Hi,
I was wondering what your opinions were on what type of wood is good for a wand.
Cocobolo I know is a favorite. But what about some of the domestic woods like: oak, mahogany, cedar or maple?

Thanks a lot,
J.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......6&22

During my "show and tell" of my new oak wand I made (which feels very nicely btw) there was some discussion back and forth about different wand woods..etc. I posted link above.

It all depends on how heavy a wand you want. Ebony is an excellent choice, but you also need a contrasting wood for a tip. Gazzo uses a drum stick covered with electrical tape.

Warpage is also a consideration. Lignum vitae has a tendency to warp. Pau ferro is great, but very heavy. Oak is a good wood, but if you finish it you will need to fill the pores. Maple and birch are good, cheap woods. They take stains well.

My favorite wand is a hunk of bamboo given to me by the late Emile Clifton. I also used a Porper wand, an antique Opium Pipe, the stick from a small toilet plunger and occasionally, what Charlie Miller liked, the cardboard rod from a clothes hangar. For impromptu work I've used a long wooden spoon or a spatula (borrowed out of a kitchen).

It almost doesn't matter what you use, it just has to fit the occasion and WORK for you.

A friend sent me a couple plexiglass wands. They are absolutely great.

To add to all of this, now we have the wood, now what do you use for the tips?? where can you get them?? I don't feel that just a wood wand without weighted ends is very useful if you really want to "use" the wand for spins, vanishes things like this. Also the feel of the wand is much better with weighted tips. I made a wand using a hardwood dowel, some black electrical tape (it's really more like a leather tape) and I put two foreign coins on the ends. Then I took a thin strip of brownish leather and wound it around the wand in a spiral. The wand has a very nice weight, and spins great. I use this as my coin wand.. I don't find it practical for cups and balls and actually most things. So I would like to know what people are using for end tips, and more importantly where you can get them.

Stevie D

Ask Pete. The streets of L.A. are full of wand tips.

Thanks a lot guys.
Very helpful info.
Cheers,
J.

David... oh yeah, I forgot my L.A. Street Wand... a stick with .32 cal shells on the ends. They polish up nicely and you can find 'em laying on the streets.

Go to your local shooting range, if you live in an area where you don't have MS-13 to furnish your wand tips. If you want really nice, long brass tips, use 45-70 rifle shells.

If you are using Sherwood cups, you don't want metal caps on your wand. Use heavier wood, instead.

Wood stick from a clothes hangar, just submerge the tips into any paint and you got it. If you are the kind of magician that let people touch the props this is a good option. I always walk away from my table after the cups and balls routine just to let the curious see that props are clean (no gimmicks).

How is Mahogany?

Or if you have interchangeable tips, you could use Delrin tips

If you have access to a lathe it's great. Do you need one with tips or just a solid wood wand? I have some solid stock I've turned down to wand stock, just haven't had time to turn out tips and thread the wands. PM if you like.

Jake

If you can get Honduras mahogany, it's a great wood for wands. Koa is also good. Delrin makes a good wand tip, but it is not easy to attach.

African Red Mahogany is a nice wood for wands as well, or even Cocobola. I have some delrin tips tapped out that will screw on, but you would have to have the same size diameter shaft as well as a wand with removable tips.

If you have a lathe and can find some Snakewood, now that makes a very pretty wand as well.

Jake

DaveV suggested Timbale sticks from a music store.

Nice hickory. Good feel. Nice percussion. All this and a great price to boot...

A very cost effective solution. And if someone manages to make one disappear during your street shows or whatever... you don't lose too much sleep.

Don't give me the credit for that one. I learned it from Gazzo. He also says to wrap it tightly with electrical tape. That way if the wand breaks the tape will hold it together. When he was visiting once before, he was using a broken stick and nobody could tell.

Another great stick is called "The Rock Knocker." This is produced by Pro-Mark, which is a drumstick company based here in Houston. It's a long stick with rounded ends. Wrap that with electrical tape and you will have a chunk of wood that will decimate a room full of 6 year olds.

I would recommend a wand that matches the trick to be performed. For example if it is Cups and Balls. Pick a wand made of the same material the cups are.