How-To: Hack a Magic 8-Ball

Craig Smith sent us this project on how to take apart a Magic 8-Ball to customize it with your own answers. Thanks, Craig! – Gareth

Magic 8-Ball Hack

By Craig Smith

As a spa/hot tub service tech, I was convinced that one of my dingbat co-workers must be using Magic 8-Ball to arrive at his spa troubleshooting diagnosis. So, I thought it might be funny to actually make one customized for hot tub problems.

I used a Plexiglas cutter to cut the glue at the seam of the ball, about 1/8″ deep. From there, I could pry it apart with a screwdriver. Inside is the clear plastic blue dye container. Three Phillips screws hold the “cork” in. Remove and carefully pour out the blue dye water and save it. CAREFUL, IT WILL STAIN. I was able to remove the entire top by prying bit-by-bit all around the edge until the lid popped off. Then I could remove the “bubble trap” and the 20-sided “ball.”

I used a razor to slice off the letters, then medium sandpaper in a sander, then fine, then wet sand with superfine emery cloth. The smoother the surface, the less the marker will bleed. Then, with an ultra-fine sharpie marker, I carefully hand-lettered 20 common problems found in hot tub service calls. I then re-assembled the unit using Mr. Sticky glue on the cap. (A common pool/spa repair adhesive) The dye was put back in using a turkey baster with an injector tip. An eye-dropper got the last of it in. With the cork back in place and the entire unit re-assembled with some glue, I’m ready to use this diagnostic tool ONLY when eights years of experience fails me on a tricky malfunction.

9 Responses to How-To: Hack a Magic 8-Ball

David on December 21st, 2009 at 7:04 pm said:

Great idea, I have similar dingbats in my profession (Database Admin), started working on a list of 20 phrases already!

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Emily on December 22nd, 2009 at 9:48 am said:

You could also make the 20 sided “ball” into a D20 for RPG, talk about nerdy.

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Eric Moorehead on January 30th, 2010 at 7:40 pm said:

8 BALL SIDE POCKET
Effect:
Claim the Magic 8-Ball ‘knows” which card you took from the deck and put in your pocket! And, it then comes up with the right answer. Subsequent looks into the 8 ball come up with many other cards instead.

Preparation:
The icosahedron in the common 8-ball has 20 triangular faces.
Consider 5 pockets, 4 cards per pocket 2 vertical 2 horizontal
(20 card locations in all)

use Black-odd and Red-even for Left pockets (BORE)
use Red-odd and Black-even for Right pockets (ROBE)
use the four suits for location-within-pocket
use low(2345), high(AKQJ10), mid(6789)
for which type pocket (pant, shirt, hip)

By using these â€œrulesâ€ and practicing, you will not have to memorize the cards but can still quickly pull out any one of the 20 cards in your pockets.

choose 20 cards in accordance with each of the 20 pocket placements
with blacks vertical, reds horizontal, pointy suits (S,D) away from your body. Cards should be backs outwards for dramatic revelation.

I would choose, say, as follows:
Left pants pocket: 5S, 2D, 4H, 3C
Right pants pocket: 4S, 5D, 3H, 2C
Left shirt pocket: AS,10D, QH, JC
Right shirt pocket: QS, KD, AH,10C
Right hip pocket: 8S, 7C, 9H, 6C

Prepare the 20 triangular faces of the icosahedron to indicate these 20 cards As described by Craig Smith here: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/how-to_hack_a_magic_8-ball.html

Use the 32 remaining cards plus a same-backed deck to build a deck of 51 cards none of which match the pocket cards.

Performance summary:
Quickly count face up the 51 cards saying you have removed one card. “Ask” the Magic Ball to name it. Retrieve the “removed” card. If anyone looks at the deck or looks at the ball there is nothing suspicious.

Have fun,
Eric

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gobblefunk on May 12th, 2012 at 11:46 pm said:

well this is cool

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ed on November 8th, 2012 at 9:37 am said:

If you drink the blue liquid you can see the into future.

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sam on December 7th, 2012 at 3:42 am said:

where did you purchase the magic 8 ball from? im doing an art project on secrets and i recently bought two balls but they are welded together inside and impossible to get into. The pentagon is metal also so cannot be changed, if you could please let me know where u bought urs from would be much appreciated.

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- Craig on December 18th, 2012 at 10:47 pm said:
  
  Sam, I found mine at a goodwill store for a few bucks. I wasn’t aware they recently beefed up the toy and made it impenetrable. Odd that a more expensive metal ball is now used when everything is getting cheaper and cheaper in construction. Metal plate on plastic maybe?
  No Ed, you cannot see into the future drinking the blue dye. But if you eat all of Mr. Potatohead’s pieces, the next day you’ll make a Mr. Sh%#head.
  
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terrefirma on April 9th, 2013 at 4:13 am said:

Now this is the kind of hack I love!. A practical joke instead of strangling the guy, and explains it thoroughly- How long it took is irrrelevant….

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terrefirma on April 9th, 2013 at 4:19 am said:

I see them at garage sales all the time in the toy area. I am going to now corner the market for my new Toy/hackerspace!

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