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cfrye Special user Portland, Oregon, USA 940 Posts |
Depending on your prefered level of tackiness (velvet Elvis paintings? Britney Spears' wardrobe? my dad's couch?), you might like the McMaster balls. They're not slick, but they don't adhere as much as the Fakini balls.
I look forward to hearing what you choose and how they work out. Curt |
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Christopher Moro Special user 793 Posts |
Thanks, Curt.
Posted: May 9, 2006 6:34am I'm going to be placing an order for the 1 1/8" silicone balls "translucent white." The other materials available are neoprene rubber or a natural gum rubber - both in white. Anyone have any suggestions on which of the two to try? To me, neither sound so good and aside from the color, maybe they are not worth trying out???? When I hear neoprene, I think of those Body Glove cell phone cases, and when I think of gum rubber, I think of those generic pink rubber balls in toy stores. Like the ones on those paddle ball toys. Neither sound apppealing, but I'm no expert in rubber...any opinions before I order? Posted: May 13, 2006 6:17am I just received my order from McMaster for the 1 1/8" silicone balls. Curt's evaluation of his 7/8" and 1" sets are pretty much spot on with mine. They are slightly translucent, which creates the off-white color. Because of this however, they do not show up as strong as a solid white ball would. They are also less attractive. One ball is considerably more "off" white than the other 4. I found them very much on the tacky side, more so than Fakini's, but I've had my Fakini manip balls for so long that they've effectively lost most of their tackiness. So I may have just forgotten what they were like to begin with. There is some extra material along the seam as Curt mentioned. From stage this doesn't matter. Close-up, it's a bit unsightly. I'd suggest trimming. One thing I did notice is that these balls are very small. They are no bigger than my 1" Mike Rogers baseballs. This came as quite a surprise, as I was looking for something smaller than the lamp chain pull baseballs (1 3/8") butl larger than a 1" ball. I think my next step is to order the 1 1/4" from Frank and I'll have covered all bases. I think magicians will find these balls a viable alternative to crocheted balls or mini-baseballs. |
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cfrye Special user Portland, Oregon, USA 940 Posts |
Anyone with a modicum of crochet skill can knit a cover for a ball that size. The yarn my wife used added about 1/8" to the balls' diameter.
If you go to a local yarn store, you'll probably find folks who would gladly knit little sweaters for your balls. Curt |
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Christopher Moro Special user 793 Posts |
Just to clarify my post above:
These 1 1/8" balls are an alternative if one is looking for 1" balls to use in close up. If you're looking for a ball that is actually 1 1/8", you'll need to look elsewhere...as I will. |
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Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
I just bought a bag of 1" silicone balls thinking they'd be easier to replace if I lost one on the street. On practicing with them I discovered a big problem.
CUP CREEP!!! I'm used to being able to shove the loaded cup around with my wand to reposition them. I can't do that anymore. The balls cling to the side of the cup and it's as if the cup has a mind of it's own, going sideways when I push forward. Also when loading, I have to be extra careful to "center" the cup over the ball or it will rock sideways as the ball grabs the side. Along with that, I still have the problem of having to align the cups perfectly on the table the first time which really restricts my freedom of movement. So, for now I'm back to my old standby red/white Monkey Fist balls. I just hope I don't lose or drop one, because the two color ones are a &*^%^ to make!
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Mobius303 Inner circle Lakewood, Ohio 1309 Posts |
I think that was one of the original reasons for making the leather and cloth covered balls. Cup creep.
When I first read Garcia's book I tried silicone balls and then regular cork...I chose to use the cloth covered ones as they were the easiest to work with the cups. Mobius |
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cfrye Special user Portland, Oregon, USA 940 Posts |
Yep, that's why I recommend getting the 7/8" silicone balls and having someone crochet covers for them.
Curt |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Dave, How is the weight of the silicon ball compared to a monkey fist or standard crocheted ball?
I still use felt covered balls for the cups and balls and I'm wondering whether felt covered silicon balls (the ones you bought) would have a good weight. It would certainly get rid of cup creep in a very easy way. Felt also adds about 1/8" at a minimum to a ball. Frank
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
Frank,
I haven't actually weighed them, but they seem to have about the same weight as my 1" Monkey Fist balls. They might work quite nicely under some felt. Not as heavy as the glass marbles I use, but heavier than felt alone. At a $1 a ball in quantity, it might not be the cheapest choice though. I can get 30 or 40 balls out of a $2 bag of marbles.
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cfrye Special user Portland, Oregon, USA 940 Posts |
Have you been able to find a reliable source for 7/8" or 3/4" marbles, Dave?
Curt |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Right now I'm using felt covered mouse balls which are quite heavy.
Emphasis on the quite.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
The best source so far is Michael's craft store in the florist section. They're clear marbles used in flower arranging. I can buy bags for about $2 in about 3-4 different sizes. Each bag is the same size marble, unlike most toy store varieties where they mix in "shooters" and other varieties.
I keep 3 sizes on hand, in different colors so I can tell them apart easily. That was something I learned after making a set and finding out the finished size of one was about 1/4" smaller than the others.
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cfrye Special user Portland, Oregon, USA 940 Posts |
Excellent. I'd tried the Michael's near me, but didn't find any round marbles. They did have the "gems", so it might have been a stocking issue.
Curt |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Try JoAnne's fabrics.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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