Hazerboy Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Currently I go to the university of chicago and every year we have this huge scavenger hunt thing where for a few days everybody just goes completly nuts. All of the different dorms form teams and there's a list of around 300 different items. They range from the crazy to the bizzare: every year there's a 500 mile road trip, usually some sort of tattoo or piercing challange, some sort of "naked" challange (be naked all weekend), I remember one year one of the items was "get circumcised," and there was actually a kid who went out and did it. Their team got alike a thousand points and won the whole thing. Sometimes they put things on the list that they think are outright impossible too, like "build a nuclear reactor," and whadaya know -- some kid went out and did it (though he didn't have any uranium). So suffice it to say its a big deal for a lot of people, and while I've never really gotten into it, one of my close friends loves doing this thing. Anyways, this year one of the "impossible" items is to bend a crowbar with your bare hands. You have to videotape yourself doing it. I was instantly intrigued. After searching around here, I've concluded that the feat is probably impossible for all but the very tip top of elite benders (my best bends, on the other hand, have been several VERY hard 60D nails, maybe a year ago). BUT, the catch is I don't care if its a true bend or not. This means that I can temper the metal however I want, or cheat kink it somehow to 45 degrees and just bend it a little bit (as long as the metal moves a bit by your own force I think it will count). I was also thinking about doing the "stand on a block, wrap a chain around the bar and partial deadlift" sort of thing, though my best deadlift off the floor is only 550, with maybe 600 lb pull at the shins. I would also be worried about the chain snapping. anyways, do you guys have any advice for this sort of thing? I was thinking of cooking it my oven at 500 degrees for a few hours, I've heard of that being done before. Maybe I'll find someway to cheat kink it too, though I don't think that will give me much of an advantage either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamTGlass Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Currently I go to the university of chicago and every year we have this huge scavenger hunt thing where for a few days everybody just goes completly nuts. All of the different dorms form teams and there's a list of around 300 different items. They range from the crazy to the bizzare: every year there's a 500 mile road trip, usually some sort of tattoo or piercing challange, some sort of "naked" challange (be naked all weekend), I remember one year one of the items was "get circumcised," and there was actually a kid who went out and did it. Their team got alike a thousand points and won the whole thing. Sometimes they put things on the list that they think are outright impossible too, like "build a nuclear reactor," and whadaya know -- some kid went out and did it (though he didn't have any uranium).So suffice it to say its a big deal for a lot of people, and while I've never really gotten into it, one of my close friends loves doing this thing. Anyways, this year one of the "impossible" items is to bend a crowbar with your bare hands. You have to videotape yourself doing it. I was instantly intrigued. After searching around here, I've concluded that the feat is probably impossible for all but the very tip top of elite benders (my best bends, on the other hand, have been several VERY hard 60D nails, maybe a year ago). BUT, the catch is I don't care if its a true bend or not. This means that I can temper the metal however I want, or cheat kink it somehow to 45 degrees and just bend it a little bit (as long as the metal moves a bit by your own force I think it will count). I was also thinking about doing the "stand on a block, wrap a chain around the bar and partial deadlift" sort of thing, though my best deadlift off the floor is only 550, with maybe 600 lb pull at the shins. I would also be worried about the chain snapping. anyways, do you guys have any advice for this sort of thing? I was thinking of cooking it my oven at 500 degrees for a few hours, I've heard of that being done before. Maybe I'll find someway to cheat kink it too, though I don't think that will give me much of an advantage either. The only person on the planet i know who can bend a crow bar would be Stanless Steel. He never said he could, i just think he could because his braced strength is off the charts. Most crow bars are an inch thick, and tempered very strong. most are under 36". Can you bend 1"X1/2" steel at 36" or less? Figure a crow bar is WAY harder than that. also 500 degrees will not do anything to steel that thick, you would need to get it seriously hotter. IF you enell it(spelling?) i doubt it will matter. just my opinion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazerboy Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) The only person on the planet i know who can bend a crow bar would be Stanless Steel. He never said he could, i just think he could because his braced strength is off the charts. Most crow bars are an inch thick, and tempered very strong. most are under 36". Can you bend 1"X1/2" steel at 36" or less? Figure a crow bar is WAY harder than that. also 500 degrees will not do anything to steel that thick, you would need to get it seriously hotter. IF you enell it(spelling?) i doubt it will matter. just my opinion... Hm. you're probably right, but I figure its worth a shot. I'd figure I'd ask to see if anyone knew of any other ways to cheat it. The only reason I asked about the oven was on this thread: http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtop...&hl=crowbar another guy claimed that... "I read an article from a guy who was an old-timer who was in with some strongmen and he said the way that some of them bent a crowbar was they treated it by heating it in an oven the night before. Dennis Rogers bends a prybar in his odd-object video but I don't think a large hex type crowbar can be legitimately bent." So yeah. Well I realize that any legitimate bend is beyond impossible for me, so I guess I'm just looking for any way around that, and I figured that you guys are the experts in this sort of thing so I might as well ask. My other idea was to just go out and buy a 30 or 40 dollar blow torch, put the bar in a vince, torch it, then wearing some thick ass gloves kink the thing. I'm pretty sure that is doable though its definitely one of the more expensive methods... Edited May 9, 2009 by Hazerboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darko Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) It will work with the torcher i think. Edited May 9, 2009 by Darko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 I just wanted to say that bending crowbars is far from impossible. They range from hard to real hard. I took the time to take a picture of a crowbar that I