I recently purchased this item from Tannens. I have read the instructions and tried out the idea - no problems. I know how I want to make the silk disappear - but what I can't get my head round is how to get the set up out into my act without the set up being seen.

I am sure the answer is staring at me in the face but I can't see how to do it

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Cliff

Most use an assistant.

Thanks Kingry - it definitely would seem the only way to do it bar having a special holder made

Cliff

Cliff,

When you bought the trick it should have come with a holder. I bought mine over 20 years ago and it came with a funky holder made out of a small plastic flower pot that had been screwed to a wooden base. It held the balloon in the “ready” position on my table. Of course it could not be done surrounded. I simply put the small holder into a slightly larger box. The box hid the get-ready well and I didn’t worry about angles. In fact I could do the trick surrounded.

That's given me an idea on how to make one myself with a flower pot. Thanks very much for your valued input Harry! If it works - I'll let you know

Mehdi Talbi, in his Cabaret Act video, performs and teaches his method for Silk in Balloon.

He performs the trick in the middle of his routine (not as an opening number). He inflates the balloon and ties its mouth in full view of the audience, without flashing the silk load. What I like about his method is he uses a common object as gimmick to hold the load down. Once inflated, the balloon is placed inside his upturned hat on the table, thus concealing the load from all angles.

Ben Benjay
Manila, Philippines

Harry looks younger than me, so if he says we got our silk in balloon bases twenty years ago I can't disagree. It will make me younger too! But I think I have been using mine 35 of those years. It is an awful yellow colored flower pot with a modification. It works very well. I used it for years in mall shows. It could be done anytime in the show. I am a dove worker so I put it late in the show.

I do not have a source of clear 16" balloons anymore. Do you know one? Most suppliers only carry the 11" one.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Hey Bob, I doubt if I am younger than you. I am using the advantage of a poor black and white photo! If I could figure out how to make and upload a new photo I would.
And you are right! I have been using this for over 30 years! Dang how time fly’s when you’re having fun!

Anyway…Try T. Myers Balloons they have Clear 18 inch balloons (only inflate to 16 inch to get the necessary “slack”).

Check them out at:

http://www.tmyers.com/balloon/QCLround.html

Harry,

Thanks for the supplier site. It is exactly what I need.

Thanks too for the age-hiding tip on b&w photos. In the ones I have I am certainly younger. The horses and wagons show in the back. Won't people catch on?

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Bob, Glad they were what you need!

Man, you have to learn to crop the photos! Mine looks like a head shot, but if you look closely at the sky texture you will see that it was taken as I was watching the Wright Brothers trying out one of their glider flights at Kitty Hawk!

Harry heres a colour version of you.

Click here to view attached image.

Great! Now that makes me look good! You are a true Magician!!!!!

Think nothing of it Mr Murphy
A little ray of sun to make you shine.

Harry,

Remember when we used flash powder for photography?

That came after we moved from silk in wine skin to silk in balloon. It is so much more visual!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

PS --- Suggestion:

Don't just vanish the silk. Perform sucker Silk to Egg. Crack the real egg and then produce the silk in a balloon.

I used a clothes pin and left the pin in my pocket when I took the balloon out. I hid the slik in my hand by holding the balloon by the twist.

I used it as a lead in to Kneedle Thru Balloon. (I also used sckissors & a Kanife`)

Jay
P.S. Bob, thanks again for your help w/that Dbl Clr change to Quad silk. Do you sell Qud silks?

Jay,

The clothes pin is an excellent magician accessory. There are some plastic ones with rubber tips (especially for drying photographs) that won't hurt your silks, balloons or cards. You can also add a belt clip to them! (Enough exposure)

For the Quad Silk, check with Pavel. The supplies of these come and go. You can always have four 18" silks sewn together.

Thanks a million for helping me at Kutztown. It was great getting to spend the day with you.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Silk in balloon was cool, but problematic. If you are going to work that hard, you can just bypass the effect and do silk from balloon. Just palm the silk and pop the balloon and have the silk appear (like a balloon to dove, but in the hand).
I think it will be more visual than the crumpled up silk you wind up with in the balloon.
My coin in balloon was partially derived from the silk in balloon method combined with rubber dam method, so I am very familiar with the effect.
When I routine the method, I have the silk (or sometimes spring flowers) in one of my clips which allow me to steal the silk in a folded position so as to allow it to blossom as it hits the air.
I use a needle thru balloon first, then with the skewered balloon in one hand, I cop the silk and place the balloon directly over the palmed silk. Pull the needle out, and use it to pop the balloon. The silk (or sping flowers) will be all that is seen. Take care not to stab your hand.
Those 16" balloon originally had a bulge-out at the polarity end, they weren't round, they were more like "bee body" balloons. If you could get some large clear bee body balloons, it would be ideal. They also make large "bowling pin shaped" balloons used for clown bodies.
So, why suffer, use the #11 or find some #12-13's clear balloons. Usually at the party shops. They also sell them where they have those "gift in a balloon" machines.

I still use photographic flash powder from Nucco, I use it for my ninja bombs (impromptu flash production).
http://bigduck.tripod.com/ninjab.html

Ian,

The coin in balloon also delivers good sound effects that the silk simply can't!

I really like it!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander