Thanks guys for the support. It was a fun project to work on, now I have a fun new toy. I guess off and on it took me about 20 hours to build. Painting, sanding and the details took longer than the build.

I am giving my zig zag a tune-up. The hinges that attach the sides to the base are out of line, due to ordinary wear and tear. Is there a good , intelligent way to re-align these? Is there a better way to attach the sides to the base? (My guys tend to lean while inside.)

Thank Pete for the Harbin tip!

That's great!

Enjoy the master at work!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDhRakSSyHM

Harbin was great!

STUDY THE SUBTLETIES... Thanks, I had not seen that clip.

It so much simpler than any other presentation ive ever seen. The magic speeks for itself, truly magical. It is videos of true magicians like this that remind me why I perform. This is truly something every one of us should strive to achieve

Look at the reaction of the spectator! Priceless!

Good Job! I would have never guessed it wasn't prefetionaly made.

Thanks so much. I really enjoyed building it.

Here is a suggestion when building a zig zag, If you don't need to make it pack totally flat I would not make the middle section break down, make it as solid as possible, it will take up a bit more room when you pack it but it will last for many more years, also in the front supports, use a metal threaded tube, don't just drill a hole in the wood, the weight of the upper box will cause the hole to wear out faster.
Also I eliminated the rollers and used a hinged piece of wood to cover the outer hole. I find the roller did not always cooperate when you need them to.. Finally if you don't need to break the illusion down, formica makes a nice finish, but adds weight. just some things I tried that worked. Good Luck

Good job, Wayne. I'm getting ready to build one. I should be receiving my Paul Osbourne Zig Zag plans in a day or two.
How much do you figure it cost to build yours?

That's great, Pete!

I always thought the narrow blades were suspicious. That's a brilliant solution!

I never realized that Harbin's original folded up...

Wizardpa had a great question for Wayne that I think would help us all: About how much do you figure it cost you to build after all was said and done?

Sorry, guys, missed the thread. It cost me about $200 and about 15 trips to Lowes, give or take a little. I had pieces of plywood and the sandpaper lying around. Other than that, I bought everything. I think all the hardware cost more than the actual wood. I had a hard time figuring out which latches and bolts to use and had to try different things to see which ones worked the best.

If I were to do it again, I think I could do it for less than $200. It really was not a hard build. Once the problem solving with the middle piece was finished, it went pretty quickly. If anyone builds their own, please post pics.

Awesome job, Wayne .. I really loved the "House for Sale" sign.

Next time around, I would suggest 3/8" birch plywood. This is pretty much standard for illusion builders. When properly prepared, the wood grain will disappear. Birch is a little harder to find but well worth the search.

Harbin's presentation was great .. it really makes a difference. It's been a long time since I've had a Zig Zag, but this really sparked my interest. I've always wanted to restore an Owen Brothers .. who knows, maybe someone has got one out there collecting dust.

Steve

Thanks, Wayne. $200(ish) makes this a candidate for a "basement project" for me this winter. I, for one, have learned TONS from this thread, so thank you for sharing your pictures and experiences. I'll do the same.

Thanks, James. I am glad you learned a lot. It was a fun build. I learned that just because you have a good set of plans doesn't mean you are ready to build. There is a lot of problem solving that you have to do. You have to take a lot of liberties with materials that are similar and make due with what you can get at your local hardware store. If you look at all the pictures, you can see where I had to improvise.

Great advice- to be prepared for all the problem solving and improvisation necessary for a build like this. I'm up for the challenge; I have always enjoyed problem solving (make a living doing so) and consider myself a Jr. MacGyver (lol) so I'm definitely crazy enough to think I can do it! Thanks, Wayne.