I hope you enjoy these free tricks. To date (Aug. 2001), every item on this page are created by me or are variations of other effects on the magic market. I will not place any item in here that are not created by myself, or with the permotion of the creator.     All though some of these tricks are intended to be performed in casual settings, others are tricks I perform on a regular basis and decided to share them with my fellow magicians.       Check them out, maybe you'll find something you'll add to your repitroie, or maybe something in here will get your wheels spinnning for new ideas.       If you have an original trick you would like to share, E mail them to me and I'll put them up here for the magic world to see.    Enjoy!

 

Fire Sauce       This effect was inspired by an idea mentioned by Kevin James in Half Baked. The difference is that in his version the idea was to open a Bottle of hot sauce and have fire shoot out of the bottle. While on a rode trip I stopped at a Taco Bell and looked at a packet of there hot sauce labeled "FIRE" then the idea hit me for a close up and very easy variation of Kevin James' idea. EFFECT:     The performer opens a packet of hot sauce and fire shoots out of the packet. METHOD:      This effect is very simple. as you may have guessed, you'll need a small amount of flash paper. You'll also need a small cigarette lighter. I believe they are referred to as spark igniting lighters. (Any small lighter will do, but these lighters will make less noise then the type that have a flint). The smaller the lighter you use the easier this will be to perform.      Have a small wad of flash paper and a lighter in your right hand. The flash paper is partly wrapped around the top of the lighter. (You can use any amount of flash paper you desire, just as long as you can secretly contain it behind the hot sauce packet. I use one sheet from one of the small pads of flash paper and roll it up.)      The left hand grabs and displays the hot sauce packet. The packet is placed into the right hand in such a way that the lighter and flash paper is hid behind the packet. You'll have to experiment with the grip of the right hand on the packet as to allow your right hand to rip the packet open. At the instance the packet is ripped open. Ignite the lighter which will in also ignite the flash paper.      Act surprised very surprised at this unexpected happening. Maybe even toss the packet on the table or floor in fright. If you are a magician that uses topiting or sleeving techniques, the action of being scared and jerking your hand back is perfect action to cover the ditch of the lighter. The same applies for lapping. Of course a unexpected flash of fire is enough of a surprise that you can ditch the lighter anywhere. I hope you enjoy this little impromptu effect. Who knows when you may have use for

 
 

Ice Ice Maybe      I spent a lot of time deciding if I should give this one away. I figured that enough magicians have seen me perform with this that most would know that it's mine if they ever saw someone else doing it. Here are some of the things you can do with this.     Do a traveling Ice cube routine in place of coins or small balls. Do a multiplying Ice cube routine similar to Misers Dream (Eskimos Dream). Make an ice cube Rise and sink in a glass of water. Then float in mid air. (Fearsons floating cigarette hook up) Make an ice cube Glow with the D-Lite. This is also a great lead in for a water to wine effect).     Ice cubes from mouth. An endless number of ice cubes appear from the mouth. (Like sponge balls from mouth). Use Ice cubes in place of balls in a cups and balls routine.    As you can see, there are many uses for this gimmick. The beauty in it is the impromptu feel it brings to a performance. REQUIRED:     You'll have to go to your local pet supply store (or aquarium) and obtain something called "Ice Crystals" They sometimes have a different name but they are fake ice cubes used to decorate the inside of a fish tank. These are amazingly realistic and will pass for real ice cubes when used correctly. They also come in different colors and shapes. Here are a few "Rules" to handling them.     Get your hands wet when you perform with them. This is usually a pimple matter of pretending to pull the cubes out of a drink. Thus getting your hands wet in the process. Just remember, THE WETTER THE BETTER. Make your routines short. If you handle them to long they'll start to get suspicious as to if they are real or not. Always perform with them in an impromptu manner. As if saying "Oh, I have an idea". I sometimes act as if I'm looking for something. Then I feebly grab a glass and pull out the ice cube/s. This is how I always perform the chop cup with the ice cubes. (As if I forgot the balls for the routine). It's a good idea to play around with a real ice cube and note how you handle it. Remember these fake cubes sink. Real ice floats. (This allows you to do the sinking ice cube in water mentioned above). As I found out from trusted friends.      These cubes sound real when they are shaken in a cup or hands. But they sound plastic when they hit the tabletop. (Dice to Ice). If you do a Eskimos Dream routine. You can continuously drop them in your pocket. Then show your pocket to be wet. This gets a lot of giggles if you act annoyed by it. You can attach the invisible thread to the cube with scotch tape or super glue. When doing Ice cubes from mouth. Glue two cubes together. This makes it easier to bring it to your lips with out it popping out..     In Paul Harris's book. He explains a routine where you produce an ice cube from flash paper and then do a comedy vanish of the cube. You can use these fake cubes to do it at any time. Because you can't carry a real ice cube in your pocket for long.     As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Just act as if they are real and make it short.. Then no one will question the realness of the ice cubes. As always, give credit where it is due.

 
 

Thumb Off This effect was recently publiched in Linking Ring Magazine I get more screams from this effect then the marketed effect "The Web". It's can be done at any time and anywhere. Reason being that most magicians carry the prop needed with them. If you doubt the reaction this gets with laymen, give it a try. Effect:: The performer comments that he's going to perform the very first trick he ever learned. He then performs the old taking off the thumb trick. IE: Grab your thumb and removing from your hand. Since everyone knows this trick, they are not amazed. Then the performer comments that he knows it's not a great trick, but it is his first trick. He then comments that since he's been doing it for so many years, he's got it perfected. To the surprise of the on lookers, your thumb falls completely off your hands and falls on the table. Method:      As you may have guessed, all you really need to perform this routine is the old reliable thumb tip. Get the T tip on your right hand thumb just like you normally would. When you're ready to perform this effect. Remove the T tip from your thumb and hold it in finger palm just as you would when vanishing a silk. This allows you to use that same hand to do the old taking off the thumb trick. So it'll seem that you are removing your left thumb. (I don't think I'll have to go into detail of how to do the old thumb trick).      While you're performing this, look at the faces of the audience as if they are suppose to be astonished. When you realize they are not at all amazed, look at them as you say something along the lines of "I've been practicing this trick for years". While you are talking, put the T tip back on your thumb and hold it as if you where still doing the old thumb trick.      Get closer to one of the spectators, try and choose the one most likely to scream. Then draw attention you're your thumb again. Then make a removing the thumb action as you allow the T tip to fall to the table (Or floor). As the thumb falls off, make an outward burst of noise such as "Aaaah". As if your thumb fell off to even your surprise. This loud sound will heighten the effect of the surprise and will cause them to scream a little more.  After thoughts:     Don't let the simple ness of this effect fool you. It is a very funny and memorable happening. Especially when you get a real screamer. If you are performing this in a restaurant or club, it's a good idea to make sure no one has a drink in his or her hand. Or someone may get pretty wet.     Some may wonder if it's proper in magic to let them see a thumb tip out in the open. Similar questions have been given to other magician's props. (Doc Eason's effect with a double facer comes to mind. In his effect two cards fuse together as one). The props exposed aren't exposed as a method. So it doesn't fall into the realm of an exposure. In this effect, the T tip is actually a site gag. So it's use as a prop isn't exposed. If you really worried about it though (and i have never been called on it in the 5 years I've been performing this trick), you could substitute the Thumb tip for a fake thumb from a toy or something.

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