Do you want to know Magic Wagon’s Ultimate Block Penetration trick secret?
How the solid red wooden block could magically go through the sword.
This is what I think how the solid through solid magic trick is done, by merely viewing the demo videos.
Welcome to another post from the Info Ruckus Magic Trick Secrets Revealed series.
The Ultimate Block Penetration is similar to the Lok Block created by Ben Stone of Delben Company.
You can see more details of the Lok Block design in Martin’s Magic.
Before I explain the secret behind the penetration trick by Magic Wagon, let’s look into the prop design.
Props:
Two wooden tubes with an interlocking slip-in joint.
On the two opposite sides of the joint, each has a hole.
The front of the tube has a bigger round hole at the bottom, which acts as a window.
A red color square block with a hole running through its center.
A miniature wooden sword.
Effect:
First Routine:
Insert a miniature wooden sword through the two holes at the interlocking joint of the tubes.
Drop the red color block into the top tube, and it stops on top of the wooden sword.
Give a knock on the tube.
The red block appears to penetrate through the sword and drops down to the bottom tube.
You can it through the round window.
Remove the sword and show it is perfectly solid.
Second Routine:
Insert the miniature sword back into the joint part of the two tubes.
Again drop the red color block into the top tube.
Once more, give the tube a knock, but this time the block does not fall out.
Pull the tube apart at the joint, and surprisingly the red block is still inside, but now it is impaled onto the sword.
With one Ultimate Block Penetration by Magic Wagon set, you can present two penetration effects.
Watch the Ultimate Block Penetration Magic Wagon video below:
Ultimate Block Penetration Trick Secret Revealed
After watching the above video clip, I think this penetration trick uses two red color wooden blocks.
One Wooden Block Has Magnet
One of them has a magnet in it.
Furthermore, I suppose there is a magnet inside both top and bottom tubes.
This is to hold the block at the onset of the trick and at the end of the trick respectively.
Ultimate Block Penetration Performance
At the beginning of both videos, they do not show the bottom wooden tube.
At 0:18, Brotherbor opens up the two-part tube, shoves the top tube right up to the camera, but leaves the bottom tube behind.
So is his other demo video, again Brotherbor thrusts the top tube towards the camera, but ignores the bottom tube at 0:39.
There is a hidden reason why he does that, which you will find out soon.
As for Madison, he completely never shows the interior of both tubes.
It is only until the end of the act at 2:32, when he lifts up the top tube to show that the sword that has mysteriously penetrated through the red block.
When they insert the sword back into the holes the second time, without separating the two wooden tubes, that is another big clue.
Now, let’s penetrate into the wooden tube to unblock the secret.
As I have mentioned above, I believe there are two red blocks. and one of them has a magnet in it.
For a clearer explanation, I called them Block 1 and Block 2.
The Block 1 is the wooden cube with a magnet.
First Routine:
Before the act, the Block 1 is already placed inside the bottom tube, probably just below the joint.
This Block 1 with a magnet is stick to another magnet inside the bottom tube.
I guess there is a wooden piece attached inside, which I called it a stopper that also has a magnet.
This is the one which helps to hold the Block 1 inside the bottom half tube, just above the round hole.
Probably it looks something like this:
When Brother Bor shows both tubes at the end of trick at 2:03, I could see the silhouette of a cube-like piece attached inside the bottom half tube in his left hand.
When the Block 2 is dropped into the upper half tube, it stops on top of the wooden sword.
From this video by Brotherbor, you can see the miniature sword shakes or quivers at 1:08.
When the tube is knocked, it is the Block 1 that falls out, while the Block 2 is still sitting on top of the sword.
It needs to give a hard knock because as I have said the Block 1 is held up by magnets.
The sword is pulled out, and the Block 2 inside the tube slips and it lodges into the slot of the joint.
Second Routine:
When they continue the second act, they never open up the two tubes because the Block 2 is hidden inside between the joint, as shown above.
Then when the sword is inserted back into the tube, it penetrates the Block 2.
Finally when the Block 1 (with a magnet) is dropped into the top tube again, this time it does not fall all the way to the wooden sword.
The Block 1 still stays inside the top half tube because I think there is another magnet built into the back wall of the tube.
Probably the hidden Block 1 in the top half tube is close to the joint area.
This is based on the position of the top tube as it is placed on the table seen from this video.
Watch the way they drop the block second time around; they they do not just simply plop it into the top tube.
At 2:10 Madison tilts the tubes slightly to drop in the block, so is Brotherbor who does it more meticulously at 1:06.
In fact in both of his demo videos, he is very careful and precised when he releases the red block into the top tube.
It is because they need the Block 1 to stay put inside the top half tube.
By the look of it, the magnet should be at the back wall of the top half tube.
Hide Extra Red Block
Some performers end their acts, by not showing the top tube with the Block 1 hidden inside to their viewers, like this demo.
But if you want to show the Ultimate Block Penetration by Magic wagon uses only one red block, then you have to secretly get rid of it.
This is how they do in these two video clips.
In this demo video at 2:36, you can see Madison of Presenting Tenyo discreetly disposes the Block 1 from the top tube by dropping it onto his lap or on the floor.
He picks up the top tube from the table, inserts his left forefinger into it, then bring it to the edge of the table to dump it.
Similarly with this video by Brotherbro, at 1:31 he also covertly get rid of the Block 1 from the top tube, by pushing it out with his right index finger, as he places it behind the table.
He does the same move of discreetly dropping off the red block from the top tube in his lap from the other video clip at 2:21.
That’s is how he can show both tubes are empty at the finale.
Lapping In Magic Tricks
Lapping is a sleight of hand technique whereby the performer dropping an object into his lap to vanish it, while seated.
A common lapping technique is to sweep an item into the lap while pretending to pick it off the tabletop.
Most beginner magicians learn about lapping from the popular “Disappearing Salt Shaker” or “Vanishing Salt Shaker” table magic trick.
This lapping technique is also used in the “Tower Of Dice T-247 ” to remove the gimmick.
Lapping is also used in this “Melting Ball Illusion” video to discard the extra steel ball at 0:42.
DiFatta Magic Ultimate Block Penetration Exposed
In the video, the performer stirs the inside of both tubes with a rod to demonstrate they are empty.
But I have mentioned above, at the onset of the trick, the Block 1 is hidden inside that bottom tube .
Watch the scene carefully at 0:01, you can see him making small circular motion for the bottom tube.
But for the top tube, he makes big stirring movement. because there is nothing inside it.
It is only a red block inside the bottom tube.
He just inserts his wooden sword into the hole of the red block.
In other words, the red block is placed inside the tube with its hole positioned vertically, like the visual below.
That’s how he can insert the miniature sword into the bottom tube without touching the hidden Block 1.
At 0:34, when he knocks out the Block 1 from the bottom tube onto the palm of his left hand, he quickly uses his fingers to hide the falling block.
He has to hide the fallen block because its hole is facing vertically, when it should be horizontally.
While the red block is still in his palm, he turns it around to avoid being exposed.
This is what I think is the secret behind the Ultimate Block Penetration Magic Wagon.
UPDATE 2024: It looks my guess how Magic Wagon Ultimate Block Penetration trick is correct.
Watch this recent DIY video clip.