Hi All.

I was thinking about making my own wand, but I'm having problems finding the ferrules. As the wand will have no metal tips, I actually just need a couple of decorative tube-like pieces about 1-2cm long, which will separate the wood "tips" from the rest of the shaft. I thought about using 2 celtic rings, but it's really impossible to find one 3/8s inch in diameter. Any ideas?

Also, what stain/finish should I use if I'm using ebony wood?


thanks in advance,

-- Frank

You are in luck I just found this site recently. I made my wand from a vanishing wand set. Now you can make it yourself.

I purchased a dowel and cut to length usually 1/2" stock. This is your choice, some think of close-up 12" is the correct length, others think for stage 15" and 18" is the right size. Then placed on a bench show to recess the ends for the cap about a 1/32", to remove from each end on the diameter of the length of the cap. So the cap and body are the same diameter. Then sanded and put undercoat on. the best undercoat is called 'Bin'. Sand between coat. I gave it three coats of epoxy paint for tough finish.

Here is the tip source:
http://www.encoremagic.com/WandTips.html

Have fun, I am very proud of my wand because I made it.

If you think $15 is to much money for you. Then go to the hobby store or a good hardware store and by brass tubing and a brass sheet. Cut the tube to length, file rough edges with a jewelers file. place tubes on the sheet and sweat solder the brass together. Then witha jewelers saw cut around the tube. Now file the cut edges. Now get jewelers rough stone from Sears and a buffing wheel for a drill. Apply the rough to the buffing cloth and polish the brass till it shines. Now you have 2 choices. Go to a auto bumper repair busiess and have them chrome the ends or spray paint with clear Krylon plastic coat for a brass finish.

Boy, this has been filed under The Workshop Topic.

You can purchase wand tips from Encore Magic. They are $30 per pair.

Bill's suggestion about brass tubing is a really good one. If you want a wand 3/8" in diameter, you can get the right tubing for it quite cheaply at any model shop. If you will cut it with a tubing cutter and then use files and/or emery cloth to clean it up, you will get a neat job. In fact, you can take the brass tubing to a hardware store and get a drill bit that will fit inside it. Cut the tubing with a tubing cutter, then insert the drill bit, and turn it by hand to remove the burr from the inside. To put the 3/8" ring around the 3/8" dowel, you will need to cut a recess in the dowel -- a table saw can do this for you, but be VERY CAREFUL. Fingers don't grow back easily. Make the recess wider than the ring by the width of the saw blade, then saw the tip off the wand at the point where you made the recess. Insert the pieces into the ring from either end, and epoxy in place.

Here is a trick for this. Finish the wand first. That is, stain it and lacquer or varnish it BEFORE you put the tips on it. Then, when you do the epoxy work, you won't have to worry about the epoxy messing up the grain of the wood. You should protect the surface of the wood with some masking tape anyway.

Have fun!

Wow! I'm out classed! I just use a stick.

Bob
Magic By Sander

One thing you could always do if you don't want to use wood, you could use a plastic rod cut to the size you wan't, then wrap some mylar ribbon at the ends and tape it then wa la, a Magic Wand! You could gat an acrylic rod from just about any good plastic supply house, that's how I make mine, I just think it looks better than a wooden wand plus if you drop a wooden wand it could split, plastic wands don't. But that's just my opinon.

I wanted to know if anyone can make an acrylic wand with weighted tips...because the plastic wands are so light....but they look very nice.

Weighted tip acrylic wand: It may be possible to drill sufficient recesses in the ends. Then, dealing with each end at separate times, drop in something with weight, like a short piece of brass rod, and then fill the end with acrylic resin. Epoxy may even do this ok.

~michael

Let me tell you, that the clear perspex wand I use -amongst other things for the ring on wand- is easy to do the trummers wand spin, as well as the DV-wandspin with, no matter it isn't heavy.
Actually it is one of the 'better' wands to *spin*.
If you want the dimensions and the weight of the one I use, let me know and I post it here.
I do prefer it compared with more heavy ones..
I have quite a large collection of diff. wands that all behave differently re wandspins, but as mentioned, the clear Perspex one is one of the very best to control.
As mentioned, each wand behaves differently and one has always to get accustomed to the wand one wants to use beforehand, re the start-up-'energy' to use to get it to do any of the known spins.

Years ago, I saw brass tips that were meant to be used on the ends of dowel rods, at a woodworking supply store. The shop specialized in hardwoods.