MAGICIAN'S ARS E N AL PROFESSIONAL TRICKS OF THE TRADE PALADIN PRESS BOULDER, COLORADO "Where does he get those wonderful toys?" —Jack Nicholson as the Joker in the movie Batman "Burn, baby, burn!" —The Penguin (Danny DeVito) Batman Returns, 1992 "Who is a prisoner? The man who does not let his imagination run free." —Anthony Blake (Bill Bixby, who is a real magician) "The Magician" television series Magician's Arsenal: Professional Tricks of the Trade by Lee Scott Copyright © 1993 by Lee Scott ISBN 0-87364-741-6 Printed in the United States of America Published by Paladin Press, a division of Paladin Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box 1307, Boulder, Colorado 80306, USA. (303) 443-7250 Direct inquiries and/or orders to the above address. All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, no portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for the use or misuse of information contained in this book. TABLE OF CONTENTS Fire Flower 1 Escape Tools 56 Hand Flasher 2 Escape Tricks 58 Impact Smoke Bomb 4 Thermite Escape Methods 62 Gravity Holdout 5 Rope Work 64 Hot Shot I 7 Magician's Escape-and-Evasion Kit 65 Hot Shot II 9 Lock Pick Guns (Improvised) 70 Flash Fire 10 Sparks 72 Shotgun-Shell Devices 12 Shooting Wand, Cane, or Staff 74 Ballistic Cane or Umbrella 14 Self-Lighting Fuze Principle 76 Sleeve Cannon 16 Spit Fire 18 Miscellaneous Weapons and Effects 78 Self-Lighting Match 19 Gas Jet 80 Exploding Balloons 20 Secret Hiding Places 81 Exploding Balloons II 22 Burglar Deterrent I 83 Human Blowtorch 23 Burglar Deterrent II 85 Bottle Rocket Gun 24 Sleeve Darts 87 Digital Time-Delay Weapon-Firing System 25 Unbelievable 89 Psychokinetic Scrambler 27 Flame-Lifting Methods 90 Fog Machine and F/X Effect with Selected Flames and Fires 92 Fog Machine and Movie Projector 29 Utility Device 95 Remote-Controlled Weapon-Firing System 31 Firecracker Devices 97 Rattrap Cigarette Weapon-Firing System 32 Up to One-Hour Time-Delay Pick-a-Card 99 Weapon-Firing Method 33 Impact Smoke Bomb II 101 F/X Remote-Controlled Pull/Reel 34 Appendix A Telephone Remote Control How to Make Flash Weapon-Fuzing System 35 Paper and Flash Powder 103 Shocker 36 Appendix B Shocker Deluxe 38 Improvised Radio Detonation Devices 104 Squib Work 39 Appendix C Squib Vest 42 Initiating Actions 105 Whiz Bang I & II 46 Appendix D Death Cards 48 Supply Sources 106 Flamethrower 50 Ignitor 51 Appendix E Lit Candle from Coat 53 Magic Dealers 107 Flash Pots and Flash Pans... ...54 Bibliography 108 i i i WARNING The procedures to be followed in this manual devices. Make sure you know and obey all the and the resulting end products are extremely dan- laws regarding firearms or explosives. Ignorance gerous. Whenever dealing with explosives or incen- of the law is no excuse. diaries, special precautions should be followed in The author, publisher, and distributors accordance with industry standards for experi- disclaim any liability from any damages or mentation and production. Failure to strictly follow injuries of any type that a reader or user of such standards may result in harm to life and limb. information contained within this manual may Check all applicable laws before building encounter from the use of said information. Use anything in this manual. Certain Bureau of this manual and any end product or by-product Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms regulations, as at your own risk. This manual is for information well as state and local ordinances, may apply to purposes only! some of the improvised firearms and pyrotechnic All manufacturing rights reserved by author. iv FIRE FLOWER Every kid at one time or another has had a rubber tube where it connects to the flower or squirt flower, which can be bought in any joke squeeze bulb, so I prefer to use 151 rum as my shop very cheaply. The fire flower is nothing filler in the bulb. The squeeze bulb should be more than the standard squirt flower filled with a hidden in a pocket where you can easily reach it. flammable filler. As of this writing, I know of no Fire the device at any open flame, but a candle magician who has ever used this device in his or or lighter is best. It may take you awhile to her act. I am sure this book will change that, so become proficient at aiming the flower at a be the first one on the