Toughest "commonly Available" 60d Nail

[Tim71]

I know we all hear about the "mutant" 60d nails and I've been privileged to bend 3 different batches now but those are almost impossible to find and seem to not be imported to this country much anymore. They're Canadian made by the way. So what's the toughest 60d commonly found? I decided to test all of mine to find the answer.

First, big thanks to Eric for calibrated all of my nails over the past year. However, I noticed a while back that the length varies alot on 60d nails. My shortest is 5.75 inches and the longest is 6.375 which is a huge difference. What this means is the numbers don't always tell the whole story so I set out one each of every kind I have (about 10 or 12 in all) including some I can't find anymore, and used the same pads for each nail. I'm far enough above 60d level too that I don't think fatigue affected the results in any way.

I have an Ace Hardware 60d that is shiny an cal'd at 325 lbs which is good but it was the shorty at only 5.75 inches. The mazel feels tough to everybody but it hit a suprisingly low 305 but it's the longest at 6 3/8 inches. The keystone (ungalvanized) hit 330 and was only maybe 3/16 or so shorter than the Mazel.

The verdict? The keystone is noticably tougher than any of the others and wasn't too far behind the lesser mutants in feel. The Mazel or the ace hardware one was probably second. I hate that cement coated keystone for the mess it makes so I didn't put it in here but from past experience I'd say it's pretty tough and maybe right behind the Mazel.

I was just casually bending these nails until I got to the keystone. I hit it half-heartedly like all the others and it didn't move so I had to take it a little more serious and hit it right. Thinnest wraps I use too so wrapping wouldn't affect it much.

From now on if I bend a 60d for anybody and I want to make sure that it's one that is tough enough to withstand people taking a crack at it, then the keystone will be my nail of choice.

Hope this is useful to somebody!

Tim

[bencrush]

Very nice post Tim. My brother (a welder) sent me one a few days ago that I bent DU. It was a freaky hard 60D and now I've got him on the lookout to find more. A buddy at the shop gave it to him. I am positive it was harder than the Fastenal 6" Grade 5s. It looked greenish, like some of the ones Bob Lipinski sent me a while back. But was harder.

[crobb1320]

Tim,where can i buy some of the Keystones from?I have only bent one of them in reverse at ggc. the only others i have are a few of Brendans mutants(which i am saving) and a ton of griprites. I bought some griprites at lowes and that batch bends pretty darn easy,I bought another batch at a different store and those ones,oh man,it was like hitting a brick wall,way freaken harder.I was very surprised that they could vary that much.

[Tim71]

Some of the galvanized griprites are insanely easy. Eric calibrated one for me at 210 lbs which is crazy. I'd hate to try to drive one into wood as soft as these are. The shinys hit 265 but do feel a little harder than that.

I can't tell you an exact place where to get them, only that keystone is a very common brand, unlike Sivaco. I've seen them at tractor supply and other places.

I swapped for some with another board member one time but can't remember who. I'll try to look it up.

Just looked back in my old messages and it's Booyah (Mike Hadland) that sent them to me. I think I swapped him some mazels with look identical only a little longer but the keystones proved to be tougher. PM him and see if he can tell you where to get some.

They're a pretty nasty bend for a 60d. Wouldn't suprise me if some people would get this nail as a PR along with a G5 on the same day. It's really close in feel to a FNL G5 only not as springy.

Later,

Tim

[jomcgui]

I had a bucket of griprites that I found in the garage that were tougher than a blue nail. Bought another bucket last week and could bend 12 in a row. Too easy! I guess i'll just use them for volume until I stop by the metal store again.

[gazza]

Toughest 60ds i had were from Pat and Rick[zcor]

Zcors were around a g8 level and one of pats was harder than a g8 not includeing the spiral one.

[Tim71]

Pat's 60d nails are brutal. Even he can't find anymore though and by looking at them (I have just a few in my collection) they look like an older batch. No doubt harder than a G8, maybe even to L9 levels. Brutal kink that's harder in my opinion. They're the nails that cal'd at 480 lbs.

We're the spiral ones harder than this? Pat told me the hardest ones he ever bend was some that were shiny galvanized that he found at the bottom of a bin and were a full 5/16 inch thick. He said there were only a couple and they're in Dennis's collection now.

I love finding oddball stuff like that. I hit a store yesterday and dug to the bottom of the 60d bin (as always people look at you like you're crazy) to find several odd 60d nails. One was a really tough galvanized that almost looks silver plated. Crown bolt maybe? One was the longest 60d I've ever seen. More accurately a 65d if there is such a thing. All old looking.

Later,

Tim

[gazza]

Tim

PM zcor and ask him to get you some nails he sent me aload of 20ds,30ds,40ds,50ds and 60ds they were all very tough but the 60ds were were around a g8 level.

Sorry Pats Spiral nail was an 80d not a 60d i only had the one unbent plus a cut one which i sent to david horne for calibration at the time.

One of the 60ds i had off pat was labelled crazy shit hard and it was it took me a few years before i could kill it definately harder than a g8 harder than the fbbc squire i reckon wish i had aload more they would be nice to see how far you could take them cut down.

Big Steve sent me some tough 60ds as well.

[vikingsrule92]

Well I haven't tried any of the ones you guys are talking about but Brendan's 60ds are crazy hard compared to what I've ever felt before. The feel almost as tough as a G8 with a harder kink and easier crush. Not quite as springy, but still a nasty bend.

[Tim71]

Derek,

The "terminator" nails from Pat make the the mutants from Brendon feel easy in comparison. They're the same brand but look much older and obviously were hardened or something because they are an eye-opener when you hit one. Much harder than a G8 all the way through the bend but without the spring. I would love to find some hidden out somewhere in some secluded hardware store but so far I've had no such luck. At least I did get to try a couple though and they're everything Pat says they are in his older threads. I'd say they're about as tough to get moving as a F911 bolt only of course the F911 has a tougher crush.

The nails from Brendan are indeed the second toughest I've ever encountered though and are probably in the 400 lb range if I was guessing. Harder than any I can find and I've made countless phone calls to distributors looking for a source for the Sivaco brand nails but so far no luck.

The keystones are nasty though for a normal thickness 60d.

Tim