5/8" X 28 3/8"; 1/2" X 14.5", And 11" Keyston

[Stew]

Well done on those bends Derek, especially the 1/2 as out of the braced bends I think that one is the hardest for me when it gets short.

I dont know what the other guys on here think but I am wondering whether 11-12 in of this stuff actually isn't that much harder (or may even be easier) than the 14" as you only need to kink it a bit and you can get it between your legs for a thigh crush. I dont know for sure but would like other peoples opinion on this and as you have a good thigh crush maybe worth you giving it a shot.

As far as 20" mid bar, if there's a few people up for it I'm certainly willing to give it a go although Paul is just a machine on this stuff so I suspect if anyone did the 20" Paul would just do 19" or 18" or 17" as he seems to have no limit on this stuff at the moment.

[vikingsrule92]

Well done on those bends Derek, especially the 1/2 as out of the braced bends I think that one is the hardest for me when it gets short.

I dont know what the other guys on here think but I am wondering whether 11-12 in of this stuff actually isn't that much harder (or may even be easier) than the 14" as you only need to kink it a bit and you can get it between your legs for a thigh crush. I dont know for sure but would like other peoples opinion on this and as you have a good thigh crush maybe worth you giving it a shot.

As far as 20" mid bar, if there's a few people up for it I'm certainly willing to give it a go although Paul is just a machine on this stuff so I suspect if anyone did the 20" Paul would just do 19" or 18" or 17" as he seems to have no limit on this stuff at the moment.

Thanks a lot Stew!! I'm not sure about that whole shorter is better debate, it's been brought up before and I've thought about it before, but given I still have somewhat trouble with 11" Keystone/Tree Island I don't think I could make a 1/2" piece go that short. I think the kink would be too hard and so would the sweep. I have a 12 1/4" extra piece from an old cut that I might consider trying next time, but I think I'll just go with the 13 1/2" I had planned and work my way down from there.

[Paul Knight]

I would have to say that shorter is harder because you can't kink it as far and then its like pushing on the ends of almost a straight bar - but I see where this was goin - there is defenitly an akward length bar where the kink is hard and the leg crush is wide, but I would say the shorter would still have a much meaner leg crush.

[Tim71]

Derek,

Excellent bends! Man those are great all around.

Tim, Mark and whoever,

The HRS is not an exact science. 12.7 is the minimum for the 1/2 inch but sometimes even in this country you get a bar that the best measurement you can get is like 12.67 or something like that. Then you bend all that extra steel for a 12mm bend. I see your latest batch Mark, is noticably thicker than the 12.03 batch you sent me. As a matter of fact, if you turn that batch in the right spot you could get down in the 11.9s.

Tim

[timiacobucci]

Yeah well you have me OBLITERATED with long bar so don't worry, it's not like anyone here even opartially believes I'm the better bender

Haha just give it some time man. You are a better short bender and you seem to progress faster too so don't sell yourself short man.

I can answer the David question too, if you read in Goerners he's having Elbow surgery in a few months because he can't straighten it out and he has all kinds of burs and stuff on the bone.

I see the thread now thanks.

I still want to see what you've done with 5/8" Tim, you've been very vague in saying and I know it's because you don't want to get any threads locked, but that's why you need to get a video

I know, I know. Basically I killed a 22", 20" kicked my ass, and I missed 21" by a hair. I think with some rest and a fresh start I can get the 21". Those 2" towards 20" are brutal, feels like they packed all the rest of the easy jumps down from 30" into those 2. I wanted to get some videos done last weekend but I got real sick and every time I did some bending or lifting it would make me feel really sick again so I want to rest and make sure I am over this thing before I hit it hard again.

I agree with you, someone had to make the call, I ahve no hard feelings one way or the other, I just wish we all had access to the steel our buddies across the pond had access to, it'd make everything easier although it'll obviously never happen unless we ship stuff which will cost a fortune. Btw I'd really like to see what people like you and Mats could do with 20mm, the race between you two and David would be damn interesting.

Ya, it is too bad about David's surgery. I hope he will make a quick and easy recovery. I need some time to work on the 20" x 5/8" bar and I was actually hoping to get a 35" x 3/4" on video to kick Mats ass in gear again. He did that 3/4" bend easy, a looong time back, I really want to see what he is capable of. Of course Paul is probably going to fly by all of us in the mean time. I want to see what Aaron will do too if he really wants to start getting into it, it's your job to work on him Derek.

