This will be a recycling themed magic routine, but can also be used as a Time Machine!

Webpage for the Green Machine... http://www.axtell.com/gm.html

Okay, already! My wife says my Christmas stockings are getting full! Old man puppet! Huggable monster! and now a cool looking, super hot themed trick! Get thee behind me! Temptation, temptation!

This GREEN MACHINE is worth adding to the Christmas list...it's a square circle concept but with a Recycling spinner on the front to give the magical transformations visual impact...and you can un-recycle showing it backwards... very fun.

Also for your non-recycle shows it can be used as the TIME MACHINE and can take objects forward and backwards in time!

Our unique routines will allow for you to show the Box and the Can empty at the end of your show at the same time. : )

Ax

Very nice, Steve! It's much bigger than I expected. It looks like a large enough load to produce a Wild Thing. After all, trash tends to become a Wild Thing in our houses. Soon it will be all over the earth as well!

At Christmas you could talk about "recycling" toys you no longer play with by giving them to thrift stores or toy drives. Put them in the "repair shop" for a touch up before giving them away.

Loved your presentation. It's obvious that we can easily get 4 or 5 minutes out of this in a hot topic show.

Lol... "You did it again"... haha

Yes Tony you could produce a small hand puppet or live bunny at the end of the recycling (before the dump)... and introduce "recycle rabbit!"....

We will provide the spinning sound effects as mp3s for your sound system if desired. (like we did our meter).

It will fit in a 12x12x12" box.

It has a whole different life and routine as "THE TIME MACHINE" where you can take objects forward and backwards in time (spin the arrows)... Magician and author Shawn McMaster is writing that routine right now.


Keep your comments coming....

The squared circle has always been popular with my audiences, this will be an even bigger hit (once I'm able to afford it).

How about an optional stand that would hold the Recycler? It could have a roll down sign that velcros to the front legs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

Another great R for recycling is refuse. Refuse that bag to hold your shopping purchases. Refuse the straw at the restaurant. Refuse to buy new when you can buy used. If we don't refuse we have too much REfuse!

Along with the 3 r's of reduce, reuse, and recycle you could add repair. After having done the recycling trick keep it on stage to "repair" other tricks that break, such as the broken wand, broken fan, cut and restored, etc. You wouldn't need a duplicate for them. Just place the broken version inside and then pull it out repaired.

Plastic drink bottles are not recycled into more drink bottle. In Canada, we recycle them into other plastic products like vest insulation and platic drink trays. Under health rules, you can't reuse drink containers as drink containers because of possible contamination.

GREAT!!!!

Is this trick angle proof?
And when will it be ready?

Thanks and keep up the good work!

Neale... I didn't see that in my research. I wonder if that's just Canada. This page of facts shows (below) that they do recycle them into many items including bottles again..

Well just as easy to turn it into a plastic toy or something... I'm make a note of that in the instructions and might change that in the video.

I'm sure world-wide there are many exceptions and facts that will differ, but thank you for pointing that out. I am no recycling expert....just making cool tools for you guys to do the fun stuff.

Ax
_______________________________

The Recycling Process
http://earth911.com/plastic/plastic-bottles/how-plastic-bottles-are-recycled/

1. After bottles are collected, they are taken to a materials recovery facility (MRF) where they are condensed into large bales for shipping. Each bale weighs from 800 to 1,200 pounds and can contain any wherefrom 6,400 to 9,600 beverage, food and/or non-food bottles.
2. Bales are shipped to a plastics reclaimer where a machine called a bale breaker rips apart the bales. The bottles and containers are then optically sorted by resin and sometimes color. The pieces then go through a machine where they are shredded into tiny flakes like paper in a paper shredder, according to Tom Lauria, vice president of the International Bottled Water Association.
3. The flakes are then washed, dried and melted.
4. The melted plastic is extruded into pellets which are sold to end markets and can be made into various plastic products. From here, the possibilities are endless, Lauria said.
5. In many PET applications the plastic is often spun into a very fine thread-like material through a process paralleling the spinning of cotton candy. This can be used to make carpets, clothing or filling for jackets and quilts. The thin plastic has good insulation properties. For plastics such as HPDE, PP or other resins, the pellets are melted and extruded into plastic lumber or pipe, and can be further blowmolded into plastic bottles, or injection molded or thermoformed into plastic containers, garden products, sheet and packaging.

