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To jump straight to the tip click on one of the 'JUMP TO:' links below:
JUMP
TO: T-072 Flash Dice
by Takuya Yoshizawa NEW ENTRY
JUMP TO: T-099 Mystery of the High Hat by Shigeru Sugawara
JUMP TO: T-102 Lucifer's Lock by Shigeru Sugawara
JUMP TO: T-104 Black Hole by Shigeru Sugawara
JUMP TO: T-110 Zig Zag Cig by Hiroshi Kondo
JUMP TO: T-115 Ultraslice by Hideo Kato
JUMP TO: T-116 Infinitum by Hideo Kato
JUMP TO: T-134 Vault-Vison by Hiroshi Kondo
JUMP TO: T-142 Lancelot by Hiroshi Kondo
JUMP TO: T-152 The Nostradamus Clock by Tomoyuki Shimomura
JUMP TO: T-160 Fantastica by Michiaki Kishimoto
JUMP TO: T-161 Parabox by Lubor Fiedler/Toru Suzuki
JUMP TO: T-170 The Pillars of Thor by Hiroshi Kondo
JUMP TO: T-171 Merlin's Coffer by Shigeru Sugawara NEW ENTRY
JUMP TO: T-181 Bird Watcher by Tomoyuki Shimomura
JUMP TO: T-186 Antigravity Rock by Lubor Fiedler NEW ENTRY
JUMP TO: T-187 Mini-Morphosis by Angelo Carbone
JUMP TO: T-198 Blue Crystal by Lubor Fiedler NEW ENTRY
JUMP TO: T-200 Undercover Cube by Petrik & Mia
JUMP TO: T-201 Mystery China Box by Tomoyuki Shimomura
JUMP TO: T-202 Prison Box by Angelo Carbone
JUMP TO: T-203 Salt Cups by Toru Suzuki
T-181 Bird Watcher by Tomoyuki Shimomura
(Submitted by Tomas Blomberg, Sweden)
Tip 1: Instead of using the black ribbon to cover the numbers, you can let the spectator place the cards overlapping eachother so that the top part of each card covers the number on the previous card. The black rectangle is used to cover the last card's number.
Tip 2: After you have correctly divined the number of birds the usual way, explain that you can also use the cards to practice estimating the total number of birds in a forest when only some are visible. You have to remember the "parity" of the key-number from the previous phase. All you have to do is remember if your key-number was odd or even. For example, let's say your key-number is 3. All you have to remember is that it's odd. Turn your back toward the spectator again and ask him to turn over any two cards, and repeat this procedure as many times as he wishes. This turning over won't change the parity of the key-number - if you started with an even key-number you'd still have an even key-number. In the case described here there will be an odd key-number after all this shuffling. When he is satisfied with the shuffling, ask him to take the black rectangle and cover any of the cards, to simulate some birds hiding unseen in the forest. Now you turn around to get a new key-number. In our example you know that you expect an odd key-number, so if you count an odd key-number now you know that this is your correct key-number. If you count an even number, you know that there is one extra hiding under the black rectangle, so you still know the correct key-number without having seen what's under the black rectangle. It works analogus if you know that you are to expect an even key-number - if you count to an odd key-number, you know that one more is hiding under the black rectangle. State the total number of birds in the forest. Have him count together all birds, but to leave the hidden birds for last. This adds a small element of drama when the card is eventually uncovered. Expert version: If you are sure that you can hear when the spectator turns over a single card, ask him to turn over one card instead of two at the time. Each time one card is turned over the parity of your key-number changes. So if you start with an odd number and hear him turn one card over, think "even". When you hear him turn over another card, think "odd" and so on. Finish with the powerful cased version as usual.
T-187 Mini-Morphosis by Angelo Carbone
(Submitted by Angelo Carbone, England)
Tip 1: Attatch a small "suitable" coin to the back of the gimmick on the curtain. This adds more weight to the curtain - thus making the working even better. The flap of the curtain covers this coin and can even be lightly stuck to the coin to avoid the curtain opening up. I advise everyone to do this.
Tip 2: You do not need to shake the box once the red ball is in the lid. Instead, make sure the ball is in the centre of the box prior to placing the lid. Hold the the lid for above by gripping the long sides and have have your forefinger resting over the middle of the lid. Place the lid on the box and immediately press down with your forefinger to bring the lid and the ball "that little bit closer to eachother". You should find now the ball is ready to go.
