A woman enters the box and curls herself up in the top half. The box is usually more spacious that it appears. Audience only sees the box from one angle, so the box is elongated in the audience's direction, increasing the depth and size of the box without making it look bigger. ================================================ Top View ================================================ +-----+ +-----+ |O+-< | |o | +-----+ | X | +-----+ ^ ^ | | Audience Audience Members Members ================================================= Audience's view (side view or "head on" view) ================================================= +-----+ +-----+ | | | | +-----+ +-----+ They look the same size. Another variant has a false table on which the box rests. This allows the carved out table to be used as a place for the woman to crawl up in and avoid the saw. ================================================= Audience's view (side view or "head on" view) ================================================= +-------+ +-------+ | Box | | | +-------+ + ---+ +-------------+ +--- ------+ Table --> +-------------+ +-------------+ | | | | | | | | The box appears In reality, the to the audience table is as if it rests hollowed out on top of a and connected solid table. to the box, creating a cavity for the woman to avoid the saw. Her feet are replaced with fakes that are moved with electric motors. Another variant of the trick hides another person in the carved out table space and has her insert her feet +--------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | | | ====|==| | / | | / | | / | +------------------------------- / ---+ +--------------------------------------- / ------------+ | / | | / | | ========The second woman========= | <--False Table | | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ The magician then saws through empty space. [edit] Another version of the illusion The second variation is purely contraption-based. The woman does not need to contort herself. A magician places a brace around a girl lying on a table. He then passes a jigsaw through her body. The brace actually detaches the jigsaw's blade when it enters the body on one end. As the saw exits on the other side, the brace reattaches a new blade onto the jigsaw. wikipedia article

http://www.mallusionist.com/stage/sawing.shtml

Just to add to the massive amount of information already given, sometimes they have two women involved in the trick. One is in a box tha just shows her feet and the other just shows her head. So it looks like its one person being sawed in half when its really a seperate person's legs!

use a sharp saw

Veeeeery carefully!