Not too sure why I didn’t post this link sooner… Maybe I was being shy, or selfish…

Naw, probably just forgot… Anyway, I had my son film one of my evenings at Vampire Manor last fall so I could pick apart my act later on. Despite this being his first few hours with a brand new camera, there were some “reasonable” clips. I Figured I could learn editing and could grab some of them to make up a short 3 min video to share with some friends. I count you all among my friends so enjoy. I know I sure did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW4QfpcWwXw

Steve

Just caught this,,,,excellant,,,could be used as a promo for you.
Perfect balence of enough but not too much given away.

Tell me Steve,,,did you use the Blockhead Key the way as talked about in the Restuarant ??

Ken

Ken,

Thanks for the comment, I was aiming for just that ballance.

Not sure what we talked about concerning the key when I was over there...

I used it "to unlock the power of my brain" after "opening the keyway to the brain" (Blockhead and Brain Flossing) first. It was done as three short segments of one act that I felt was too long so it got adjusted and morphed around trying to find what would work for the particular clientele.

I was doing a rotation of 5 or 6 acts on a "5 min on 10 min off" timetable for about 4 hours each night during the haunt and having trouble getting the key to fit in right (in the act, not my nose). Turning the key was a bit more difficult than turning a tip, however.

May be back on your side sometime in late June or early July. May try to catch your show...

Steve

Steve, talk to me about having a custon forged blockhead key.. I can do colonial style skeleton keys in stainless. Using the video as reference I can tell you that the bit on the key is too large, I would file it down if I were you.

(a "bit" on a key is the little square shaped piece of metal that runs through the wards on a lock, in case anyone doesn't know)

("wards" are guides that line the interior of a lock)

(a "lock" is something that... ah forget it!)

Steve,,refer to Blockhead with the "Bit" being on the Key after extraction!!

Alright, I begin to see where this is all about…

A couple of small bits of pre history may help here. As we all know acts evolve over time and can morph quite a bit from the original act – this is one of those cases. The act started off as pure illusion… I needed an effect patterned after “The Golden Key” effect but large enough to be appreciated by a group of about a dozen guests at a haunt where I was to perform. I needed to give the key to each group at the end of my scene so I needed a bunch of them to get through each evening and ended up making about 30 (machining and casting) with each key being recovered at the end or the trail.
As the act has evolved over the past few years to fit my changing preferences toward side show, I have moved away from the original illusion and into what you see. The key has a large bit (I called it a tang) for those reasons AND it is still shown on the key after the key is removed… I have done, and still do a number of interesting things with THESE keys (the set now consists of 4 unique pieces) and I have a number of different illusions and stunts that get blended together (this is where I feel I cross a very dangerous line) with them. I feel it is not a good idea to blend illusion with sideshow, but with this one act I do just that – it runs the risk of cheapening or diminishing the significance of things. In any case, this bit is still evolving and will continue to change, I am sure.

As to other details, key must be made of steel – though it could be chrome or nickel plated, handle is cast on pewter. Casting is important because the handle is so visible and the repeatability is actually part of the illusion. It’s all much easier to cover over the phone, any time you want to ring me up PM me and I’ll pass on the digits.

Later, gents

Steve

That is great fun, your Telsa coil looks very fine!

I really like the combination of the classy gentleman's costume and the act of sticking stuff up your nose. This really works for some reason!

Yours,

Paul

Steve, I think I remember you asking me about how to make the key. I know what effect you're going for, but you are also trying to re-invent the wheel. Skeleton keys are made by forging from a single piece of steel rod. One end is flattened a little, a hole is punched while hot, then a drift is used to spread the hole. Then this hole is worked on the horn of the anvil until it is large and rounded. Hammers and fullers are used to make the key hole more decorative (most have a heart shaped interior) Castings were rarely ever used for keys because silver and the casting process is too expensive for everyday common locks. So, now there is a rod with a ring handle, this is called the shank. The shank then goes to the bench for filing and truing the key for straightness. The BIT gets forge welded on at the last step. There is no tang on a key, a tang is the amount of steel on a knife or sword to attach handle scales to.

Your key idea is to make it as ornate as possible... pretty for stage shows. You have to understand I follow the rule of thumb with blacksmithing, that is form follows function. Anything more is cake icing and would have cost the smith (and the customer) a LOT of money and time, and for the smith time is worth 10 times more than money so you'll see colonial ironwork that looks nice enough, but was made to do the job it was designed for without breaking or falling apart. As for the steel, well you (and everyone else here) knows that the stainless steel I use doesn't need a chrome plating on it. Interesting to note: ALL metals can be polished to a mirror finish. Specific metals have the ability to hold the shine and resist corrosion better than others. My 316 steel contains a higher amount of nickel and chromium than your average mild steel. Chrome plating will eventually peel and flake off with time. ALL chrome will, it's in the nature of the underlying metal.

Nips,

All good and valid points. The true smith way is the correct way and I agree with everything you say.

In this case, about 4 years ago I need 30 keys and this is what I could do to get it done. If I was doing it again I might do it differently... the shaft still needs to be of sufficient Iron content and smooth so I might just use Steel rod again anyway. 316 is nice and I love the feel (Nips Nails are the best) but it will not hold to a magnet so it is incorrect for this application.

Not too sure I'm reinventing stuff... just looking for ways to use up old stock. I could melt off all the Pewter and do something completly different, or I can find new ways to use the 20 or so keys I already have made up.

BTW, Keep your eyes open for a nice anvil and blower for me, I need to set up a forge one day.

All the best,

Steve