Tip 3: If you place a small mark on the back of the curtain where the gimmick is, you can now use that as a visual guide on how far to lift the curtain up in order to trigger the mechanism. This means you do not need to look into the curtain to execute the effect.
Tip 4: If you prefer to look into the curtain slightly so you can trigger the mechanism easily, then turn the box around beforehand so that the gimmicked edge is towards your audience and also turn the curtain around too (flap towards the audience). Now you can see the gimmick in the curtain better without having to put your head directly over the box.
Tip 5: Try using coins, dice and other small objects instead of or inconjunction with the balls.
T-152 The Nostradamus Clock by Tomoyuki Shimomura
(Submitted by Angelo Carbone, England)
Here is a way to cleanly remove the lid from the box instead of doing the move as printed in the instructions. Once you have secretly changed the time to match the time named by the spectator, you will have to change your grip of the box. Hold the box between your left thumb and left middle finger. They grip the left and right sides respectively but at the exact middle point of the sides. Imagine a large cross drawn on the sides of the box - from each diagonal corner. Where those lines would cross is where to grip the box. Your left hand is palm up with your thumb and middle finger extended upwards and the box held above your left palm from below. The lid is on the box. You are now ready to remove the lid and reveal the time.
To do so, your right hand aproaches the lid and grips the inner and outer edges of the lid between your right thumb and right forefinger. Your palm is facing towards the left. So your right thumb grips the edge of the lid nearest yourself and your right forefinger grips the edge nearest your spectator. Your remaining right fingers should be pressed against eachother so your hand is slightly cupped - as if holding a large ball. Now for the move...
In the action of removing the lid and placing it on the table in front of the box, the inner edge of the lid and your right thumb will pivot the box towards your sppectator. The box revolves one quarter turn between your left thumb and finger. The lid is kept horizontal at all times and the removal is executed in a smooth brisk manner. Your cupped fingers help to mask the box revolving somewhat but it is never spotted because the eye is drawn towards the movement of the lid. The interior of the box is seen as it should be with the clock face uppermost.
NOTE: This move also can be used with T- 4 Die Vision.
T-161 Parabox by Lubor Fiedler/Toru Suzuki
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
At the end of the trick, instead of simply turning the red sponge ball inside-out, stack all three sponge balls on top of one another (red ball being the lowermost one) and push them into your fist at the same time. This forces the blue and yellow sponge balls into the red one. It appears to the audience that all three balls have morphed into one giant red ball. Then say, "Without the sponge balls to excert their influence over the boxes [close the boxes up at this point] the boxes are now both the same size."
T-198 Blue Crystal by Lubor Fiedler
(Submitted by Angelo Carbone, England)
Tip 1: Did you know that you can penetrate the surface of the box at different areas during the performance? Push down on the card to create the illusion of the card penetrating the perspex and then slowly withdraw it, but keep the slots on the card engaged on the edge of the box frame. Now by maintaining a slight downward pressure and keeping the card still engaged in the frame, move the card slightly to either the left or right 20mm or so. The slots on the card just glide smoothly along the frame edge. Now you can penetrate another part of the perspex surface. Repeat at different points if you so desire.
Tip 2: Instead of pushing the card down at an angle, try holding the card completely vertical and then pushing down. You will now notice that the star pattern is reflected on to the blue portion of the card which makes it even more realistic.
(Submitted by Narendra Singh, INDIA)
Tip 1: Place a simple wedding ring on the surface of the box and lower it slowly. A fantastic and a very realistic effect is achieved.
Routine 1: DOUBLE SURPRISE!!
The Blue Crystal is placed on the table. The selected card (let's say the King of Hearts) is revealed by the magician to the spectator with the help of the Blue Crystal.
You will need: Piece of thin transparent sheet. Self adhesive plastic alphabets & numerals sheet. Half inch size letters would do. Silver or gold letters give the best effect.
Preparation: Fix the self adhesive plastic letters, the 'K' and 'H', on the thin transparent sheet. The size of the transparent sheet should be just sufficient to accommodate the two letters. Place the sheet on the Blue Crystal and lower it.
Method: The magician shows the Blue Crystal box to the spectator. The spectator looks inside the Blue Crystal and sees a small object embedded inside the Blue Crystal. The spectator suddenly sees, that the object has started rising slowly to the surface. Once the object is at the surface the spectator is surprised to see the two letters "K H", the King of Hearts. His selected card. The magician asks the spectator to pick up the letters (the K H). The spectator touches the surface of the Blue Crystal while he is picking up the letters "K H" he is once again surprised! to find that the Blue Crystal is a sold Mass.
