Had A Show Tonight And Went Well

[Tim71]

I had my biggest real show tonight. Nothing like Dennis or Bit Steve mind you but it was a campground affair and so there was a decent audience of kids and adults.

It rained so the ground I was standing on was wet and slick and our Missouri heat and humidity wore me out. Plus I had done too much bending the night before so I was tired when I started but here was the highlights.

I had a nice table set up for my presentation and brought alot lots of goodies. I started the show off by rolling an 8 inch frying pan. Then I think I bent a hard 60d nail and let a few people try it to no avail. As I bent stuff I let the kids keep them. I then bent a 30 inch long 1/2 inch bar around my kneck easily and made a fish. Then I done a G5 then G8 bolt since there was some knowledgeable people there on bolts. Then I ripped a deck of cards and bent a few assorted spikes which was cool then I did a first for me ever and it was in front of an audience. I made a pretzel out of 1/2 inch by 4 foot HRS like Dennis Rogers does at his shows. That one wore me out big time since I was doing all this back to back in extreme humidity and heat. I tried an easier 8 inch crescent wrench but I was just wore out and wringing wet with sweat so we took a break and played some games. I had bent a craftsman 9/16 inch wrench somewhere in there too and made a fish out of a 5/8 by 3.5 foot bar.

After the break I hit the 8 incher again and got it and then went to a lifetime guaranteed one that was much thicker and got it. Then I decided to do a 10 incher of the same brand which I'd never done even though I'd done the 12 and it was tough with the slick ground but I got it. Scrolled a few bolts, bent the tough 70d nail unbraced first time ever in front of a crowd and took a few requests for scrolling and finished with a pry bar. My sons even got into the act and were a big hit. Chris my 7 year old bent a easy 60d timber tie and Eric bent a coathanger and partially bent a 1/8 inch CRS bar to much applause.

I could do this stuff for a living let me tell you. I take my hat off to Dennis for doing these shows by his self. It's alot easier I bet when you have a team to alternate but going at it alone it very tough.

I also had a few of my best items on display and many people picked up the 12 inch wrench and the 1/2 inch by 10 inch bar.

It was great fun but I am wore out and sore.

Later,

Tim

[Alawadhi]

Thats strong and great Well done.

[ox3782]

Thats some great stuff Tim I wish I could have been there to enjoy some of that Great work!!!

Brendan

[bencrush]

Great stuff Tim! I wish I had been there to witness/hand you stuff at that show. I hear you buddy about wanting to do that for a living. The few times I do stuff in front of very small crowds (at work or around home) it is a great feeling to do things that others can barely comprehend.

[GarytheDino]

Tim,

You really did alot of things. More than normal. Great endurance that heat is a killer.

Pm me I would like to chat more.

Gary

[Tim71]

Thanks guys! Ben I'd loved to have had you there to kill some edgins so I could've took a break. I did go out on a limb and bend the "canadian 70d" that you know all too well, which was a good one since it was at the end and I was tired. BTW everybody, when that 70d nail felt downright impossible for me to bend months ago, I sent a few to Ben and he absolutely killed one and videoed it for me and that vid really taught me alot and inspired me to not give up and get that thing which by the way cal'd at 415 lbs. Big thanks to Ben for that one.

And yeah it's a great feeling to have the kids really be impressed and adults too. Of course the guys can be kinda funny. They don't usually want to openly try stuff but I saw when I took a break and kinda walked away then they'd go over and start picking stuff up and tinkering with it.

I really wanted to test some stuff in this casual setting to get a feel for what the real "crowd-pleasers" are in the bending world so I tried quite a bit of different stuff.

Word of advise to anyone who might do their first show in the near future. Know in advance your footing if at all possible. That wet grass made the braced stuff much tougher and that's something you really don't think about. I'll bring a doormat or something next time or have it handy.

Later and thanks guys. It was very rewarding.

Tim

[wscorpion]

Nice work Tim!!!!

Got some video's or pictures from the event? I'd love to see them

Edited June 24, 2007 by White Scorpion

[gazza]

Tim

Great stuff as usual your body will thank you for it later as when you have to tough it out with extra heat etc it makes a normal day a breeze.