David did make good calls, and it's no huge deal either way, like you said it's better this way then with strict standard measurements, because lets face it the 12.06mm and that stuff is WAY easier then true 1/2", after all Tim T bent a 8" of that easily when compared to his 1/2" bend of the same

All I know is what people say, I have never tried the 12mm so I don't really know. I sent Tim T some of my 1/2" stock I am curious where he thinks it falls compares to his stock. Even dispite measure steel can vary a whole lot. It really makes very accurate comparisons nearly impossible without cutting them from the same bar like David has suggested. AND even then parts of the SAME BAR can sometimes even vary quite a bit. So mostly this is for fun and a bigger bend on the list may not really mean it is for sure harder than another.

Thanks a lot buddy, you really think I'm capable of something that short? I was thinking 27 1/2" at best but I'm not sure yet. I figure I won't do Braced til next Friday so I have a while to decide at least.

If you practice the under the leg style I think the sweep on the shorter range there you can get a bit more leverage, that 5/8" bend looked real strong too, I would say you are defintely good for 27" at least on the next one.

You are only really topped out if you can't crush it, otherwise it is learning technique or just being a bit weak in one spot because you are new to it. Hrs really gets killer on the crush when you get it short enough. No offense to Paul but look at his 22" x 5/8" bend. He is a monster, he crushed that 8" spike and look at how he struggled towards the end of that bend, if you want to call it a struggle, comparatively speaking to his other bends it was, it is very disproportionate is all I'm saying.

As for the shorter 1/2" being easier, no offense but I think that is crazy. It's not even the kink, that part is easy on hrs, when you get hrs to a certain range for it's thickness the crush starts to get nuts because of the bend radius, it doesn't want to bend anymore and forcing it past that makes it ramp up like stainless does around 90 degrees. It's not springy like stainless but the force curve I mean. The short 13" x 1/2" , 22" x 5/8" and 36" x 3/4" hrs all are starting into this range, the crush is very dispropotionitely hard compared to the rest of the bend. Above these points I feel the opposite is true, once you get it to the crush range it is easy, but there is a certain crossover point that it takes a serious turn. 12" and shorter 1/2" is well past that point I believe. The difficulty of these hrs bends is not linear at all. I think Tim T's 8" bend is insane because it is at the end of a crazy up curve in difficulty, not a straight ramp if that makes any sense.

[vikingsrule92]

Okay Tim, a lot of stuff to address in your post, try to make sense of my ramblings

True, but given my low amount of overall body strength I'm at a severe disadvantahe to you MMA, big time, heavy lifting people. Don't think I'm saying it's unfair or whatever because obviously there's good reason I'm weaker, I'm just saying. Anyway, I think it'll be a long while before I catch you in long bar

Ok, well maybe you, Mr. big time, should consider using 1/2" increments like the rest of us who can't move up a full inch every workout

I'll try to work on Aaron, but right now I think his injuries are still plagueing his bending, and I haven't been talking to him as much as I used to. I hope David has a quick and painless recovery as well and I'm sure evryone here wishes the same, I also wish to see you kick Mats's ass

I know I need to practice the under the leg, if you noticed my log I did a 34" piece I ahd failed on at 80 degrees using that technique. It really f*&*s up my back though, especially considering I'm STILL not 100% from that severe strain I had to my lower back about 3 weeks ago. Well my crush isn't anywherenear my weakpoint, it's my sweep, and I don't think it's really technique. With all do respect, I've bent more long bar then you have I'm pretty sure. I just don't have that under the leg thing down because I never practiced it.

I agree with you on the short 1/2", it would be less awkward but WAYYYY harder, no comparison.

[wscorpion]

Derek, it's definitely not doable to ship steel across the globe. it's way too expensive for that.

I just have to find a supplier who can supply me with HRS in the other dimensions

[David Horne]

Guys thanks for the surgery comments.

Paul,

Let's see how you do with the 20" bar this weekend, and decide after wether it's worth doing.

Interested in the challenge so far are;

Paul Knight

Stewart Killick

Timiacobucci

Myself (if not in surgery)

I can find out the costs of steel and postage. I was thinking it was best to post the bar in a tube, as I can seal it and address it.