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA) NEW ENTRY
Tip 1: I do this trick without using the playing card at all (I personally think the card looks gimmicked) but instead use the piece of blue plastic to penetrate the Blue Crystal "surface". You can push the blue plastic piece into the crystal from any angle and since it's transparent the illusion is even more startling.
T-160 Fantastica by Michiaki Kishimoto
(Submitted by Angelo Carbone, England)
Tip 1: You can also shrink a card. Place a minature Eight of Hearts face up inside Fantastica. Shake it out quite quickly in order for the card to visually snrink as it falls out.
Routine 1: A prediction card is 'openly inserted face up' into a frame and yet visually changes to match a chosen card.
Set Up: Have the Eight of Hearts (duplicate of Fantastica gimmicked card) as the top card of the face down deck with the two black Tens (or any black two of a kind) face down below the Eight. The Fantastica frame is gimmicked side down on the table with the opening towards the spectator.
Performance: Shuffle the deck but retain the top three cards in the same order. Hold the deck in dealing grip in your left hand. Say you will use the top card as your prediction card, which has been randomly chosen due to the shuffle. Turn over the top card (8H) and leave it face up on the deck. Say you will isolate the prediction in a transparent frame. Pick it up with your right hand at the sealed end and let it hang - opening downwards. Turn your wrist to show both sides. As you do this, push off the top two cards to the right slightly in order to get a break with your little finger. Immediately square the cards up retaining the break.
Bring the frame - parallel to the floor (gimmicked side down) towards the inner end of the deck. Insert the top two cards as one into the frame by moving your left hand back towards the frame. This will be easy to do because of the break. The deck now ends up directly below the frame. Grip the sides of the frame in your left hand and show the face of the card in the frame towards your spectator. The only reason you do this is to cause the frame to be in a vertical position so that the gimmicked side will now show the full card. Revolve your left hand to its former position (ie: palm up with deck in hand and frame on deck). Make sure you do not accidently cause the gimmicked card in frame to disappear.
With your right hand, grab the long edges of the frame from above (forefinger resting lightly on face of frame). DO NOT MOVE your right hand now as your left hand removes the deck from under the frame and turns the deck face up by turning palm down. Your left hand continues moving and places the deck face up on the table in front of you but way over to your right. You should now find that your left forearm is masking the frame in your right hand. Now two things happen at once. As soon as the deck touches the table, ribbon spread it from right to left to reveal all the cards are different. As soon as the frame is hidden by your forearm, place the frame flat on the table but turn it over in the process. Gimmicked side now uppermost. So the turnover move is not seen because your spectator is drawn to you ribbon spreading the cards and the fact that your left forearm hides the moment anyway.
Close up the deck and force the top card (the other black Ten) in anyway you choose but do not have the card looked at yet. Place the forced selected card face down on the table. The deck remains face down in dealing grip in your left hand. State that the prediction will match the selected card. Turn the card over, but it does not match. Say no problem! Click your fingers above the frame, pick it up keeping it horizontal. Shake out the two cards as one onto the deck. You wil have to do this hard and quickly. A black Ten lands on the deck and the face down card which was below it, blends in with the face down deck. Place the frame on the table. Thumb off the face up card next to the tabled card and table the deck too.
T-115 Ultraslice by Hideo Kato
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Tip 1: If you do not wish to promote cigarettes and smoking, golf pencils fit perfectly well into the case.
(Submitted by Mike Ihrig, USA)
Tip 1: Spray the top of the Ultra Slice gently with silicon spray. It turns very easy and therefore less "noisy".
Tip 2: (See Zig Zag Routine below for an additional idea.)
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Tip 1: Golf pencils fit inside this case very well. These pencils have a smaller width than cigarettes, so eight will fit into the case. Despite this, ONLY USE SEVEN or you will jam the gimmick shut. Also, the pencils must be inserted with the points toward the back of the case. Follow these two rules and Infinitum will produce golf pencils for you for years to come.
T-110 Zig Zag Cig by Hiroshi Kondo
(Submitted by Mike Ihrig, USA)
Requirements: 1) Two identical boxes of crayons, or one box and one extra crayon matching a crayon in the box. 2) A razor blade knife. 3) Tenyo's Ultra Slice. 4) Tenyo's Zig Zag Cig.
