Kevin:
I like that idea better. It looks more natural in appearance. Just do not lose your eyesight trying to get IT throough the head of a needle. Heck that is so good of a trick by itself I may open my show with it. hehe

I have had more problems with the gimmick breaking. This happened right as I was getting ready to go on and had to go into something else. Any solutions?

I just got a ball that has two shimmering bright LEDs in it. It is as strong as the finger fazer. The ball can be turned on and off by just pressing on it. The IT is totally invisible due to the shimmering bright lights.
I got this ball from a necklace. It was covered in a star like rubber material which I took off. The ball is light and I use strong IT from Chris Brent. The ball is 1 inch in diameter.
Maybe you can find one during halloween.

Sure, it's difficult threading IT through a needle! Just stick at it. One thing I discovered was if you put a small piece of blue tac on the end of the IT, and roll it very thin between your fingers (so it is long and thin). You can get needles with larger eyes - and you can drop the blue tac (which pulls the IT through) right through the eye of the needle.

Kevin

Kevin:
I will leave that up to you experts. I love IT work and effects with it, but I can't stand using the stuff. Just so iffy for me. Always to afraid of it breaking, or losing it in performance. It s not to say you can't do great magic with it. I have seen some incredible stuff with IT, Just not my thing I guess.

Performing with I.T. seems daunting because it is so difficult to use during PERFORMANCE. However, if you use it exclusively, in other words, arrive at a small gathering (party) with it wrapped around a pencil. Excuse yourself to the "boy's room" for a moment, set up and casually walk back in, and wait for the right moment.

Using it during a performance or table hopping is very difficult. There's just no way to gracefully segue into or out of it!

I find it's usually most effective just before leaving for the night. As an afterthought, just say, 'Oh, before I go, have you seen anything like this...?"



Doug

Doug:
I understand your point but I think you are also wrong in this. I have seen magicians use IT all the time and in any and all conditions and settings. Some can use it so oincredibly that it truely is magic in their hands.

They have no problems setting it up right in front of someones face without anyone ever seeing anything. I just am not one of those people. hehe

It is with any type of magic, the moreyou practice and the more you work at it, the better you get at it because it becomes second nature to you.

It is almost the same way as with billard balls. You hands are just not use to making movements of that sort. That is until you have triened them to get used to it. Then you can do the moves without thinking about them. I think this is also true with IT work.

I bought the Light FLight from Magic Max. It was one of my very first magic tricks and I was able to do it with very little practice.

James

I found the ball a little heavy for the gimmick, therefor wouldn't feel comfortable performing it!

I prefer the floating cigarette (Steve Fearson) with a very similar hookup

I've got to say that I'm a fan of Lite Flite, and really enjoy working with it.

The only time I ever had a problem with the hookup was when I took a car ride to another venue without resetting!

Yes, I was knowingly pushing the envelope, but there you go.

As far as a sponge ball, I fear that it would be just too light. The weight helps to stabilize it. I imagine that you might get that feared "bouncy-bouncy" look so frowned upon by users of IT. Sometimes ballast is good!

Yes, there are problems with set-up. You can't easily transition from another effect to this. But it may be possible. I have heard of Michael Ammar switching from one hookup to another smoothly within a routine. Boy, I'd love to see that!

But battery life? I've had mine for years, and never needed to replace it. LED's in general use very little power. I'm sure it'll happen with more use, but when that time comes I will also look into higher-output LED's.

Hope this helps!

I bought this when it first came out. But, the IT kept breaking. The Vectra line would handle this today. Lighting would still be an issue. It's really for people that do stage work? I saw a clip of Perry Maynard performing it and it looked fantastic. I wish I had saved it. It got lost in a move 10 years ago.

Anyone using it?

Clarke

So bald people and crew cuts cannot perform this? To bad!

Wow you've dug up an old thread! It's like 10 years old! Do they even make this anymore?!

I still do floating ball incidentally, but now it's more like 12" diameter! And I'm using UV like I was talking about 10 years ago! I hadn't realised how old that idea was!

I still have fond memories of Lite Flite, it was my first introduction to Fearson's work! That and I remember one Christmas show where mid-float it just dropped to the floor. Oops! Wow I was so immature in my magic back then!

Anyone still using flite lite and still have issues with the gimmick and a issue with turning off and on the flite lite light within the ball, please let me know.
all of these issues are no longer an issue