Best practical tip I've come across this year

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erdnasephile
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Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby erdnasephile » July 1st, 2017, 5:53 pm

In a recent show, I needed to do some thumb tip work. However, during rehearsals, my hands were so dry that I had problems getting the bill in and out of the thumb tip smoothly due to friction. I was using a hard Vernet thumb tip, yet I was still having a lot of trouble. Very frustrating, indeed.

In John Lovick's superb book, Switch, he mentions a great tip (credited to Roger Klause). Simply spray the inside of the thumb tip lightly with silicone lubrication spray, let it dry for a hour, and you're golden! (After protecting the exterior of the thumbtip from overspray, I used WD40 branded Waterproof Silicone spray from Home Depot and it worked like a charm--no smell or residue--the interior of the thumb tip becomes super slick). During the performance, it made things as easy as pie.

PS: The second most useful tip I've found this year is Mike Caveney's solution to partially mitigate the risk of burning envelopes in rooms with smoke detectors. That tip can be found in his burnt bill routine in "Caveney's Wonders".

Leonard Hevia
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby Leonard Hevia » July 2nd, 2017, 1:21 pm

Notice that the relevant tips came from two respected magicians who have performed these effects thousands of times. The ultimate tipster had to be Billy McComb. His books are brimming with practical tips he had learned over his many years performing.

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Brad Jeffers
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby Brad Jeffers » July 2nd, 2017, 2:17 pm

The use of silicone spray ...
A practical tip for making a tip practical.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby erdnasephile » July 2nd, 2017, 9:03 pm

:lol:

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby MagicbyAlfred » July 3rd, 2017, 11:41 am

That is an excellent "tip," indeed. I have always had that same nettlesome friction problem with the TT. Thanks for sharing it, and going forward I will follow it - - as a rule of thumb.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby erdnasephile » July 3rd, 2017, 4:51 pm

I should probably clarify: I didn't use the usual "WD40" (yellow/blue can) that we all grew up with. Rather (and I didn't realize this until I started looking), the WD40 company apparently makes all kinds of sprays of varying compositions.

This is the stuff that worked for me: https://www.amazon.com/WD-40-300014-Spe ... 0+silicone

Leonard Hevia
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Favorite Magician: Dai Vernon, Frank Garcia, Slydini, Houdini,
Location: Gaithersburg, Md.

Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby Leonard Hevia » July 9th, 2017, 12:08 pm

Priceless tips abound if one is paying close attention to the book or DVD. Roger Klause's In Concert contains a great tip on the correct way to hold a purse frame for a production and on the cleanup following David Roth's Coins Across. Michael Skinner used to say you haven't learned an effect until you knew how to get in and out of it.

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby MagicbyAlfred » July 9th, 2017, 5:49 pm

Leonard Hevia wrote:Priceless tips abound if one is paying close attention to the book or DVD. Roger Klause's In Concert contains a great tip on the correct way to hold a purse frame for a production and on the cleanup following David Roth's Coins Across. Michael Skinner used to say you haven't learned an effect until you knew how to get in and out of it.


That's for sure, Leonard. I second that.

I met Roger in the early 90's when he came to Coral Springs, Florida, for a two-fold purpose: to attend his good friend, Bill Malone's, Wedding; and to give a lecture at (what was then) Magical Moments, a fabulous magic shop owned by a fine magician and entertainer named Cory Allen. The lecture was one of those moments where the light bulb went on. Roger was so smooth, such a creative and resourceful thinker, and a GREAT magician/entertainer. He, and I believe it was Eric DeCamps, did walk-around at the party and dinner the night before the wedding.

It was at this lecture and hanging out with Roger (and other luminaries compared to whom I was, and still am, in an embryonic stage) throughout the weekend, where I was first introduced to Roger's concept of "half-moves." Essentially, this meant breaking sleights and moves up into stages, and not necessarily trying to execute the entire move all at once. One example of this, among many, would be to slide the bottom card over part way for a side/bottom steal, pausing in that position (card protruding, but hidden from view), perhaps saying a line or addressing a comment or question to a spectator, maybe gesturing with the free hand, then completing the move (which was already half-way done). Adds another layer of misdirection, deception and smoothness. He applied the half-move technique to his TT work, as well, and I have never seen anyone handle a TT or dye tube better than Roger. He is greatly missed!

Leonard Hevia
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Favorite Magician: Dai Vernon, Frank Garcia, Slydini, Houdini,
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby Leonard Hevia » July 9th, 2017, 6:32 pm

That was a great remembrance Alfred! Thanks for posting that! Klause's In Concert is in the pantheon of underrated magic books. It's filled with great material and practical tips like the concept of half moves. Roger also shares a few great stories at the end of the book like his first encounter with Michael Skinner when the latter worked at Hollywood Magic.

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby MagicbyAlfred » July 9th, 2017, 7:21 pm

Leonard Hevia wrote:That was a great remembrance Alfred! Thanks for posting that! Klause's In Concert is in the pantheon of underrated magic books. It's filled with great material and practical tips like the concept of half moves. Roger also shares a few great stories at the end of the book like his first encounter with Michael Skinner when the latter worked at Hollywood Magic.


Thank YOU, Leonard! I'm glad you enjoyed that - I do love to reminisce. You are absolutely right about In Concert, "Orchestrated and Arranged by Lance Pierce." Many might not be aware of it, but Lance is a phenomenal magician in his own right - a perfect selection to write the book. Lance performed at Malone's for a while, along with Chad Long, Cory Allen, Mio Rodriguez (a close friend of mine, with whom I've worked over 20 years), and others too numerous to mention.

Everything Roger performed was so smooth, elegant, and executed with such finesse, subtlety, and attention to detail - so well conceived and thought out...

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erdnasephile
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Re: Best practical tip I've come across this year

Postby erdnasephile » July 10th, 2017, 1:29 pm

Another person who published great tips was Mike Rogers. He had a great set of lecture notes which contained a lot of practical wisdom. I'll see if I can find the exact title of the notes.


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