The jig is designed to make loops of about 5" long when fully 'flattened' but you could easily make larger loops if required - you just leave more of the IET slack and you can pin all that in place with wax which you need to use with the jig anyway. The main point of the jig is to make the tying off process much easier than doing it freehand. I havn't tried making larger ones yet as the 'normal' size suits things like PK effects, Eric James' MELT and so on.

Andy

I was wondering why the picture is gone from the initial post on this thread? Is it an edit or accident?

Hamilton

Temporary domain name snaggles. Should be back within a couple of days.

--- Guy

Can anyone send me the picture, it has been quite a while since it has worked.

Thanks in advance!

Pics should be available now. If you can't see 'em, PM me and I'll send 'em.

As a side note, it's interesting how some domain name registrars don't have any customer support. I've tried for 3 months leading up to expiration to simply pay them to renew the domain; it took almost a month after it expired for them to finally make it happen.

I definitely do not recommend actnowdomains (aka Wild West Domains)

--- Guy

Thanks, for fixing the link and getting the Pics up again.

So, which ones are the closest to Yigal Mesika's?

Wow, great advice! This works much better than my regular knots.
Thanks again,
Magic Tad

Guy-Could you email me the instructions to how to make a loop and maybe write it? My computer won't let me see the picture!
Thank you.

email-magicfamily@optonline.net

I just put up a simpler version. It should be visible on the first page now.

--- Guy

Guy could you explain how to hook it on the object you're floating?

That's really beyond the scope of this thread, and not really a topic for an open forum.

Loops can be useful as replacements for the Kundalini Rising card rise by Jeff McBride, or for tying replacement loops from Yigal Mesika's appropriately titled "Loops." He also has a booklet titled "Animated Miracles" which explores the use of loops.

--- Guy

I'm not sure which types of elastic you use Guy, but the Loops I use are not strong enough for Kundalini.

If the elastic you are using is as invisible as the original Mesika/Finn Jon loops and that much stronger I'd love to hear more about them.

I'v been fortunate to learn about Loops directly from Finn Jon himself. He taught me everything from stripping thread, tying knots, routines etc.

I feel there are both pros and cons about Finn selling the original Loops idea including routines to Mesika. A good thing is that Mesika has been very productive in promotion. He's made loops more common to the general magic community and this work has assured that more magicians play around with it, which eventually results in more new and creative uses and routines.

The biggest con is that Finn has developed about 30 more uses and routines using loops. These are routines that you will not find in the Animated Miracles book, nor anywhere else. Most of these routines are extremely hard to find, some are hidden in old 80s lecture notes, some on Finn Jon's old videos and some of the best he keeps to himself..

Effects using Loops are strong, but I don't believe they are strong enough to "carry" an act. As mentioned they are great as a backup if your IT suddenly breaks, or as an impromptu prop for those "show me a trick" moments.

-e-

I just started experimenting with Loops. I was wondering, is the elastic thread used by Yigal Mesika stronger than the elastic you get off of a spool?

F.

Guy thanks for the info. Hard to believe that I use that knot for fishing and never thought of using it for loop making. Talk about having a Homer Simpson moment.

Thanks again.
George

3 years on, and this thread is still valuable! Thanks Guy! I saw this one a long time ago, and only NOW am I ready to start trying (and tying!) loops. Took me a bit of searching through the forums to find this one again, but it's exactly what I was after. Thanks again!

Mesica Loops are really stronger. Must be special material. I had purchased iet spools from a reputed dealer . This is not so strong as Mesica's.
Special Thanks to Guy.

Guy-

There is one area of tying loops I would appreciate additional insight: using a jig to make the process easier. The thread I tried came on a "200 yard" spool. It is very thin and extremely difficult to remove from the spool. Then there is the matter of securing the loop so that the knots are easy to tye.

The closet "jig" I came up with is the cardboard used to store the commercially made loops. By weighing down the cardboard and applying tape to the ends of the thread, I am able to get two overhad knots in the correct place. However, I destroy two out of three in the process. What "jig" do you use?

Nick Maggio

I use the "200 feet Invisible Elastic Thread" on a spool from the magic shop myself, and honestly I've never had problems with it. I start by putting a little ball of beeswax on the loose end of the elastic and tacking it to a white sheet of 8 1/2" X 11" paper. I then color it with a black Sharpie marker. Then, I use the clip of the Sharpie lid to hold the elastic in place where I want the middle to be, about 4" along the unstretched elastic. I then place another ball of beeswax about 8" along the unstretched elastic and snip the elastic just past the wax. The two balls of wax are easy reference points for the ends of the elastic and the weight of the sharpie keeps your middle in place so your loop doesn't ball up. For tying the knots I DO use the instructions provided at the start of this thread, so a big thanks Guy Savoie for providing this info for all us DIYers.

Thank you for the info and picture.