There's been discussion on the various kinds of wands we use, one of the most popular being the Breakaway Wand. I'd be interested to know what other breakaway items you use in your shows.

Besides the Breakaway Wand, I also use a homemade Breakaway Paintbrush, used during my coloring book routine.

I've read about others using the Breakaway Fan, and Breakaway Wooden Spoon (is that homemade also?.

What other such items are in use?

Brian

I also use a breakaway crayon (jumbo size, about 10-12" long), in my visible colour painting routine.

- Donald

There is the Til-Tin Table that crashes every thing on it.

Haven't heard of this one. Is it a collapsible table?

Brian

Hi:

There's the Clatter Box, breakaway revolver, and Tray of Doom.

Ron

I use the break away WAND and the break away FAN. They both get predictably good laughter. I have added two new items which have really generated even more laughter than the break aways. One is MULTIPLYING WANDS (from Hokus Pokus), and the other is a wand where the white tips keep popping off with a 'phhumph' sound. I got it from David Ginn, and the kids REALLY LAUGH at those two items. They were a good investment for me.

How did you make the breakaway paint brush?

Hi Brian,

I'm not sure if this is what Dennis meant by the Til-Tin Table, but it sounds like something I made up about 20 years ago (NOT that I'm claiming to have invented it).

I took a Eureka base and attached a hinge on the top. I then attached a table top, off centre on the hinge. To the short side of the table, I attached a thin chain. The result was a table top that would tip over 90 degrees without falling off the base.

To set it up, I got a lot of old camping plates and cups that were made out of metal and enamel and placed them on top of the table in such a way that if you picked up one of the cups, the top tilted and everything hit the floor with a crash. The gag was to have a volunteer hand you a cup, the table of course tipped as soon as they picked it up.

Some would say that this is a poor way to treat a volunteer. My character was one of fun and mischief, who's act was always on the verge of chaos, and set up right it was as funny for the volunteer as it was for the rest of the audience and that's the key. That's why the volunteer didn't feel like they had done something wrong or was embarassed. The volunteer saw the joke as being on me, which it was!

Hope that helps.

Rob

Rob,

Thanks for the explanation. I can imagine the look on the volunteer's face when the table collapses. :-0

SwissKid,

For the Breakaway Paintbrush, all I did was take a large paintbrush and remove the little divets or screws that held the brush to the wooden handle. After removing the brush, I carved off some of the wood to make it easy for the brush to be attached and removed from the handle.

The handling is similar to the breakaway wand. You hand it to the volunteer by holding unto the "brush" as you extend the handle to them. After telling the child to hold onto the paintbrush tightly so they don't drop it, you walk away while still holding the brush in your hand. Usually the kids will notice this fairly quickly, and bring it to your attention.

I usually follow this up by going to get another paintbrush for the helper, but the can that holds all the paintbrushes is bottomless. So when I pick up the can, the paintbrushes all fall through. Being the dumb magician that I am, I don't notice it until I offer the can to the helper.

Hope this helps.

Brian

Comedy table required or plans , legs fall off.

Got sick of the wimpy metal breakaway fan - made my own with hardware-store molding strips, heavy staples, bright fabric and a bolt. Worked like a dream for years! Just copied the assembly method from a cheapo one in an hour or so.