Green Machine Video - WoW!
November 5 2009, 8:20 AM

Hi Steve,

What a cool magic prop. Ok I know what most of you are thinking nothing new right, just a square circle with something that spins on the front. Wrong! I was absolutely blown away with the finish. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet, but all I will say it that it is exactly what Steve said in the description!

Very very cool. My question is how big is the load space Steve? Can you get quite a bit of stuff inside easily. On most square circle's the load chamber is about the size of *** ****** *** ******. Sorry to be cryptic but I don't want to give away any secrets. I am just curious if it is like a normal one except for the finish of the trick in terms of load space.

Cool video too. It's just a shame it won't make the same noise as yours in the video as you spin the front!

Looking forward to any more information you have on it.

Rob

Yeah without giving away any secrets you have load space of lots of stuff. 8" diameter x 9.5" high.

I hope to see one of you with a video producing a live bunny from the same load as "recycle rabbit" right before going into the "back in time bit".

We will be providing the sound effects, so those of you with remote control sound systems can trigger the sound during the spins!

Ax

Hey Steve!
I'm looking forward to receiving my recently ordered Green Machine! I am having a vinyl trashcan graphic that will velco to your recycling bin. So it will really look like a trash can to start. Once I drop the first piece of trash through the tube. I just pull off the wrap and know I have the recycling bin. Can't wait to add to our new show!

Joe that's great! A superb idea of adding something to this!

With a product this new (green) ... we can develop it into something even more incredible. There are 4-5 brainstorming sessions going on with some folks right now in about 12 different directions.

Adding another tube
Using a puppet
Using a live bunny
TIME MACHINE routines (not recycling at all)
Big Production finishes
the use of other magic tricks combined...
and more, more, more.

Someone asked if it is angle proof. Some square circles are best used when the audience doesn't include children sitting directly on the floor in front who are just 4 feet away or so, such as at a birthday party. But, with the lower opening at the top on this one it looks like even that would not be a problem. About the only bad angle would be if you brought a volunteer up who was taller than the top of the trash can.

Here are some ideas for addendum magic tricks:
Paper hat tear
Blooming Bouquet (Plants recycle! Why can't we?)
Appearing pole (Save a tree! Tape a few little leaves on it.)
Lota bowl (Nature recycles water BUT it has to go through a huge cycle. Use the lota bowl to talk about each stage of cleaning water we use. Conserve!)

Vent skit ideas:
Animals complain about the trash in their homes.
Skunks complain that they are called stinky! Have you been to the garbage dump lately?
Birds talk about air pollution.
Fish are "dying" for a clean drink of water.

We engineered this as angle proof as possible. Even from above it's higher than other Square Circles. Watch the video during the water bottle drop and you can see the angle.... no reveal even at that!

Ax

The Green Machine is now available....

http://www.axtell.com/gm.html

Ax

Brilliant, your on a big winner here Steve.
I`ll get one from you soon.
Cheers Neil.
Neil McIntyre = Australia

Use the "time machine" in your Christmas show this year (order today)! You can go back to several different Christmases and show the gift that you received, along with a little story. Each time you get to spin the wheel.

Ex.
I love Christmas. I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of the season is getting a gift. Let's go back in time and see some of the outstanding gifts I received.

Spin and bring out a fruitcake. "They say you are what you eat. This might be the reason I became a ventriloquist!"
Spin again and bring out a photo of a high schooler. "Oh, yes. She gave me my first kiss. I'll never forget that gift. Funny thing is, I returned it!"
Spin again and bring out a toy car. "I was 16. My parents said, "You have a gift parked in the garage. This was there. But then they pushed the garage door button and saw a brand new used car with a bow on it. I imagine the car cost less than the insurance."
Spin again. Book. "Wow! This was a fantastic book! In fact I still have it on my bookshelf at home. Wait a minute... How does that work?"
Spin again. Look inside. "Oh! My very first Christmas!" Bring out a baby blanket, or baby bottle, etc.

(for churches) Give it a few spins. "Now we're going to go back past MY first Christmas. Back before my father's first Christmas! Back before my Grandfather's first Christmas! Way back to the VERY first Christmas."
Pull out symbols of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (gold coin, perfume bottle, and small container of oil). "Oh, these were gifts a long, long time ago! Gold, frankincense and myrrh. But they weren't the first gift." (Give a small spin.) Pull out a small New Testament and open to John 3:16. "For God so loved the world He GAVE his one and only Son. That was the first Christmas gift and I think you'll agree it's still the best!"

