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MarkFarrar Veteran user U.S.A. 376 Posts |
There's a guy in my local magic club, the Northamptonshire Magicians' Club Click Here! that does all of these crazy things. His name's Kevin Burke and his website may be found at Here!.
Mark S. Farrar
Email: [email]MarkFarrar@TheMagicCircle.co.uk[/email] Web: www.MagicSquaresBook.com, www.RandMPublishing.com, www.TheDailyGoalMachine.com, www.ParvoBuster.com |
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magichadley New user Dayton OH 38 Posts |
Sounds like cool stuff, but I don't have a death wish, so I will stick to cards & coins.
Magichadley |
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Mad Martin New user 8 Posts |
I've recently completed a bed of nails. It takes lots of work to build and is indeed expensive.
I've layed on it and had several small concrete paving slabs broken (separately, not all at one time) on my chest with a sledgehammer. My friend and trusted business partner handled the hammer. It's very scary but very satisfying to achieve successfully. I think it needs to be stated that this, is in fact, a very dangerous skill. I hope no-one tries it because we made it sound easy! I hadn't heard of intestinal collapse caused by this before. I thought it would strengthen the intestinal muscles thereby minimizing the likelihood of such an occurrence. But, as a friend pointed out, the body can only take so many impacts before the strain mounts up and we develop a permanently weakened condition. I am not an expert on this and I am still very new to the Café but lets please try to stay safe and healthy. Personally, I'm going to try and find some more information on both the long and short term risks, any advice would be appreciated. Sincerely, Martin. |
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The Village Idiots Elite user Orlando 464 Posts |
Had a first!
After performing this effect for three years a mis-hap occured. A young lady was standing on my belly. As usual. Except she decided to put all of her weight on one foot. The one that was on my stomach. I could have handled the chest. Since then we have made an addition to the script. Instructing the lady to not stand on one foot. 10 cinder blocks down. 15 to go. Oh, and I always wear safety goggles while the cinder block is being broken. No sense in losing an eye. Will
Some are born idiots.
Some are made idiots. Some have idiocy thrust upon them. |
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SethHoward Loyal user 277 Posts |
My science teacher in high school used to perform this. What he did for the cinder block was have another bed of nails, I believe this was just 3'x3' and place it on his chest while laying on the regular bed of nails. Putting the cinder block on the chest one and having it smashed.
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The Village Idiots Elite user Orlando 464 Posts |
I like the idea!
The only concern is if the large chunks fell of during the destruction and fell on my face. They always do, but my hands are there to catch them. Now with another bed on top of my chest and under the block they would be falling an extra 5". I don't like that idea. Broken nose, missing teeth? Groovy idea, it just scares me. I am a whimpy torture king. Sillily, Will
Some are born idiots.
Some are made idiots. Some have idiocy thrust upon them. |
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Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-07-31 18:38, Xaero wrote: You are right! The incredible Harley Newman is doing it with 4 nails, and working on doing it with two! This is with hands and feet in the air, just supported by the nails! Also he has a wonderful "Bed of Barbed Wire" that is a thing of beauty. Those of us who live the sideshow life see Harley as an icon. Slim & Krista Price I did it once, and lost the nail! <G> I just read on our site (the Discussion Group) that someone is claiming 3 nails. So far, unlike Harley Newman, he does not have it in a show. Ahem, Harley is working with two! (I did it with one, but nobody could tell.... Slim Price
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
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Bscanw New user Pittsburgh 5 Posts |
I am currently working to 'upgrade' my performance to include being sandwiched between 2 beds of 6 6" nails spaced on 4" centers, then to support weight while sandwiched.
