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If one was going to build their own prop for the Square Circle Deception, what size would you recomend for the outer box. I know size depends on what kind of productions you want to do, But what would you cansider to be the average size for the box?

Thanks,

Big D

For a moment I thought you were talking about this:


Then I realized this was a magic forum. Anyway, I'm not sure what the average size is, I just thought I'd share my confusion with the world.

The prop size depends greatly on the size of the load you plan on producing. If you plan on doing a couple of large fish bowls, giant bouquets, parasols, etc. then you will need the inner-chamber (the secret part) at least 2" greater in diameter than your largest solid load e.g. a half-gallon fish bowl of 12-14" diameter will require a tube of 14-16" (and that's rather huge). The second tube would then be at least 1" greater in size with the main outer box another 2" greater than that or roughly 20-22" square.

Filling a unit of this size will prove quite expensive in that you will need to load a small ton of stuff into it so as to justify the size and make it seem a chamber of infinite supply.

I had two favorites when it comes to this particular effect; one was exceptionally small; roughly 14" squared, from which I produced a series of loads, ending with a huge set of streamers (10" x 20 ft) which were attached to a large (8 foot squared) "flag" with appropriate details printed on it such as the sponsor's logo or whatever. The kicker is, when this flag dropped to the floor a car was seen to have appeared from nowhere... my joke being that I produced a corvette from a Square Circle box.

My other favorite was an old Abbott piece of fair size that allowed the production of a young lady at the end. I can't recall the name it sold under but look up the older Abbott catalogs and you'll find it along with some other gems from the past few are aware of these days.

I have owned a number of these over the years
Craig has given you the best advice.

My favourite version was built for me by Gilbert Wells (one time President of the BMS.) It was he he who persuaded me to do my first ever magic lecture to them in 1956) Strangely when they booked me exactly 50 years later they chose the same lecture, though a much developed one since then.

Gilbert built my gimmick 'square', i.e flat sides..not round. Thus it held much more. So all 3 components are flat sided, making it a Square Square! or an Oblong Oblong.
A similar one came from Derek Lever in 1980.. for a 21 Parasol production, finisheing with a very large, feather flower bouquet.
Again the gimmick was square; flat sided

Allen Tipton