So, after much procrastination and frustration, I now find myself the owner of a wood Mak Magic Run Rabbit Run, which I’m about to start using for a series of school shows that I volunteered to do. (The first acquisition, an old Bakery Bear, showed up in such terrible condition that it was not functional, so I returned that and bought this). This one is new, though old stock, and has some issues which I’m trying to address. ANY HELP OR ADVICE THAT ANYONE CAN OFFER WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED!

-there is lots of friction and noise on many of these wood parts, which are finished smooth on the front but rough paint on the back. I’ve tried WD-40 and rubbing some bar soap on pieces of it, with mixed results. Is there another way to do this? Should I seal it with a polymer on the reverse?

-the slide mechanism, to my surprise, is simply a knob, with no bar, hinges, etc., to make it easier or more deceptive. And the distance you have to cover is quite long. Anyone come up with any fixes for this — something I should add in terms of hardware for instance, or any techniques for covering it better?

- if I leave the knob/nut loose, the moving bunny tends to lean forward and back, such that it may get caught. If I tighten it too much, it does not move to the end of the track. Any ideas on how to adjust or modify this piece?

Thanks in advance. Feel free to pm if you don’t want to discuss here.

Thanks.

Gary

In The Wizards' Journal #13, "Run, Whatever, Run" has plans for building these, both my own and a couple from Jack Hughes with several different solutions for the slide works. Graphite is another solution to smoothing the working parts, although it may discolor them if the parts aren't painted black.

Would "white graphite" make any difference, Jim???

I've never owned, or even demonstrated this prop "behind the counter". I know only the 'basic" method.

Jim-

Thanks for your kind and quick response. Snowed in today, so I spent the day tearing this down and putting it back together. Graphite was a big part of the solution (Something I knew from the Pinewood Derby). Because I hit a few things, I’m going to set down my notes to help others that may run into this problem in the future.

TROUBLESHOOTING AND TUNING UP YOUR WOODEN “RUN RABBIT RUN”

As indicated above, I bought this as new-old stock, and it was in unused condition. My version is the Mak Magic piece, though I think these tips may help some of you with other wooden versions (proceed at your own risk). Wish I had taken pictures of the process...but wasn’t sure anything would help.

The Problem: right out of the box, the moving pieces - the running bunny and the “peek-a-boo” bunny were sticky and noisy. It was so difficult to make them move that the actions used to effect the motions were difficult to conceal.

The Result: after taking the steps below, the running bunny is so fast and smooth that I can get him to complete his journey by simply tilting the apparatus! The Peek-A-Boo now pops in and out with ease.

Fixing the Peeking Bunny: While the other steps below helped, the making problem here is that this bunny is hidden between two wood plates, the rear one (only attached on two sides) had warped over time making the opening way too tight. Inserting and gluing a tiny wood shim put it back into alignment, so that it works fine now.

Fixing the action on the Running Bunny: The Mak version is painted black on all of the non-audience facing surfaces. Unlike the finished faces of the pieces, the black surfaces had a blackboard-like texture which was course to the touch. Several attempts to lubricate the moving pieces failed — including WD-40 (which does NOT work on unsealed painted wood), bar soap and car wax did not help enough to make a difference. I wound up opening up the apparatus (on my model this involved a dozen small screws). I then painted all of the contacting surfaces with polyurethane. After it dried, I added the graphite and the bunny really flies. As I said above, if it tilt it, I can get it to run without even touching the hardware. It’s now fast and smooth.

I will work with this on my upcoming shows. Still considering playing more with the hardware (there has got to be a better design than the stuff on this piece), and maybe even adding magic gliders, bearings or wheels to the running bunny. I bet I could turn this piece into something as fast as Turbo Bunny!

Thanks again for all your help.

Gary

Congrats on finally getting your hands on a Mak Magic Run Rabbit Run for your school shows! It sounds like you've encountered a few hurdles with this new (but old stock) prop, but fear not, there are ways to address them.

Sanding: Instead of WD-40 (which can attract dust and gunk), try sanding the rough paint on the back of the wooden parts. Use a very fine ball bearings grit sandpaper (around 220 or higher) to smooth it out without damaging the wood.
Paste Wax: After sanding, apply a coat of paste wax to the roughened areas. This will create a smooth, lubricated surface that reduces friction and noise. Be sure to buff the wax to a shine for best results.
Silicone Spray: As an alternative to paste wax, a light coat of silicone spray can also lubricate the wood surfaces. However, use this sparingly and avoid getting it on the painted front.