Ok, just got home from the magicshop with my very first thumbtip. A Vernet King Size.

What are your best tips on getting it fitted to my thumb? Softening it with boiling water and then put it on, cut it to an excact point, or what?

Also, how "long" is it supposed to be in comparition with your thumb.. Does it go al the way down or just on the tip of the thumb?


best regards,
Marius Haugan.

You really don't need a "perfect fit", just anything that can stay on your thumb is good enough.

Don't worry about cutting or resizing it in boiling water, just start out with an ok size and you will be fine.

You should have it JUST past your first joint when it isn't loaded, and when you have a load it should be nearer to the tip, not covering the joint at all, because the load will keep it on the thumb.

I mean, you could easily get away with a metal tube about the size of your thumb, so don't worry too much about getting a perfect fit or having it look like your thumb.

The biggest thing is not feeling guilty about using it and learning how to load the tip invisibly.

It's so tight that I can't get it off my thumb without really, REALLY, REALLY pulling it! I get scolded after a few tries because it tear's the flesh of my thumb!!

Ah, hehe. Maybe it's not THAT bad, anyway. I've boiled it and hair-dried it and it fit better now. But my thumb is still too big! I just can't seem to get the thumbtip big enough!

I usually poke a small hole near the tip to prevent any vacuum from holding it on. I've tried boiling water to re-size the vernet's but I only end up getting burned.

If you want to make a thumtip larger, heat it in boiling water & then shove a broomstick or similar into it. I will give you the extra size you need

Wow a king size is too small for you? You must have abnormal thumb size. I would do what Allan said. The first week I boiled my tip about 7 times to get it to fit right.

Vernet has a super-sized thumb tip and about two of my thumbs would almost fit in. You must have a very big thumb! Perhaps a soft thumb tip would stretch to accommode your oversized thumb.
Darryl the Wizard

Try to expand it with a broom stick and a hair dryer.
I also have got big thumbs, and this worked for me.

Sven

My thumb tip has a "seem"... how can I get rid of that?

The hot water soak works to stretch the tip, but in my exp, only works on soft tips.

Just a side point about thumb tips-- for smaller people like me who want to make a tip smaller, you can cut off a thin sliver of the side and melt the gap back together with a hot iron.

I've heard you can run the tip under very hot water and push a small rubber ball in the end to get it to expand. I've not tried this, but believe it is a Roger Klause idea. I've heard different magic effects require different sizes of tips. I use just one size but some people like to use different sizes for silks than bill switches. The tip should definitely not fit so snuggly that it doesn't come off easily. Duane Laflin has a video on thumb tips that might be helpful. It's available at http://www.laflinmagic.com.

You can take the raised part of a hard seam off with a razor. I never worry about it. Most people, including myself, don't hold the tip still where it can be seen for long enough for the seam to be visible.

I made my first thumb tip out of red candle wax and later for years used one in front of audiences that was made entirely from masking tape.

Hope this helps.

I would suggest the boiling water to soften. After place on thumb & squeeze to fit your thumb. You may want to cut out a section on the underside of your thumb, a half moon shape, which will allow ease of movement & removal
No need to worry as it probably won't be seen. You may want to shave down the "seem" with a razor type knife... cheers.....
.... Cheers.....

I use a vernet tip boiled and then stretched over a broom handle so I fits loose. Then I wear it for a couple of days until it feels comfortable and loses that new color.
Walkman

Scrape the seam with a single-edge razor blade. I used steel wool afterward to dull the shine.

The seam can be smoothed out by useing a soldiering iron. Just lightly run the hot tip along the seam.

If your thumb is really that huge. Just make your own TT by using paper package sealing tape. Cover your thumb with vasoline and start placing strips across the tip of your thumb and down to the joint. Work around the thumb. Let it dry hard. No need to paint as the brown paper will be a close enough match.

Finn John idea.

I disagree with this. The thumb tip should not slip over the first joint. It should sit on the tip of the thumb above the first joint. It is a secret compartment, not a protective device.

The tip should be on only tight enough that when you aim your thumb downward, it doesn't fall off, but when you flick your thumb, it flies off. All you need is to put your thumb in the tip just to get it to stick so it doesn't fall off with the load. That's it.

I think that perhaps you are missing some very important points.
1 It really dosn't matter if the tip is on the knuckle or not. It is what ever suits your needs. Use it for a while till you figure out what you like.
2 It really shouldn't matter if there is a seem or not (or even be flesh colored for that matter). If it is used properly, you audiance won't be aware of it's presence.

RSB