After trying to create and attach all sorts of rigid shelf servantes underneath my performing table, I came up with a very inexpensive and hopefully elegant solution. For lack of a better term, I call it a "box servante."

It's nothing more than a pine box about 20" long, 6" high and 8" deep. It began life as a $8 wooden windowsill flowerbox. I simply turned it on its side, with the opening facing me, and glued some red felt to what was now the top surface. I also nailed a little bit of wood trim around the edges to keep the balls from rolling off.

Now I have a "miniature stage" to perform my cups and balls routine, and can keep my final loads (lacrosse balls) inside the box, ready to go whenever. No clips, screws, bolts, string, etc. needed, I can use any table and the servante is pretty angle-proof, too.

I certainly don't claim this is my invention, since it's illustrated in Hoffman's "Modern Magic" and was also used by Mike Rogers in the "Cups & Balls Teach-In" video. But it seems to be a fast, easy and cheap solution for a very practical C/B servante, and one that I initially overlooked. SETH

This is a great idea. I used something like this for trade shows, myself. The thing was a bit bigger -- it was about 18 inches from front to back, 36 inches wide and 8 inches deep. This gave me a huge working surface, and I had a lot of room for disposal of props, etc.

It has a padded velvet surface. Best of all, it was free! The people who were the scenic designers for the trade show booth asked me for the specs I wanted for my trade show stand. After the show was over, they gave me the stand.

Bill,

Did you set it on a tray jack ( or something similar) or did it have legs attached ?

Joe

It had a framework that made it look like a large lectern. It was kind of like a large "roll-on" table, but a bit higher. I stood on a platform 1 foot high that was behind the table. The whole thing was finished in formica. It was really cool.

The framework was 3 feet wide by 4 feet tall. There were two side panels 18 inches by 4 feet. These swung out at right angles to form the sides of the table. Then the top unit fit down into it and held it together. It was quite professionally made.

Seth -

The Box Servante idea is just what I needed. Whoever the originator is (was) is irrelevant. The size you described is perfect for the magic stand I use. The availability of the loads will make the routine go a great deal smoother. Thanks for the suggestion.

Nick Maggio

Thanks for the kind words, guys. But it just goes to prove that there really isn't much new under the sun, at least as far as magic is concerned, and that there's gold in those dusty old magic books.

I'm now looking for something a little squarer and deeper, as Bill noted. I think I may start looking at some planters instead of the rectangular window boxes!

By the way, did I mention that at the conclusion of the routine, the box is completely examinable by the audience? <grin> SETH

Sounds similar to this: http://www.theambitiouscard.com/fotos/se......ref=cafe

Mine was like a box laid on its side. I think this is what sethb has as well.

One way you can make something like this is to take a piece of plywood the same size as your regular table top and drill a hole in it large enough to allow your table pole to pass through. Then make three sides, each about 4 to 6 inches wide. One would be as long as the width of the front of your table top, the other two as long as the table top is wide, less the thickness of the front board. Fasten these together on top of the piece of plywood with the hole in it, then remove the table top from your table stand, attach this arrangement to the bottom of it, and now you have the basic open box. Make a table drape by covering the front and two sides of the box with the same material as the table top. Then put any decorative fringe, etc, around the lower edge of this new table top.

By adding the work to the bottom of your existing table top, you keep everything the same height.

Although each servante accomplishes the same purpose, they are set up differently. Mine is just an open box that sits on top of the table, with the opening facing the performer. No hardware needed to attach it to the table, gravity does all the work.

Frank's device is more of a classical servante that is attached to and hangs off the back of the table. Actually, when I think about it, Frank's is more of a giberciere (a poacher's pouch) that is attached to the table as opposed to being attached to the performer. My understanding is that a servante should not be visible to the audience. If the table had a fringe cover and the pouch was not visible from the front, I guess it would be a servante.

Whatever you want to call them, as long as you can load and ditch items easily, they serve their purpose. [Maybe that's why they are called servantes?] I think a servante is a lot cleaner than trying to do final loads out of your back or side pockets. I have also found that the box servante itself helps to shield the load, which can then be done at or slightly below the level of the table. On the other hand, Frank's device seems much better for ditching things because of its location -- it's almost like being able to do "lapping" while standing up! SETH

IMHO, the open box idea is absolutely great..
Just placed on top of the 'normal' table with a close-up mat on it, to raise the performance platform.
On the boxes front, one could actually have some *add* like *It's Magic*, or something similar, which also might verify/give a reason for the box, as the table normally soley is a tabletop on a waiters-tray stand.

I really like the idea for streetwork.

It could contain ones stuff and be used to transport all the goodies (some handle/straps (that can be removed) to carry it like a bag attached on it, probaly even a loose lid )and openly *set-up* on location, just leaving the loads inside.
Also, I would paint the inside of the box black (NOT shiny black, but dull) so the loads too are a bit 'invisible' from the backside.

