Custom & Restoration

Updated 09-24-2012

Michael Baker does privately commissioned work in single pieces, and small runs. Some of these items are shown here with descriptions.

All work of this nature is done on an individual basis, as time permits. Prices are quoted accordingly.

Custom Work

Screen Production

A tri-fold oriental design screen that is shown on both sides, arranged in a triangular configuration, and a large load of silks, flowers, etc. may be produced from it.

The frames are Padauk. The panels are Baltic birch ply with lacquer and custom decals. There are different designs on each side, as seen. This is a smaller, table-top model that stands about 16.5 inches high. I may make a larger, floor model in the near future.

Okito-style Hindoo Inkwell

This apparatus is used to cause a borrowed watch to change to a potato, bread roll, etc. Upon cutting open that object, a key is found within. That key is then used to unlock a nest of boxes, or some other locked box, where the borrowed watch is now found.

The inkwells are Cobalt blue glass, and the knob between them is to a lid that covers the cubby in which the watch is originally placed.

The name Hindoo, while obviously a misspelling, is the name given to Okito's original piece, as show in the Albo book.

Baker-Tysl Block Vanish & Sewell Block Appearance

The block vanishes from the box on the pedestal and reappears within the pagoda-style cabinet, threaded on the rod.

The Baker-Tysl Block Vanish is an original effect created by me and Bob Tysl. The trick is self working. The block is placed within the box, the lid placed on, and when removed, the block is gone. The box and lid have openings that allow a view clear through the pieces.

The Len Sewell Block Reappearance was made to go with the Block Vanish as a set. The 4 inch block is a bit larger than the one used with the block vanish and reappearance seen further down the page. It uses a 3 inch block. The internal mechanics of the appearing block, are quite different than that used in my original effort. I also changed my cabinet design to include a lid on the top that allows a view through the entire cabinet from a different angle. This feature can be seen on versions by Eric Lewis and John Gaughn. In addition, I changed the front door from a single drop-down door to 2 side hinged doors.

Okito Confetti to Silks

This piece was designed for a collector, based upon a description of the effect supplied by that person. It is intended to be a new model and design of the original trick, and not an exact reproduction.

The effect is this: The tube is partially filled with confetti from the box. The confetti then changes to a large quantity of silks, or other items.

The box is wood, and the tube is brass with turned wood end pieces.

It was desired that this piece fit the collector's Oriental magic theme. I wanted to avoid the cliche "Chinese Magic" look that is so common and usually poorly rendered. The colors were specifically chosen to give this piece a softer look. The design decorations were rendered on my computer by combining Oriental design clip art and original artwork. These finished images were then printed onto water slide inkjet decal paper, and later applied to the prop.

The second one has finally been completed. It is somewhat larger to hold a dove.

I now have a third in the works that is different than either of these.

Okito Confetti to Silks

Oriental Block Vanish

This piece was designed for the same collector as the Okito Confetti to Silks. This is based on the workings of The Norman Block (or Die) Vanish.

As with the Okito piece, my desire was to again avoid the cliche "Chinese Magic" look. I also wanted to experiment a bit, and come up with a look that was totally unique. The desired look was to combine Oriental and Victorian. The logic was that Oriental magic was first popular in the United States during the Victorian era.

Again, it was not desired to create an exact replication of any existing (or previously existing) piece. This was designed as a fantasy piece as to what might have possibly existed during that time. It was also desired to make this piece look as if it had actually come from that time period, by properly aging and weathering the piece.

The effect is this: The block is placed upon the pedestal and covered first, with the frame with the circle cutouts, and finally with the outer cover. Upon removing the outer cover, the block is seen to have vanished from within the frame. It is also possible to transform the block into some other object, whatever would fit within the frame.

The pedestal was turned from Cherry, and the pedestal's platform and the outer cover were made from the same wood. These pieces were stained with a combination of Cherry and Mahogany stains. This stain was then weathered and distressed with steel wool, and the process repeated. Finally, the piece was hand-rubbed with Tung Oil.

The cutout frame was constructed from 1/16" Walnut and given a lacquer crackle finish.

The 3" block is made of Walnut and the designs are retouched printed images that are basically decoupaged onto the block. The printed images were first glued down and then the entire block was given several coats of polyurethane tinted with a few drops of wood stain to give it an aged yellowed look. There is a different image on each of the six sides.

The top of the pedestal is covered with a velvet paper and the bottom of the pedestal has a green felt scuff pad.

Further down, the photos show later designs. There is a pedestal and cover made from Cocobolo, with a celestial design block. The frame for this set is decaled with silhouettes of bamboo over a two-tone green/blue base coat with gold flecks.

Below that is another design. The pedestal and cover are Walnut and Ebony. The block is highly ornate oriental with decals of animals and birds.

Next is a similar block design but the pedestal and cover are Cherry with black lacquer. This is the first one that I have made where the pedestal and cover have been painted.

Finally, is the most recent, made of Mahogany and slanted toward a Victorian look. The finish has been slightly distressed to give it an antique appearance, and then given a nice polished waxing for a soft glow. The knob on top is true vintage. The block has reproductions of magic poster art, and then topcoated with orange shellac for an aged, ambered appearance.

Oriental Block Vanish

Mini Drawer Box II

This was a run of 48 for The Trickery Magic Shop. My version is a redesigned version of a trick they carried called, Mini Drawer Box. It is basically a small drawer box used to produce or vanish a deck of cards.

