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Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 24th, 2009, 9:32 am
by Damian Odess-Gillett
Hi,
Can anyone tell me if the clear balloons one finds in a well-stocked party shop work for this effect, or must they be ordered from a magic dealer?
Thanks,
Damian
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 24th, 2009, 11:23 am
by DrDanny
almost any balloon will work.
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 25th, 2009, 12:37 am
by Damian Odess-Gillett
Great, thanks for that.
Damian
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 25th, 2009, 6:16 am
by Spellbinder
DrDanny wrote: almost any balloon will work...
Not quite true: some balloons are just too thin for the effect; like water balloons, some animal twisting balloons, mylar balloons and cheap Dollar Store balloons. Good quality latex balloons are best, but buy a small quantity to test just to make sure. Sometimes underinflating a balloon helps make an unworkable balloon into a "maybe" workable balloon.
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 25th, 2009, 8:38 am
by Damian Odess-Gillett
Excellent, thanks, Spellbinder.
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 25th, 2009, 12:16 pm
by Tom Dobrowolski
Also if it's not transparent you lose the audience seeing the needle penetrate through the balloon.
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 26th, 2009, 10:04 am
by Damian Odess-Gillett
Right. I noticed that on the
clip of Earl Presto Johnson on youtube. But then he rotates the balloon on the spindle, and it's pretty neat looking...
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 26th, 2009, 8:49 pm
by Richard Kaufman
Do any of you know who invented Needle Through Balloon?
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 26th, 2009, 9:21 pm
by Joe Pecore
Bart Whaley says Canadian magician T.S. Ransom in 1954 was the first to stick a balloon with a needle without popping it. Passing a needle completely through the balloon was first marketed as The Pincushion Balloons in 1956."
References:
Ransom in New Phoenix (1954), 51;
Crimmins in Hugards Magic Monthly (Jun 1956), 440.
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 27th, 2009, 9:13 pm
by Richard Kaufman
Correct! Tom Ransom of Toronto.
Re: Needle thru Balloon Question
Posted: May 28th, 2009, 12:36 am
by Kent Wong
If you have to use a thin balloon, sneak a little scotch tape on the sections where you will be penetrating. It will give the latex a little extra strength and keep it from popping.