Is there any good book which containt plan for building your own props. For the moment I'm looking for vanishing, appartus and some other medium props, but no big stage props.

And are some of these books, ebook you can buy and download.

I like the idea of building my own material, so I can give it a personnal touch.

Can you be a little more specific about what type of props you would like to build?

Something in the line of the rabbit wringler (mirror box), A box to transfort a balloon animal to a real animal­ visible vanishing cage and apparition box. Finally square circle box.

You'll find many such plans at The Magic Nook, but they won't be plans for the props you find and can buy at magic stores. If you're going to build your own props, build them BETTER than the ones you find in the stores, make changes or completely redesign them so they do other things. That's what we're about at The Magic Nook. We don't even expect you to take our plans and build them just as we describe, but use our ideas to jump-start your own and come up with something that may have begun with us, but ends up as uniquely YOURS.

Keep checking back... I'm working on a few book projects right now that may fit your needs

-Bryan

Hi Gilbert,

Welcome to The Magic Café!

Pay heed to everything Spellbinder said, plus learn to draw your own plans for these smaller projects. If you understand how these basic boxes are put together, then you can knock out a workable set of plans in very short order. They may not be the prettiest "sellable" plans, but certainly enough to have you cutting the correct size pieces. I have a ring binder that is full of the ones I've made for my own use.

There is a series of plans by Osborn in M-U-M called Shop to Stage. These are all smaller box-type tricks. They have the basic dimensions, but are not exactly the same as building plans. They are however, similar to what you will find in numerous books. Unfortunately, there is no one single source, and as a rule, the older books and magazines tend to have more of these things than the newer books.

Ian Adair's Encyclopedia of Dove Magic (several volumes), has many unusual devices described for making birds (and other livestock), appear, vanish, and do a few other fun things. Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic has several ideas for props, as well.

As mentioned, these rarely go deeper than a basic mechanical description and a basic set of dimensions. You need to know how to convert these generic guidelines into something you can take into the workshop. A cutting list with specific sizes for the various pieces is quite different than a set of dimensions for the assembled prop.

If you do not know how to do this, then first study basic non-magic woodworking projects. You must have a sense of how joinery works, or you'll have a hard time cutting pieces that fit together properly. You can find tons of these project plans in woodworking magazines, books, and online.

To answer your question, yes there is one book that is published, it is by Paul Osborne.

Most magic tricks are not exposed, that is the secret that must be kept. That is very hard with the Internet, today.

Think about it, you are trying to make a living building props to sell, and you walk in and ask for the plans to build it yourself. The manufacturer cannot make a profit from selling one book, but if you purchase several props that you can immediately perform with, he can feed his family and keep his business going and hopefully growing.

In many cases you will spend a lot more time and money for tools, quality wood, metal, etc. than you did by purchasing the product. I am a DIY person, but I use those talents to repair my props and to try to improve on a product to fit my show or act.

A few more books that have plans for props (in various levels of detail) include:

Eric Lewis - A Choice of Miracles
Eric Lewis - A Continuation of Miracles
Eric Lewis - The Crowning Miracles

Robert Harbin - Harbincadabra

Jack Hughes World of Magic vol. 1
Jack Hughes World of Magic vol. 2
Jack Hughes World of Magic vol. 3

Science and Mechanics - Magic Handbook

Tommy Wonder and Stephen Minch - Books of Wonder vol. 1
Tommy Wonder and Stephen Minch - Books of Wonder vol. 2

Yes!!

The Eric Lewis books are priceless and the Jack Hughes books too. These masters shared it all (for a price of course).

I would also add the Dove Magic series (4 volumes ?), I believe Supreme. Lots of props.

Blair

I've just been through a similar experience, I built a tip over trunk and a flying carpet, etc. These are bigger, but the same in many ways. First, plan to build each prop at least TWICE, unless you are a lot smarter than I am. I would think about the tools you have available, that is a big issue that can define what is possible. in my case there were a lot of art direction issues, the show has a theme, and I want it to hang together, so some planning on that might be in order. I would think about materials, I have experimented with various kinds of hardwood, acrylic, plywood, etc. The neoprene plastic panels are nice, anyway materials matter. weight is a big issue, cut the pounds anywhere you can. just a few thoughts.

The Berg Book - by Joe Berg, David Avadon, and Eric Lewis
Successful Conjuring for Amateurs - by Norman Hunter

Both of these have descriptive diagrams of the mechanics of many props, but not necessarily building plans. If you can convert such renderings into workshop plans, you'll find some nice things that can be built with a range of complexity.

Dove Encyclopedias are five volumes. I have two sets. I don't know how that happened.

Richard

FYI,
I found an old book that might help. Successful Conjuring by Norman Hunter. Not sure if it is still in print, but I used this book to build many illusions for myself years ago.
If possible, check it out. It was from Arco publishing co. in New York.
good luck

I'm missing Volume 4 from my set. If you would consider selling, PM me.

Does anyone have this book , Jack Hughes World of Magic vol. 1

See books and lecture for sale area.

Richard

I have Jack hughes volume 1.

For sale Jack Hughes world of magic volume 1

Jack hughes vol-1 book £53 includes postage. I am in UK.