Preparation: Pick out a crayon colour that you like for example a red one. Remove the three cut pieces from the Zig Zag Cig. Starting at the TOP of the crayon, cut it to the exact size of the three pieces. The third piece (bottom) will have to be cut twice as it will be too long. Place the pieces properly into the Zig Zag Cig case and close it so they are hidden. NOTE: Have all of the writing lined straight and facing up. This is very important. Take the duplicate red crayon and cut enough from the BOTTOM of the crayon as to allow it to fit into the Zig Zag Cig as the whole one did. Remove it from the Zig Zag Cig. Remove the cigarettes from the Ultra Slice and place the whole red crayon, along with numerous other color crayons inside it until it is full. This prepares it for normal use.
Routine: Start with Ultra Slice. Perform it as if it were normal, but with crayons. After the effect is over, put away the device and keep out the crayons. Place an equal number of crayons in each hand and have the spectator "touch a hand". If the red crayon is in that hand, keep it. If not, discard those crayons. Take two crayons in the empty hand and continue the process of "elimination" until the red crayon is the only one remaining. NOTE: This is called "magician's choice".
Bring the Zig Zag Cig case into view. Place the remaining red crayon into it, making sure the writing is facing up. Do the cutting and dump out the three pieces onto the table. The pieces can be examined, if desired. Place them back into the Zig Zag Cig case, keeping the writing facing up. Quickly close the box (make sure they are watching) and dump the whole crayon out. It looks as if it instantly welded back together!
T-170 The Pillars of Thor by Hiroshi Kondo
(Submitted by Zhu Chuan, SINGAPORE)
Tip 1: The instructions says to use a card to "cut" the string, but to make it more realistic that you are really cutting the string, use a pair of scissors! When you are at the point where you let Part C (as written in the instruction) fall into the lower stick, it should be fully seated in one of the sticks.Take the scissors and pretend that you are really cutting the string between the sticks so that the string is now "seperated".
T-202 Prison Box by Angelo Carbone
(Submitted by Angelo Carbone, ENGLAND)
Tip 1: Do not store the box for long periods of time with the wingnuts screwed tightly as this will cause the sides of the box to bow in slightly.
Tip 2: It is possible to perform this effect without the handkerchief and use your face down hand as a means of cover instead. Just use your fingers of the hand which is holding the box to do all the work while your other hand remains motionless above the box.
Tip 3: You can use any object which has a hole instead of a finger ring, as long as it is reasonably the same on each side and that the object is symmetrical. You could use mints/sweets with holes, large beads, tie a small silk around the bar, a hoop earring, or as a last resort a small piece of paper which has the middle torn out to form a ring.
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Tip 1: Use three rings instead of one - two silver and one gold. Put the two silver ones on either end and the gold one in the middle. Explain that the gold ring is a thief who is known for his ability to escape from any prison. Because of this, two guards (the silver rings) have been stationed to guard him. Cover the box with the handkerchief and engage the gimmick. When you take the cloth away the gold and one of the silver rings have transposed- the thief has escaped and trapped one of the guards in his cell!
T-200 Undercover Cube by Petrik & Mia
(Submitted by Angelo Carbone, ENGLAND)
Tip 1: I believe it is best to use a teapcup or a cappucino cup instead of a larger mug (or any cover/container which is short in height) as this will aid in disguising the movements of the cup under the handkerchief.
Tip 2: Use a very large cloth or foulard.
Tip 3: You can start out clean prior to the effect. Make sure you are wearing long sleeves and have the gimmick inside one of your sleeves. Have the orange cube in the clear box from the beginning. Remove the cube from the box and close the box. Show the cup empty and place it mouth down. Cover everything with a cloth to run through what the spectator needs to do. Make sure part of your sleeves remain hidden underneath aswell. Undercover of the cloth, steal the gimmick from your sleeve and carry on as per the instructions.
Tip 4: You can customize the orange cube with stickers or by using a permanent marker pen - to link to any particular theme eg: Pokemon, or simple spots so it resembles a die.
