When I was on CreativityAtSea 2013, Kenny Frehm showed me his "I'll Do It Again" paddle trick by Jimmy Rogers/others. See "paddle tricks" on The Magic Café Rings, Stings and Things forum for a review of some of the great paddles being made out there. To see the chalk paddle performed just ok on youtube, put in "Paddle Trick. I'll Do It Again. Jimmy Rogers" in the search box.

Turns out, the chalk version, as far as I can find, is not really sold in the U.S.. Del Wilson does a nice Gospel version using "Jumping Gems." There is also a version using a dry marker on an "erase board" I believe by Dave Powell.

When I got home, I remembered my wife hand some very small neato cheese spreader knives with a cute little lighthouse as the handle. The painted lighthouse too looks the same, front and back (so a paddle move would not reveal the different sides being shown). Ahah! -there's the the "creative" inspiration Barry Mitchell talks about! The name of the church I attend also is "Lighthouse Community Church" in Kalamazoo and Jesus is the Light of the world!

At the "Dollar Tree" store in Kalamazoo, for $1 (and probably available many other places as well), they had a package of 3 small magnetic photo frames with a small magnetic marker. These dry erase photo frames are designed to hold one photo- and you can write on the erasable frame portion anything you want with the marker. Wow! So by cutting off the upper photo frame part you end up with an approximate 1 inch by 4 inch miniature and magnetic dry erase board. Take two of those, use the magnet and some double sided tape to attach to one side of the cheese knife spreader blade, and then tape/use the magnet on another miniature dry erase board on the bottom side of the same knife blade--- you end up with a dry erase board version of "I'll Do It Again" with a Lighthouse theme! My guess is if you look at small cheese knife spreaders at various kitchen or department stores, you can find either plain handles or handles with a variety of different interesting themes on them (we have another set of small cheese knife/spreaders with grape vines on the handle, for example).

Anyway, now I have a super cheap "dry erase" magic paddle (cost me $1 for the dry erase portion) with a colorful lighthouse on it's handle. Lot's of patter opportunities now to go with it!

Working today on a Gospel magic routine using either the evangelism theme of http://www.livingwaters.com - such as: Am I a good person? (put three dry erase lines on each side of the paddle) as I recite through six of the Ten Commandments- (then the lines vanish on the paddle)- our sins are forgiven whiter than snow- then we violate the commandments again- (the three lines reappear again on the paddle)- only to all vanish one at a time again- refer to I John 1:9, Romans 6:23, etc.. Neato! Jesus is the light of the world!- by the way- looking for a church?- may I recommend Lighthouse Community Church? (draw attention to the lighthouse on the handle), etc. etc.

Anyway, maybe we could start a thread here on this FCM portion on how "paddle tricks" can be used in a meaningful Gospel magic setting if possible. Many wonderful paddles being made out there now by Wolf's magic, Joe Porper, Edward Victor's Bat Trick, the Harry Stanley/Unique Magic Studio "I'll Start Again" chalk paddle (Repro Magic product- closed?), Adair's Paggle Waggle, Baffle Bat, the dry erase paddle of Dave Powell "Let's Start Over" available from the Magic Emporium? or Merlin's Magic?, the cool money "Hypno Paddle" also by Dave Powell from Ronjo Magic, etc. Stop light paddles too are pretty neat. Chad Long's computer memory paddles. Pretty much every magic store/magic web site has a paddle or two, yet it still can be an entertaining effect. Sky is the limit here with all the zillions of magic paddles out there, either custom made, mass produced or home made.

Any other paddle ideas out there? I believe FCM Prez Del Wilson was going to publish his "Jumping gems" Gospel routine he showed me (and many others) at the 2012 FCM convention- he even gave me a set of plastic sticks. I believe Del used a "Holy Spirit" theme- had some really good teaching as a part of it.

Randi Rain is making Pewter Hot Rods, and can do custom work:

http://www.raincloudmagic.com/products-page/artistic-magic/

Michael Baker has some really nice hand-made wooden paddle tricks. Scroll down about a quarter of the way, and you'll see PADDLE TRICKS:

http://www.themagiccompany.com/cat_main.html

I love the idea MagicBus! Brilliant!

Doug

Thanks Doug, you are too kind. Sitting here in Kalamazoo where the snow has been coming down quite a bit lately, gives me more time to day dream about magic (when I should otherwise be out walking for my FirstPlace4Him group).

