I have a working version. Now only seeing a discussion is going on here. I have worked making magic stuff and illusions for a decade. this experience made the construction easy for me yet time taking.
materials I used are are very cheaper than Great tommy wonders.

pm me, if anyone have question

The milled nylon spacers (Shoulder Washers) can be found at Grainger.com. They are slightly thicker, but cheap.

Dan

Where does one buy the heavy gauge aluminum to cut out the arm of this device?

If you examine the diagrams of the aluminum arms you will notice that the metric dimensions for the thickness of aluminum doesn’t match the decimal equivalent measurements! The diagram calls for .4”(1mm) aluminum.

The decimal equivalent of 1mm is .0397 which is very close to the thickness of a dime. On the other hand .4” is almost half of an inch thick!! It appears someone put a decimal point in the wrong place!

To further the confusion, the text states “The segments of the arm are fashioned from sturdy sheet aluminum, approximately three-sixteenths of an inch thick.” Well the decimal equivalent of 3/16” is .188 and that would equate to 4.7752 mm. ??? Well the .4" dim is obviously incorrect , that would be too thick and heavy and there would be no reason to stack the pieces using the spacers. I also feel 3/16” material would be overkill (25 years experience as a sheet metal worker) . I would personally use .060 Aluminum. Almost any sheet metal shop would have some scrap .060 aluminum you could probably pick up pretty cheap.

While watching the video, the aluminum arms looked pretty think, like 1/4". Just my observation.

Thanks for all the figures, it takes a professional to see these kinds of errors. Although Tommy Wonder must have used the thicker metal for a reason, such as self support, noise, smooth action. Just trying to think ahead as to not find out to late, there was a reason for his decision.

The books are full of errors. I think Tommy may have done them on purpose to stop you from just going to an engineers shop with some written instructions. When I built mine it was like Reading a treasure map. I like to think he left us some work to do.
I finished mine in April and have performed with it twice nightly six times per week ever since. A wonderful prop!

Is there no builder making and selling (Any version, 1,2 or 3) of Tommy Wonders nest of boxes?

I hope not without permission of his estate.

Richard

And I hope someone has permission to do so
I'm a little ashamed to admit that I saw this effect only quite recently and it's been really a long time since I hadn't been completely baffled by an effect... just WOW (method 3 of course). I really hope someone gets the rights to sell this because it seems really hard to build, even if you know how...

Tommy Wonder gave anyone permission to build it for themselves but not for resell.

Jim

This routine is truly inspiring both from a magician's point of view as well as that of a craftsman. Tommy was an expert at both!

Hi, Anyone know how to make that falling stool?

That is an Anverdi electronic product. You might check the book published about his products. I do not have it, but that may be a place to start. His products use to cost hundreds of dollars, so that would translate to thousand of dollars in todays currencies.

Just make an easy breakaway type of table with fishing line and a stage assistant pulling the line from the wings.

Wmhegbli,

Thanks for the mention on Anverdi. Did he explain this in his books?

Swann, good point, but electronics would be more controllable.

Let's wake a dead thread -- anyone know where to get the clock??

If you can Do-It-Yourself, here's one of the ingredients needed. The other can be found on any old round clock.
http://www.specialtybottle.com/screwtoptincontainersmi.aspx

The old looking alarm clocks can be purchased at the Dollar General Stores in the USA. Don't know what or if Canada has for discount stores. Just check out the clock section of your stores.

Just did a serch on Google for Double Bell Clock and found lots of offerings.
http://www.target.com/p/Double-Bell-Alar......10661792
or
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZKXY7C/ref=......04ZKXY7C

Don't want the double bell, then try this.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045C7X0E/ref=......045C7X0E

A lot of companies made these clocks, Wesclock, Elgin, Sharp, etc., you should not have any problem finding a clock to use.

"That is an Anverdi electronic product. You might check the book published about his products. I do not have it, but that may be a place to start. His products use to cost hundreds of dollars, so that would translate to thousand of dollars in todays currencies."

Anverdi never build a Falling stool, he did build a walking table maybe that's what you have in mind!

Mephisto magic (Belgium) sells a RC falling stool

Tommy used a simular method to what Swann101 suggested.

You are probably correct, I just made that assumption, when I watched the table move on the Wonder video. It looked very much like the Anverdi model I have seen.

I really did not get that whole reasoning for the vanish of a watch in the video, and the use of the table and brooming it off. Just to much work for a single person act to go with for the trick IMO.