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Routine: Place the crystal box (with the gimmick inside and the lid on) on the table and the orange cube next to it. Ask for a volunteer. Ask the volunteer to place his hands behind his back. Go behind the volunteer's back and place the orange cube in your pocket *. Remove the lid from the box and place it in the volunteer's left hand. Remove the gimmick and place that in the spectator's left hand (the spectator will think it's the orange cube). Hand him the empty box in his right hand. Step back in front of the spectator and tell him to place the cube into the box and then to place the lid on the box. Tell him that after he's done that to close his hand around the box and bring it to the front. Make a magical gesture and tell the spectator to open his hand. Naturally it will appear that the cube has vanished. You may then produce the cube from your pocket or Instead of putting the orange cube in your pocket.
* Or instead of putting it in your pocket, palm it instead. After they've put the fake in the box and brought it around to the front with their hand closed around it, put the hand with the palmed cube under theirs and tap the top of their hand with your empty hand. Then, drop the cube to the floor. It will appear that the cube has penetrated right through the box and both of your hands.
(Submitted by Paul Wilson, ENGLAND)
There is no mug in this routine, just the supplied props and an opaque handkerchief.
Routine: Lay the hanky flat on the table. In your pocket is the box, with the orange cube inside, and the gimmick. Palm the gimmick and remove the box, emptying the cube onto the hanky and laying the empty box beside it.
Ask if they would please place the cube into the box and close the lid. "Very good. Do you think you could do that blindfolded?" When they say they could, state you will not blindfold their eyes, only their hands. Remove the cube from the box (the gimmick is still palmed), place the lid on the box and place this under the hanky.
Now take the cube in the same hand as the gimmick and reach under the hanky to place it beside the box. Underneath, release the gimmick and palm the cube. Remove your hand. They will now repeat their actions under the cloth.
To finish, the following sequence works VERY well. It seems to open up a lot of possible solutions which are quickly dismissed due to it's fairness. With the hand palming the cube, take the nearest edge of the hanky saying "I will not touch the box at all" draw the hanky towards you, exposing the now empty box. As they look at this, you gather up the corners of the hanky and allow the cube to drop inside. They should NOT see this.
To reveal, tap the cube inside the hanky on the box and allow the corners to fall (so the cube is now on top of the box - the hanky is under the cube and now draped over the box once more). This pretty ending seems to direct people towards the cube and the hanky - noone (so far) seems interested in the box.
(Submitted by Brad Henderson, USA)
Routine: Begin with the gimmick inside the box, however, the box itself is upside down, its mouth touching the table. The lid is on the actual bottom of the box, though it is uppermost. This is much like in an okito box routine after the turnover has been made, and the lid replaced. Place the box (lid uppermost) on the table, along with the orange cube, and the cup mouth up.
Cover everything with the handkerchief. Tell them you are going to give them a series of instructions to see how well they can remember a complex set of actions. Tell them that these will be done under cover of the cloth, but so they have a fighting chance, you want them to see what they will do. Reach under the cloth and lift the box off the gimmick, leaving it on the table. As you remove the lid in front of the spectator, secretly turn the box over as you set it on the table. Reach under the cloth for the orange cube, place it inside the box and put the lid in place.
Show them they are to set the box on top of the cup. Again you demonstrate this outside of the cloth. You "realize" that the cup is mouth up. Set down the box, reach under the cloth, and turn over the cup covering the gimmick. Place the box under the cloth, and set it on top of the cup. Lift the cloth and show all as it should be. Place the box back on the table, remove the cube, and place the lid on the box. Cover with the cloth and as you move everything toward the spectator, "hop" the cup over the orange cube as per the original instructions.
T-203 Salt Cups by Toru Suzuki
(Submitted by Angelo Carbone, ENGLAND)
Tip 1: You can use sand also in this effect. In that case, use a silk that matches the colour of the sand.
T-99 Mystery of the High Hat by Shigeru Sugawara
(Submitted by Angelo Carbone, ENGLAND)
Tip 1: To reset quickly, after 'Step 15' in the instructions where the chips are in four red and four white order, switch the positions of the first & second red chips from left. Now stack the chips one by one starting from the right and place the hat over the stack.
T-104 Black Hole by Shigeru Sugawara
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
You will need: A Svengali deck, a piece of white card stock and Black Hole. Remove one of the force cards from the Svengali deck. You will find because it has been trimmed down that it fits perfectly into the Black Hole case. Using one of the Black Hole cards as a template, cut out a blank card from the white card stock. Remove the original Black Hole cards and insert the Svengali force all the way into the Black Hole case.