I no what you mean about footing especially in braceing dont want the foot to slide out and pull a muscle etc.

[Booyah!!!]

Congrats on a successful show Tim!!!

[dimmers]

congrats Tim!!! sounds like a great show, wish i could of seen it

[antarath]

Great stuff, Tim!!

I'd LOVE to be there and witness it!

Mats

[EricMilfeld]

That's a show and a half, Tim! Nice work! And what a way to get some PRs!

[John Eaton]

Sounds like you put on one heckuva show Great work Tim.

[Cunny]

Nice story.

That sounded like one tough workout as well.

[Tim71]

Thanks everybody!

I didn't take pics of course but one of the ladies who took lots of pics is suppose to email them to me and I'll post some of the better ones.

I forgot to tell that I did something I thought I'd never try. I scrolled a 4 foot by 1/2 inch bar and I started it in my teeth. As afraid of the dentist as I am I thought I'd never do that. I've done a 7/16 inch bar but 1/2 inch was always where I called it quits.

I also bent a Diamond classic #1 horseshoe which was cool since a guy who shoes horses was there.

That was about it though.

Tim

[gazza]

Tim

Have you tried any 1/2" or 5/8" Rebar CRS or stainless unbraced round or squire and what do you think is possible and that 1/2inch in the mouth is very painfull i actually cracked a tooth doing that and had to have it removed it really gave the jaw and neck a workout as well i ached for a week after that I was silly enough to do/try it with stainless tho had the right affect got me real mad and i had to PUNISH that bar

Just like to congratulate you on your show that was a show of strength and more so bending endurance to hit all that lot in a single show/day is a superb achievement i would have been happy with a few of those items

[Tim71]

Gazza,

I assume you mean braced? I've done #4 rebar at 4 foot just because I had it laying around and it was fairly easy although very springy. I've done 9/16 by 3 foot CRS and it was very hard and springy and I've done 5/8 by 4 foot CRS and the same goes for it. I didn't like it personally. At the longer lengths it's way too springy and feels entirely different than the shorter "red nail" lengths. I really think an injury is very possible with it.

If it ever slipped it could knock the person out big time if it caught you just right. Haven't got around to trying the stainless yet. Been really busy and not got back up the the supplier.

Tim

[gazza]

Tim

Yep i meant braced matey i think the springyness is negated abit as the stock gets shorter i also think if you use your body/strength a certain way it also negates some of the springyness rather than explodeing into the steel you are then creating a much more of a rebound affect as the steel has absorbed alot of the explosive force put into it and naturally it then wants to rebound before i was injured i was playing around with some rebar and 12.7mms stainless and rather than just explode into it i was just useing raw strength to move the bars trying not to create any rebound it was supriseing the difference it made ofcoarse you have to be strong enough to be able to move the piece you are bending in the first place as you are not useing explosiveness.

[Tim71]

Gazza,

Explosiveness definately isn't the way to go on that. It would be like punching a trampoline. Problem is it can take a foot or better of travel at the 4 foot length and not even get a permenant bend. Most long bar bending that's very tough HRS, you see people bend 6 to 10 inches and reset their grip or post or whatever then bend another 6 inches or so. Long CRS makes you have to change your whole strategy and I think that's where the injury possibility comes in. Spike length wouldn't be as much of a concern. At the spike length the only problem I encounter is it wanting to flip around on the crush.

Plus, if your hands ever did slip on a 4 foot piece of CRS, LOOK OUT. Man it would be like a super upper-cut. I've done a few but I personally didn't like the feel of it. And I did notice too that the more you keep it going it helps alot.

Tim

[makey98]

I haven't ever done any long bar bending, but when I worked construction a buddy was spotting a escavator and they were tearing out some concrete and the bucket flipped over a piece of concrete and there was a long piece of rebar bent under its weight and it sprung back and hit the guy on the ground in the face and broke his jaw and he lost most of his teeth. After he told me about that-6 months later, I believe you that it is very springy and very dangerous...be careful.

[Tim71]

Yeah, I've bent rebar and it's very springy. Don't like the feel myself but that's just me.

Tim

[Tim71]

Pics are now up in my gallery of the show.

Tim