No Luck With 1/4" Steel

[Z-man]

Here's my dilemma: I can bend 3/16" down to 4.5inches, a 5" piece of 3/16 is a joke, it feels like Trainer. BUT, an 8" piece of 1/4" feels like a 3 gripper, I can barely kink it most days. Anyone else have this problem trying to make the jump?

I can put a good 45 degree bend on a 6in timber tie. I've tried 7" and 8" lengths of 1/4in, and bought stock from different stores but no luck. The plateau is frustrating, I am just begining levering but figured if I can bend 4.5in 3/16 easily, there must be some length of 1/4in that is suited for me. I am bending slim style, double overhand.

[EricMilfeld]

I know the frustration of which you speak Z-man. If you can't find any suitable 1/4" stock, I'd suggest staying with the timber ties, perhaps till you can fully bend them with the 1/2" cut off. At 45 degrees, you've just about got it!

By the way, have you atleast tried the Terminator style to atleast rule it out as a possible technique? If only for the initial kink. Train hard and keep us posted!

[bender]

Watch Terminators video and see the technique he uses to start the first kink in the nail. Using that technqiue you may be able to get a 20degree kink in your 1/4", but then switch over to a double-over-hand technique that you are using, and finish it off.

For me, the double-over-hand technqiue is the way to go, but I need to start it with that over-the-thumb technique. Once I learned how to do that, I went from struggling with the Yellow to bending 60D's in about a week.

For this technique, technique is key. You've got to learn the feel of how it bends, but once you do, your bending abilities will skyrocket.

Practice the form Pat uses but only use the Timber Ties. Bend about 30 of them over a week, and then attempt a 7" by 1/4", and it should bend.

If that doesn't work (it should) try the double-under-hand grip.

[maverick]

Come on over and do some bending with us!!!, I got all kinds of goodies to bend.

[RSW]

I am bending slim style, double overhand.

Have you tried bracing against your leg? You can then gradually wean yourself from bracing as you get stronger.

Other possibilities are filing the middle of 1/4" stock to make it easier to bend (like Terry Duty does), using 5/16" Aluminum or annealling an even heavier steel stock (5/16") and bending that.

[danegarreau]

I would just stick to bending the timber ties. that is what i did and i can now bend a piece of 7x1/4. It will come around.

[chrisof4]

Here are a couple of things I have found between 5" x 3/16" CRS and 7" x 1/4" HRS. These are in order of difficulty for me:

1. 40D polebarn nails

2. 1/4" carriage bolts

3. 60D polebarn nails

4. Two 7" x 3/16" HRS rods taped together

5. 8" x 1/4" hex head bolt

I have U'd everyone of these, but the last two were by far the most difficult, and I have only bent them once. Even after all of these, I am only able to get a slight bend in the 1/4" HRS. Stick with it, and the 1/4" HRS will fall for you soon.

Keep grippin!

Chris

[climber511]

There are several things you might try between 3/16" and 1/4" HRS. 1/4" Brass Rod and 3/16" Square HRS lie in the middle of what you have tried. Also try 5/16" aluminum, it comes two ways, tempered and non - non tempered alum is also inbetween. The tempered 5/16" alum is actually harder than 3/8" non tempered alum and not all that far from weaker brands of 1/4" HRS steel.

[kerbjr]

Keep working the timber ties and dont try to push yourself too fast. I just learned the hard way on some tough 60 D commons, my wrists hurt so bad it will probably take a week or maybe 2 before I can go all out again....I pushed myself way beyond what I should have and didnt listen to my body, now I get to pay the piper......Hang in there and be patient it will come..Brett

[Anuwbius]

I would say that bending anything besides various 3/16 lengths and 1/8 square stock seemed impossible untill I saw the "how to bend a challenge bar" technique, which may be terminators, but anyway. After that, I went from barely kinking any length of 1/4 to bending a 60D in about 9 days. For me, double over hand is just plain old silly for starting a bend. Also, something that I feel gave me over all better wrist strength and made me familiar with bending metal was bending square stock into S shapes, rather then just U'ing it. Also, bending CRS with the items I could already bend using HRS helped. Good luck.

[Z-man]

Hey everyone, thanks for all the great advice! About 5 minutes ago, I just DESTROYED 2 timber ties I've been stuck at < 45degrees for a while now, I've been studying Bender's page this morning and realized that my hands were way too close together when using double overhand. I literally had my hands smashed together, all I had to do was open them up a bit for better leverage. Once then bends started, I was so pumped I just crushed the nail w/o hesitation. Maybe 5 seconds or so after the initial bend, I still am experimenting w/ the Terminator style to get that initial bend going though. Thanks to all for their help, it was getting so frustrating being stuck on short pieces of 3/16". 1/4" here we come

[Z-man]

Sorry to reply to my own post, but within the past half hour I finally figured out the terminator style, and am now bending cut ties down to 5" pretty easily! Once I figured out the technique, it was pretty easy. Looks like it's time to write out a bending workout + schedule. Thanks again for all the great advice.

[HAMMERHEAD]

Congrats!

-HH

[EricMilfeld]

This is great news Z-man! The bending does require a good deal of experimentation, especially with all the different length stocks available.

Congratulations on your first timber, and cut timber, all in one day!

[isaac]

I would say that bending anything besides various 3/16 lengths and 1/8 square stock seemed impossible untill I saw the "how to bend a challenge bar" technique, which may be terminators, but anyway. After that, I went from barely kinking any length of 1/4 to bending a 60D in about 9 days. For me, double over hand is just plain old silly for starting a bend. Also, something that I feel gave me over all better wrist strength and made me familiar with bending metal was bending square stock into S shapes, rather then just U'ing it. Also, bending CRS with the items I could already bend using HRS helped. Good luck.

Same here. I couldn't bend my 3/16 square HRS until I watched that video.

[Jedd Johnson]

Same here. I couldn't bend my 3/16 square HRS until I watched that video.

Guys,

I agree. I could not kink 1/4" HRS stock until I really paid attention to terminator's first couple of videos. You can also get benefit out of taping yourself though, too.

Video is important. It is without a doubt a key to one's progress. For the price you pay in the store for a handy camera, you reap the benefits tenfold in no time if you really study your technique.

When I was a junior in high school, I went to a clinic for pitching (baseball). This crazy bastard at this one seminar told us to video tape your mechanics. He said his son's fastball increased by 5 mph just by watching video of himself throwing. Yeah right, I thought.

Like I said, I thought he was crazy so I didn't do it, ever. Some time later when I arrived to college, sure enough, all we did was video tape ourselves throwing bullies (bullpen workouts). And my fastball climbed.

My point is - go get a camera and use it. It will help in all your lifting techniques, bending, gripper setting, etc. You sometimes cannot feel the errors in technique that you make. But when it's on the TV right infront of your face, there's no denying it.

-Jedd-

[bballdad]

I agree with the videoing for sure. I always videoed my sons in any athletic sport.

Afterwards we would always watch the tape checking out mechanics in slow mo. Jedds right you don't pick up on stuff while your actually doing the event. But the camera gets it all.