How do zig zag boxes work

The box accommodates the woman though it's a very tight fit. The blades are inserted into the right side of the box. It looks like the blades take up more space; when inserted, the handle fills up the width of the box on the outside: but the blade inside only slices a portion of the box.

The sliding contraption is not as narrow as it seems. Black paint hides a column that gives extra space for the girl. The designer of the box must give the most space to the woman while making it appear as small as possible. Unlike more conventional magic tricks, this illusion relies heavily on the skill of the woman inside, while the magician outside is just a demonstrator.

The role reversal helps the illusion. Because most people assume the woman is just a helpless tool for the magician, few will suspect that she is actually in charge of this trick. The success of the illusion rests on the woman's ability to fit into the smallest possible space. This article is a stub. You can help Optical Illusions Wiki by expanding it. Categories Article stubs Magic Tricks.

In the Zig-Zag illusion, a magician divides his or her assistant into thirds, only to have the assistant emerge from the illusion at the end of the performance completely unharmed.

The magician spins the box all the way around so that the audience can see that the swords really have pierced through the box from one side and out the other. For the final part of the effect, the magician slowly removes the swords one by one from the box, until all have been pulled out and carefully put away. The magician presents a box which is similar in size and proportion to that used in the Selbit sawing but which is already in a horizontal position.

An assistant climbs into the box and lies down. In the process her head and hands are seen to emerge from holes in one end of the box and her feet from the other.

Illusion: There are six bags on the table, one of them has a nail in them. Ever wondered the science that goes behind it? Explanation: There is always some kind of support or reinforcement. The video below would explain better. The most common trick there is in the book. A woman is placed inside a box, with only her legs and head popping out of either ends. A chainsaw cuts through the box, cutting the woman in half, with her legs and head still moving!

Ever wondered how they do it? Explanation: It's all about the right stage setup and a tall volunteer! The video below will explain better.

This was one of David Blaine's most famous magic tricks in which he turned a homeless man's cup of coffee into a cup full of coins. Explanation: Concealed inside the coffee cup is another small cup, with a sponge at the bottom of it.

Watch this video for a better explanation:. In this trick, a woman steps into a cabinet and then the mid-section of the cabinet is pushed out of alignment. Explanation: Unlike many illusions, this magic trick doesn't require secret compartments or trap doors. In this, the woman simply steps out of the vertical box, turns sideways, flattens her body against the left-hand wall of the box and then extends one hand behind her to wave through the hole in the displaced section of the box.

This is one of the most common tricks you see in shows and even on the streets.