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hugonildo New user Brazil 15 Posts |
What is the best cup to do the dice Stacking??
And the best surface?? Thank you. |
Harry Murphy Inner circle Maryland 5444 Posts |
I don’t know about best, but any straight-sided container will do as the cup and any flat, hard surface will do as the working surface.
I have used a beer can, a piece of PVC pipe capped off, a plastic drinking glass, a clear glass drinking glass, a wooden drinking mug, a leather dice cup found at a bar, and a cup that was sold years ago with the Charley Miller Dice Stacking routine. All worked! I have used a rectangle of Formica (10 inches by 14 inches) for a close-up dice stacking routine. The reverse side of my street table (about 18 by 30 inches) is covered with Formica (a Birdseye maple looking pattern) specifically for dice stacking. I have also used a table top at a party, a glass coffee table, a glass counter top at a magic store, a floor tile square (12 by 12 inches) at a hardware store, and a piece of varnished plywood. Formica is easy to work with, easy to find, comes in hundreds of colors and patterns (wood grain, marble, etc), and is cheap. All worked! Try a lot of different containers and surfaces and find whatever works best for you.
The artist formally known as Mumblepeas!
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Sean Piper Regular user Australia 139 Posts |
Once you have the technique down pat, you can adapt to almost any cup. I've seen it done with cups of all shapes and sizes, and even an empty yogurt container.
Just experiment!
Piper Magic - Australia's Premier Online Magic Store
www.pipermagic.com.au Supplying Australian magicians with high-quality apparatus, classic books, and a wide range of unique and collectible pre-owned magic. |
Tommy Brown Regular user 110 Posts |
I use the Mike Rogers Dice Cup. I don't know if they are still available. You can use lots of things as others have mentioned. The surface you stack on is just as important as the cup. It has to be a surface where there is no drag as the cup goes across. The cup must be allowed to travel smoothly across the surface without any hang-ups. Eventually, with practice, you can stack and not have much contact with the surface. It takes lots of experimentation to get the right combinations.
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Oli New user Essex, UK 46 Posts |
When I was practicing, I made one from a pringles tube. I went to the local cobblers and got some off cuts of soles which worked great as a ribbed inside.
Still have it now and it still works great! Oli |
RandyStewart Inner circle Texas (USA) 1989 Posts |
Even within the publication "Zak Stacks", you'll find that he used cups of various sizes. The gimmicked final load of some dozen dice is produced from under a very tall cup.
But to answer your question, the "best dice cup" seems to vary with each performer. You may want some tips from Extreme "Dice Stacking with Gerry" where types of dice and cups are addressed. Harry Murphy did say: "I've used a beer can, a piece of PVC pipe capped off, a plastic drinking glass, a clear glass drinking glass, a wooden drinking mug, a leather dice cup found at a bar, and a cup that was sold years ago with the Charley Miller Dice Stacking routine. All worked!" |
Doug Conn Loyal user 212 Posts |
While it's true that almost any straight sided container will work, you'll find better success with a cup designed for dice stacking (especially if it's the right height.) One source for such a prop (in a variety of sizes) is Jim Zachary. He has a website:
http://www.jimzeemagic.com/dice/ |
Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
I remember that Bob King used a surface that was customized with his logo. It's easy to have made, considering that it was a sheet of paper that had been laminated.
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RevJohn Inner circle Oregon City Oregon, Oregon 2473 Posts |
I use Mike Roger's cup with great success.
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cataquet Veteran user England 363 Posts |
In general, although any cup can be used, the surface needs to be smooth. That is, you can't dice stack on a closeup mat. The ideal surface is a glass table, but the cup and dice might scratch the surface. A sheet of laminate is best, but because you can't roll it up, it will be a bit bulky to carry.
Harold Cataquet
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Tommy Brown Regular user 110 Posts |
Don't Whit Haydn and the Scoundrels sell dice cups and a close-up/dice stacking pad? Anyone have any experience with these items?
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KirkG Inner circle 1391 Posts |
I think you will find that a smooth sided, non squishy cup that is fairly narrow and one die higher than your highest stack will work the best for the cup. A smooth, stable (non wobbly--nothing to do with horses) table works the best.
