Calling All Creative Types -- Please Help!!!

[Johnathan]

I am directing the musical "Into the Woods" this summer and I have offered to make a witches magic wand for the prop department. I'm thinking it will be easy to turn something that will work but they also are wanting the tip to light up by pressing a small button on the handle. So, anyone have any ideas?

My biggest problem is I think I'll need a wire to run from the handle to the tip and I don't think I can drill something like that. Maybe I can carve a spiral up to the tip and set the wire inside. I really don't know but I'm sure one of you can help me figure it out. Thanks!

 

[Jim Boyd]

Laminate two pieces of wood together. Put a groove in one piece first. Once glued together there will be a hole down the center.

 

[Woodnknots]

If you run the groove right, you should be able to turn the wand on a mandrel.

 

[alamocdc]

HF has long drill bits... I bought the 12" set not long ago and they work well enough. If I remember right, they even have an 18" set. The only other option I can think of would be the one Jim already mentioned.

 

[pete00]

Well lets see.
You could made it in sections, drill, wire, and glue it together.
That way you could have different color sections.

Not sure what your light source is going to be.
I found a web site that sells parts for laser pointers, don’t remember but do a google for it.
You could buy one of those small pen lights, drill a hole big enough to slid the whole thing in. Leave a spot so the button shows, then use a piece of light fiber to get the light to the tip

Didn’t you make some blanks from resin, if yes try a long copper tube.
Big enough for bat, light and wire. You could also bend this as well to get a
“magical shapeâ€. Wire it up with bat and light the cast around it.


Well that put a strain on my head this morning…..more coffee
Good luck

 

[Spike]

I say the best ting for a light would be a LED bulb on the end. you can get those at radioshack. all you need is 2 wires and a battery. for the hole in the middle Id go with jims idea cut a grove laminate and turn.

 

[JimGo]

What do you mean by "light up"? Is the end simply supposed to glow, or do you want it to project the light somewhere else (e.g., like a laser scope on a rifle)? If it were to project the light, would that be bad? As Pete said, you could use some fiber optic wire and a laser pointer or even a small flashlight hidden in the handle. The problem is that the light leaving the fiber optic wire will still want to travel in a straight (ish) line, and thus you'll get a "spot" wherever the wand is aimed. However, if you put some frosted glass or some PR that's been "frosted" (e.g, rubbed with some 1500 or 1800 grit MicroMesh), you should be able to diffuse the light so that the tip actually appears to glow more, and you won't have the spot.

 

[Skye]

If the nearest person wont be less than 15 feet away, I wouldent worry about a wire as long as its CAd to the wand and it's the same color.

 

[penhead]

You can buy bit extensions at stores like Woodcraft; drill from both ends of blank.
It works for my pepper grinders.

 

[Dario]

Johnathan,

Can you give us the final dimensions?

If the wand is thin, drilling may not be an option. The laser pointer idea is best coupled with laminated 2 pieces of wood. You may not even need a fiber optic...just make sure the pointer runs through the hole properly and aim it to a frosted/colored crystal (of sort) at the end. That will light it up nicely.

 

[Johnathan]

Thank you all for the ideas, I have something to work with now.

 

[TomServo]

Do a silver (or any metal) inlay (two of them)!

 

[Randy_]

Very ingenious!!

 

[CameronPotter]

I'd just use a long drill bit... That way you have plenty of freedom to do whatever you want with the design. I would also just use a super bright LED. The result would be simple and effective.

I like the idea of a cast tip though. You could colour it brown (or at least of a similar colour to the wood) and then when it lights up it would look like the wood was lighting up - although if you used cast resin, you wouldn't want to use much colourant at all as otherwise it might be too opaque.

Cam

 

[Scottydont]

Into the Woods is a fun production! I second the groove and lam idea. Or you can Ebay one... http://cgi.ebay.com/Magic-Trick-wand-light-up-wand-stage-magic_W0QQitemZ6619402124QQcategoryZ14014QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

I was trying different ways to make pipe stems for a Catawba Indian friend of mine. One method was to take a suitable Black Walnut branch, make an auger from a piece of coat hanger wire and bore the pith (pun intended) out of it.

You just bend the wire as in the picture, make it long enough to pass at best through the whole length of the branch, at worst, just past half way. Hammer the working end into a flat that is about the diameter of the pith in the branch. Grind the end into a pointy shape, like the spur on a spade bit. Put the branch in your vice, and crank the coat hanger wire through the branch, it takes about 1 min. to bore out a 16" pipe stem.

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

This is two Sumac stems treated the same way. The pith is larger in relation to the stem diameter and may be easier to run a two conductor electrical wire through.

 

[JimGo]

Mac, how did you keep that from coming out the side during the twists?

Johnathan, what did you decide to do?

 

[Johnathan]

Well, I think that everyone has some really good ideas. I really like the idea of just making my cut with two sides. That way I can turn it with no problem as one. I also like the idea of some PR on the tip and having a lazer rather than an led. Who knows, I have a bit of time before it needs to be ready. Meaning, some time to screw it up before getting it right. [] Thank you everyone!