The Floating Ball hook up

Discuss your favorite platform magic and illusions.
Jim Riser
Posts: 1086
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

The Floating Ball hook up

Postby Jim Riser » March 29th, 2016, 3:59 pm

I have always liked the Floating Ball effect but have not been a fan of limitations of various hook ups. In addition, I prefer to use a smaller ball than is normally seen. After a bit of experimentation, I settled on a 3" diameter 1/16" walled hollow seamless stainless steel ball which could easily be switched for a previously examined 3" solid heavy ball bearing. To this hollow ball I precision welded a new style of hooks - at least I think these twist lock hooks are original with me. I have found nothing in my magic library to indicate that the twist lock idea was ever used before. I share the idea with the magic community in the hopes that it might be useful to others. This concept allows for attaching the ball as needed and even switching thread arrangements mid effect. Below are links to two quickly made smartphone videos. Since I was holding the phone and the ball at the same time, they are not high quality videos but good enough to convey the concept. The thread shown is easily visible kevlar. In action, smoke colored 6# dyneema thread with brown permanent marker enhancement will be used plus a different thread arrangement which shall remain undisclosed.

The ball:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VClMV6mOxaM&authuser=0

The hooks in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86xRwfPjGoU&authuser=0

Enjoy.
Jim

Jim Riser
Posts: 1086
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby Jim Riser » March 31st, 2016, 9:42 pm

For those interested, here is a pic of the floating ball outside on the 6# smoke colored dyneema with an appropriately mottled background:
http://jamesriser.com/Magic/FloatingBal ... ngBall.jpg

User avatar
Matthew Field
Posts: 2846
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Slydini
Location: Hastings, England, UK

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby Matthew Field » April 1st, 2016, 5:54 am

This sure looks great, Jim. Thank you for your generosity in sharing.

Matt Field

fabricemagic
Posts: 79
Joined: October 16th, 2013, 2:40 am
Favorite Magician: G.Jarrett

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby fabricemagic » April 1st, 2016, 8:16 am

Hi Jim ,
This kind of hookup is not new ,
Tipically it was used as example for the "floating lightbulb efx"
The Original one from Burling hull has exactly this kind of hookup let me say " a really safe fast hookup version"
Anyway a similar hookup was used also for some floating balls version.
Thanks.
Fabrice magic

Jonathan Townsend
Posts: 8704
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Westchester, NY
Contact:

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby Jonathan Townsend » April 1st, 2016, 11:20 am

Looks great! thanks for sharing the images
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Jim Riser
Posts: 1086
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby Jim Riser » April 1st, 2016, 11:45 am

fabricemagic wrote:Hi Jim ,
This kind of hookup is not new ,
Tipically it was used as example for the "floating lightbulb efx"
The Original one from Burling hull has exactly this kind of hookup let me say " a really safe fast hookup version"
Anyway a similar hookup was used also for some floating balls version.
Thanks.
Fabrice magic


Yes, I have seen double hooks on some floating light bulbs but not the twist and lock (opposing hooks). I have never seen even double hooks on a floating ball let alone opposing hooks. All floating balls that I have examined and seen published used loops rather than hooks. Thanks for the feedback. I will try to track down the Burling Hull manuscript.
Jim

Jim Riser
Posts: 1086
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby Jim Riser » April 1st, 2016, 12:07 pm

Fabrice magic, most floating light bulbs the I have seen have been a variation of this: https://p2.liveauctioneers.com/928/1940 ... 89_1_l.jpg
Jim

fabricemagic
Posts: 79
Joined: October 16th, 2013, 2:40 am
Favorite Magician: G.Jarrett

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby fabricemagic » April 2nd, 2016, 4:30 am

Hi Jim,
No no that seem to be the old Abbott's hook up version or Grant's version ,
Nothing to di whit the Hull version or some floating balls versions
Thanks
Fabrice

User avatar
Spellbinder
Posts: 472
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby Spellbinder » April 3rd, 2016, 11:39 am

If the balls are light enough, the twisted hooks can be made from clear plastic, cut from soda straws. Jim Gerrish tried such a set on his floating beach ball and it was easy on, easy off, but only for "normal" sedate floating and not the bouncy type he prefers, so he is currently using a more sturdy set-up. (for reference, "Blinking, Bouncing, Floating Beach Ball" is in The Wizards' Journal #29- item 9).
Phineas Spellbinder
The Magic Nook

Jonathan Pendragon
Posts: 394
Joined: July 13th, 2010, 7:33 am

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby Jonathan Pendragon » April 4th, 2016, 5:01 am

It's difficult to appreciate the amazing growth in technology and performance that this effect has experienced in the last 50 years. I remember David's Mirror Ball, Lance's Cage, but, most I remember Finn Jon's silver ball for it's audacity, floating there in bright light only feet away. From Okito to Lance , David Copperfield , Finn Jon to Teller to Luis De Matos. The illusion remains a benchmark. One of my favorite methods was employed by Doug Henning, originally for a candle, it's from Magic with Small Apparatus. It's a full stage hook-up, but there have been some modern adaptions, that gave you absolute control over the ball with minimal swing of the prop. As an admirer of an effect I rarely perform, but constantly study, I found Luis De Matos work a major step forward, it considers both line, set-up and performance in a three dimensional space, with floating balls, that's huge. My own work has become more intimate and expressed in my Penguin lecture. It's the kind of effect that allows so much from so little.

fabricemagic
Posts: 79
Joined: October 16th, 2013, 2:40 am
Favorite Magician: G.Jarrett

Re: The Floating Ball hook up

Postby fabricemagic » April 4th, 2016, 2:09 pm

Is nice to see here a Master and Legend Mr.Pendragons.. wow ...I know it's obvious ..sorry ....but we still love you...you are an hero and I want you know this....
Ok
One question Mr. Pendragons:
I love
like you and many many the
"new" De Matos floating ball levi" all my respect to him and his wonderful job on it,
but I was a bit disappointed from the De Matos explanation on the floating ball evolution until "his" version
I think he missed something,
Personally
before him and his ball riggin system I think I already have see the same system used
but
it was used in to a dancing hank act ...
so for me it wasn't new
( the only little difference was a little couterweight necessary whit an hank ... a thing not necessary whit a ball ....because of the differences in weight between a ball and an hank)
If you want ceck what I mean please ceck the Mike Ching animations book
There is an evolution from the Karrell Fox lifeline dancing hank act (if my memory help me now maybe the evolution was exactly a Mike Ching 's evolution...I'm sorry at the moment that book is not whit me)
So
I think that hank version was really using a similar De Matos floating ball riggin system,
Can someone please reply me ?
I understand as well the book explanation or not?

Thank
Fabrice


Return to “Platform & Stage Magic”