Hi,

I saw this trick a few years ago on the street.

The magician had a wooden stick with some equidistant metal beads on it. It had a propeller like fan on front.

He would take a metal object like key and then he will rub it on beads. The propeller like fan would start moving fast. He said that its a classic example of conversion of energy.

He would then give the props to us to try. But no matter how hard we rub the key on beads, the fan will not move. He then said that his own mental energy is also needed to move then fan. So once back in his hand, the fan would work fine when the metal key is rubbed on the beads.

I have attached a rough sketch of the trick.

Can you please tell me the name of this trick?

Thanks.

Click here to view attached image.

Did it look anything like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gee-haw_whammy_diddle

My dad is a woodworker and used to make these for us when I was a kid.

Cliff

Yep, they're very common whittled from wood - never saw a metal one, though.

Depending on how you hold it, you can make the blade spin one direction, and then change your grip and it will reverse and go the other direction.

G'day Shakuni
Cliff's comments above and his link will identify what you are looking for.
This has been interesting for me as I am in the process of making one. I came across one of these years ago- it was sold at a gift shop attached to a theme park related to old colonial times. I have lost the one I purchased but I still have the packaging it came in so I have a rough idea of the size to make it.
The way that it is presented here in Australia is that it was supposedly invented by the early and innovative white Australian settlers from England - but it appears to be a bit more common around the world then indicated by the marketing people here.
The above link to Wikipedia is spot on and gives all the needed information about how to work this thing. One bit of info that I did not realise is that the propeller is positioned of center.
I remember when I did have my one that the method of making the propeller spin and also reverse direction is very deceptive.
Bob Latta (aka Troppo Bob)

We used to call this a "Whistle Stick". When you whistled, it would change directions. I also remember pinching my finger a few times trying to get it to reverse. I’d put it in the same genre as the notched rod, where you try to “hook” the rubber band. Very simple to do, but the “real” method quite well hidden.