I hope this bis the right place for this. But was wondering b if someone could point me in the right direction. looking for what type of wood the Egyptian water box was made out of very thin hardwood. Same wood a lot of the magic props are made out of the type..I was going to build a mirror box but didn't want to use plywood or something of a heavy density thank you

I think that what you are asking about is called Masonite... A man made type of board, I have seen it smooth on both sides and one side smooth and the other kind of ruff.

Good luck with your project,
Bruce

Smooth both side Masonite, usually has to be special ordered from a lumber yard. Comes is 4' x 8' sheets.

Only U.F. Grant and Mak Magic made magic props out of this material. Most manufacturers use multiple layer Birc plywood from Finland. This also has to be special ordered.

Example: Finland Birch plywood has 11 layers compared to the standard building plywood which only has 3 to 5 layers.

Thanks for the info guys

How to make one :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VXuL0nf_sY

One of the reasons they use Birch Plywood, is because it requires very little sanding compared to other woods. It can be sanded to an absolutely smooth surface with on pores at all.

It can be very expensive as well, it usually only comes in 4' x 4' sheets.

I was a local wood craft store and they had sheets and smaller cuts available.

I had a friend years ago, that went to the supplier in Chicago, and being he had a retail license, he bought himself several sheets at wholesale, and sold me 2 sheets to make my Merv Taylor Suitcase Table. With the leftovers I made several other small projects.

Michael's also sell Finish Plywood in small cuts up to 12" x 24" sheets. The standard for magic props is 3/8" thick. The reason being, easier to glue and use brad nails. Plus can control warping. Place flat and put newspaper between each sheet.

Baltic Fir, Birch Ply, or Aircraft plywood can be found as Bill said ,at Michaels and many hobby or ART stores such as Blick. usually in 6 x 12, 12x12 or 24x12.
The thickness can be from 1/64" (!) up to about 1/2" and altho' it isn't cheap, it is the best material I've found for these small apparatus projects. (Hell, I've built nearly my whole act using this stuff and a Dremel tool!).

Be aware that there are TWO grades of this stuff, with the better one having MORE ply. In other words, a 1/8" thickness is available in both a 3 ply and a 5 ply version. Naturally the 5 ply is better for all the reasons Bill mentioned. But some wood sellers (such as some hobby shops) don't distinguish between the two qualities and charge the higher price in each case... Caveat Emptor!

(I just wrote that in Latin, so I could do a 'Dick Oslund' ...see what I did there? I ended a sentence as Charlie Miller might choose to do)

True Baltic Birch sheets come in 5' x5' sheets, or fractions thereof. It is not made here in the US, so the dimensions are actually 1500 cm x 1500 cm. You almost have to get lucky and find a specialty lumber yard nearby that stocks it, or at least one willing to order it. Expect to be buying large quantities and paying premium prices if this is not normally something they stock. It is what I use almost exclusively. The most common thicknesses I use are 1/8", 1/4" and 3/8", although I have frequently used other thicknesses, too.

You can find 4' x 8' sheets of Birch Plywood (or 4' x 4' and 2' x 4') at places like Menard's, Lowes, etc. It is sanded on both sides, but may contain many football patches. It is typically an inferior product. Sometimes it is merely skinned with a hardwood (Birch, Oak, etc.), but the inner layers can be just about anything. It is OK for making large props (illusions) that are not viewed close up, but for the hand-held boxes where you want a really nice finish, use the better stuff.

You can also find very good quality craft birch ply at Michaels, some other art/craft stores, and even Menard's now. This is sometimes referred to as Aircraft Ply (the stuff that JNeal spoke of). Midwest Products is a top manufacturer, but there are others. It is typically much pricier than buying full sheets. You can also order this online from many sources, including Midwest. http://midwestproducts.com/collections/plywood

Finnish Birch is preferred by some builders, but often for cabinet/furniture making and projects that require a natural finish. It can run 50%-100% more than standard Baltic Birch. For the items that I make, I have not found it any more useful than what I do use. My friend Tabman, used to use it for several of his projects, but for reasons that I mentioned above. It is also used when superior strength is needed (think book shelves)... something not real important for hand-held magic props. Bear in mind that the quality of how the stock machines will still depend on your tools and your skill. No sense buying stock that expensive if your results are not going to be better or worse than using something a bit less expensive.

But, if you desire Finnish Birch, you can order it online, or if you have a Woodcraft near you, they often carry it on hand. Bring two wallets.

Masonite, is the one product that you might want to avoid. It is terrible for machining things like rabbets and dadoes. Nails don't hold and screws will strip and pull out over time. I cannot count how many Masonite props I have had to repair for friends and customers over the years with door hinges popping off and joints that simply flaked apart. It is typically heavier than plywood, too. Masonite has a use, but magic props ain't it! You would be wise to avoid the aggravation.

Baltic birch also has a wonderful quality of multi-ply strength (not like construction lumber from Home Depot) ANDS comes in a 3/8 dimension making it as strong and lighter than 1/2 inch material. And yes, it comes in smaller sheets than constructon grades.

There is an effect on the market called 'Empty' by Sumit Chhajer, it takes the Egyptian water box to the next level. All can be cleanly shown, no gimmick will be seen. I highly recommend this.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tToy66MllhE


Chuck

Neat idea. Kind of like a combination of EWB and Gung Ho Box.