Some of my friends have used the School for Scoundrels cups and have found them difficult to stack with. We are not sure why, but are still experimenting with them. The easiest cup, other than the leather one I made, was a two dollar plastic cup I got at a local store. Kirk |
Harry Murphy Inner circle Maryland 5444 Posts |
Bob Read (great British magician) does a dice stacking routine using a large plastic, tapered drinking cup and uses ice cubes for the dice!
I once watched Don Boles (a carnival magician when I knew him) do am impromptu dice stacking routine using children’s wooden alphabet blocks and a heavy paper Quaker oats cereal container. He simply cut the top of the container off, grabbed four blocks (well worn at that) and did most of the Senator Crandall routine just to prove a point. Again, once you have the knack, you can use just about anything!
The artist formally known as Mumblepeas!
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Crandall did a great dice stack... at the Magic Castle he just put his briefcase up onto the close up table and used its surface to work on.
I have a Crandall-made cup with "Fred Kaps" embossed on the side and Crandall's Caricature on the inside top. In addition, I have some dice cups we got in Florence, Italy that are terrific, classy, slight taper and really nicely made. I also got a Mike Roger's cup that he gaffed with a chop magnet. You can also use a gambler's Whip Cup as long as you use a celluloid liner to protect the whip cord... then you take out the liner and do the whip dice work showing how gambler's cheat.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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jlevey Inner circle Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2076 Posts |
Mike Roger's cup has worked well for me, but I too don't know if they are still on the market (if they are I would be pleased to have the contact points).
Those starting out might choose to try them with a clear, tall glass (as was mentioned in a previous thread). All the best!
Jonathan
Max & Maxine Entertainment Magicians with a touch of comedy! ___________________________________ www.maxmagician.com www.mindreadershow.com www.monsieurmagic.com |
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
You want to be the KING of the dice stackers? Get Joe Porper's cups... not cheap, but incredible style, in both 4 and 6 dice high models. Made in exotic leathers and skins with inlaid dice on the top.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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johnloon New user UK 54 Posts |
I think Jim Zee's Dice cups are excellent. It has a plastic lining inside the cup and it keeps the dice steady. The price is also reasonable and they look good too. Check out the site:
http://www.jimzeemagic.com |
Jonathan P. Inner circle Belgium 1484 Posts |
About the surface, a friend of mine built a dice-stacking/close-up pad: he took a plastic sheet and glued a close-up pad on it (matching sizes.) So, he can do his close-up piece and turn over his pad in order to go into dice-staking.
I got a dice cup from J.R. Torres (France) who build a lot of dice-related stuff. He added a chop-cup gaff and a special feature inside the cup: when this one is set (you can set and unset it in one split second), you can just throw the dice in the cup, put the cup on the table, and remove it: the dice are stacked. Jonathan. |
Frank Tougas Inner circle Minneapolis, MN 1712 Posts |
I remember years ago seeing a young man carry arround a sheet of thin plexiglass. He would spray it occasionally with Pledge and buff it to keep it smooth and presentable. I later discoverd on my own that the thin piece of plexi was an item called "No Frame". That was a frame free method of "framing pictures or artwork.
I doubt if it is still sold as No Frame but such sheets are still available in the frame departments of artist supply stores and even some large retail stores with a frame department. The other thing I want to mention about stacking is using a juice glass as part of the routine. Very effective since the size of the glass makes it impossible to knock the stack over. It is really a no brainer stunt but looks harder and more surprising to the spectator since they can see though it.
Frank Tougas The Twin Cities Most "Kid Experienced" Children's Performer :"Creating Positive Memories...One Smile at a Time"
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Erik Anderson Regular user Des Moines, Iowa 171 Posts |
I have the Extreme Dice Stacking DVD by Gerry. After watching it you are left with the impression that ANYTHING could be stacked. My personal favorite was stacking about 8 mini dice with a chapstick tube.
Great stuff!
Erik "Aces" Anderson
"I never let my schooling get in the way of my education." ~ Mark Twain http://www.acesanderson.com |
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