Hey folks,

While talking over magic with a friend of mine last weekend, he related an old prop he had that was scratchbuilt by his uncle--a glass cube, held together with electrical tape, that could be shown empty, and then blammo! A silk would visibly appear in the box. This was accomplished by an interior sheet of silvered glass that would drop down off of the back wall to the bottom of the cube, revealing the large scarf crammed in the space. It happens so fast, it's like, well, magic.

Does this trick sound familiar to anyone? And, more importantly, is this one of those old chestnuts for which blueprints are readily available? I've got an idea on modernizing the box, but I have no idea how to fashion the lid, the frame (and the trigger release) for the drop down panel. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mark Finn

Crystal Cube?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw3FJCdd-Yo

-Mary Mowder

They are available in different sizes now. Ickle Pickle makes these in 4" and 6" sizes. The 6" is spring-loaded.

Sounds like this was made from the workshop plans in the old Science and Mechanics magazine from the 1961, titled "Magic Hsndbook". In it they tell how to make this trick with glass and tape. The magazine tells how to make a number of tricks and illusions. Inquire if your friend has the magazine, that is a better find then a home made prop, in my opinion.

Ickle Pickle Magic makes this today as the above members mentioned out of plastic, with a spring loaded flap.

Spring flowers or sponge balls can appear in the cube as well.

This is in fact what he had. His memory of the trick (a tricky thing, that) is that he could show the back wall before the trick happened. Also, he could open the lid beforehand, too.

My friend's uncle passed away, so we can't check to see if it came out of an issue of science and mechanics magazine. But this is a good confirmation, nonetheless.

Aside from Science and Mechanics, 1861, have the blueprints turned up anywhere else?

No!

In my "Visible See-Through Nest of Boxes" found in The Wizards' Journal #20, I show a method for making a silk handkerchief appear in the innermost glass walled box of a nest of three boxes. In the trick performed as described, the handkerchief contains a borrowed watch or cell phone that was vanished moments earlier, but you could easily eliminate that part (plus the other two glass walled boxes)and just make a silk handkerchief appear in the box (but what fun is that?). I still have some of the glass walled boxes in stock in case they are hard to find elsewhere.

Cool beans, thanks folks for the info. My only drawback is that I don't have a Scrooge McDuck style swimming pool full of fifty dollar bills. There's probably a trick for that, somewhere, too...

Have you already gathered the six glass or plastic panels needed to make the cube, or is this just a fantasy exercise?

I'm actually looking at re-designing the cube's look completely. For the act I'm building, I want something more complicated, rather than simple. I've got a real good glass man in my town, so panels aren't a problem. I'm more concerned about the trigger mechanism and how much of a frame I will need to work with in order to make it a sturdy prop. That's why I want the blueprints first. If it's not workable for what I have in mind, there's no point in attempting to assemble it.

Mark, no frame is necessary. Ickle Pickle http://www.magiclegends.com/product2191.html uses holographic difraction film similar to this http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=251& on the corners of their crystal clear magic cubes and glues the panes together. Owen Magic Supreme http://owenmagic.com/Silk/Silk_Casket/silk_casket.html uses a wooden frame on their version.
The trigger mechanism is more of a release catch. It is of the simplest type imagineable. Any more info would constitute exposure. PM or wait until you have 50 posts and then you will have access to the Secret
Sessions part of the forums. Also consider posting on The Workshop under Special Interests. My IP crystal clear cube is over 30 years old and still works perfectly. This is one it may be cheaper to buy than to build.

In that regard, I would advise buying one to better study the mechanics. It's a relatively cheap investment. Once more familiar, a re-design should pose little problem. You'll be able to draw you own plans, by knowing what can and can't be accomplished with the basic method.

Excellent suggestions, all. Thanks everyone!

AGMagic's right. I've got the Ickle Pickle one and it's deceptively simple and always plays well. The fact that it doesn't have a wooden frame makes it even more puzzling for the audience. As for showing all sides...well...um...think about that and think about the paddle trick we used to do as kids.

-Philip