The Enchanting Magic Box: A Marvel of Mystery and Deception

Step into a world of wonder with this extraordinary Magic Box fashioned from a fine antique cigar box. At first it appears an innocent relic of yesteryear, yet concealed within is a cunning mechanism designed to astonish and perplex the curious mind.

The box contains a drawer equipped with a false bottom and a secret lock that holds the key to its beguiling trickery. Upon the first opening, the lock secures the false bottom in place. One may place an object within, close the drawer, and with the release of the lock the mystery unfolds. Upon reopening, the drawer appears entirely empty, the object concealed from view as if by enchantment.

This delightful contrivance, where craftsmanship meets sorcery, is certain to delight and bewilder all who behold it while offering a glimpse into a world of charming illusions.

I was inspired to build this device by Ron Mullet, a skilled maker and creator on YouTube. His inventive projects sparked my imagination. In the following account you shall find the full process by which I crafted this marvelous illusion.

Page Index- Magic Box

• Drawer Pieces of the Magic Box
• Drawer Front Internals
• Cam Lock Design
• The Magic Box Cam and Shaft
• Back to the Box
• The False Bottom of the Magic Box
• Magic Box Drawer Knob
• The Tax Stamp
• False Back Support Rod
• False Back Push Rod
• Fine Tuning
• Completion

Not So Magic Box – Cigars

I commenced this endeavor with an old Alcazar cigar box which I carefully, partially disassembled and cleaned. This prepared it as the foundation for my work.

Re-enforcing the Top

What was once the side of the cigar box shall now serve as the front of the drawer. I will now repurpose the box with care and precision, transforming it into a functional and elegant piece for its new purpose.

I fortified the top of the box with a carefully cut piece of plywood. It fits snugly within the top to provide added strength and durability.

After sanding the interior of the cover, I securely glued the plywood and clamped into place ensuring a lasting bond.

With the clamps removed the cover is now secure and we are ready to move on.

Certain repairs were necessary in some areas in order to restore the box’s integrity and charm. These were mostly gaps where pieces of the box were coming apart. A little clamping and gluing brought the box to a better state.

Drawer Pieces of the Magic Box

I used wooden strips carefully cut from poplar to serve as the sides of the drawer ensuring sturdiness.

I cut the front and back of the drawer to the precise width. The length for the sides were carefully measured to ensure a perfect fit.

With these cuts completed, the interior of the box begins to take shape. It reveals the structure of the drawer and its elegant design.

Magic Box- Real and False Bottoms

Initially I intended to employ brass plates for both the real and false bottoms, envisioning a touch of sophistication. Later, the bottoms were crafted from black plastic of the same thickness. In this way I not only reduced the overall weight, but also made it more difficult to detect the false bottom, enhancing the illusion.

To accommodate the bottoms, I meticulously milled slots into the drawer pieces ensuring a precise fit. Both the real and false bottoms fit into the same slot with the false one sliding over the real one.

Drawer Front Internals

I cut an opening into the back piece of the drawer front to house the lock. The lock within this housing will securely clamp the false bottom in place when needed.

To conceal the opening, I carefully cut a thin piece of veneer and glued it to the interior surface of the drawer back, seamlessly blending it with the design.

Cam Lock Design

The lock mechanism of the Magic Box features a brass plate/lock that moves up and down via a cam. You can activate this by rotating the drawer knob, concealing the action from your bewildered audience.

I crafted the lock from a 1/8 inch brass plate which was precision-milled using a rotary table.

I cut the lock to length then milled and meticulously shaped it to achieve the desired form.

You can see a demonstration of the lock below. It shows how the lock smoothly slides up and down in the lock housing. You can observe the lock within the slot along the edge of the drawer.

Oblong Hole for the Cam

Using the mill, I cut an oblong hole into the lock at a precise location. This enables the cam to rotate within and slide the lock up and down.

The Magic Box Cam and Shaft

For the cam shaft and cam, a piece of brass was used. I first turned a shaft onto one end. This shaft will extend through the drawer front, where a knob will be affixed.

I initially machine the cam end into a disk, matching the 1/4-inch thickness of the opening in the lock housing.

Using a four-jaw chuck on the lathe, I offset the disk from the shaft. This setup allowed the cam to be precisely machined into the disk. The cam is offset from the main shaft at the precise distance required. The disk behind the cam rests flush with the surface of the housing. When rotated, the cam slides the lock up and down.