I talked to a retired fellow at my home church who is into woodworking. He is going to see about making for me some small wooden paddles with a cross on the handle portion- and with the paddle portion being flat to attach the dry erase mini-boards too... So... who knows, I might be able to get a bunch of these made up. If it all works out, I will try to post a routine to youtube using this "Gospel paddle"- maybe I can sell them at cost to anyone interested. I don't know what my friend is going to charge me yet to make up these wooden paddles in his shop- he makes a lot of quality stuff for craft shows such as super nice wood jewel boxes, giant wood watch bands (they look like a huge wrist watch that are designed to be put on a desk or table), etc.

Fired Up!- this IS a very cool part of magic in general in having one's "creative" thoughts going all the time- I am sure all of your minds work in the same way. One of the very fun parts of having magic as a hobby is what goes on in a magician's mind when even shopping around at a dollar store- and thinking of possible magical uses for all kinds of stuff...

To see the basic effect using chalk, go to http://www.youtube.com then type in
"Paddle Trick. I'll Do It Again. Jimmy Rogers" to see it performed. My version will have a cross handle, and a two sided dry erase surface where the chalk board surface is on the paddle. Plus, of course, a Gospel routine to go with it as the drawn on lines disappear, reappear, and disappear once again. That's getting a lot mileage out of a single paddle trick!

Just as a follow up to the above- I will be doing this "Gospel paddle trick" on March 9 at the KaZoo FCM regular chapter meeting at 10AM at Lighthouse Community Church in Kalamazoo.

So far, I have made up 20 complete sets- all with materials from inexpensive stores (total materials cost for the entire trick is still under $3.00). Items used: the table knives taken from a 12 piece silverware set purchased at Dollar General for $3.00 a set- or 75 cents each: these knife handles are uniform on both sides and roll easily in the fingers, and the cut up magnetic photo frame dry erase portion halves completely cover over both sides of the relatively short knife blade- those magnetic frames were purchased previously at Dollar Tree (see above). And the completed dry erase paddle with 1 magnetic dry erase marker fits nicely in an eyeglass holder also purchased from the Dollar Tree store for $1.00 each. Wowsa!

These magnetic photo frames, the eyeglass holders, and the plastic chairs for the "chair opening line" may all be available in the Dollar Tree printed catalog (which I have seen in the stores near their cash registers), I do not know.

Anyway, one ends up with a dry erase version of the "I'll Do It Again" chalk paddle trick as seen on youtube- and that old effect I believe is available only in England (if it is even available at all now).

I recently procured a paddle trick that 'produced' coins from BOTH sides, then a $note and finally show that trick was all done with 'mirrors'!!
Any ideas on how I can use this effect in a Gospel application??
Tanx Mike.

When christ was shown a ceasers(sp?) coin and asked who do we honor?? make it up yourself - verse -etc

Also - for a Paddle Effect - one side SIN SIN - other side (white as snow) after being

I typed up a ridiculously long six pages of thorough instructions for a mini-lecture I am doing this Saturday (March 9 at 10am) at the KaZoo Chapter of the FCM (meets at Lighthouse Community Church in Kalamazoo in the teen room) on "The Gospel Paddle." I made up 30 complete units of this version of the old paddle trick (my set includes a paddle, gag chair, pen and carrying case) which I am selling at this meeting for the whopping price of $3.00. All the parts for it were obtained at either the Dollar Tree or Dollar General stores.

I am going to submit "The Gospel Paddle" to both Duane Laflin/Advance and to the "Voice of the FCM"- maybe one of them can trim down the length my notes and publish this Gospel routine in their publication. It is just one of many ways to get a discussion going regarding the Gospel.

Hi fellow FCMers: Anyone who'd like the free 6 pages of instructions for "The Gospel Paddle"- PM to me your email address- and I will send you the instructions to your email address (with the instructions in the form of an attachment to the email).

These are basically the same free mini-lecture notes from the short presentation given a couple of Saturdays ago at the KaZoo Chapter of the FCM. I don't know if Duane Laflin or the Voice of the FCM may ever publish a modified version of this same effect- certainly the "paddle move" is in the public domain by now and I certainly do not claim any originality for it.

As for the items used in my version at least, everything was purchased at the Dollar Tree or Dollar General stores- so this isn't exactly pricey to make either. President Del Wilson emailed me a nice note saying that he has already thought of another Gospel routine using this same dry erase paddle. So you may come up with your own ideas to use as well.

Congratulations, MagicBus. These are great ideas. Thanks for sharing them.

I am sorry to report the "building" instructions for the wipe clean paddle trick are buried away someplace. I submitted a set to Duane Laflin many years ago for possible publication in his e-publication- but I don't think they were ever put in there. Fun trick to do though for sure, various chalk versions of the 'ole paddle trick are probably still for sale some place...