Does it matters if you rolled the cloth on the roller bar clockwise or anti-clockwise?
How do you prevent the spring inside from jumping out of the slot at the end of the plastic(?) dowel.
Your help and input is greatly appreciated!

Bad Joke - Depends on what side of the equator you are on - you know like how the toilet goes

Probably depends on what blind you are using and the illusion it is in.

To the first question: The springs are usually one way. Knowing which way they wind to tighten will tell you how the fabric must be wound. If this has application needs, the cloth can come off the roller either way (over or under, like toilet paper), but depending on the direction needed, you may have to reverse the roller end for end. This will mean switching the mounting brackets, too, if using one for pin and one for slot.

To the second question: I've never experienced that problem. When does this happen to you? Is it possible that you are extending the blind too far?

The blinds have a tendency to jump outta it's mounting when in operation.When that happens,the blinds will not have any tension.When I open it up,the spring would have slipped outta the interior dowel.
I have three different people with that same problem.

I'm going to assume this is on a flash appearance?

The interior slipage is probably due to the violent release of the spring when it jumps the bracket. The torque is more than it is designed to handle.

Preventing the roller from jumping out of its bracket is something that I had a problem with a long time ago. This is also due to the fact that these roller blinds are not meant to be released so violently.

My fix was crude, but effective. The slotted bracket had two tiny holes for mounting screws that were located adjacent to the slot opening (drill your own if needed). I took a very fine wire and laced it through those holes and tied their ends together, forming a bridge across the opening of the slot in the bracket. The roller could not leave the bracket due to being trapped.

Yes Mr Baker,It's on a flash appearance.
Thanks for the tip.I'll try it and report back.

Just an additional bit of info on flash appearances using roller blinds... Except for the first one I built, I have mounted all the rollers at the bottom. The retraction is faster, and if there is a mechanical failure, once it starts to go, gravity takes over and the trick is not spoiled.

I have also used blinds (bottom mounted) that covered only half the space. Just crounch down behind and stand up when the flash is activated. The appearance is very fast. Of course you must disguise the edge of the blind, but there are a few ways I know of to do that.

If the rollers still create problems, Paul Osborne described an alternate method that was in Genii magazine a year or so ago. I used his idea for a run of Halloween shows this year and found it to be extremely practical, fast, and less expensive.

~michael

Is there a way to find out which issue of Genii magazine that doesn't use the roller blinds method?
If mounted at the bottom,will the dowel hit the client on the head as it falls by gravity and the tension of the spring?
Thank you so much Mr Baker! I really appreciate your kind attention and valuable inputs.

You need some kind of spring to make this work, using gravity alone is not enough!
Also you need some guides for the dowel so it moves in a strait line.

Gravity is only the safety net, so to speak. The spring is the main motivating force, but if it breaks or misfires during the trick, a bottom mounted roller blind will still fall... not get hung up halfway up.

I have added guides for the dowel before, but found they were not really necessary.

I can't really imagine the client getting conked on the head. Just tell them to keep a few inches back of the curtain. BTW - How HEAVY is your dowel?? 1/4" - 3/8" is usually enough to hold the blind straight.

The Osborne flash appearance plan is in August 2004 issue of Genii (a few years further back than I was thinking)... David P. Abbott on the cover.

I'll try and order the issue of the Genii.
I am wondering if we attached a screw-eye on each end of the dowel and using a strong string and running it through the screw-eyes on both ends and securing it at the top and bottom of the framework.This will function as the guide.What do you think?

Can't hurt to try.