This one baffled me...

[Roberto B.]

Yes, this is spot on and based on an older version with cylinders. I don't know how he can charge 800 Euro for this??

The Dr. Marrax versión cost less than the half:



I believe the original trick is aclled Mystery of The Pyramids by UF Grant.....recently there was a re-make of it with a Price of about USD 60.-...the name was Sweat Treats:



In my opinion the best versión is the one made by Wellington Magic, where you can show each chip by separate:

[SimonC]

I'm really into this trick now the German version in the if is cool, what's a 'goopdygoop?' he says it about 10 times!
te funds versions look cool too but I guess the colour change is harder

[David DeTenyo]

I like this, thanks for the extra info Roberto. I'd like to have an affordable, miniature wooden/metal version of this one for sure.

[Roberto B.]

I like this, thanks for the extra info Roberto. I'd like to have an affordable, miniature wooden/metal version of this one for sure.

This could be a mission for our Magic Wagon friends.

[PeterW]

Yes, this is spot on and based on an older version with cylinders. I don't know how he can charge 800 Euro for this??

The Dr. Marrax versión cost less than the half:



I believe the original trick is aclled Mystery of The Pyramids by UF Grant.....recently there was a re-make of it with a Price of about USD 60.-...the name was Sweat Treats:



In my opinion the best versión is the one made by Wellington Magic, where you can show each chip by separate:

Fantastic Roberto, thanks for all the additional information! I assume the Sweet Treats and Wellington versions don't have the colour change at the end because of the shape of the blocks.

[SimonC]

I like this, thanks for the extra info Roberto. I'd like to have an affordable, miniature wooden/metal version of this one for sure.

This could be a mission for our Magic Wagon friends.

I'm already on the case

[Roberto B.]

Fantastic Roberto, thanks for all the additional information! I assume the Sweet Treats and Wellington versions don't have the colour change at the end because of the shape of the blocks.

That's correct Peter...no color change with the chips.

Simon...sorry I missed that you are working on it....can´t wait for it!! ....see in the Dr. Marrax video that you can actually show the dice separately (at least in the black state) soo it looks that the method is different than the the one you first guessed.....it looks that it still uses shells but in a different way ......combined with duplicates?......i'm guessing here by looking at this close up photo from Martin's site (it looks that only the bigger dice has a shell that runs from top to bottom covering the 2 smaller dice duplicates):

[Rob Rand]

Just an in-between message to tell that I the following trick doesn't baffle me anymore : Mystery Door Penetration.

I mean the following effect, here is a great video of Roberto:
Mystery Door Penetration - Tricks Co. Ltd. Japan: http://youtu.be/E6Z-yi0pXug

After sleepless nights I suddenly knew how this one worked, and made my own version :
Mystery Door Penetration from Tricks Co. Japan - …: http://youtu.be/pnG2sIyA0s8

But it remains a very clever trick, even if you know how it works!

[PeterW]

Very nice Rob, I like the version you made. Nice visual effect!

[VictorS]

That's awesome Rob, the penetration looks perfect....I still have no clue how you and Roberto did that. Great work as always Rob

[Pete1805]

Great Rob I will have to think about this one

[Rob Rand]

Thank you guys for liking my self-made version, although I consider it more as a prototype, because it looks pretty rough
And I am surprised that not everyone knows how this works!
This little trick really made me a bit crazy, I couldn't figure out. But after watching Roberto 's video over and over again, one night I suddenly had that Eureka-moment!

I believe that Peter with his puzzling mind knows how it works, and Victor and Pete are still trying to find the secret.

[PeterW]

: ) yep, I figured it out! Very cool concept, I don't think I've ever seen that concept before! I enjoy figuring out mechanical things and that's probably why I have such a love for magic and puzzles : )

[VictorS]

I suddenly had that Eureka-moment!

Just got that moment Rob Very2 nice principal and really clever indeed....I think I would make one out of plastic. Thanks for sharing this again Rob

[Pete1805]

I don't get many Eureka-moments,the last one was turning a sugar cube into a pineapple chunk for tunnel of darkness

[VictorS]

I don't get many Eureka-moments,the last one was turning a sugar cube into a pineapple chunk for tunnel of darkness

Try harder Pete, sure the moment will come to you

[VictorS]

By the way guys, could we handed the mystery door for examination ? I`m quite sure it should be possible. For example by taking locking mechanism from Tenyo Glass Board.

[Rob Rand]

After performing the trick you could hand it out for examination, if well made they can see nothing suspicious!

[SimonC]

Here's my first prototype for a smaller dice tower. It stands 10cm high.
Currently it's only one colour and has no markings but functions well for the transposition. Next step is to trial laser-etching the dice markings into the surfaces so as not to add any thickness to the parts.
This is much more labour intensive than I'd initialy thought and it took lots of sketching and head scratching to get the measurements right as I had to take a fraction of a mm out at each stage to allow for movement.
The journey continues!..

[VictorS]

Really nice Simon....love it. Especially the size of it. Are they made out of wood Simon ? Good luck and look forward to see the progress on it Si

[SimonC]

Cheers Vic. They are acrylic. at that scale wood is possible but the acrylic allows for a consistent thickness of 3mm across the entire trick. I prototype in green as it's my favourite colour but any I make would be black (though I could of course custom make them any colour)
My plan at this stage is to attack the colour change in a different way. rather than painting/sticking vinyl on the 'coloured' sides, I will instead change the colour of the dots for the final transposition, not the sides. This will keep all four sides flush as the dots are engraved into the wood, not stuck on and this wil also make flashes less likely. prototype two will be on the way soon with dots...

[PeterW]

Fantastic Simon! Looks great! Can't wait to see your finished version!

[VictorS]

They are acrylic.

Really cool Simon....Acrylic has a nice weight and I think would be perfect for the trick. By the way, did you manage to separate all of the dice as demo posted by Roberto ?

[SimonC]

Prototype one had a removable top die but was a little fiddly, prototype two will be made so the smallest die cannot be removed just so I can get my head around the dimensions and workings. Ideally the small die would be removable. watch this space, my laser just beeped so the first set of etched dice is done!

[David DeTenyo]

Looking great Simon!