The following images illustrate the testing of the cam in action as the shaft is rotated. They demonstrate its smooth operation and show its precise movement.

Putting It Together

Next, I drilled holes into the drawer front to precisely align with those in the cam lock housing. This step allows for secure attachment, ensuring a sturdy and accurate mechanism.

I drilled the front of the drawer so the cam shaft can protrude through. The drawer knob will slide onto this shaft and be held in place with front and set screws. I drilled and tapped a hole down the center of the shaft for the front screw.

A flat section was milled along the shaft for the set screw to impinge upon.

With this complete, I carefully tested the drawer front. It now holds the false and real bottoms together sufficiently when in the lock position.

The drawer front is now fully assembled. You can observe the lock in action, showcasing its ability to operate smoothly when the cam shaft is turned.

Here are some views of the Magic Box so far. They highlight its elegant construction. and show the cleverly concealed lock mechanism that will bring the illusion to life.

Completing the Magic Box Drawer

The decision was made to replace the brass drawer bottoms with black ABS plastic. The dark color enhances the concealment of the false bottom illusion. The low density ABS material reduces the overall weight of the Magic Box.

Next, the drawer sides were carefully measured and trimmed to the proper length. This ensures a precise fit within the overall structure of the Magic Box.

After trimming the sides, I screwed and glued the cam housing panel to the side drawer panels. This completed the assembly and prepared it for the attachment of the drawer front.

I installed a wooden dowel between the top back corners of the drawer. This firmly secures the back of the drawer and enhances its overall strength and stability.

I cleaned up the drawer and made wood putty repairs. In addition to the false bottom, the drawer will have a false back that flips into place when opened. To accommodate this, I marked and drilled holes into both sides of the drawer.

Using painters tape, I masked off the front of the lock housing. I used double-sided tape to keep it firmly in place on a piece of plywood for support. Then, I applied a coat of black paint.

Back to the Box

The back of the box will hide magnets that hold the false bottom securely. Cutting a wood panel, I attached it to the back with screws. This will eventually serve as the mounting plate for the magnets.

Next, I painted various exposed areas of the box black, enhancing its appearance and mystique of the design. These areas included edges and the inside front area of the magic box.

And Now the Drawer Bottom

The real drawer bottom is carefully measured and cut from ABS to fit precisely. It is designed to fit snugly into the slots previously machined into the drawer front and sides.

The back edge of the ABS bottom is trimmed to extend slightly beyond the slots in the sides. Using a heat gun and metal supports, I folded this excess at a right angle. When fully slid into the drawer, this flap aligns perfectly with the back of the sides.

I then drilled two holes in the ends of the flap. Using small wood screws the drawer bottom is securely held in place.

I am now ready to install the front drawer piece . The cam shaft is inserted through its front. Using four brass screws and acorn nuts, I secure the cam housing and drawer front together.

By setting the top of the box in place I am able to test the function of the drawer. It now slides easily in and out of the magic box.

Some Paint Touch Ups

I completed some additional paint touch-ups along the edges of the top of the box using a flat black paint.

The False Bottom of the Magic Box

The false bottom is cut from the same ABS sheeting as the real one; however, I make it slightly longer. It extends 1/4 inch beyond the back of the drawer. I will clamp a steel bar along this edge with screws . This steel bar will hold the false bottom in place with magnets when desired.

The magnet bar will consist of two parts. First, a 1/4 x 1/4 inch bar tapped in three spots to accept 6-32 screws. Second, a 1/4 x 1/8 inch plate. The false bottom will be sandwiched between these pieces. I cut the bar to to length, and milled the ends flat. Using a file, I smoothed the surface and rounded sharp corners.

After cutting to length, I drilled and tapped the magnet bar for the screws.

I made the plate from a 1/8 inch by 1/2 inch bar that I already had in stock. Using the mill, I first it cut to length. The bar was too wide so I needed to cut it down to the correct width.

I used the mill to narrow it down to 1/4 inch. Finally, I drilled 3 holes into the plate that align with the tapped ones in the magnet bar.

I also cut a small notch in the plate at each end. This allowed it to fit flush with the back of the drawer when slid all the way into it.

I drilled holes in the back of the ABS that line up with those of the magnet bar and plate.

The false bottom is now affixed to the magnet bar between it and the plate. I then carefully insert it into the box. You can observe the space designated for the magnets which is situated between the back of the box and the magnet bar.