was working on for a few weeks almost a year ago http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?autocom...si&img=8816 27.5" long and 18 millimeters thick octagon shaped That was as far as I could take it. Techniqe used was pulling under the leg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumpster Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Maybe you could get a piece of 1/2" hex HRS and have a machinist form the ends to look like a crowbar. It should be easier to bend and might work for your purposes. The average person probably wouldn't know the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cemery Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Iv'e seen alot of crow bars that aren't that thick at all . . . . search for an easy looking couple of crowbars and really bend em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarath Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Highly doubt it's possible. There ARE limits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Get whats called a PRY bar its flat and you will have a much better chance of braced bending one of these depending on your strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Beatty Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 I was just looking at one at Farm & Fleet the other day, 36" x 3/4" hex. Not possible for me, I think, but was certainly considering buying one to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timiacobucci Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 There are the real industrial hex crowbars that Adam was talking about that are 1" and up, those are thick as hell and usually high carbon steel with a spring temper, even if you could bend those they might snap, those I am not sure anyone is gonna be bending. The smaller stuff than that like David's bar or the one John was talking about in the 18mm - 3/4" range is possible, I just haven't seen anyone actually get one farther than David's. I'm not saying guys like Stanless or Big Steve haven't done it, I just have never seen it. Then there are the flat pry bars, find a cheap Chinese one of those with the most length and least thickness and you really might have a shot at it. What are your best braced bends to date? If all you have trained is unbraced than you may be sol, it's sort of a different ballgame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamTGlass Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 There are the real industrial hex crowbars that Adam was talking about that are 1" and up, those are thick as hell and usually high carbon steel with a spring temper, even if you could bend those they might snap, those I am not sure anyone is gonna be bending.The smaller stuff than that like David's bar or the one John was talking about in the 18mm - 3/4" range is possible, I just haven't seen anyone actually get one farther than David's. I'm not saying guys like Stanless or Big Steve haven't done it, I just have never seen it. Then there are the flat pry bars, find a cheap Chinese one of those with the most length and least thickness and you really might have a shot at it. What are your best braced bends to date? If all you have trained is unbraced than you may be sol, it's sort of a different ballgame. Looking at the above stuff--sure you can go find a dollar store pry bar, but that is not the same thing. Like Tim says--if you say crow bar, i think about a crow bar i would own and use. Not a POS from a dollar store. If someone told me they can bend a crow bar, that is what i want to see. Just like if i said i can bend a nail, you would not want me to bend a 5D finishing nail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim71 Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Nice work on that crowbar David. Your challenge may not be entirely impossible IF you find the right crowbar. I've learned long ago that the reason strongmen use tools alot is because they vary like nothing else. Wrenches, pry-bars, crowbars, hammers etc, range from totally off the charts impossible to ones that I'd hate to let others examine and try for fear they'd bend it. I immagine alot of crowbars would have so much spring that there wouldn't be much a person could do to it without snapping. Here's a pic of a bent pry-bar which may work if you can bend one. Depends on how knowledgeable the people making the list are. 15 inch pry-bar I bend these all the time and they are very doable. Some brands of the exact same diminsions are totally impossible. I've tried some that flex like you wouldn't believe and just won't hold a permenant bend. Push them farther and I immagine they'd snap. Best of luck! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim71 Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Ha ha I just read post #3 again and kept thinking that it sounds familiar so I went to the link and I do remember posting that. The oven part was some wrestler / ex-strongman who told that about the crowbars. I bet some crowbars would take a couple thousand pounds or more to kink so good luck. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Does Brookfield bend a tire tool or a crowbar in his greatest hits DVD? I don't remember but I do remember it wasn't real hard for him. To clarify: he didn't use nose torque, a wrapping board, and double leathers; it was definitely a show feat vs. a pr attempt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climber511 Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 (edited) I have a couple legitimate crow bars that are bent from working with them over the years, Cheater bars, sledge hammers etc were probably involved - I mean we were not trying to bend them at all but they did bend a little to quite a bit. About the only thing this proves maybe is that I don't think they will break on you - a bar that snaps would be quite a liability issue for the maker because tools that are worked with are abused in some serious ways when trying to get a job done. If this feat was important enough here's what I might try. Buy the longest, cheapest, and thinnest bar you can find. I'd use a torch and heat the last few inches (I'd do some studying about how steel and heat work). Then I'd find or make something as the anchor / pivot point that only works on the last couple inches where it was heated (longest possible lever). I'd then build a set up that allows the best "bare hands" setup to use the most advantageous method of power. Seems like a lot of work to me but good luck! And be careful - if something slips - it might just "ouch" a bit. Edited May 11, 2009 by climber511 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim71 Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Does Brookfield bend a tire tool or a crowbar in his greatest hits DVD? I don't remember but I do remember it wasn't real hard for him. To clarify: he didn't use nose torque, a wrapping board, and double leathers; it was definitely a show feat vs. a pr attempt. I heard he bent a 4 way tire tool. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.