Griprite 60d Nail Question

[matthcarl]

OK, as you may know my bending strength is way down after a layoff from bending, so I've been practicing on 60d's. I picked up a bunch, and they don't all look the same. It took me a time or two to realize it, but the ones with a sort of silvery coating are MUCH arder than the dull ones. They came out of the same box, but the difference is ridiculous. Has anyone had experience with this before? Are they really the same brand? I can DU or reverse the dull ones easily, but I have trouble doing the silvery ones DO.

[ox3782]

Hey Matt

Sounds like you may have run into two different brands like Griprite vs Keystone.Are the Shiny nails as hard as the Sivaco Mutant Nails I gave you?

Brendan

[big nasty]

I did buy some 60d's at True Value that seem to be somewhat harder than the Griprite one's I have but the Griprite one's I have seem to be pretty consistent threw the batch I have.

[matthcarl]

Hey Matt

Sounds like you may have run into two different brands like Griprite vs Keystone.Are the Shiny nails as hard as the Sivaco Mutant Nails I gave you?

Brendan

Not quite that hard, I think, but maybe close to a G5. I don't have any G5's to compare to right now, but that's my best guess.

[bencrush]

Strange because the Griprites I have bought in the past are usually shiny. And the few times there were a handful that were dull colored, they were unusually hard compared to the shinys.

[matthcarl]

I wouldn't say they were shiny...they look like they have a silvery coating, but it's dull, like paint, not shiny metal.

[ox3782]

Matt

I have also heard that some Griprites are made here in the states and others in china.Could be another possiblity.

[bencrush]

I wouldn't say they were shiny...they look like they have a silvery coating, but it's dull, like paint, not shiny metal.

Oh I wasn't saying you were wrong Matt, I'm just saying I've had a variety of 60Ds come even in the same box.

[big nasty]

I did get some that were kinda rusty awhile back that were pretty stiff and they were Griprite I think it's just like all this stuff it can all vary some.

[Tim71]

Griprite as far as I can tell, contracts their stuff out to other factories. In 60ds, I've run into more kinds than I can count and Eric has calibrated some for me as low as 210 (ridiculously easy) on up to around 300. Galvanized and shiny both vary alot and you can see the differences when you put them all side to side. Last galvanized one he cal'd for me hit like 280 or something.

Even in spikes I've run into this. I don't think I can name a brand that varies more than griprite so your experience is exactly what I WOULD expect.

Later,

Tim

[matthcarl]

Ah, well. I guess it will remain a mystery. Just for comparison, the dull ones I would rate at close to a blue nail, which I can DU without too much trouble. These silvery ones I would guess to calibrate well over 300 lbs...either that or I'm going crazy.

[foxyj75]

Matt, you're not going crazy; I bought some Sivaco's from lowes that were in a Griprite box. Almost 5/16'' thick, silvery galvanized coating, and easily as hard as a G5. I have had some that were just crazy hard also. Tim T got one in the nails I sent him a while back, and I have gotten some that are harder than a bastard!! :blink

[Tim71]

You're not kidding my friend! The very first one I got was a mutant and boy did it set me back! I was using micro small pads so I could feel how hard the nail was but I had to pull out a little thicker set for that bad boy. G8 levels to say the least. Of course the very next one I sent to Eric for calibration wasn't near that and didn't score that high and when I bent another one I could tell a world of difference. Even the easier ones though were still probably 350ish or so, like an easier G5.

That one mutant though was crazy. I wish they were all like that.

Tim

[John4cars]

You're not kidding my friend! The very first one I got was a mutant and boy did it set me back! I was using micro small pads so I could feel how hard the nail was but I had to pull out a little thicker set for that bad boy. G8 levels to say the least. Of course the very next one I sent to Eric for calibration wasn't near that and didn't score that high and when I bent another one I could tell a world of difference. Even the easier ones though were still probably 350ish or so, like an easier G5.

That one mutant though was crazy. I wish they were all like that.

Tim

I have some 60D nails(shiny yet dull with a little rust), that Ben gave me that I swear are way more difficult than the one that I bent at his house during my first time bending. This was about a month or so ago. I blew through a 6"x 1/4 drill rod pretty darn easy last week after I bent one of these monster 60D nails of which I struggled with for almost 8 min before I finally kinked it!. And I was able to kink the drill rod on the first or second attempt! At least these 60Ds feel like monsters to me! They are supposed to be a relatively easy 60D to bend, and isn't a 6"x1/4" drill rod supposed to be more difficult?

I wish there was a way to look at the nail and tell what brand it was.

Edited August 18, 2008 by John III

[bencrush]

The first 60D you bent was an easy one John. It's noticeably narrower and duller than the shiny ones I have. The shiny ones I sent you home with are much tougher than that one. The Drill Rod should be right about the same at 6" and harder once it gets shorter because of the increased bend radius.

[matthcarl]

I haven't bent much drill rod. I would think the kink on 1/4" DR is similar to a regular 60d, but raps up on the crush. Someone else would probably have a better idea.

I have bent tons of the regular Griprite 60d's, but these silvery ones are insane. Maybe Sivacos like Jeremiah said. All I know is the dull ones go down in a a couple of hits DU and the silvery ones I can't even kink unless I move to DO.

