the doors the miracle has apparently occured.
Shoe Laces Interlaced (Dean's Box Effect): EXPLAINED
You take the _centers_ of two very long colored shoe laces and poke
them in through the holes in the sides of the box; lets say red
through one side, white through the other. Then you close the doors.
You stick your hands in through the rear doors and bring out the shoe
laces LINKED. Note the ends are always in view sticking out of both
sides of the box. You pull the rest of the shoe laces completely
through the cabinet and hand them out for insection--including the
cabinet. It's completely ungimmicked in any way for all of these
effects.
The way the show laces are linked inside the cabinet is childs play
but looks mysterious as hell. With your hands inside the box and out
of view, all you do is twist them together around so they look linked
on top, then you bring out _this portion_ of the shoe laces, NOT the
tangled mess directly below them which would give the trick away. So,
the audience sees the linked centers in your hands, yet the ends are
sticking out of the holes in the sides of the cabinet. For some
reason it never enters their minds that there might be a tangled mess
out of view inside the box. Then, you slowly drag the rest of the
shoe laces through the box carefully un-tangling the mess as you do,
all the while keeping the centers in full view.
All of these effects are extremely simple but baffle the hell out of
those not in-the-know. I hope you understand the last effect, it's
very hard to describe with words. I's normally done with silks and is
in dozens of magic books.
-Leary-