Stunts to do at home

Stunts to do at home

CONTENTS
To go to one of the stunts, click on a diamond or scroll through the stunts using the scroll bar.

	Quarter grab -- how to grab a coin from someone's open hand before the person can close their hand.
	Ankle shake -- looks like a strange greeting.
	Stand up egg -- how to make an egg stand on its end.
	Ball on plume -- how to make a small ball ride the top of a water plume.
	Bill and bottles -- pull a dollar bill from between stacked bottles without toppling the stack.

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quarter grab

Your friend has his hand open, palm up, with a quarter at the center of his palm. Hold your hand about 8 inches above his. The challenge is to grab the quarter before he closes his hand.

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To perform the trick hold your hand partly closed so the first segment of your four fingers are roughly horizontal. Slap your hand down quickly against your friend's hand. His hand will be pushed down away from the quarter. Close your hand around the quarter. A more challenging version is to begin with your palm up and the fingers extended.

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ankle shake

Two people approach each other. They attract the attention of bystanders by loudly and enthusiastically exchanging greetings. They both have outstretched right hands. When they are close enough for a normal handshake, each turns to the left and lifts their right leg behind themselves. They each grab the other's right leg with their right hand. The normal up and down movement of a handshake ensues.

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stand up egg

Wet an area about 1/2 inch across at the large end of an egg. Licking with the tongue will do. Place the moistened area against a very small pile of salt so some of the salt will stick to the egg. Do this when no one will notice, perhaps just before any onlookers suspect they will become an audience to a tricky feat. With the large end of the egg down and the egg as close to vertical as you can judge it, place the egg on a flat hard surface. Slowly and carefully release the egg and you should be able to leave the egg in an unnatural looking standing position.

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ball on plume

Okay, I haven't actually tried this one. I saw it in a book.

Set a ping pong ball on the top of a thin jet of water that is rising straight up. The ball will bob slightly up and down and side to side but it does not fall from the top of the plume. Use an 8 by 8 inch piece of plastic from a thick plastic bag. Make a small hole at the center. Into the hole insert a 2 to 6 inch long tube of about 1/8 inch inside diameter. Gather a couple inches of surrounding plastic sheet around the tube and wrap tightly with a rubber band. Place the sheet over the end of a water hose so that the tube is pointing in the same direction as the hose. Tie the sheet to the hose securely with string.

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Aim the tube straight up by tieing the hose end to a stake in the ground or some other support. Open the hose valve only enough to produce about a 2 foot high jet of water. Make final adjustments so that the jet is almost exactly straight up with the falling water coming down over the hose end. This must be done on a windless day. Place the ping pong ball at the top of the jet of water and it will stay.

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bill and bottles

This trick is appealing because one would think that it could not be done.

You need two dry and clean glass bottles. Small mouth bottles make the stunt look most impressive. Set the first bottle top end up. Across its mouth lay a crisp, clean dollar bill. A worn bill usually works too. The second bottle is placed top end down on the bill and aligned with the first bottle. Make an effort to get the alignment accurate. With the left hand firmly grip the end of the bill which extends to the left. With the index finger of your right hand swiftly strike the bill downward midway between your left hand and the bottles. Use enough follow through to insure that the bill is completely pulled from between the bottles at a rapid speed. Surprisingly the bottles are undisturbed.

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See the best in yourself. Make it be your goal to become more like that best. Reward youself for your progress.

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