Edit - Ben posted while I was writing this, of course...listen to him

Edited August 19, 2008 by The Writer

[John4cars]

The first 60D you bent was an easy one John. It's noticeably narrower and duller than the shiny ones I have. The shiny ones I sent you home with are much tougher than that one. The Drill Rod should be right about the same at 6" and harder once it gets shorter because of the increased bend radius.

That makes more sense then, :. I thought you sent me home with a batch of easy 60Ds, lol. So I kept thinking I should be able to blow threw these just like I did, more or less with the one I bent at your place. I thought I had just become weaker over the last month or so. Now I feel better.

[John4cars]

I haven't bent much drill rod. I would think the kink on 1/4" DR is similar to a regular 60d, but raps up on the crush. Someone else would probably have a better idea.

I have bent tons of the regular Griprite 60d's, but these silvery ones are insane. Maybe Sivacos like Jeremiah said. All I know is the dull ones go down in a a couple of hits DU and the silvery ones I can't even kink unless I move to DO.

Edit - Ben posted while I was writing this, of course...listen to him

I will definately. Everytime I got the bars to bend when I was at his place, it was ALWAYS when he had me modify my form. Ben is the man!

BTW Ben, now that I know I bend a shiny 60D last Thurs, instead of an easy 60D, I feel pretty darn good about myself!

Edited August 19, 2008 by John III

[Tim71]

Those slightly skinnier 60ds from Ben are the only ones I've ever seen like that. They cal'd at 240 lbs so they're about like an HKT G2 bolt. The silver ones of Bens are much tougher but those Sivacos are another animal completely.

Pat P sent me a few Sivacos ones that were a mutant's mutant. 480 lbs of insane nail! Harder than a G8 with no spring to them. Next hardest were 380 ones that were green from Lipinski. I had some grayish ones from If I could catch one of the crazy hard ones from Jeremiah's stock it would probably give the 480 one a run for it's money but most of those are probably a 350 ish nail.

60ds are still one of my favorite bends and it's fascinating to see the variation.

Later,

Tim

[John4cars]

Those slightly skinnier 60ds from Ben are the only ones I've ever seen like that. They cal'd at 240 lbs so they're about like an HKT G2 bolt. The silver ones of Bens are much tougher but those Sivacos are another animal completely.

Pat P sent me a few Sivacos ones that were a mutant's mutant. 480 lbs of insane nail! Harder than a G8 with no spring to them. Next hardest were 380 ones that were green from Lipinski. I had some grayish ones from If I could catch one of the crazy hard ones from Jeremiah's stock it would probably give the 480 one a run for it's money but most of those are probably a 350 ish nail.

60ds are still one of my favorite bends and it's fascinating to see the variation.

Later,

Tim

Those silver/shiny 60Ds that Ben gave me are crazy hard for me. I've only bent one of them so far in the last couple of attempts. I can't imagine what a Sivaco would be like

[bencrush]

John, I didn't mean to trip you up with the shiny 60Ds. I just didn't have any more of the easy 60Ds and I've looked everywhere. I have one or 2 of those Sivacos and they're everything Tim is touting them to be. I bent a 4.5" and it felt about as hard as a 1/4"X4.5" Square that day.

[John4cars]

John, I didn't mean to trip you up with the shiny 60Ds. I just didn't have any more of the easy 60Ds and I've looked everywhere. I have one or 2 of those Sivacos and they're everything Tim is touting them to be. I bent a 4.5" and it felt about as hard as a 1/4"X4.5" Square that day.

No problem at all man. I was just stumped by how much strenght I thouht I had lost, lol.

[Tim71]

John, I didn't mean to trip you up with the shiny 60Ds. I just didn't have any more of the easy 60Ds and I've looked everywhere. I have one or 2 of those Sivacos and they're everything Tim is touting them to be. I bent a 4.5" and it felt about as hard as a 1/4"X4.5" Square that day.

Several possibilities on those skinnier 60ds. #1 could they be Euro 6mm nails? #2 I've had this happen many times. Sometimes the manufacturers use the wire stock from one size nail and cut it to the wrong size. Could it be a "stretched" 40d? I've got a 40d that's actually a 60d that the factory cut to 40 lengths so maybe the reverse happened.

I don't know for sure but they're a neat stepping stone.

Tim

[bencrush]

John, I didn't mean to trip you up with the shiny 60Ds. I just didn't have any more of the easy 60Ds and I've looked everywhere. I have one or 2 of those Sivacos and they're everything Tim is touting them to be. I bent a 4.5" and it felt about as hard as a 1/4"X4.5" Square that day.

Several possibilities on those skinnier 60ds. #1 could they be Euro 6mm nails? #2 I've had this happen many times. Sometimes the manufacturers use the wire stock from one size nail and cut it to the wrong size. Could it be a "stretched" 40d? I've got a 40d that's actually a 60d that the factory cut to 40 lengths so maybe the reverse happened.

I don't know for sure but they're a neat stepping stone.

Tim

I know at the time I bought that batch of 60Ds there were a few other guys (around the 2005 timeline) that had some of them and didn't think they were very special. I have found some really weird lengths of timber ties though. I have one sitting in the garage that has no head (came that way in the box) but it's at least 7" long! I've kept it and will sell it to the highest bidder.