Where's the Magic?

[kdispoto]

I will be participating in a number of events this summer. I was thinking of coming up with a few carved wooden magic tricks or puzzels to impresss the kids (and adults). Any ideas what I might be able to make?

[Magicman]

Hi Ken
I was a Magician for 30 years and there are not many tricks you can carve from wood. I can think of a one, although I can't think what they are called.

One is the slotted stick with the propeller on it, if you use a small dowel rod and rub it up and down the stick you can cause the propeller to change the direction of rotation. The stick that is slotted is only on 1 side and looks like the slots in a gear. I know this is rather vague I will look for it and if I find it I will let you know.
Larry

[Magicman]

Hi Ken
The trick was called a ( Hooey Stick ) You start the propeller going one direction and when the kids holler Hooey or whatever word the propeller will switch direction.

[sludgeguy]

Impossible nail-through-wood trick
Check this out I have tried it it works great.

Have fun,
Doug

[AlArchie]

I've made and sold Hooey Sticks for quite some time....no way to get rich but it keeps folks entertained.

Here's the instructions on how to work the things, and a Hooey Story I made up to go along with the sticks. You can use these if you want but please give me credit for the yarn and instructions.

I also made a coin slide box.... I call it my "Quarterback Box" Kinda hard to explain how to make one, but it's pretty simple. Check this site and see how it works. I'd suggest you cut loose with the few bucks to buy one of the plastic ones from a magic shop, or on line and get your measurments from there. I didn't sve my measurments so I can't help ya out there.

Here's a link to a site with the box.....follow along and you can see it work.
http://magic.about.com/od/libraryofs...oinslide_2.htm

Or how about a "Magic Snapper" easy to make out of a dowel or two and a rubber band. If ya can't figure it out you can send for one of the plastic ones for around 4 bucks or PM me and I'll try to explain how to do it.
http://www.houdini.com/Details_e.cfm...367&category=5

The Hooey Stick Story

The Hooey Stick was developed by a gent from the Yukon Territory, by the name of Jake, Yukon Jake. Now Jake was cabin-bound for the entire winter, due to the bitter cold and wind driven snows of the cold-season Yukon. This meant that he was stuck in that cabin with nothing to do for almost 9 months, every year.

For some reason, (no one knows exactly why) Jake made this notched stick with a propeller on one end. Then for some reason, (no one knows exactly why) he began rubbing the notched stick with another stick. He rubbed this stick for almost three and a half days. There wasn't much else to do in that cabin, in the dark, with the wind blowing the snow around outside, but after a while Jake got a little bored and said "GEE"!

Glory be! The propeller started rotating to the right. Now Jake was a musher, and he ran a team of dogs, and he thought (right away)! "When I say "gee" to my dogs, they turn to the right; when I said "gee" to the stick it rotated right. When I say "haw" to my dogs they turn left, so I wonder if I say "haw" to the stick, will it turn to the left?" Well, he did. And the stick did! Right then and there Jake decided to call the thing a "Gee-Haw-Whimmy-Diddle" (No one knows exactly why)

Jake had a friend, Zed, from Loosiana: any of you folks from Loosiana? I don't want to insult anyone from Loosiana, but down there they call themselves "laid back" because it so hot and humid, and they just move a little slow. Well, up here, we call them just plain lazy!

Anyway, Jake sent Zed one of his "Gee-Haw-Whimmy-Diddle" sticks and asked him to try it out. So, Zed, sittin on the bayou, started to rub the stick, but nothing happened, except it made a rattling sound. Zed may be a bit "laid back", but he is not imparted with the patience that Jake developed while spending 9 months of the year in the dark, in a cabin with a team of huskies for company, so after about 20 minutes of rubbing, Zed sighs a big Loosiana sigh, and says "HOOEY"!

The little propeller started to turn! Zed remembered that Jake told him there were two words that would make the thing go and reverse, but he couldn't remember what they were. After another 20 minutes or so, he sighs "HOOEY" again. The prop stops and goes the other way! In a burst of Loosiana recognition, Zed realizes that he may have hit upon something, so he hollered "Hooey" again, and the thing actually stopped and reversed direction again.

After a minute of "Loosiana" thinking, Zed re-christened the whole contraption a "Hooey Stick"! That way he wouldn't have to remember that "Gee-Haw-Whimmy-Whatcha-Callit" thing that Jake made up!

HENCE WAS BORN THE "HOOEY STICK"

[Magicman]

Al
I've done that trick quite a few times, but never heard a story like that to go with it. It makes great patter for the trick tho. The snapper trick was always one of my favorite tricks, I have one custom made from Walnut I've had for twenty years.
Larry

[AlArchie]

A little more on making a hooey stick. I make mine from 3/4" dowel, about16 inches long but shorter and smaller work just as well. I cut the propeller from 1"x1/8" material. The hole in the center HAS to be perfectly centered and a smidge larger than the nail used for the axle. A 3/4" euscution pin makes a great axle.

Then the prop has to e perfectly balanced to work easily. This can be done by sanding the ends and trying the prop on the axle.

The notches should be cut about 1/4 or less than the stick diameter and about 1/4" wide. I cut the depth with an exacto saw and use a knife to remove the wood either side of the cut. Nothces should start about 2 inches back from the prop, and an "OFFICIAL" hooey stick has 13 notches.....THAT'S IMPORTANT!
(or at least that's what you tell the folks)
The rubbing stick should be aroud a 5/16" dowel....at least a bit larger than the notches.

Al

[Dougie]

Another name for the Hooey Stick is a "Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle".
If you google it you can get lots of info.
They really attract attention at a show.
Doug