I presently have a Mirror Box that I need to add a wringer to the side of. I was trying to see the best way to do this. I presently have a wringer right now, but it's too small. As I'm trying to wring out my Burmese Python. I was just curious how to add is to the side without it looking , well, home-made. Is there anything, not too invasive that I could add. A wringer similar to that seen in money makers. Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I don't need to do modifications like this too often, so I'm not too good at them.

Thanks,

Joey Brummett

For starters are you sure that you want a wringer that is like on the money makers? If so then you will need black fabric and 2 wood dowels. You will wrap one of the wooden dowels around about 5 times them wrap the other the opposite way so that it looks like the fabric is making an S and you can add the simple wood crank to move it.

I just mentioned similar to the money makers, as some of the wringers I have seen have the cut out in the box and wring it out. These are the flip-over vanish type. I have no room for the cut out to go in, it has to go around one of the rods as my cut out will be seven feet and it's backed up to the side of the box.

Just get two 1 1/2 inch diameter dowels. Glue black felt cloth around each of them. Screw them in and insert / glue a "L" shaped steel rod on one of the dowels to serve as a handle. Position the dowels parallel in such a way that your cut out fits exactly in it. You could probably use the handle of a hand operated drill on it. Or even an old egg beater handle.
This is what I did with my Rabbit Wringer.

Thanks Lou. What would be the best way to attach this to the box without it looking like, well, homemade?

If you consider the handle as just a prop to give the appearance of a handle, you can make this look very elegant. If you try to get the handle to work, you will be wasting a lot of time for nothing. What makes it work is that once the head of the flattened python appears (and it's right there inside the wringer rolls) you just pull the flattened python out by hand. If you want to turn the handle around as you do so to give the appearance that it is a working wringer, fine, but WE know you're just pulling out the flat python. So now you can concentrate on making nice rollers and a nice frame for them, decorated with lots of flashy mylar or prism tape, and a fake handle decorated the same way. Build in some neodymium magnets so it attaches easily to any piece of metal and you can move the wringer from prop to prop, or sell it as a box accessory on e-Bay. I'm sure everyone will want one, especially in the children's magic section.

Great advice, Spellbinder. Making it portable would really make sense. I don't see myself wanting to move it, but you never know. My box is not metal, but I could put the small magnets on the outside to attach this to the box with magnets of reverse polarity. Excellent idea. It makes it to where I could not only switch props, but then use it once again as simply a mirror box when my Python out grows it. Excellent!

Joey -
For a 'realistic' looking handle try these guys:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?Offerings_ID=1571

These are handles for woodworking folks. Hope this helps.

peace,
phill

Scripture, Sculptures and Surprises!

Why not take the wringer and turn the sides- that are holding the rolls- into a set of longer legs on a base, like an L bracket, to set the box upon or against, so the wringer holds the box instead of the other way around. that way you do not compromise the structure of the box with holes or drilling.
k