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J.G. the magnificent Special user Griffith Indiana 886 Posts 
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For reasons explained in this post I have cups with holes at the top. http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=20 I found other uses. First though I should state that they are only about 1/4 of an inch and after looking in a mirror with a ball loaded between two cups the ball cannot be noticed no matter the angle. In this though my first thought was that I can explain that these have holes but that the balls shouldn't be able to go through by natural means. Even demonstrate that they also contain nothing by poking a pencil throught them while they are stacked. The ball even rests below the hole and isn't visible if by some chance a spectator may want to take a peek. And by using slight of hand if they want you to unstack them and display them or hand them over because they aren't convinced the ball may be removed. I could even do string I suppose and incorporate a string and ring or something type effect. Any thoughts?
Jeremy Gates
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts
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I don't see any problem at all having quarter inch holes in the cups if you are using 1 inch or so balls.
I read most of the other thread and I gotta say this is ambitious. First, I LOVE the idea of producing flaming balls as final loads. Forget the smoke bomb kicker - nothing follows the production of three flaming balls! Did you solve the igniter problem? Personally I think you need glow plugs in the table and a table top with flame retardant fabric (and something to snuff out / smother the fireballs). |
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J.G. the magnificent Special user Griffith Indiana 886 Posts
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I have found that for the smoke bombs which I may or may not use that I can use a homemade pull ring ignitor. If you don't know what I am talking about you can youtube it. Anyway the rest I will know when I buy and experiment which could be a while. Regarding glow plugs you make them sound like they can be used in and of themselves. Never had them but always thought they went with other effects and couldn't be used by themselves. Don't know what they are could you inform me more on them? As I stated in my other post I could use a large sealable water bottle and a fire extinguisher. Though that would be if someting went wrong and I never thought about a simple cover to snuff out the fireballs. I could just get a regular fire retardant cup I guess.
Jeremy Gates
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts
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Maybe 99 years ago I bought a trick to produce fire balls out of a paper bag. You had a cork ball wrapped in fabric(?) with a match head sticking out. The fabric was soaked with lighter fluid and there was a striking surface in the bag. Mayhaps a striking surface inside the cups? Load balls, lift cups holding balls in cup, turn cup moudth up, reach in and light the ball, toss from hand dto hand and dump back into cup. You could use small flower pots if you need cups with a hole in the base.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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J.G. the magnificent Special user Griffith Indiana 886 Posts
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Quote:
On 2010-05-28 20:34, Pete Biro wrote: Love the idea about the matches I already drilled holes in my cups though but I might try the flower pots after I get some other things. They probably wont get so hot. The cup got so hot I can only pick it up for a second after placing even the smoke bomb under it. Though as stated I need a fluid that doen't require much air since the fire bals went out even with holed cups. So I never could see how hot they get whith fire balls under them. Not only could flower pots work because they won't conduct the heat metal magic ones do but. They to have lips that let a space between the stacked cups like magic ones. For both these reasons they could not only work but are much cheaper and heavy enough that they won't blow around in the wind as I mentioned in another post. I will try the match stick thing and let you know how it goes I have lots of old cotton washcloths and un used corks since my dad likes wine. Not only that but I have far too many boxes of matches that I bought for match magic. I will try it towmorrow and let you know how it goes. Though if I had a striker glued or taped to the inside rim or the cup it would be noticable and I couldn't show the inside plus unless I had them all 360 degrees around the inside I would half to rotate the cup to find the right spot. So I had the idea of finding strike anywhere matches. They could be struck on the table top. Thanks a million!
Jeremy Gates
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Lawrence O Inner circle French Riviera 6811 Posts
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I think that someone published a routine in Tops or New Tops where oranges were held into the cups thanks to a hole in the side of the cups allowing a finger to sneak in. Now I can't remember if this was Marlo or not and I don't have notes on this
Magic is the art of emotionally sharing live impossible situations
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Jonathan Brown Loyal user Tappahannock, VA 288 Posts
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What about nichrome contacts...like in John Kennedy's Floating Cigarette...a glo plug. If the contacts were mounted on the table, and the switch was on the edge of the table, you could load the balls soaked in the fluid, load them and let them sit. When you are ready for the production, simply press on the awitch, the glo plug heats, igniting the balls as you lift the cups...That way they aren't lit (extinguishing themselves) and the ignition is nowhere near you when it happens...the glo plug would light those fast I would imagine...if you could somehow get a piece of something dry around the ball to catch. Maybe a small piece of flash cotton under the glo plug to give you the ignition source.
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts
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Heres a SIMPLE comedy idea.... You have loaded the final balls, not yet lit. You are doing the bit where you have repeatedly put the small balls in your pocket, you bring out 3 matches in a little group all lit. "Hmmm wonder what these are for?" Drop one into each hole of the flower pots... lift them to reveal 3 flaming balls.
don't get complicated with electric igniter stuff.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
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Glow plugs were originally used in model airplane engines. You connect the glow plug to a HUGE 1.5 volt battery, then you prime the engine and flip the propeller. There is a special knack to getting your finger out of the way. If you hold your mouth just right and flip that propeller correctly, the engine will start. Then you disconnect the battery and the heat from the burning fuel keeps the plug glowing.
