Hi guys

I got approached by the local casino to make 2 playboy bunnies appear on stage for their Christmas Charity show. I want to build a base, with a frame on top. I have read a lot of posts on the Café about it, I have illusionworks 1-2-3, and I am a pretty decent with tools. I have never built one before. When I was young my parents got a new fridge and I built one with cardboard and clear packing tape. It looked great!

Heres the method I used. I built a box just large enough to fit my load (me) Then I added layers around it and edges to make it deceptive. I have never seen this method utilized in any of the videos or plans I have. But I think for me, for my first base, it will work. Anyone see why it wouldnt? Thanks

It will work... this is basically how one usually makes a mock up. You are on the right track.

Just remember that whatever you make the base out of has thickness, and allow for it on top of the space you decided you need with your mockup.

Eric,
This is what I was thinking of doing with a base. I was/am going to make the load chamber from fiberglass, and then all of the surrounding stuff out of other materials. The base is going to look like we just threw the whole thing together with plywood sitting on 2x4s sitting on saw horses. (and the fiberglass square box will be fastened inside of all the other junk)

I didn't see a problem with doing this either. In this situation I thought it would be better but I have not seen anyone describe the building process this way either.

scott

Hmmmm, maybe you don't need to make a deceptive base. Maybe you go with a light-box type illusion (see Tarbell, Volume 4). Years ago, I saw this type of illusion built to look like an over-sized "Chinese Lantern", an ornament you might see in a restaurant; it was a beautiful prop and beautiful magic. Just a thought...

Thanks guys!!

sb: this is a link to a vanishing A.C I did for a company recently...and I did it on a frame of 2 x4's to give it that Home Depot look..check it out there a pic here..I love this concept!

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......start=30

Eric:

When I was redoing an old dollhouse I had, I used pretty much the same principle to alter the box base into a deceptive base. It worked fine.

That method does work quite well. I first saw someone do this same idea to redo an Abbott's Vanishing Dove Cage. It changed a box into a streamlined table.

I am very excited to have people relate to this. I am much more confident now that I have read your replies.

The only downside I can think of is the "edges" of the table will not be as strong as a professionally made base.

I have thouight about it some more.. And mentally, I am encountering some problems.. The "box" we talk about, wont be a rectangular box will it? I am saying this because if it is, there will be a lot of dead space in the corners.. you know? And from what I can see, that's where the deception comes in, corners and edges.. Will it have to be built differently? Anyone know what I mean?

Eric,

Get yourself a copy of Rand Woodbury's Illusionworks Video Tape Vol. 1. He shows you step by step how to build a deceptive base. All you'll need to do is customize the dimensions to your needs. In fact it would work great with the table appearance from (I believe) Illusionworks Book One.

All the best,

John

Yes the Randwoodbury tape is VERY helpful I bought a production base that would be PERFECT for what he has to do. I use it in my shows to produce two females and it was built on that same idea that rand shows in the tape....easy to build but bulky to travel with if you don't have a truck. My base is 6.5 ft long by 4.5 ft I love it!!!

I started the base last night.. I revised the Illusionworks tape 3 times and decided to build it properly.. In my opinion, he is pretty sketchy in his explanations. Sometimes, the camera is so zoomed in on the prop you cant even tell if he has the base upside down or right side up. The voice was recorded seperately so it confuses things even more. Still, after watching it more than once I got it.

I bought myself an electric planner as well, wow, this thing is wonderful!! Really helps to give the illusion that its smaller than it really is. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks for the tips!! Keep them coming..

95% done...... It looks a little better live.... But for my first one... I think its great.... What do you guys think?

Looks good Eric, can we take a closer look?

Did you click on the pic?

Ooops, my bad. Looks nice and thin from here. good job.

Did you click on the pic?

Yes

Eric, that looks like a great illusion! Nice job on the base!!!

-Bryan Gilles

Looking good Eric.

Mark