I thought it might be interesting to discuss a modification to the marvelous Dean's Triangle that I have been thinking about for quite some time. The objection to the presentation of a Dean's Triangle has always been that this is a magnificent close-up presentation but that it doesn't travel or scale well, is nearly impossible to do table hopping and generally too small to do on stage or in a parlor setting.

I had thought of modifying my Dean's Triangle by using a small, more portable Plexiglass or acrylic table. Well, it appears that I am not the only one to want to make my excellent Dean's Triangle coin gaffs more usable. I recently saw this being sold on the big site by Bertolla (I assume it's Ron Bertolla of Switzerland) that showed some good thinking:

From the description:


He also uses Schoolcraft Morgan dollar gaffs for this set-up rather than the smaller 1964 half dollars so that it will be more visible for stage work.

This type of set up has also been used in China a few years back on the new years eve celebration show by Lu Chen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wB0H4EoQGo

Except it isn't really portable... The good thing about his set up is that instead of the red 'triangle' he uses a magicians mat, which looks a ton more natural.

The Dean's Triangle is supposed to be portable, and it does pack small, but the problem I have with Porper's design is the time it takes to screw the posts to the table. At lest Bertolla's design only has one surface to fix the posts to.

It seems like a design with folding legs might work better for walk-around.

I honestly think strolling around with a portable table is a bit fishy for audiences.. I guess the problem is that it requires a table that has some 'flex' to it for parts of the routine..

I think you are generally right that using a table for strolling is not usually advisable and that and most restaurant workers would agree with you with the possible exception of the add on tables that Scott Guinn use to make (see here: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......&start=0 ), but the "coins through glass table" routines just lend themselves to such great storytelling - and it feels so much like real magic. It just seems like it could be possible to develop the necessary apparatus - perhaps for parlor.

As for the flex requirements, I think plexyglass would meet those requirements - in fact, I think the table that Bertolla made above is probably plexiglass.

I agree that coin through a glass table is indeed a great effect. Viewing the performance of the dean's triangle again, isn't it possible for you to perform the entire routine apart from 'slapping' the coin through the glass with a normal glass table? (I don't own the dean's triangle, but I have a general idea of how it works).