Step 1: Whats Is It ?

The magic Box is an optical illusion project.

sing a box that can be made from wood or cardboard and some mirrors or acrylic mirrors. When looked inside from one hole in the side, a certain object or theme can be seen, when the box is rotated 90 degree another seen is realized.

Step 2: Building the Outer Box

Step one: The box.

The main body of this illusion is the box, you can use an already made box, but since I have an access to some cool machines and equipment, I decided to make everything from scratch.

You can laser cut a box if you have an access to a laser machine, with the finger joint method shown. Follow this link it is an online free box maker software. Measure the material thickness, and remember to add holes to the files before start cutting.

http://www.makercase.com/

Step 3: Testing the Box

once your box is been cut, try putting it together without gluing to make sure it fits nicely. The easiest way to make a normal box with 6 faces, but I decided to add another section to hide a battery and to install led lights and light filters, I did a lot of modification to the design, really you do not need any of that, with upper holes and light filters room light can easily pass and light the box from inside, I felt I spent a lot of time on it with little and ended up with not much difference.

Step 4: Adding the Mirrors

Now let’s cut the acrylic mirror per the inner box

dimensions, keep in mind to compensate for the material thickness, and do not for forget to include one mirror in the bottom of the box and one diagonal- this diagonal mirror is going to do the trick.

Again, using NO glue; put the outer box together, and the inner mirror faces inside, make sure all fits well with minimum gaps. make any adjustments necessary, now fit the diagonal mirror and make sure it fits fine. Hold the outer box together with a rubber band or masking tape, and glue the inner mirrors in place. Once all are glued take the box apart and stake the sides on top of each other to apply pressure (you may not need to do exactly this step; depending on what type of glue you are using, but whatever you do, make sure that the mirrors do not move and the box fits well.)

Step 5: Build the Illusion

Cut some vinyl stickers them on the cross mirror, play with the design as much as you want, also get a cube or a ball but in half and stick them on center of each side of the mirror. Again I have an access to a 3D printer so I designed these objects and printed them, my advice here is not to make tow total different themes on each side of the mirror; the golden rule of magic is “give them enough space to doubt” so try to make these faces different but not too different.

Step 6: Gluing

Glue the wooden outer box together leaving the topside (in

my case I left the bottom open as I have a complicated top if you are to eliminate the lighting chamber on top as recommended.) slide the diagonal mirror in, close the box and leave it to dry.

Cut 2 colored transparent acrylic triangles and stick them on top where the lighting holes are.