Nice Tony... it shows how versatile the box is. Well written. Ax

I just received my Green Machine, and what can I say? It's a beautiful prop, that allows for a ton of different presentation ideas! It's the perfect size (small enough to be practical, but the bright colors make it look huge!) and he handling is a dream. Very deceptive, from just a foot away. Can't wait to use it -- and I know I'll use it A LOT!

Thanks for posting Mike. I can't wait to see what you do with it!

I just ordered this great looking Green Machine and look forward to getting it soon! I hope there is not a long wait!!!

The orders are crazy... Thanks for yours Steve. Yes there is a back log and we are working hard to catch up!!!! Robin will know for sure at order@axtell.com

Ax

Does it come in red?

Haaaaaa! That is the funniest five word line on the forum. Tony, you've got the subtle cleverness of the great classic comedians.

P.S. It's hard to type on a netbook when you're laughing.

You got me. Hahaahaa!

So what happens when you put your head, or the head of a kid in the TIME MACHINE and give it a spin? Take it off and....



My idea to start things off is Take a Boy forward in time.... Take it off and he has a mustache!

(This started by Tony's suggestion of doing the Shrinking Head trick, but it didn't work when I tried it. I think it has to be black and white and spin for a long time.) Great idea starter....

Your ideas??

Use a baseball cap to turn yourself into a child version of yourself.

Put a puppet in and go back in time and it turns into an egg. Use a muffled voice to talk to the "young" puppet. Use all the EGG jokes. Eggsciting Eggsactly Eggstra Eggspert

You could also do Ventriloquism with this... take a kid Into the Future. Keep the box on his head and ask him about his Future life. I'm married have 7 kids... I'm an astronaut. Take him back in time and do a "baby cry". Could be very funny.

Take if off of him then give him a hand as he goes back to his seat.

About 10 years ago, I developed an idea to change a production device into a shrinking or enlarging machine. We have been blessed
to present for the same two apartment complexes for over 15 years now. Instead of producing items for a Christmas theme magic
and illusion show the items were either shrunk or "accidentally" enlarged. The fantasy concept was to address how Santa could carry
all those toys, to good boys and girls around the world. You would be surprised at all the possible items that are sold in JUMBO versions
or miniature versions. The effect plays very well, we'll bring it back this year. One of the laugh getting mistakes is when the Altoids tin,
which was "shrunk" instead is enlarged to a huge version. Your updated Square Circle would work well, the size allows for GIANT possibilities.
I especially like the finish, where the parts of the "machine" are openly displayed at the conclusion of the routine. Hope to add this to our Christmas
presentations this year. May God Bless. Stephen Schieszer (Goodyear, Arizona)

AXcellent idea Stephen! Spin the arrow forward to GROW the item.... Spin it backwards to SHRINK it. Thanks for sharing it... Keep them coming.

This video has a few more facts about recycling that we had edited out for the promo video. This would be an even stronger fact based presentation for a school.

PART 1



PART 2

I stand in awe of the Steves -- Axtell and Petra -- their concepts provide so much creativity I'm overwhelmed. The "time machine" is definitely on my list!

Here's a photo of a Gospel routine idea for the GREEN MACHINE from Steve Petra. Steve....please post the routine here. Looks exciting!

I'm gonna get a green machine and them I'm gonna recycle Steve and Mike's Routines!!!!

For Easter Egg Hunts you could show the green machine as a magical method of dying the eggs! Walmart is selling real eggs that are hollowed out and dyed. I believe they have confetti. Slap two of those together for a finale! For smaller groups I saw some Spiderman eggs and eggs with cartoon faces on them at Big Lots.

Kohl's currently has a Dr. Seuss display of stuffed animals, such as the Lorax. The Lorax is a story about conservation and speaking up for the trees. You could produce a Lorax in your show. (They have the book also, I believe, and each are $5 U.S.) Kohl's also has a book on that display called The Green Book. It has scores of tips on how to conserve and protect the earth. It will spark some ideas, I'm sure.

Here is Colin Dymond's idea to use it as a Puppet Delivery System ... you pick a puppet out of a Magical catalog.. and it instantly appears in your show!