Magic with a Steel Ball and Tube Book

By Ian Sutz (Magic-ian)

(Prop Not Included)

 This is a small booklet of some useful ideas for embellishing the Steel Ball and Tube effect!

A newly revised and updated book describing all of the routines you can do with the underrated Steel ball and Tube  effect. After learning the effects in this book, you can even fool people who own the trick!

Basic effect of the Steel Ball & Tube: A steel ball resting on a metal tube slowly descends into the tube and emerges again... all can be passed out for examination. You can locate the prop elsewhere on this site.

Contents from the book:

ii Preface: Some history and explanation of how Jeff McBride at the age of 14 inspired the book
1 The Steel Ball and Tube Illusion - Hypno Ball: A more thorough explanation of a simple routine using brass tube and steel ball; the steel overpowers the brass
2 Thumb-Palm Steal
3 E-Z Steal: reprint of EZ Magic instruction sheet, originally from "Sherm's" magic set
4 Mike Tannen Steal: Provides outer plus ball to spectator
4 Walter B. Gibson's "Get A Way": Needs table.
5 The Heat of Your Hand: As spectator heats the ball, it now fits inside the steel tube that it didn't before.
6 Squeeze Play "The Reputation Maker": Impromptu method, no steal required.
7 Chop Cup: Use tube as chop cup with M&M final load
8 False Take Off: Ball is taken off tube - actually dropped inside
8 The Mysterious Ball Bearing Trick: Advertisement from 1929 Johnson Smith Catalog for Brema Tubes
9 Drumhead Tube: Using as a drumhead tube
10 Magic Tube: Place silk in tube, wrap in paper, silk vanishes!
10 No. 145 Ball In Tube: Advertisement from Louis Tannen, Inc. 1940's
11 Dye Tube Vanisher: Silk vanishes from tube
12 Dye Tube Standard: Silk Color Change
12 Mystery of the Ball and Tube: Ad from Neson Enterprises, 1935
13 Multiplying Ball: Use two sets, ball can be removed and reappears 
13 The Ball of Mystery: Ad from GAmages of Holburn, 1930's
14 Multiplying Ball Outdone - A Touch of Mint: idea for a "coin in bottle"
14 Flosso Hornman Magic ad, 1981
15 Three Balls in a Tube: use Vernon's three cotton balls move
16 Diminishing Ball: application of Thurston's "400 Tricks You Can Do"  idea
17 Tube on String, Tube on Wand: Jardine Ellis Suggestion
18 Ball and Tube Vanish: Idea for using a "pull"
18 Vanishing a Dollar or Cigarette: more pulls
19 Rising Tube on Pencil
19 Grasp the Situation (Roy Fromer): Have spec try to remove partially lowered ball. He can't, you can.
20 Vanishing Thimble Move (Roy Fromer): Ideas for thimble moves
20 Abbott's Magic Ad
21 Chrome Tube from $1.00 bill (Roy Fromer): Dollar is rolled into a cylinder and a tube is found inside.
22 The Ball Tube (based on an idea by Walter Gibson): Method to eliminate inner tube
22 Fingertip Presentation of the Ball Tube: As above, but both tubes used
23 Improved Ball and Tube (Walter Gibson): another "pull" idea
23 Ball and Glass Tube (Walter Gibson): Use glass tubes, needs a little distance
24 Severtsen's Subtle Switch: When handed out, the ball is welded to the tube!
24 Test Tube Baby (Arty Seversten): ideas for explaining why the ball lowers and raises
25 Traveling Tissues (Roy Fromer, described by Walter Gibson): Red banded tube gets green silk, green banded tube gets red silk, They change places.
26 The Silver Silk Tube (Roy Fromer): Silks blown through tube come out knotted.
26 Grandmother's Necklace (Roy Fromer): Grandmother's necklace with two shoestrings
27 Magnetic Tubes: Tubes adhere to each other
28 Loads of Fun: discussion of various loads

Details: Magic with a Steel Ball and Tube 

31 pages, soft covers, saddle-stitched, Size: 8 1/2" by 5 1/2". ©1982 Ian Sutz, ©1996 D. Robbins & Co.

Skill Level: Beginner. Suitable for ages 8 to adult.