You would have to experiment with the plugs to make them work right. Because of legal liability, I will not explain how to do this. It is dangerous and can start a fire. I have one of the original John Kennedy floating cigarettes. It did not have any kind of ignition at all. BTW, J.G., as you have probably found out the hard way, ceramic and/or pottery will conduct heat. It doesn't conduct heat the same way that copper does, but it still will conduct heat to a certain degree.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
cupsandballsmagic Inner circle 2705 Posts
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Erm... I think I'll stick to fruit!
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J.G. the magnificent Special user Griffith Indiana 886 Posts
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Quote:
On 2010-05-29 12:01, Pete Biro wrote: Ya I disregarded the electric ignitor ideas for the most part after your match idea. If it doesn't work that could. Once again you amaze me. Quote:
On 2010-05-29 12:59, Bill Palmer wrote: Actually I did not try the ceramic pots yet though given what you have said I should stick to the cups I have which by the way are my aluminum ones. I mentioned I used them because they are cheap and I still haven't ordered my copper ones. I never want to modify my coppers though when I have them. When I experimented with my aluminums though they could be picked up I just cant continually hold them. Though there is no need for that anyway. I thank you guys for the thoughts but they should be posted here. Here I just wanted to discuss uses for holed cups without anything about fire or smoke.
Jeremy Gates
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Dale Houck Veteran user Dakota J Magic at Saint Cloud, FL 343 Posts
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I have a "found" set of cups with holes in them. They're supposed to be flower pots, but they're retired Longaberger collectibles (famous for expensive baskets) and I doubt if anyone actually ever used them for anything but decoration. They originally sold for $15 each. I've found that if you use magnetic marbles for the balls, you can do combo type routines with them. I have a set of them on display in my Missouri house. Once in awhile I'll have guests who are Longaberger collectors and they'll comment on the flower pots. That's when I'll take them out and do a quick routine with them. They stack great and make a lot of racket when you stack them. The fun part is the reaction from the Longaberger collectors. Shocked would be the term. It's the same type of reaction you might expect from a cup collector seeing a set of silver engraved Sherwood cups being used as an ashtray.
Magic is where you find it.....
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Lawrence O Inner circle French Riviera 6811 Posts
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As a collector, I'd bite my tongue and make an offer to buy these "ashtrays". It would probably end up in a pretty good purchase.
:)
Magic is the art of emotionally sharing live impossible situations
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Dale Houck Veteran user Dakota J Magic at Saint Cloud, FL 343 Posts
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As would I! You know, I've often wondered how many great magic collectibles have ended up in garage sales or worse because people didn't know their value. I'm certain my wife doesn't understand the value of any of my magic collectibles. So, maybe I'll get lucky someday and find a set of these special ashtrays at someone's spring cleaning garage sale. Or maybe someone else will get lucky and find my cups and props the same way after I'm gone.
Magic is where you find it.....
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J.G. the magnificent Special user Griffith Indiana 886 Posts
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Than I would be sure to leave it in your will for her to give all your collections to some wise magicians that won't do that.
Jeremy Gates
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Jonathan Brown Loyal user Tappahannock, VA 288 Posts
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John Hedgekauf (sp?), a magician I used to know always said that when he died he wanted his wife to hold a magic auction on a boat in the middle of the Chespeake Bay. He would start the auction off with something REALLY RARE from his collection. He wanted a reserve set for each item. So when the item didn't meet the reserve (from magicians trying to nickle and dime his widow) he wanted the item to be thrown overboard! Like when a guy would try to get his Paul Fox cups for like 50 bucks, he said, "Just throw 'em over the railing and say well no one met the reserve." This way everyone would freak out and his wife would get the value of the items, because we didn't want them to end up on the sea bed!!! I can see a magician jumping overboard now!! Too funny...he passed away, and I never found out what happened to his collection...
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Dale Houck Veteran user Dakota J Magic at Saint Cloud, FL 343 Posts
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It's enough to give a guy some unsettling dreams just thinking of that possibility. I might jump overboard for some things and I can't even swim!
And, J.G., you're right about the will. I have in reality already taken care of that for many things. As with most of us in the magic community, I keep on buying things (that I don't need) so it's a challenge to keep the will up to date.
Magic is where you find it.....
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J.G. the magnificent Special user Griffith Indiana 886 Posts
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Cups with holes could possibly be used for loading pull string confettie poppers. Pull the string through the hole as you hold the cup upright. Making a shower of confettie shoot out and down. However I am unsure how the sting would get through in the first place it is a thought.
Jeremy Gates
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
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I have a set of cups in the museum that was owned by the late Ed Keener. The final loads were round sparklers that also had a smoke bomb load. There were other items in this set as well.
The secret of the ignition of these things died with Ed. This may be a good thing. The most important thing to remember about this kind of thing is that there is not one single venue in the US that is going to allow ANYONE except a licensed pyrotechnician use anything that produces flames or sparks. Read this article to understand more about this -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_White
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Ever so sleightly » » Cups with holes (0 Likes) | |
Posted: May 28, 2010 06:46 pm 
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