Mounting the Magnets

I had to cut a new wood plate for the back of the box . The original, at 1/4 inch thick, did not fit behind the magnet bar with the drawer all the way closed. For mounting, I made the new plate from thinner piece and drilled mounting holes into it matching the old.

Small rare earth magnets will be attached to the plate for grabbing the false bottom. I drilled holes for counter sinking three small ones into the back plate. After sliding the magnets into their holes, I temporarily held them in place with a piece of clear tape. This was done for testing after which I found that only two magnets would be required to get a good hold strength.

To permanently hold the magnets, I first used epoxy adhesive to bond them inside their holes. A coat of varnish was applied over the entire back panel, fixing the magnets securely in place.

Next, I attached the panel to the box with 6-32 brass screws and acorn nuts.. Inserting the drawer and testing reveals that the false bottom is held well with the two magnets. The front clamp sufficiently holds the false bottom in place when we want it to move with the drawer.

Magic Box Drawer Knob

The first step in making a drawer knob is to drill a hole in the scrap piece of brass stock I will use. The hole needs to be the same diameter as the cam shaft that extends from the drawer. This will allow the knob to slide over the shaft, centering it while fitting snuggly.

A set screw will hold the knob onto the shaft. It tightens against the flat section I previously milled onto the cam shaft. The milling machine is perfect for lining up the hole location for the set screw. It is also ideal for drilling and tapping.

Then, I used the lathe to cut the knob to the final shape and then cut it to length.

In addition to the set screw, a round-head screw will go through the front of the knob. It will thread into the tapped hole that I drilled into the shaft previously. To accommodate this screw, I drill a smaller hole into the front of the knob. The hole matches the diameter of the screw. It is smaller in diameter than the hole that allows the knob to slide onto the shaft. Finally, I attach the completed knob to the drawer.

The Tax Stamp

There are two areas on the surface of the top and side of the box that were damaged. I damaged them when I used painters tape to mask these areas of the box. When I removed this tape I pulled the original tax stamp and the under surface away.

I decided to repair this by creating a new tax stamp. To do this I found an image of an old cigar tax stamp on the internet.

Using MS-Paint I modified this image. Where the stamp read “customs officer” I changed it to “Artist Magician”. I also replaced the signature on the stamp with my “JTS 24” logo. For the “Port” space I added “Technology Imagined”. In addition, I generally cleaned up the background of the image.

The next step was to print this stamp image onto a piece of blue construction paper. This was the type of paper that the original stamp was made from.

I then weathered the printed tax stamp using water. I also repeatedly ran it over the corner of a table edge and generally beat it up.

The stamp is now ready to be glued to the box so I can cover those damaged areas. After the glue dried, I used a razor cut through the slot between the top and side of the box. This allows me to remove the top without damaging the stamp.

To complete the application, I first separated the magic box pieces. I then applied a layer of flat polyurethane to all of the surfaces. Coating the stamp in this way blended it with the rest of the surface.

Adding a False Back to the Drawer

The Magic Box project has made great progress, but one issue remains. When the object meant to disappear is hidden inside the box, it remains visible. If you look toward the back of the drawer, it’s open to the inside of the box. The object resting on the magnetically held false bottom is completely visible when viewed from the right angle.

To solve this, we’ll add a false back that flips down as the drawer opens. This will hide the object from view. When building the drawer, I pre-drilled holes in the back sides of the box. These will serve now as mounting points for the false back. The top holes will support a rod running across the top of the drawer. The false back will be screwed to this rod. This allows it to pivot up and down. The bottom holes will hold stops for the false back to rest against when in the down position. The false back will finally complete the illusion of the Magic Box.

The holes are tapered and will use 6-32 tapered brass screws for both the rod and the stops. Before I make the back support rod, I am going to add the false back stops to the bottom holes.

The stops themselves will be made from 1/4 inch brass rod that I will drill and tap. This will make small cylindrical nuts that the back will rest against when in the down position. There is one stop at the bottom of each side of the drawer. I made the stop nuts using the lathe.

Attaching the Stops

After two bottom stops are made, I inserted screws through the bottom holes. Then, I threaded the stops onto the screws protruding inside the box.

For the top rod supports, longer 1/4 inch cylinders are tapped and longer screws are used. Screws extend out of these 1/2 inch long cylinders after fully threaded into position. The support rod itself rotates around the screws while suspended between the cylinders.

After completing, I test mounted the two cylinders, attaching them through the top holes with the longer screws.

False Back Support Rod

I made the support rod from 1/4 inch square brass. Having a flat surface, the square rod allows for more stable mounting of the false back.