David

[David Horne]

Just checked the postal prices.

Package weighs nearly 1000gr, and it depends on how it weighs on the post office scale, and also I weighed a 21" bar, so it should be fine.

To the UK £4.30 or maybe £2.49 sterling

To the U.S. £11.07 sterling

Cost of steel and tube on top of this.

David

[Paul Knight]

Guys thanks for the surgery comments.

Paul,

Let's see how you do with the 20" bar this weekend, and decide after wether it's worth doing.

Interested in the challenge so far are;

Paul Knight

Stewart Killick

Timiacobucci

Myself (if not in surgery)

I can find out the costs of steel and postage. I was thinking it was best to post the bar in a tube, as I can seal it and address it.

David

Sounds good! and what does that shipping quote come out to U.S.? I'll pay it regardless just curious. Thanks David

[David Horne]

Here's a currency converter that I use.

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

[Paul Knight]

Here's a currency converter that I use.

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Thanks - man your currency is killing ours - 11.07 Sterling = $17.22

[Stew]

I guess the general consensus is that shorter isn't easier then (lol).

This is really just something I have been thinking about and kind of wondered what anyone else thought.

The reason for this thinking is that I have pretty big legs which for strongman is good but for wrapping bars around is not so good because on a 14" piece the bar is blocked from going any futher by my leg on the first phase and its not bent quite enough to move it for the 2nd phase by either hip/chest crush or getting between my legs without getting into a position that I cant get any power from anyway, this lead me to wondering whether as my crush isn't bad if I can get the bar between my legs whether a shorter bit might actually be easier for me than the 14".

I agree it does sound a bit mad and I guess if I want the real answer I will have to try it but I suspect you guys are probably right as even to me "shorter is easier" does sound a bit crazy.

[Stew]

Not usually one to duck a challenge but I just tried a 20" bar and barely got anything on it at all, it was a bit of a half arsed attept but even if I went at it fully warmed up I think there's more chance of me having aliens round for dinner this evening than putting a "U" in that bar.

I think if anyone does it they should get it gold plated!

[David Horne]

Yes Stew, I'm with you on this. I think if anyone does a 20" bar it will stay #1 for a bloody long time!

David

[vikingsrule92]

Here's a currency converter that I use.

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Thanks - man your currency is killing ours - 11.07 Sterling = $17.22

You put it in for Euros, not pounds. David is in England SO it's actually $21.65!!!!!

[timiacobucci]

It really f*&*s up my back though, especially considering I'm STILL not 100% from that severe strain I had to my lower back about 3 weeks ago. Well my crush isn't anywherenear my weakpoint, it's my sweep, and I don't think it's really technique.

Dude seriously take it easy if your back is feeling bad in anyway. Rowing and under the leg too are real hard on the back so you need to rest up and lay off it until you are 100 percent. If your muscles are tired or strained you are just levering on your tendons and spinal discs and that never ends well.

I think you will start to see on the shorter 1/2" your coming up on about the crossover in crush I am talking about, no offense but I don't think you've really encountered the monster crush the hrs can have yet.

With all do respect, I've bent more long bar then you have I'm pretty sure.

Hehe, I doubt that little man, I should take a pic with all my fishes and U's. "long bar" do 20' bars count too? I bet I have you trippled on bent footage in that case.

The reason for this thinking is that I have pretty big legs which for strongman is good but for wrapping bars around is not so good because on a 14" piece the bar is blocked from going any futher by my leg on the first phase and its not bent quite enough to move it for the 2nd phase by either hip/chest crush or getting between my legs without getting into a position that I cant get any power from anyway, this lead me to wondering whether as my crush isn't bad if I can get the bar between my legs whether a shorter bit might actually be easier for me than the 14".

I dunno man, I have trouble with the real short stuff like under 10" because of my legs, but 14" is still huge for pushing down over the thigh. I did my 14" that way with no between the legs. Getting the start on that crush just takes a ton of force. The degree of bend you get before you goto the crush is the only thing I've found that helps and if you can't get enough intial movement on 14" you are only gonna get less on a shorter peice. I do beleive the between the legs crush can be more powerful if you work on it though, but for the longer stuff you still need the hip crush to even get the big bars into the between the legs range so I think it is valuable to work both.