Guest TomV Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 I just got my Ironmind Bag o' nails. I bent the white easily and the green with a bit of stress, but I can't do anything with the yellow. Can anyone suggest something between the green and yellow bar that I could work on? How did y'all make the leap from green to yellow and beyond? Thanks, TomV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Crusher Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 Tom Black and Pat Povilaitis will certainly be the most qualified and knowledgeable board members when it comes to bending, but I can make a suggestion. You may want to try cutting down the length of the green nail by a 1/2" to make it a bit harder until you can bend this, then cut 1" off it. The feel may be a bit different since you are dealing with a shorter piece of metal, but it will certainly be more difficult. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 As you can bend the white easily , instead of discarding the ones you have bent try to straighten them and then bend them back. Some people can break 60 D nails this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 Go to home depot. Buy 1/4" HRS steel. Cut some down to 8" lengths. Bend it. Try progressively shorter bends (1/4" or 1/8" at a time) until you reach 7" (which is Ironmind yellow). It took me several weeks to progress from green to yellow. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TomV Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 Robert, How often did you bend while you were working your way from green to yellow? A couple times a week? Daily? TomV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisJames Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 I was thinking of buying those myself,are they any good ? At the moment i bend horseshoes that my next door neighbour generously supplies.The only trouble is i cant tell if i'm getting any stronger because of the lack of graduation. I'd be grateful of any feedback. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 Robert,How often did you bend while you were working your way from green to yellow? A couple times a week? Daily? TomV Tom, I was bending once a week, because it took that long for my wrists to recover from the effort. I bend in the double underhand "spike bending style". I usually bend two warm up pieces and then tackle one or two more difficult pieces (for example IM White, IM Yellow, IM Blue, attempt 60p nail). The gap between the IM Blue and Red is enormous. There are a few posters on this board that can bend two 60p taped together and still can't bend the Red. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 At the moment i bend horseshoes that my next door neighbour generously supplies.The only trouble is i cant tell if i'm getting any stronger because of the lack of graduation.I'd be grateful of any feedback. If you can bend a 60penny nail already, then the only nail in the Bag that will do you any good is the Red nail. I would recommend buying 1/4" HRS and cut it to different lengths. When you can bend a 6" length (IM Blue) I would switch to heavier stock (such as 3/8" Aluminum). Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisJames Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 Thanks Robert , i'll give it a try. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TomV Posted August 19, 2002 Share Posted August 19, 2002 The gap between the IM Blue and Red is enormous. There are a few posters on this board that can bend two 60p taped together and still can't bend the Red. Robert The packing slip said that only one guy (John Brookfield)has bent the red. I can believe it; it looks like a piece of a bicycle kickstand. It'll be a while before I mess with those. I actually have some .25" hot rolled rods around. I'll get out the hacksaw and start hackin'. Thanks for the tips! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Black Posted August 20, 2002 Share Posted August 20, 2002 Robert, You mentioned HRS (hot-rolled steel) as the Ironmind yellow and blue, but these bars are Cold-rolled steel. Thus, to progress to the Ironmind yellow a person should try 1/4"x8" cold-rolled steel and work their way down. I agree with the 1/4" at a time, 1/8" if things get tough. Once you can bend 6.5"x1/4" you may be able to bend some 60-penny nails, which are much cheaper. The Ironmind Blue is a "Medium tough" bar so it is moderately harder than an "easy" 60-penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted August 20, 2002 Share Posted August 20, 2002 Robert, You mentioned HRS (hot-rolled steel) as the Ironmind yellow and blue, but these bars are Cold-rolled steel. Thus, to progress to the Ironmind yellow a person should try 1/4"x8" cold-rolled steel and work their way down. I agree with the 1/4" at a time, 1/8" if things get tough. Once you can bend 6.5"x1/4" you may be able to bend some 60-penny nails, which are much cheaper. The Ironmind Blue is a "Medium tough" bar so it is moderately harder than an "easy" 60-penny. Hi Tom, I think Ironmind may have changed the nails since you bought your kit. I am pretty sure the Yellow and blue are comparable to the Crown bolt company 1/4" HRS I buy from home depot. Strongman has actually measured them and told me the blue was 6"x1/4" HRS. The nails certainly lack the surface shine the Red nail has. The only 60p I have found that are easier than IM Blue are the spiral nails I bought from Lowe's on Strongman's recommendation. He finds them so easy that he bends two of them taped together, but they feel a good bit tougher than the Yellow nail to me. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TomV Posted September 25, 2002 Share Posted September 25, 2002 I figured I ought to post a progress report. I started cutting down pieces of green bar and bending them. I got down to 4". I've put a slight kink in a 3.75" piece, but it's pretty short to get a grip on. On .25" steel, I've bent a 9" section and am currently working on an 8.5" -- I've got a kink in it, but it doesn't want to give. I'm bending twice a week, after lifting, and after my gripper workout. My bending workout is something like: 1) bend a 16d nail 2) bend an Ironmind green bar 3) make an attempt on the .25" section 4) unbend and rebend the green bar until it breaks 5) unbend and rebend the 16d nail until it breaks. TomV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted September 25, 2002 Share Posted September 25, 2002 Hi Tom, Have you tried 1/4" or 1/8" increments on the 1/4" stock ? I usually keep bending progressively more difficult pieces until I fail to complete a bend. I you keep shortening the the 1/4" HRS from 8.5" by a 1/4" to 1/8" each workout, you will be U-shaping the Yellow in a few weeks time. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TomV Posted September 25, 2002 Share Posted September 25, 2002 Hi Tom, Have you tried 1/4" or 1/8" increments on the 1/4" stock ? I usually keep bending progressively more difficult pieces until I fail to complete a bend. I you keep shortening the the 1/4" HRS from 8.5" by a 1/4" to 1/8" each workout, you will be U-shaping the Yellow in a few weeks time. Robert Robert, Right now I'm treating the .25" more as a test than as a training device. I'm definitely still progressing. I did bend a 10"x.25" and a 9"x.25" piece earlier. If I'm still stuck in a week or two I'll cut another 9"x.25" piece and start working my way down in .25" increments, or smaller if I have to. Thanks, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tou Posted September 26, 2002 Share Posted September 26, 2002 For those of you who have the Ironmind bag of nails, what are the sizes of the nails for each colors ? I don't know what I could bend in a Ironmind kit but I can bend a 6" CRS rod. Just like Chris, I turn red and make funny noises but thats the only comparison between him and me. When I'll finally certify on the #3, I'll get back to bending. I really enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted September 26, 2002 Share Posted September 26, 2002 Tou, different steel stocks vary, but the IM Blue in my Bag'o Nails is equivalent to the 6"x1/4" HRS from Crown Bolt Co. (bought at Home depot). Yellow =7"x1/4" HRS Can you bend most 60 pennies? IM Blue is easier than any of the three different 60p I have purchased. It sounds like you are really too advanced for the Bag'O Nails. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tou Posted September 27, 2002 Share Posted September 27, 2002 Robert, I never tried with a nail. I usually buy 6ft rods at hardware store. 1/4 shaft and CRS. The first time I tried, I bent a 8" HRS 1/4. In a month or so, I was bending the 6"x1/4 CRS rod. It's been a while since I bent steel. I've been into grippers specialisation for whole summer. I'll get back to it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TomV Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 I bent the 8.5"x.25" HRS yesterday. Felt it give a little, and knew it was mine. I think I was having trouble because I got bend-happy for a week or two and started breaking a green bar every morning. It's hard to keep from bending stuff (I'm sure y'all know what I mean). Back to the woodshed. I'll post when I've bent the yellow bar. TomV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 I looked at some 1/4'' steel rod in Home Depot, but it was not marked either HRS or CRS. Any idea which one it is likely to be ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 OldGuy, All of the Crown Bolt company 1/4" stock I have bought there has been HRS. If it is dirty and black it is definitely HRS. CRS is sort of shiny and the galvanized very shiny. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. You can readily progress on either HRS or CRS. If your goal is bending a 60p, then a 6"x1/4" piece of CRS is probably closer to a typical 60p then the HRS. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 Thanks. Being cheap, I might just use a pair of boltcutters in the store and practise bending there and then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razorman Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 So, in essence, the novice bender that wishes to get a lot of practice in should hang out at Home Depot and look at steel rod. Which is the easiest to start with? Cheers. Any progression suggestions for a n00b? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSW Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 Start with 7"x3/16", try progressively shorter pieces(1/4" or 1/8") until you can bend a 5" length. Then repeat with 1/4" stock 5/16" etc. Choose a bending technique. I favor the "spikebending" style which strongman is demonstrating in his avatar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razorman Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 Start with 7"x3/16", try progressively shorter pieces(1/4" or 1/8") until you can bend a 5" length. Then repeat with 1/4" stock 5/16" etc. Choose a bending technique. I favor the "spikebending" style which strongman is demonstrating in his avatar. Thanks, RSW. I was hoping to see more n00b grip workouts here.... glad to have the input from you. So is crushing one workout, and bending another? Forearms the same day as grip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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