block to try it in your act. candle, but it is time well spent. Practice makes There is not much to constructing this device. perfect, so don't get discouraged. This trick is The only things you need are a squirt flower and great fun to play with. a flammable filler. Either 151 rum or lighter fluid While you are at the joke shop picking up a works well. However, I have found that these squirt flower, also buy a squirt ring. This same squirt flowers generally are poorly constructed effect can also be accomplished with this and tend to leak at one or both ends of the novelty item. Flammable Filler (use either one) Standard Joke Shop- Type Squirt Flower Or This same effect can be accomplished with a squirt ring (also found in any joke shop). It FIRE RING consists of a copper ring (cut from copper tubing), a perfume squeeze bulb, and 1 /16- or 1/8-inch tubing soldered on to ring. 1 WARNING: THE EFFECTS AND DEVICES IN THIS BOOK ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS ONLY. THIS MATERIAL IS PRESENTED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. HAND FLASHER The hand flasher is standard in every ma- have a hole in the shell where the primer was. gician's repertoire. It is a sure-fire attention getter. Attach a flashbulb to wire leads and insert the If you do stage magic and don't presently use one leads through this hole from the inside. Pour the of these devices, I highly recommend that you gunpowder back in and reinsert the plastic consider it. divider. Now insert 3/4-inch balls of flash paper The homemade device in the accompanying in the shell and close it up. The shell is done. Put illustration is much more powerful than any hand the shell into the pipe and put the leads through flasher I have ever bought. Treat it as you would the hole in the pipe cap. Make sure the switch is a gun—after all, it does fire a modified shotgun off, then screw the pipe cap on and attach the shell—and check your local and state laws. In leads to the toggle switch and battery to make a some areas it is illegal to construct this device complete circuit. Attach the toggle switch and without a license. battery to the pipe body with electrical tape or To make, you need a piece of schedule 40, plastic connectors. The hand flasher is complete. nominal 3/4-inch-wide steel pipe, no more than 3 The unit is compact enough to be totally inches in length, threaded at one end. Drill a hole concealed in your hand. You might hide the unit in the center of the pipe cap no more than 1/8 under your coat on a bulldog clip, to be dropped inch in diameter. You will also need a 1 1/2-volt into your hand at the desired moment. To fire the AAA battery and toggle switch. device, point it away from any obstructions and We now come to the most important part: the up at a slight angle. Pull the toggle switch and the shotgun shell modification. Start by opening the device will shoot a large flame up to 20 feet. top of a 12-gauge shotgun shell, pouring out the Handle with care. I have two toggle switches lead shot, and removing the plastic wad and gun wired in series on my hand flasher to avoid acci- powder. Now place the shell in your shotgun and dental firing. The second acts as an arming switch. fire, thus disarming the primer. Remove the shell and pry out the dead primer with an ice pick CAUTION: This device is intended for stage (push it from the inside with the pick). You now use only and should not be used in close quarters. 2 WARNING: THE EFFECTS AND DEVICES IN THIS BOOK ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS ONLY. THIS MATERIAL IS PRESENTED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. Toggle Switch MODIFIED 12-GA. SHOTGUN SHELL Lead Shot Removed and Replaced with Primer Removed Balls of Flash Paper Leads (to toggle switch and battery) NOTE: Threads are cut into, not Flashbulb Inset in added onto, pipe. Gunpowder Hole in Pipe Cap for Wire Leads 3/4" Schedule 40 Steel Pipe with Cap Screwed On (threads in cap need to be chased with a bottoming tap so cap will fully seat against rim of shell) NOTE: Entire shotgun shell must be taken apart for lead shot and primer removal. 3 WARNING: THE EFFECTS AND DEVICES IN THIS BOOK ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS ONLY. THIS MATERIAL IS PRESENTED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY.