| THE BENDERS ARSENAL The Tools of My Trade! No1- Insulation Tape I use this to label my stock then when I open my box of steel I have a visual thing to identify the bars. The color red is for stainless and a red plus another color means different stainless stock. The color blue is for CRS [Cold Rolled Steel ] and again a blue plus another color means different crs squire, hex etc. I also use tape from time to time to put over blisters, cuts and calluses when I am feeling a bit wimpy. No2 - Steel Stock The picture only shows a selection of Stainless and a selection of CRS bars but I also have and do use Nails,Bolts,Tool Steel,Brass etc. This in my opinion is the most important thing in a benders arsenal because without it you cannot bend. Most of the time I now bend using Stainless Steel round, hex and squire stock and in various thicknesses there are also various grades of stainless but I mostly stick to grade 303 Aerospace standard as its pretty consistent much more so than cold rolled steel (crs) steel. The stainless steel is a bit more expensive per length compared to crs but offers more fight in the middle and crush stages of the bend so I get more bang for my buck per bar. No3 - Compression Springs I use compression springs for two reasons firstly for an aid to help build my crushing power and secondly to continue to build my pain tolerance to the level required to bend some of the bars in the way I bend. The black spring is one I obtained from a company not far from my home which rated the springs resistance at 700lbs. The chrome spring has been rated at 385lbs but I plan on getting a 1000lbs one for my future needs. I carry the black spring in a bag with me to work and give it a few squeezes throughout the day. I just put my hands & arms into the crush position and squeeze it barehanded for 10 seconds or so. I try to place the spring ends in a different part of the palm each time. I also squeeze the spring at night whilst watching TV. I use the smaller spring for ISOS and crush down work but with this I just go for reps and just blast out a load here and there throughout the day. I find that it helps pump blood into the hands which in turn aid s in the recovery and repair process. No4 - Crushdown Pads I use these for ISOS together with the pre-kinked bars and sometimes to finish a bend instead of using wraps. I have 3 pairs roughly 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches one pair is 3mms thick and the other two pairs are 5mms thick. I find with these crush down pads I can take a pre-kinked or bent bar and position the pads in my hands more or less were I want them which allows me to direct the pressure to a certain part of my palms when they are really sore. I can move the bar and pads a touch either side of this area. If I am feeling particularly masochistic that day I some times just position the pad and bar on a cut, blister or sore spot and squeeze just to see how much pain I can take. This again helps develop the hands for the pain to come. These pads can be made from a weightlifting belt, trouser belt or wrist support etc. No5 - Digital Camera & Video Camera The Video Camera is of course used to capture footage of your bends especially for certification bends or CERTS and Personal Records or PRS. I also use it to analyze my technique and form in the 3 primary styles of bending I use DO- double overhand, DU- double underhand and Reverse style. It also allows me to record my special bends for future posterity. The captured video footage can also be shown to other people so that they can critic your form etc. Lastly the footage can be used to Motivate and Inspire others on their bending journey. The Digital Camera is used to photograph my bent items for future posterity and also as a means to help Motivate and Inspire others. No6 - Stop Watch Used to time my bends as I am always trying to beat my previous best. It might not be a PR in length but in a bend time. Bending Certification Rules state that a particular bend must be completed in a specific allotted time to be valid. A side note always strive to make some type of PR be it difficulty of bending stock used, length, shape or diameter, volume of stock bent or even time taken to accomplish the bend. No7 - Super Glue Used for repairing cuts and fresh formed blisters. This sometimes allows me to carry on a bend when I might not have been able to before. No8 - Wraps These can be made from Leather Suede, Cordura, Ballistic Kevlar or even canvas or heavy cloth. I use one of the 3 pairs of leather wraps I have and a pair of Ironmind Blue wraps (cordura). The leather wraps I have are a very small pair of 5 inch ones that measure 1/2inch when rolled around a 5/16 inch bar. I recently bent a Fantastic Shiny Bastard in these wraps which was the most painful bend I have ever done thus far but it gave me immense pleasure as I felt that this wipes the slate clean and no one can ever challenge my bending as being anything but equal to or the best done. I have now equaled or exceeded other people’s bends using similar pads. I also have a medium length leather pair of wraps which are my bread and butter wraps. I do most of my bending in these which measure 3/4inch when rolled around a 5/16 inch bar still painful to use on the harder bends but using these and the smaller wraps allows me to get a better grip on the steel. I also have a longer pair of leather wraps which measure 1 1/4inch when rolled around a 5/16inch bar I only use these when my hands are really beat up and I want to continue bending. I also have a pair of Ironmind blue wraps used for a change I don’t really like these for DO style bending as I find it hard to get them really tight. I use these on occasion for Reverse and DU style bending but they need to be chalked a lot as they are very slippery otherwise. No9 - Protractors Used to measure the angle of a bend mainly in Reverse and DU style bending certifications. No10 - Ruler and Calipers The ruler is used for measuring the length of stock before cutting but more importantly to measure the length of the bar after it is cut. The bend video must show the actual length of the stock being bent prior to the start. In fact everybody showing their bending via video should do this at the beginning of the bend before the bar is wrapped especially if it’s a certifiable bend. The calipers are used to measure the thickness of the stock again if you are bending an odd thickness not commonly used like say 9mms use the calipers to show the thickness of the bar on video at the beginning of the bend before wrapping and also at the end of the bend and even after the bend just to add more authentication measures. Calipers also help when going and getting stock off the shelf so you can verify if the stock is the right thickness or not. No11- Chalk Used to dry perspiration of the hands to ensure a more secure the grip and when used inside the wraps it helps the steel from slipping especially in humid conditions. The chalk is regular gymnasium chalk which can be bought from any good sporting goods store or mountaineering outlet. Rosin or tacky commonly used in weightlifting competitions or training is not allowed in certification bends so I recommend you never use it at all even in training. No12 - A pair of Brass Kink/Cheater bars Made from brass 3/4inch diameter by 4inches long. One end has an 11mms hole drilled 2inches deep the other end has a 9mms hole drilled 2inches deep. I can now pre-kink 5/16inch stock in one end and up to 3/8inch stock on the other end. I just slip one on each of the bar and I then can push down over my thigh, a table corner or anything hard surface to get a bar moving a bit. These can not only be used to pre-kink but also during a bend itself if you hit a major sticking point. You just put them on and cheat kink the bar a few degrees then take’em off and carry on the bend. If you are still stuck put’em back on again and move the bar a bit more. These have helped me out a great deal. No13 - Felt Tip Marker Used for marking the center of bars as it helps have a visual sign of were the middle of the bar once its wrapped. This helps prevent off-center bends which can make a hard bend stupendously hard. The marker can also be used for batch labeling or dating the stock. No14 - Elastic Bands aka: Rubberbands Used to secure the wraps on the ends of the bars before bending. They of course can also be used to hold bundles of bars together. No15 - Pre-kinked Bars Used for ISOS (isometric exercises) At the moment I am using 10.5mms crs specially heat treated and hardened to resist bending. The picture also shows a 10mms stainless round, 12mms polycarbonate and a heat treated 8.5mms crs hexagon shaped bar. I use the polycarbonate rod and the hex piece with the two bent ends to just push against I don’t go all out on these pieces I just push slowly till I feel them flexing then back of and go again. The bent bars I ease into then crush like I am trying to force them through my hands for 10 second ISOS. I carry these to work in a bag with the springs and crush pads and do them throughout the day and whilst watching TV in the evening. The large bar in the middle of the photo I push and pull against in various positions a few times a week above my head, behind my back, between my thighs, at my sides etc… No16 - PR Bends Whether they be mine or someone else’s I use these as a visual inspirational and motivational tool. I have some with me at all times at work I have one on my bedside cabinet and one by my computer to constantly remind me that I must do better and that there are NO LIMITS Gary “gazza” Hunt |