These are made of Red Oak with black lacquer interiors. They have antique brass handles.

The main feature of these is that they can be operated from virtually any angle, having a novel locking mechanism.

My main contribution was to make a better looking product than its predecessor. Comments were favororable, so I hope I succeeded.

Business Card Drawer Box

I was contacted by a collector who wanted a drawer box that would hold business cards. I designed this box and made it from Black Walnut. Note the curved profile of the drawer face. The back is done the same. I made three of these at the same time.

Production run of 48 Mini drawer boxes.

These will hold a deck of cards in its case.

Business card drawer box.

Mysterious Wooden Coin Box

These were also commissioned by The Trickery Magic Shop.

These coin boxes are quite vesatile, being able to produce, vanish, or change coins automatically.

They are made from Black Walnut, have brass hardware, and velvet interiors. They will hold any coin up to half dollar size.

As with the Mini Drawer Box II, my main contribution was to turn out a better looking product. I also wrote instructions with several routine possibilities. These have received some very nice comments and reviews.

Mini Transpo Card Boxes

These were most recently (2006) commissioned by The Trickery Magic Shop.

These nice little boxes produce a stunning effect. A card selected from one deck is caused to travel to the other box containing a different deck. Not only does the card go, but the entire deck vanishes.

The are made from Black walnut, have brass hardware, and velvet interiors. These are made to hold mini Bicycle cards

The completed order. There is another layer of 24 boxes underneath.

Silk Frame & Gung-Ho Box

This was requested by a friend, and fellow Ring 35 member. The frame is shown with 3 silks tied to the rod. They are removed and vanished by use of the Gung-Ho Box, only to reappear tied again to the rod in the frame.

He already had a vintage Silk Frame and Gung-Ho Box, but wanted a matching set.

The Gung-Ho Box is actually much smaller than the Silk Frame. This is difficult to tell from the photos.

Block Vanish and Reappearance

These two pieces were made as a set for a collector friend. A 3 inch block is removed from a small temple where it has been threaded onto a rod. The rod is replaced through the temple and the door closed.

The block is place upon a small stand with an open area underneath. The block is covered with a tube and a rod pushed through, locking the block in place. It is taken away from the stand. The rod is removed momentarily and the tube lifted to show the block still in the tube. The block vanishes from the tube and is shown to have reappeared inside the temple, threaded onto the rod.

All pieces are quite detailed both in paint color layering and decal work. The front of the temple is decorated with half-turning columns. The workings are pretty elaborate, and there is much more to these pieces than meets the eye! They were fun to build.

Several views of the block appearance temple, followed by the block vanish stand and tube. The same block is used for both tricks.

Livestock Vanish Box

Also built for my collector friend, this is a livestock vanish box in an oriental theme.

The basic method is shown in many books, including Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic, and Science and Mechanics' Handbook of Magic.

A couple doves or a small rabbit placed into the box are shown to have disappeared when the box is taken apart.

This project took nearly 240 yds. of delicate surface blue painter's masking tape to do the graphics! Every color area, including the tiny diamonds in the lid's border were masked and sprayed individually.

The photos show the assembled box, the side view, details of the lid, and the bottom panel.

Pagodas & Square Circles

These are somewhat self-explanatory. The Pagodas are double load production boxes, while the Square Circles hold single loads. The deco-style Square Circle is made with a double grill front.

Call or Email to discuss custom work!
Restorations
Warren Hamilton Dove Production I do not know the original name of this trick, but I believe there were other versions of this trick made by other manufacturers. I was recently sent a copy of some instructions for a Thayer piece called, Phantom Dove Box, and the working description seems to be similar to this piece. When this first came to me, the bottom piece was in terrible condition, and after looking at it for awhile, I speculated that it was not even the original piece that came with the trick. My job was to build a new bottom piece. The person who this belonged to wanted a new base with feet. The main task I had was to design a replacement that looked as if it belonged to the piece. The main concern was to make a new base that blended with the original parts without detracting from the main box and lid in any way. As you can see, the art work on the piece is fabulous. I was also asked to repaint the interior, and generally spruce up the piece. This involved some restorative work where some of the wood had begun to split, and other areas where there were gouges, and other blemishes to the finish. I wanted to keep any work to the original stemcil paintings to an absolute minimum. The load bag had many holes worn init from use and abuse over the years. I first cleaned the bag thoroughly, and repaired the holes with sewn-in patches of a material that was very close to the original.	I included this photo just to show the beautiful stenciled dragon on the lid. This is wonderful stencil work. There are several colors in layers and no overspray!
Pagoda Production Box (Double Load) Here is a piece I was asked to re-paint and redesign, a Double-Load Pagoda Production Box. It was originally designed to look like a circus tent. My job was to add specific features to make the trick more deceptive and give it a look that would make it usable for more than just shows for small kids. The entire front was replaced to give it a different shape, more in keeping with the look I envisioned. The grill front is hinged at the base, so it can be opened to retrieve production items through the front. It is held closed with a magnetic catch. The main body of the box has been given a snakeskin crackle finish, gold underneath black. The base trim and feet were also added.	Here are before and after photos of the prop. The before photo was taken from the website ad, as I forgot to take some myself prior to starting work.
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