Performance: Place the case, blank card and deck on the table. Have a spectator "choose" a card from the Svengali deck (the Svengali deck's instructions will tell you how to do this). After he returns the card to the deck, flip through the deck again to show the spectator the card has vanished. Show the blank card. Push it "through" the Black Hole case. It will come out printed from the other end as the spectator's card.
T-201 Mystery China Box by Tomoyuki Shimomura
(Submitted by Jens Schröder, GERMANY)
Tip 1: Here is an idea where the spectator doesn't verbally tell you the colour of the ball you want to separate in the small tube. You will read his/her mind. The spectator can make the choice maybe by using X-Ray file: You only have to make three special cards showing a green, a yellow and a red ball. The spectator can choose a card and will be very surprised when just this ball is separated in the small tube.
You can also use Mindscanner: The spectator can write a "Y" for yellow, a "G" for green or a "R" for red on the business card, or s/he can use coloured pens to make a yellow, red or green point on the card. Otherwise you can prepare three cards with coloured points and the spectator can choose one of them.
T-134 Vault-Vision by Hiroshi Kondo
(Submitted by Jorge Muñiz)
Tip 1: For european Tenyo magicians, Vault Vision also works perfectly with 1, 2 and 5 euro coins.
T-142 Lancelot by Hiroshi Kondo
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Tip 1: Use the playing card from Transpa-Vision instead of the card with the hole in its sleeve. Do the trick in exactly the same way and the effect is of a penetration too.
T-102 Lucifer's Lock by Shigura Sugawara
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Routine: Palm the gimmick in your right hand. Hand out the ungimmicked string for examination. After your spectator has examined the string and handed it back to you, hand out the lock. While you have the string, snap the gimmick onto one of the ends.
With your left hand, cover the actual real end and slide it to the opposite end of the string and keep your hand there covering both ends. Hold the gimmicked end with your right hand and pull it taut - telling your spectator to please lock the lock around the middle of the string.
Now slide your left hand (along with the end piece) towards the lock and also cover it with your hand. Let go of the gimmicked end with your right hand and reach over and grab the ungimmicked end. Pull on this end so that the string slides through your hand. When the gimmicked end reaches your hand allow it to pop off inside your fist so that the lock slides off and the original end piece reseats itself.
Hand the string back to your spectator and remove the lock from your left hand with your right hand. Secretly dispose of the hidden gimmick when suitable.
T-72 Flash Dice by Takuya Yoshizawa NEW ENTRY
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Tip 1: Use either the letter dice from a board game (such as the travel version of Word Yahtzee) or square alphabet beads instead of the numbered dice. Using the dice with letters, you can spell names, make predictions, etc.
T-186 Antigravity Rock by Lubor Fiedler NEW ENTRY
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Tip 1:Save the small, round piece of sponge packing material that protected the rock's gimmick and use it as a stand for the rock during the routine. Start off with the rock, gimmick pushed in, on top of the sponge circle. Remove it from the sponge and do the routine. Then at the end of the routine, return it to the sponge circle which hides the now-exposed gimmick. This way you can do the trick and not have to remove the rock from view at the end thus eliminating any suspicion about the rock that the spectators may have had.
T-171 Merlin's Coffer by Shigeru Sugawara NEW ENTRY
(Submitted by Steve Vil, USA)
Tip 1: First, remove the clips from the inside of the top lid. You can (carefully!) do this by first scoring each clip along the bottom edge on both sides and then gently bending them back and forth with a pliers until they snap off. If there are any bumps or ridges left over, carefully sand them flat.
Next, get a thin, adhesive magnet (you can find them in craft or office supply stores) and cut it to the exact size of the inside of the lid. Carefully apply it to the inside of the lid. Take a drill bit the exact size of the hole in the top of the lid and with your fingers gently work it back and forth until you've drilled a hole through the magnet (the magnet is soft so it isn't hard to do).
When you perform the trick now you can show the inside of the lid at the beginning of the trick and it will seem completely ungimmicked. Perform the trick the same way, but now the washer will stick to the magnet instead of seating itself into the clips. When you remove the lid, you can then remove and palm the washer and show the inside of the lid yet again at the end of the trick.
If you want to make the trick completely examinable, buy two additional washers- one made from an alloy that is attracted to magnets and one that is not. Use these washers instead of the ones provided, putting the NON-MAGNETIC washer into the bottom section. At the end of the trick palm the magnetic washer from the inside of the lid. Hand everything over to the spectator and he can try to his heart's content but will never figure it out since the non-magnetic washer will not stick to the magnet.