The servant at Franks site is absolutely great, surely especially for *lapping*, the prob sometimes might be, that there have to be nothing else on its bottom, when dropping a large coin, so there is no sound.

I am aware of, that this might not be a problem in most venues as there is lots of noise around and probably one even hears other streetworkers, musicians aso, killing *lapping*-sound.

My only worries re a such servant is, that one can't get close to the table, but tedb already said this was no problem.

The other problem I would have re the ppl at the sides and behind, they will se this huge *bag* hanging there, but I assume one has to establish its use by removing props openly from it to verify it's use and to hide it's main purpose, to steal and ditch ...
Somehow however the open box thingy does appeal much more to my way of thinking, as it is verified to raise the working level, works as a *sign*/add for the worker and soley contains some loads.
Oh, BTW, one actually could attach a real servant to the backside/edge of the bottom side of that box, that can *hang* down behind the real table edge, but then again, the normal tabletop might have to get some cloth around it's edges at the other 3 sides.
The advantage of this design would be the easy set-up, just set the box on the table and the servant would automatically fall in place, beforehand, the front and the sides of the table should have that curtain, but this alsa alreday could be attched to the tabletopplade.

Just theoretical thoughts re this stuff, praxis only can reveal how well any of these options play on the street..

I neglected to mention one important detail. Since my final loads are lacrosse balls, I wanted to prevent them from rolling around loose in the box. I also needed to have them be and stay in the same spots time after time, so that I could reach for them easily, quickly and without looking at them.

My very low-tech solution was to use three plastic screw-off cap lids from quart-sized Arizona iced-tea bottles. I secured each cap, top down, to the inside bottom of the box with a small 1/2" wood screw through the center of the cap (you could also use a small piece of double-sided duct tape). The lacrosse ball fits nicely into the recess of the cap, which holds it in position and prevents it from rolling. Since both the cap and ball are plastic, there's nothing to talk when I pick up the ball.

Now I always know where each ball is located in the box, making reaching for the final loads a breeze. And since my "ball holders" work by gravity instead of springs or clips, the reset is simple, fast and one-handed. SETH

SETH, that's not a low-tech solution, that is *THE* solution

My solution for the same problem was very simple. I used the round wooden sockets that you can buy at the hardware store or lumber yards to support the end of a closet pole. You can screw them in place or use hot glue.

If you need a servante you can drop things into, you can install a baffle that swings outward from the bottom edge of the box, until it provides an opening large enough to drop the object into. The object will bounce off the baffle and into the open box. Some polyfoam or an old close-up mat can provide acoustic baffling to prevent the "thud" you would normally get from this.

Likewise, a bag servante on a swing arm works well. I have used both methods.

Don Alan used something like this for trade show work, by the way.

See my new servant
koz

Well, we're certainly getting a lot of mileage out of a little box, aren't we?

But reading Werner's and Bill's posts got me thinking. With a box servante, there's no reason you couldn't use the elevated portion of the box to "lap" with, even if you're standing up. As Bill noted, you can simply drop the item behind the box. If the tabletop is also padded, there's no sound and you're done.

One of the best and easiest lapping moves I ever saw was done by David Roth. He just slid a coin towards himself under his fingers, and appeared to pick it up as it reached the edge of the table. Of course, he just lapped it. Doesn't get any easier or better than that. SETH

Ever read any of Slydini's material?

...and there is nothing like just sliding it back..
It actually takes some more..
Never slide it back in a straight line and, I even have seen one of the greatest coinworkesr do it wrongly, with the fingers on it and the thumb sticking away from the hand.

Try to look at your movements when you really slide back a coin in order to pick it up at the edge of the table..

The hand slides back in an slight arc toward the center of your body and all fingers (fingertips only), including your thumb are touching the table, the thumb a tiny moment later then the fingers and the hand is NOT flat/paralle to the table, but raised above the table, slightly curled, just like really picking up the coin.

The moment the coin is reaching the tableedge, the thumb actually is hidden behind the fingers as if holding the coin..
Pure logic?
Yes, but mind you, I've seen on of the greatest coinworkers to place his almost flat hand onto the coin to slide it back, the thumb sticking out, just like sliding the coin OFF the table..
Just some thought re the *just sliding it back*..
Yes study the work of Slydini, also re this tiny move..

Bill, I have not read any of Slydini's stuff up to now. But coincidently, I just bought myself the "Stars of Magic" book, which I believe has a chapter by Slydini on using the lap as a servante.

Looks like I better skip to the back of the book and read that first! SETH

The probelm is not ditching it...its retreiving it
koz

With a box servante as I used it, there was no problem at all in retrieving anything that made it into the box. You just had to make sure you didn't throw it all the way to the back. So if you have a lip -- like a frame -- around the edge of the box, inside the structure, that keeps the items from falling out once they go in. You can attach the bottom at a backward angle to allow things to roll toward you, or put it at a forward angle to let them roll away.

Or not.