Bolt of Lightning (Deluxe) by Anverdi, Finn Hauger

Norway’s Finn Jon (Finn Hauger) invented this clever idea c. 1964 and about a year  later Anverdi created a beautiful stage size version in plexiglass and created some new routines with the device too.

Performed correctly it is a real beauty and everything can be given to the spectator to examine, they will find nothing.

Anverdi created at least two versions of this item: this one with a blue ring and wider bolts and the earlier version with a red ring and thinner bolts.  This is the nicest version he created.  Some came with plexiglass boxes and others without.  This version had a beautiful wooden box custom built for the effect and it works perfectly.

When performing this effect I prefer to be as hands off as possible and that is what I tried to display in the Speed Demo.  And this item uses ZERO electronics.

This really is a beautiful effect and one of Anverdi’s signature pieces.

Effect: The performer shows an empty box and screws a nut on the bolt making sure that the audience sees that the nut is securely placed on the bolt. He drops both into the box and gives the box and its contents to a member of the audience to hold. The performer again reminds the audience what has taken place – a nut has been screwed on to the bolt and the bolt placed in a box which is now being held by a spectator. The performer has not touched the box since handing it to the spectator.

The spectator is instructed to open the box. The nut has been unscrewed from the bolt and the two lie separate on the bottom of the box in spite of the fact that the box has never been out of the spectator’s hands.

Effect 2: Show the empty box and place the bolt alone in it. Give the box to one of the spectators to hold and vanish the nut sing your favorite method. When the spectator opens the box, the nut is on the bolt and there is no clue as to how it got there.

Notice: The diagram in the instructions are a little faded for this effect – however they can be understood when combined with the text.  It is a clever routine but it does requires quite a lot more practice and skill to pull it off.

Effect 3: The box is shown empty and the performer takes the bolt and places one of the nuts on it. He than takes a ring and places it on the bolt and screws the second nut on the end of the bolt. The ring is securely held between the two nuts. Everything is placed in the box and the performer walks forwards toward the audience a few steps.

He stops and ask a spectator what it was he put into the box.The spectator replies that it was a ring held on a bolt by two nuts. The performer says that is correct and reaching into the box and removes the ring giving it to the spectator to hold.The performer closes the box and hands it to another spectator.

The performer turns to the first spectator and ask if he thinks that it is the same ring that was in the box or another one. Since the spectator seems to be in some doubt the performer asks the other spectator to open the box. The bolt is still there and the two nuts are firmly in place but the ring has gone.

Notice: Although Effects 2 and 3 would be great to show to magicians you can only perform one effect at a time and Effect 1 is much easier than the others to perform and I’m not convinced for lay people that anything more than Effect 1 is necessary particularly based on the extra work involved.

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