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Bigboymagic New user Dallas, TX 26 Posts |
I have a red production box that you can place a balloon inside and when you open the top trap door the balloon pops and the bunny appears. Well this weekend I had a kids show and the balloon did not pop but fortunatley the kids were so excited about the bunny they didn't even care about the balloon. I am now on the hunt for a new box does anyone have any ideas or names of some boxes I can check into.
The only thing I considered doing is getting a flash wand to distract them while I pop the balloon myself but I'm not sure how that would play out Thanks
Make it a great day or not the choice is yours.
~bigboymagic~ |
Dr. Delusion Special user Eugene, Oregon. 733 Posts |
If your box uses a nail or a tack in order to pop the balloon you can use a file and sharpen it. Another idea would to glue on a tac, so that when the door falls it will pop the balloon.
Good luck, Bob. |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
If you are certain you want the concept of a "Balloon to Bunny" for some reason other than the fact that both words begin with the letter "B," I would suggest that the EFFECT could be made better by using a twisted animal balloon bunny instead of just a big round balloon.
In that case, your problem would be solved with a magic wand containing a needle in the tip (on a plunger, if you don't want it visible). The wand is stuck down into the box and is used to pop the balloon (and any left over air-filled remnants) so the flap will cover the pieces when it falls. If it is more important to make the Bunny appear magically, then you simply eliminate the balloon and just do it. If you want to explore some other prop box alternatives to the Bunny Box you currently have, you'll find some ideas available on my site in Jim Gerrish's Hardboard and Duct Tape Magic Books 1 and 2. If you want to get away from the prop box entirely, you might consider Eleazar Goodenough's "Tear-Able Magic" Magician's Top Hat Paper Tear, which allows you to tear up black and white tissue to make a three dimensional tissue paper T^op Hat, and then produce a live bunny from it as if it were a real magician's Top Hat. A similar concept is also available in The Wizards' Journal #18, just released, using a Stock Pot instead of a Top Hat. First, decide what it is you truly wish to accomplish and that decision will help you narrow down your quest.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
The balloon didn't pop, so now you want a new box??? What did you do... bust it to pieces with a bat?? (Don't laugh... I've heard of magicians doing things like that.)
Why not figure out why the balloon did not pop and make the necessary adjustments to prevent that problem from happening again? Possible solutions: Sharpen the pin. Move the pin. Add more pins. Change the type of balloon. Exercise more care in the placement of the balloon. Pop the balloon with the free hand as the other hand opens the door. There are sure to be others. This is one of the simplest of mechanical devices. Fixing it to work correctly shouldn't be rocket science, and shouldn't require spending money on a new box. The animal balloon bunny is a cute idea for sure, but it may require you to pop 3 or 4 times in order to get the entire thing flattened. Any remaining "air pockets" would prevent the proper working of the box.
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
One solution is to trip the mechanism, when a flag is waved in front of the box.
Another solution is to mount the box on a lazy susan. Show the box empty, revolve the box and trip the mechanism when the back of the box is toward the audience. Then, show the audience that the rabbit appeared, by completing the turn. Sound dampening may be needed, since a popping balloon won't be masking the sound. |
MagicBus Inner circle Kalamazoo, Michigan 2869 Posts |
Hi Al, good to see you again above- hope to see you next Tuesday at the Bananchek lecture for Ring 211. This is way off the point, I use a Jumbo Appearing Die Box to appear my rabbit. I like it because it is part of a die box routine- rabbit appears at the end. Only down side is my rabbit is very large, the box is fairly large (about the size of a shoe box), so I really don't like to keep him couped up in there in the load area for more than 10 minutes as he can't turn around or shift around even. Nice way to appear a rabbit though.
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TrickyRicky Inner circle TrickyRicky 1653 Posts |
Hi Bigboymagic.
May I recommend the mail box bunny production. The bunny sits very comfortably while in the box. Jay Leslie of (House of Enchantment) makes the best there is. You can also change the deco with removable stickers on the outside of the box to the occasion you are performing. I have a permanent sticker on the box with the word (Hare Mail). TrickyRicky |
Bigboymagic New user Dallas, TX 26 Posts |
Thanks guys these are all great ideas I think I'm gonna try to work with what I have, I would like to keep the whole balloon to rabbIt routine cause it just looks good to me. I'm going to try adding more pins and modify it as mush as I can but I will look into the mail box rabbit production 2 bunny props are better than 1 you can never have to much magic
Thanks again,
Make it a great day or not the choice is yours.
~bigboymagic~ |
stempleton Inner circle 1443 Posts |
I asked the same question, and received the same responses. Use the search function and you'll find many responses. My particular thread was "This can't happen again." Many useful tips...the main one being using a larger balloon. That solved the problem. I feel for you... been there, done that!
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Mumblemore Inner circle 1429 Posts |
Stempleton's got it . . . you need to use Qualex 260s or equivalent. Those are the thicker elongated balloons. The thinner ones (160s? help me out balloon twisters . . .), usually used for balloon animals, do not always pop. I've had the same thing happen, but now I use the larger size balloons and it never fails. In my Wolf Funhouse, I try to time the party popper and the balloon pop together, and WOW, what a dramatic finish . . . The kids gasp.
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