TIPS
A
club passing pattern with a mathematical twist by Phyllis Chin
Here's
a passing pattern based on a children's counting game called bizz-buzz.
It should appeal at least to the mathematician jugglers among us.
Pass
on every number that is a multiple of 5 or 7 or contains a 5 or 7 in
the number. Thus the first few passes occur on toss numbers 5, 7,
10, 14, 15, 17, 20 and 21. Or more serious passers could toss
singles on multiples of 5 and doubles on 7's to make it more
difficult.
Joe
Buhler and I have reached 100 in bizz-buzz. Is there a challenger
out there who has topped this?
(Ed. note - Challengers of
this record or establishers of other whimsical juggling records can
register them with the IJA Chronicler of Juggling Superlatives. Send
a description of your feat to Billy Gillen, Brooklyn, NY.)
Looking
at dingy beanbags? Dress them up in balloons! by Alan
Eisenhour
Here's
a way to make your bean bags more colorful, washable and easier to
grip. My name for them is balloonbags, since you cover them with
balloons. Here's how it's done:
·
Turn the balloon inside out.
·
Blow up the balloon and press the bean bag as far into it as
possible.
·
Let the air out of the balloon and peel it back over the bean bag
so the bag is now inside the balloon.
·
Blow the balloon up again, let some air escape, stretch the valve
a little and cut it off with scissors.
·
You should repeat the process three or four times until the color
of the bean bag has disappeared inside the balloons.
The
care & feeding of your cigar boxes by Ben Decker
The
best boxes for juggling are lightweight, made from plywood, have suede
or leather ends for traction and minimal reinforcement to keep down
the weight. When designing boxes, there is always a tradeoff between
durability and minimizing weight.
Even
the best boxes are going to wear out eventually. Few people take the
time to maintain their boxes, but with a little care you can keep your
props looking nice and keep that $30-$40 replacement money in your
pocket a little longer.
Most
obvious is the need to replace tape constantly. A good roll of white
cloth tape costs about $3 and can literally make an old box new again
in the eyes of your audience. Also, if you replace the tape a bit more
often instead of waiting for it to all but crawl away on its own,
you'll find the job much easier. Tape that has been let go for too
long has a tendency to "goo around," leaving your boxes
sticky.
The
leather on the ends will become slick with use. A stiff hairbrush or a
wire
brush will help lift up that suede and make it useable again. If the
leather is too far gone, replace it. It's amazing what a new set of
leather ends can do for time-worn boxes. If you're like me and replace
your leather often, the best way to adhere it is with
double-sided-stick carpet tape. Most people, however, prefer white
glue. It holds better and strengthens the ends of the boxes.
The
first thing to go are the corners. To slow this process, every three
months or so you should remove the tape around the ends and spread
some white glue on the parts that seem to be deteriorating. Doing this
regularly can literally double the life of your set.
When
your boxes start to rattle - and they all will sooner or later -
here's a little trick that will do wonders: Peel back the tape from
one end to expose the wood, then drill a small hole and squirt some
white glue in the hole. Shake the box around until the pieces catch in
the glue and let it dry overnight. If you don't have a drill, punch a
hole with a finishing nail, but be careful not to punch the hole
through one of the inside reinforcements.