Bowl of water production-- which one is this?

[Guest]

For the past 10 years, I have been haunted by an excellent bowl of water production. I was visitng a Pittsburg magic club (not the magic shop--the Cuckoos nest-- which is a great magic shop by the way) and one of the fellows had just bought the trick. It fooled the heck out of me-- close up. The trick involved a small wooden platform with a removeable top. He showed both the table and table top were normal, then proceeded to produce of full bowl of water. It looked great. I do not recall if he used a scarf, but I figure he must have. I also seem to recall that the top of the table was solid, but it was so long ago that I am not certain. I have been in search of that trick ever since. I have seen a trick advertised called the Aldini bowl production. The pictures of this trick look similar, but not the same, and the table top looks to be a trap door. There are certaintly other ways to perform a bowl production-- the Rich Marotta version is great, there is one version in Tarbell, and I think Al Baker had a similar version to the one in Tarbell, but I am looking for the one with the table. Did it exist, or am I just crazy?

[Robert Allen]

If I remember correctly the Aldini Production, which is probably still sold by Mak or UF Grant or someone, is the one with the round base on tripod legs, and a square, open top 'tube' in which the bowl appears after a preliminary production of silks, spring flowers, rubber...um..items, etc. It doesn't use a trap door per se but if you saw the gimmick exposed that's what it might look like at first.

Other productions I'm aware of:

1. the one in Al Barkers Ways and Means, which is very nice but requires a specific magic prop bowl which I'm not sure if it's still available. I had one in the 1970's and it was really nice.

2. standalone table production which uses some sort of gimmicked table. GEM magic sold one I believe and others probably still do.

3. Grants "Magicians Dream Production" which produces 3 bowls, one of which can be full of water.

4. Grants Nu Way Kuma Tubes produce 2 spherical fishbowls as a finale.

Having been a fan of bowl productions as a kid I spent some time fiddling with them. Few of the gimmicked ones can really compare with a barehanded production from under a foulard, as people seem to understand the inherent difficulty of producing something filled with water. In the old days this was done with a load from the tails area of a suit (I forget the name of the pockets). When I did it I used one of the aforementioned gimmicked bowls which had a fill hole perfect for hanging from a hook, the hook hanging from a homemade 'shoulder holster'. Most productions which use body loads are done early in the act for obvious reasons.

Tip: though I never did it, I was told you can cut little slips of carrot into fish shapes and they look like goldfish from a distance.

[Robert Allen]

If I remember correctly the Aldini Production, which is probably still sold by Mak or UF Grant or someone, is the one with the round base on tripod legs, and a square, open top 'tube' in which the bowl appears after a preliminary production of silks, spring flowers, rubber...um..items, etc. It doesn't use a trap door per se but if you saw the gimmick exposed that's what it might look like at first.

Other productions I'm aware of:

1. the one in Al Barkers Ways and Means, which is very nice but requires a specific magic prop bowl which I'm not sure if it's still available. I had one in the 1970's and it was really nice.

2. standalone table production which uses some sort of gimmicked table. GEM magic sold one I believe and others probably still do.

3. Grants "Magicians Dream Production" which produces 3 bowls, one of which can be full of water.

4. Grants Nu Way Kuma Tubes produce 2 spherical fishbowls as a finale.

Having been a fan of bowl productions as a kid I spent some time fiddling with them. Few of the gimmicked ones can really compare with a barehanded production from under a foulard, as people seem to understand the inherent difficulty of producing something filled with water. In the old days this was done with a load from the tails area of a suit (I forget the name of the pockets). When I did it I used one of the aforementioned gimmicked bowls which had a fill hole perfect for hanging from a hook, the hook hanging from a homemade 'shoulder holster'. Most productions which use body loads are done early in the act for obvious reasons.

Tip: though I never did it, I was told you can cut little slips of carrot into fish shapes and they look like goldfish from a distance.

[Pete Biro]

Aldini's was an improved (?) version of the original 'Westgate Bowl Production' but the original was much better, I think.

There still may be some around. You can have candy and/or silks, or? in the bowl instead of water if you prefer.

[George Olson]

On about the third page of Ron Allsi's web-site he has a P&L Production, http://www.ronallesimagic.com/index.htm

Abbott's made a really good one to and I've seen it somewhere on one of the "re-sellers" sites.

GO

[Robert Allen]

Pete, what made the Westgate version better? Was it just better mechanics, or a slighty different method? The Aldini gimmick required sort of funky handling, either placing the tray down on a table, or having an assistant place their hand up under the tray when the foulard was pulled through...

[Pete Biro]

Westgate: Walk on, or pick it up. Hold all in one hand. Cloth is folded up and into what I called a Lamp Shade. Unfold it so it hangs down. I picked up the Lamp Shade and put on my head... comments, etc., put shade back onto tray (all in hand) pull cloth up through shade and toss aside. Lift shade and there's the bowl. No legs, no table or assistant required. OK :confused:

[Robert Allen]

For those looking for a bowl as used in the Al Baker method, and in my above mentioned shoulder holster method, KT Magic has one listed currently:

http://www.ktmagic.com/stage.html

[Chaz Misenheimer]

I may be wrong but I seem to remember a bowl (w/water) production from a mechanical table...described in Wonderful Routines of Magic by Ellison Poland (the first of two books). I lent the book to someone twenty years ago or I would look it up.

[Pete Biro]

The table is a great item... the good ones made the table change to SMALLER than the bowl at the finish.

Still a great way to do it.

Westgate Bowl, to me is better to produce candy, etc. for kid shows.