Once rough cut on the band saw, I milled the ends of the brass flat. This also adjusts the length to just fit between the 1/2 inch cylinders on either side of the box.

I used the milling machine to drill and tap two 6-32 threaded holes along the length of the rod. These holes are attachment points for the false back.

Both ends of the support rod are drilled along the axis. This allows the rod to spin freely when mounted between the screws and cylinders seen above. I centered the square rod on the lathe in a four jaw chuck then drilled the holes. After removing it from the lathe, I then finished the rod by cleaning it up with 400 grit sand paper.

Once completed, the rod is mounted between the cylinders. It now spins freely and is ready for the false back.

The False Back Piece (First Attempt)

Now we’re on to making the false back itself. My first attempt was to make it from 1/4 inch poplar. While this didn’t work, we’ll go through it to see why. First, I ripped the poplar to width and cut to length.

Next, I drilled holes into the top of the back that line up with those in the support rod.

I spray painted the inside of the back black to match the rest of the drawer. I varnished the outside of the back, then mounted to the support rod after it was dry.

After mounting, the false back can swing freely over a 90 degree angle.

False Back Push Rod

The false back of the magic box will be pushed up every time the drawer is closed. A rod mounted to the back of the box serves this task. I made the push rod from brass tubing in order to keep the weight down.

I also machined an aluminum support block that will mount to the back of the box. This block is drilled to the same diameter as the brass tube so it can be inserted. I also drilled holes into the block for mounting to the box.

Once drilled, the block is cleaned up with a file . You can also see the final location for the block and tube being demonstrated.

As is, the tube will catch on the false back when closing the drawer. This is because the tube has a sharp edge around the circumference at the end. To fix this I machined a brass plug using the lathe that will insert into the end of the tube. I rounded the front end of the plug on the lathe with a file. This enables it to glide easily across the surface of the false back as the drawer is closed.

With the plug completed I insert into that tube and solder it in place.

Cutting the Push Rod to Length

I can now cut the tube to the correct length. This ensures that the false back will flip into place just before the drawer is all the way open. This hides the magically disappeared object from view while allowing it to pass underneath when closing the drawer.

For mounting the aluminum block, I carefully measured the position. I first drilled holes into the magnet support plate. Then I remounted the magnet plate to the back of the box.

The holes in the magnet plate act as a guide for drilling through the outside back of the box. After these holes are completed, I attach the tube and block to the box using brass screws.

A False Problem

During testing of the false back, I encountered an issue with it’s thickness. When the top of the box is in place, the false back hits the lid. This prevents it from flipping down as intended. I attempted to cut a bevel into the back to solve the problem, but this approach was unsuccessful.

As a solution, I decided to use the ABS plastic that I used for the drawer bottoms. I cut a piece of this to the same dimensions of the wood back. Using the wood false back as a guide, I drilled it for mounting to the support rod.

Once drilled, I screwed the new false back to the support rod. This works much better with the false back flipping up and down with ease without impinging against the top.

Fine Tuning

When I close the drawer, the push rod strikes the square corner of the false back support rod . This causes the false back to flip up too quickly with a lot of noise. In order to fix this I decided to cut a rounded slot into the support rod. Here the location is marked and the rod is removed for milling.

After milling the notch, I rounded it off using a small file to ensure a smooth and precise action.

With this complete, I reassembled the false back pieces. At this point I also spread paraffin on all inside surfaces. This helps the drawer slide more freely.

Attaching the Top

With the magic box nearing completion, it is time to mount the top of the box permanently. For this I used tiny #2 round-head brass wood screws. Marking the top, I used a pin vice and a small number drill bit to make holes for these screws.

Some Final Touches

When I did final testing, I did have some problems with the drawer lock properly gripping the false bottom . To fix this, I drilled a number of small shallow holes into the edge of the brass drawer lock piece. This provides more surface area and thus a better grip.

To keep the drawer from pulling all of the way out of the magic box, I added a drawer stop. I did this by using a short brass cylinder that extends from the middle of the top front of the box.

The Magic Box is Complete

This completes the Magic Box. The illusion of making an object disappear is achieved through a clever combination. This includes a hidden cam lock, a false bottom, and a false back. What follows are several views of the finished Magic Box. They showcase its craftsmanship and highlight the subtle design elements that bring the illusion to life. I trust you found this post enjoyable. If so, I invite you to peruse some of my other box-related projects here and here.

Here are some additional images of the individual magic box parts.

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