Hi everyone,

I am looking to buy a cheap collapsible table (and not a waiters tray stand). Anyone know where to get one? Cheers

Chris

Part 2 of the art of has my table on it.....cstreet, this is a good dvd.....trust me.

koz

I have watched the art of vol.1 and this is where I have the idea from. I just don't know where to buy one from. And I certainly don't want to spend another $30 trying to find out where to buy one.

Chris

Greetings and Salutations cstreet,

In the printing business there is an axiom which I'm sure applies to any number of situations given a bit of tweaking:

"You can have it done cheap, you can have it done fast, or you can have it done well. Pick any two."

The only collapsible tables I've seen are relatively expensive ($250-plus). If they weren't expensive everyone would have one. You can have cheap or you can have done well, most of the stuff I've run across in this realm is one or the other, not both.

Me, I use a waiter tray stand and a top finished in the usual fashion as described by an number of sources. Total cost about $50. It don't get much cheaper than that.

Just my $.02 (USD) worth. YMMV.

Joe in KC

Live a great adventure, make magic happen, have an interesting life!

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
... 'Wow! What a ride!'"

What is your opposition to a waiter's tray stand? Is it too tall or bothersome to carry around? What is a commercial example of what you are looking for?
Jim

I use a keyboard stand....it's adjustable and just attach a table top to it with bungies. I also have a table servant attached to the table that I load from.
koz

Jim, I don't have anything against the waiters tray stand, I was just establishing what I meant when I said that I was after a collapsible table - I was trying to describe a table that folds up which isn't a waiters tray stand.

Also, Joe, I love the quote.

Have a great ride,

Chris

What you're looking for is a Harbin style table. Cheap? Not on the coldest day in Hell, my friend. Also, darn difficult to find good ones. There are a few out on the market. Collector's Workshop has a plexiglass one, Hocus Pocus carries one as well. They're too small to do cups and balls on and very shaky. If you're looking at them for that purpose you are better off with a tray jack stand.

Mark

I really like the instand computer table with the larger (12x18) table top.

http://www.instand.com

It's light, very compact, and pretty strong, (it's made to hold a laptop) however it's not cheap. I wouldn't use it for cups and balls, (too small) but I use it for everything else. When it's collapsed, it will fit in my bag in case I need it.

Joe

There's a magician out here who uses a microphone stand base that is screwed into some type of small table. He must have rigged the table top himself. Too small for cups and balls, but he does do a chop cup routine on it, as well as cards of course. He works close up not circle shows.
He carries his whole act around in a duffle bag, including the table, which screws apart.

Jim

Cheers Mark, that helps a lot.

James, I have something similar to what you are talking about, but it is a Eureka Table Base. Could this be what you were talking about with the microphone-stand base?

Chris

Chris,
No, the microphone stand doesn't have three jutting legs, but, rather is just a disk-like base that is rather heavy. The weight of this circular base is what gives the table stability.

Jim

Chris,

Hank Lee has an 'Appearing Table' for about $150.00
It say's
The Appearing Table folds down to 15 inches long, so you can easily carry it in your close up case.

You can check it out at
http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/pr......p;page=1

Maybe this is what you are looking for.

hope this helps
kOnO

I have a "Russian Table" based on a design by Harbin that folds up smaller and thinner than a magazine. It unfolds as if by magic and is great for card tricks and things of that nature. You could not do cups and balls on it though.

Best,

Dan-

And I thought I was the only one!

I made mine the same way!

I made my table top from a bread tray which I covered in a cushion material and then covered it in green baise.

Plus I get more sadisfaction out of using somthing I made myself!

CStreet, This table is the one Cellini uses in volume one. It is not cheap though. I think I paid around $300 for mine.

You can find cheap, wooden, Harbin style, made in India, tables on eBay for around 50 bucks.

They are the same idea as the metal table but a bit thicker because of the wood. You will probably want to paint it as well (They have those garish colors that a lot of magic tables have). You will want to replace the screws as they are not very well made.

But with a little work it could be just what you need.

The Harbin style is the table you are talking about. If you ask around the magic shops for that style you also might find a deal.

Best,

Dan-

My friend and I found a compact foldable table for magic. We bought a backgammon board for about 5 bucks and we're going to go down to home depot and get 5 in legs with hinges that can attach to the bottom of the board its about 1 and a half feet by 1 foot when outstretched but folds in half its pretty good we could put cards inside the board and the legs in a backpack and wen we set up put a cloth over the wholething.....any pros or con with this plan. If so tell me I need them. All around the table wil cost about 15-20 bucks so post back with ideas.
thanks
- shiggity fliggity the magic man

Get a cymbal stand from a music store.

Attach the flange to a piece of plywood.

Zack, I am looking for something similar to Danny Hustle's description of a collapsible table, but cheers for the idea anyway.

Chris

Chris,

If you are handy there is a book on building tables called the table book I believe over at Abbott's magic.

If memory serves (I am setting the way back machine to around 1982) the Harbin design is in there.

Best,

Dan-