Magic Production Apparatus
Both in stage and close up magic, the magic effect of production of an object is always one of the most astonishing tricks to perform. We have seen champagne being produced in balloon, shoes inside a deck of cards and objects from the most impossible locations. A common approach to produce an object is by bringing it into the appearance position with high speed. It could be achieved with the use of thread, elastic chord or other materials.
Magicians have brilliant ideas to apply this principle in their magic. They often find inspirations in daily life. For example, a magician once saw a mousetrap. He was fascinated by the cleverness of the spring lever. A magic trick is then born with a similar device. The spring trap is replaced with a lever attached to the object to be produced. The lever is pulled back and fixed with a trigger. The object is hidden in a secret place. When the trigger is pulled, the lever shoots forward and brings the object into position with high speed.
We see similar device being used in a classic stage effect called the Card in Balloon. The spring lever is set up behind a wooden stand. A card is glued to the lever. The lever is pulled back before the performance. The card is now hidden behind the stand. A balloon is put on the stand. Then at the right moment, the magician triggers the device, the lever swings up quickly and breaks the balloon. The card appears on the stand which looks like it was from the inside of the balloon.
This method is accomplished in yet another way. Here the power is applied through gravity, centrifugal force or other similar power. Usually some means of guiding the object is necessary. The coin wand generally credited to the late T. Nelson Downs illustrates this admirably. The wand is not strictly a wand. It is a piece of heavy wire or light rod. A slot is cut in the outside end and the two sides of the cut are bent outwards in a slight “V.” This, with the main body of the so-called wand, forms a ‘ ‘Y.” The result is that the extreme inch or so at the outside end is somewhat larger than the diameter of the wire.
A number of coins are prepared by soldering small rings to their centers, the planes of the rings being at right angles to the planes of the coins. These rings are just large enough to slide loosely up and down the length of the wand. But they are not large enough to slide past the expanded split. Five or six of the prepared coins are threaded onto the wire wand at the narrow end. These are covered with the hand in grasping the wand. When the hand sweeps the wand in the air the coins are released one at a time.
Again, the same principle could be used in many different effects. With a little twist and adjustments, it could be applied to produce many different magic props. The source of force, the length of the lever, the path of flying and the concealment of action could all be adjusted to match the style of performance.
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