Snapping A 60d Into 4 Pieces

[wscorpion]

I promised several people I would make a video of me snapping a 60D nail into 4 pieces and tonight I decided to go for it.

Unfortunately I made a small mistake in technique (normally I tire the end bends but don't snap them) since I accidentally snapped the first end too fast.

This means that it's much harder to continue the snapping since you've lost approx 1.5" of leverage.

Besides that my lower arms were also much more exhausted (Afterwards I couldn't even close the #1 anymore), but I still managed to finish the nail in approx 14 minutes.

Since youtube only allows 10 minutes max per video, I split the video into 2 pieces.

Here they are:

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk4BMCrAOio

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaVF1ULHIuQ

This is a real killer for the lower arms. Perhaps nice as a final event in the upcoming Champion of Steel contest?

Take care,

- Mark

[Brad Manion]

Wow.... Very well done I was planning on taking this entire week off of any training. I know now what I must do (after I first do the same to a spiral timber tie).

[wscorpion]

Thanks Brad, and go get it!!!

[ewokhugo]

good work Mike!

It takes a lot of heart to punish the nail this way ...

[timiacobucci]

Mark that was incredible. I see there is a bit of technique in using the leverage of the rest of the nail at the start, but I don't know how the hell you opened up that 3" piece at the end there. That is some serious reverse strength and endurance to open the bend in that fashion that many times. Really awesome work man. Have you tried recently to see how quickly you can break one in 3 pieces now?

Also it is hard to tell because the bends are so close and with the wraps on there, what order do you do the bends in? They seem to break with fewer bends than I would have thought, so I know you are moving them really far on each bend. Do you use the motion of one bend to also open an adjacent bend?

[wscorpion]

Thanks guys!

Tim, here's what I do to snap it:

set 3 marks (1,2,3) @ 1.5", 3" and 4.5"

start wrapping up for mark #1 and bend it completely. Then bend it back completely over the previous bend.

This is the hard part. If you fail to use the previous bend it will take a lot longer.

Once you see the nail is coming apart (little holes in the bend), bend it back again and leave it alone for now.

Then wrap for mark #3 and use the same technique but do not snap it yet.

Finally wrap for mark #2 and snap it. You should now have 2 pieces of 3" with both 1 mark on it, which is already weakened a lot.

Now al you need to do is wrap the pieces one at the time and make the final movement to snap it.

This is where I failed in the video, I accidentally snapped mark #1 too early making it a lot harder to finish the rest.

Normally this should be doable well within 10 minutes

I haven't tested the speed of 3 pieces anymore, but I'm sure I can take it down in 2 minutes (I've done that before), so that would be nice for a show (I assume that's why you ask ).

[andyfreeland]

Man..I was impressed just hearing about this. I was blown away watching the videos . That is some serious hand/wrist/finger strength you have there. I think i'll make 3 pieces my goal. And ya, just like timiacobucci said, opening that 3" piece....wow.