Hi Everyone,

I have recently purchased the Spider Pen and am having a bit of a nightmare with it and could do with some guidance please.

This is my first ITR, so I would imagine most of this is just caused by my inexperience.

Firstly it keeps tangling a lot and I have to unwind it and reset it otherwise the retraction is really slow. I have had the pen about 3 days and have had to do this 2/3 times already, is this normal?

Secondly, I also bought ETMTM Vols 1 + 2 and in volume 2 it demonstrates the Stealth Retractor, which seems to easily be able to lift up a playing card, however, my SP is not able to. Does this just mean the battery is low or is the pen not powerful enough?

Thirdly, just some advice on the MW placement please. On the above DVD's the MW is placed on the nail, but is this not easily seen by the spectators. I like the idea of placing it under a ring, which I got from Marc Spelman's DVDs, but just wondered if anyone else could give me any other suggestions.

Thank you very much for any help you can give me.

Harvey

Have you replaced the battery lately? That's the first thing I would suspect when it starts slowing down.

I wouldn't try to lift anything with the Spider Pen. I don't think it was really designed for it, as the torque is way too low.

Where you perform might determine where to hook the MW. If I was at a party or a bar, I'd probably be holding a glass or beer bottle. "Here, hold this for a minute. I'd like to show you something..."

The spectator himself becomes part of the hookup and doesn't even realize it!

Hi Dave,

Thank you for your help. No I haven't changed the battery yet, do you have any experience of how long they last? Sorry, I know that's probably like asking how long is a piece of string.

I'll get a couple of spare batteries to be on the safe side ... Have you had any trouble getting the battery out? I have to use a magnet.

Thanks Again

Harvey

Harvey --

You can attach the anchor to a multitude of places. A glass or bottle is great, depending on where you are when performing. You could use a card case or the end of a table or counter, a shelf, a desk, a book...anything that is stationary and is at an appropriate height. Ammar's thread video has loads of ideas.

I too could not pick up a bill. I thought it would have enough torque to at least do that. Nice device, though.

What is ETMTM? I need something to show me how to use this.

ETMTM is Easy To Master Thread Miracles from Ammar, I suggest you to get Vol. 2 if you want routines related to the Spider Pen.
James George has a couple of stunning routines that works really well with the SP.

-e-

What you need to do is replace the battery, and unscrew the lower part of the cap slightly when not using the pen. The battery is used up rather quickly and unscrewing the cap as mentioned makes sure that the pen cannot be accidentally switched on...mine supports and raises dollar bills as well as napkin roses, so yours should do the same if it is in proper working condition. Best of luck.

Dan

I was at the Kidabra convention this past year and met with the manufacturer of the ITR pen. The motor is not strong enough to pick up a bill or a playing card. The units that I looked at though were very nice.

Handydandymagic,

Welcome aboard The Magic Café! KIDAbra is certainly one of the very best magic conventions in the country.

Reels that run on DC motors are hard keep at the same speed and power when the batteries are simply too weak for the need. A small fuel tank does control your range of possibilities. As the charge drops, so does the voltage going to the motor. That means a different speed. Often it means no visible movement! Hearing aid batteries weren't dsigned to run an eletric motor. I would vote for a reel with more cells but the same voltage. It is only fair to say that I have no idea where you can buy one off the shelf either.

Solutions are welcome.

Enjoy your magic and The Magic Café!

Bob
Magic By Sander

Danny Boy, thanks for the tip on unscrewing the cap. I hadn't thought of that. I've had one mishap where the battery got drained by accident.

Also, I don't think the Spider Pen is really the same sort of thing as the Stealth Retractor. Others have commented on the torque of the motor, so I won't go into more detail than that. I treat it much like the James George's ITR.

JesterJ

You can find many solution, FAQ about spider pen here:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=109
Ken

Thanks for link and info