Hi. I have several old mail box doors, the kind that use a combination dial with letters. I am looking for ideas on how to use one in a magic effect. The logical thing would be to build a wooden box with a door in front. I could modify the locking mechanism to open on "any" combination of letters an audience comes up with, but I'd like to consider some options that don't involve changing the locking mechanism. I am open to ideas that have nothing to do with the lock itself. For example, some sort of Sefalgia type box where the lock is incidental to the effect. One thing about the lock is that you have to go through the combination every time you open it. The opening itself resets the combination.

KJ

This is what they look like:

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.nU3QN......41&h=181

I'm curious to hear others ideas for this as well. I have a box of vintage combination locks that I'm looking to make some type of illusion with.

OK, I guess the creativity is dead.

RIP

Trisection Illusion Mailbox themed.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w221/......c0d7.jpg

?

OK, first you can't rip us if you don't have any ideas either... LOL.

The obvious things would be Mail.
If you were industrious, you could build a three dimensional Slate of Mind.
The three doors would all be mounted to one face with three cubbies (mailboxes)... one behind each.
You make a prediction and seal it in an envelope and put it behind door 1, then 2, then 3
There is actually a two cubby box that slides back and forth, so you use the one-ahead to slide the predictions behind the correct doors.
The last prediction is a force.
YOu could use the audience members and give each a combo.

-Work the combinations of a few into a prediction/choice?
-If for kids, you can have a prize behind each, and hand out a bingo-style grid with words or phrases (think "Buzzword Bingo") that when a row is found, it reveals the combo for one of them?
-Box within box within box... either by opening each in succession, or with a revealed combination of the next one...
-For group engagements (think group games that involves the whole crowd) there are lots of uses...
-Use them as any other door, just unlocked...
-Work a "US Mail" story into a routine, like mailing yourself a predicted card, or having the card in an envelope in the 'locked' box, etc.
-Create suspense/tension by having something [visible] behind the door counting down, or fuse burning down to "bomb", etc.
-Along with the above, think like escapist, where a key to restraints are behind the locked door, etc., etc.
-A group puzzle, with clue[s] to next combination of next door within, object to unlock last one...
-A way to reveal the 'smaller deck' routine steps...
-Parts of a torn card/note behind each, plain sight, etc.
-As with anything mechanical, depending on show/audience, the boor can be made to open/close by 'mysterious' forces, ...

Are you looking for someone to <i>create</i> a routine for you?