I have an old camera tripod stand just laying around so I thought I would try to make a table out of it to do multiplying bottles on. does anyone have any suggestions or experience do this. I want to make sure it is sturdy enough.

A camera tripod is not very sturdy to use as a table. They are designed to hold a light weight camera, and that is about it.

A music stand would be a much better choice. Here is a music stand that was converted for a magic table.
http://www.stevensmagic.com/index.php?ma......d=111837
This thing will hold a lot of weight.

Thanks. I kinda thought that would be my answer. appreciate the feedback.

Real bottles are heavy. If you want anyone to think that the bottles might be real or maybe even full
you should not use a tripod table at all; unless it looks substantial.

Understood. I will go another route.

If you take the legs off the tripod and make a triangular shaped table, you could attach the legs in the three corners. That would give you a good solid table though a little weird as far a shape.

I have seen tables made with old slide projector tables with telescoping legs.

Richard

If you go to a music store you could pick up a stand for abouy 35 bucks. then to Home Depot for a 3/4 inch plumbing flange Than to the electrical dept for a 3/4 inch emt connector. than over to lumber to get a piece of 3/4 plywood stop off at the fabric store for you favorite cover for the top. If you need anymore help PM me. Hope that helps, Mike

Thanks. I've made one from a music stand before. was wanting to know if anyone had any experience using a tripod stand. from all the feedback it wont be sturdy enough.

There are tripod stands and there are tripod stands. Some are heavy duty and some are not. I have a very sturdy bogen tripod that would certainly work to support a lightwieght table.

I made a plywood tabletop last fall, complete with two black art wells, that I attached to an old photo flood light stand. Works fine. It supports the weight of my brahman rice bowls trick (which use rice and water - kind of heavy) with no problem. Matthews makes very sturdy stands for the motion picture industry, as well as still photography. Some on rollers, some fold flat. You can see some pictures here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=......91344043 They would make great stands for table tops.

I reckon the best thing to do for a small but tall table is to wait until Christmas when all the shops are selling those cheap plastic christmas trees that come with a tripod stand. Wait until after christmas when everyone is chucking them out and they are dumped all over the street and lay your hands on two of the tripod stands. Then fix the two tripod stands either end of something like a broom pole and fix a hardboard top on it, then paint it all an appropriate colour of your choice. So long as you've got it balanced correctly I think it will work - the stand is designed to hold a top heavy christmas tree without it falling over so it should hold some magic tricks (but don't bang the bottles down on the table).

FWIW, that table base is made from a speaker stand. I used to sell the for a living. I hadn't thought of it, but it would make a great stand base.

Kudos to Joe!

SO I just ordered a music stand called the port-a-stand from portastand.com it seems like it might work well as a magic table for me. will let you know how that turns out.

Jay marshall build a large Punch fitup around a camera tripod. A large three section tripod, for a medium format canera, not one of the little foldup dinkys that my cat could, and did, break.
Use a 1/4-20 teenut installed through the table top to attach.
You can get a very good looking edge by mounting the table top inside a picture frame.

I did it with microphone stand , it is not for heavy items but I can lay on it sponges silks ..... anything lighter than ~<3kg

Can anybody please tell me a non expensive way that I may build a thin top table for my multiplying bottles routine or where to but them from or any website that sells them cheaply ? Im really suffering from this point right now. And the tables avilable that I've seen were VERY EXPENSIVE....MORE THAN $500 (nearly double the price of the multiplying bottles). Is there any tables or ideas to build tables at low costs ? Thank you.

This is a great method. I've made several tables like this. One note, is that a cymbal stand will be sturdier than a stand designed to hold sheet music. Many music stands are lightweight and somewhat flimsy, but cymbal stands are designed much sturdier. You just need to remove the top portion that holds the cymbal and replace it with a piece of pipe from the hardware store that can be threaded into the flange.

Camera tripods can most definitely be used as a stable table base; my first table was designed this way and is still in use.

The stability is added by putting screw eyes (for screendoor hooks) in each of the four corners of the table and using mini bungee cords to attach the top to the legs; this must be done while the table is upside down and the 'quick attach' part of the tripod (that normally attached to the camera) must be screwed/glued (that's screwed AND glued, btw) to the underside of the table. Make certain to firmly lock off (or completely immobilize) the tilt function. Obviously, metal parts on the tripod are FAR better than plastic...

Just keep equal tension between the attachment points when setting up the table and use a heavy duty tripod, you'll be fine.

Not necessary to ask the same question 3 times:

Here is a set of plans to build a table, a gift from a member of the Café.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=26

Or you can buy the Table books here:

http://www.magicinc.net/tablebook.aspx

http://www.magicinc.net/tablebookii.aspx

http://www.magicinc.net/rolontableplans.aspx

There is no none expensive way, unless you use TV Tray tables and accent tables sold in discount stores. Even wood is super expensive today, and to build any of these in the plans above you need at least a bench saw.

I was thinking about your question and thought I would add. From your question, I have to assume you are just starting out. The best solution for that is to simply carry or have the client provide a folding playing card table. You can make a nice magical table cloth and work off that. Have an embroidery seamstress make you a nice sign to attach to the table cloth.

Then you can just purchase or make a Multiplying Bottles Tray such as this one referenced here:

http://www.fabmagic.com/mubohofab.html

The original Multiplying Bottles tray idea was printed in the Linking Ring Magazine, Volume 80 Number 4 April 2000, on page 87, by Neville Wilshire, in the Hocus Pocus Parade, under the offering from Irish Ring 85.Instructions and measurements are given as well. I am sure none of the manufacturers and dealers paid Neville Wilshire for his genius of an idea.

NOTE: Anyone one that wants a PDF format description from the Linking Rings can let me know, and I will be happy to email them a document for $2.

What about a percussion instrument table?

These work quite nicely, but they're not cheap. An auxilliary percussion table (or "trap stand" as they're sometimes called) runs between $150-200. You can get a decent cymbal stand for about $35-40. Plus around $10 or so for the wood and parts to convert it into a table. At the end of the day, converting a cymbal stand runs around $50, which is 1/3 - 1/4 of the cost of buying a percussion table.