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Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts |
Nice idea! The current weight record is a Harley Davidson Motorcycle, if you want to go that way...(search Harley Newman posts on the DG) Also... (Quoting Harley)
It took me about 6 attempts to find the right design for a roll-up bed of barbed wire. And only a couple of months after that, I ran into a stunt coordinator for a major wrestling organization, who told me all kinds of ways to fake the wire. I guess that's ok for folks who have acts that use a lot of fakery, and try to pretend it isn't. I just figure, if you can do the real thing, why fake it? For those of you who didn't see it, I lay on barbed wire, balanced a platform on top of me, and had a human pyramid of ten on top of me, along with two extras, just for good measure. To me, there were three hard parts to the stunt. One was to balance all those folks, which entailed almost 1500 pounds, completely on top of me. Each of the 12 folks has a separate personality, and even though they are an elite, national level gymnastic team, their training, as individuals, is a little different. So that was one problem. No room for any instability. The next problem was that, with that much weight, one's chest is squashed right to the point of collapse and broken ribs. (I've had broken ribs from weight things before, and didn't want to repeat that part). The other problem was that the platform that went directly on me, and under the team, weighed about 120 pounds, and was a bother to handle, and I dropped it on my foot. So it swelled up, and it was hard to walk on, and the next day was filming the stunt. I taped a piece of 2x4 to the bottom of my shoe, hoping that it would take pressure off that set of toes. All it did, was to make it hard to balance the gymnasts. That was the "failed" attempt. It was making the whole pile torque onto my left kneecap, which almost popped out of place. I think, that with the pressure, it would've flown across the gym. So I got rid of the piece of wood, and removed my shoes, and used my feet to help balance anyway. It's amazing how a little thing like that can make such a difference. Last changed: August 18, 2001
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
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Bill Fienning Special user 635 Posts |
If you do the "breaking the cinder block on your chest while lying on a bed of nails," I recommend that you have someone whose aim is very certain wield the hammer. I saw Harley Newman do this stunt with a fellow magician handling the sledge hammer. It was OK, but another inch lower and it would really have gotten Harley's attention.
Bill Fienning
"It's More than Tricks" |
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Bscanw New user Pittsburgh 5 Posts |
Recently completed my new beds. After doing some measuring of my own body I went with 6 nails per bed (6" 60d) but spread the spacing out to 6" centers. My first attempt at the 'sandwiched' I only mnaged to support 36 lbs, the second try I got it up to about 75 lbs, does anybody have a clue as to what's the gretest lbs / nail anybody's managed ?
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lhughes Regular user Canada 151 Posts |
I have been doing the bed of nails for the past 6 years as a part of my closing act for regional science fairs. It has always got incredibly great reactions. I explain how there are some things, I have always wanted to try, but have always been a bit afraid of doing them. I talk about the science behind the effects. These include pulling a table cloth off a table while the dishes and cups are in place, the bed of nails, and predicting a card that someone in the audience just thinks of. (I explain the last one isn't much science, but because it is so impossible, I've been afraid to try it). The performance is done to Rocky Movie theme music. Everyone from age 7 to 18 have enjoyed it (plus the adults!)
Sleightly yours,
Lorne |
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Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts |
Quote: I have the feeling that with a 6" space between nails, you will soon reach the point where you risk penetration by adding weight. May I suggest you contact Harley on our site (just browse Slim Price to get there) and ask him. I assure you he will give you a reasoned, straight answer.
On 2002-12-29 08:13, Bscanw wrote: Slim Price
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
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Bscanw New user Pittsburgh 5 Posts |
Like I said, I have managed 75 lbs. so far between the 6" spaced 6 nail beds. I know Harley was reportedly the only one in the world doing the 4 nail bed.
I was recently in contact with the Cutthroat Freak Show, where a woman going by the Anna, The Princess of Pain, performs the bed of nails routines. She recently managed to support 350 lbs. on top her while lying on a bed of 3" spacing, which I saw pictures of. She also claims to have managed a 4 nail bed with her husband standing on top of her. A combined weight of about 330 lbs which would translate into about 83 lbs. per nail, but I have yet to see proof of this last effort. |
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gsidhe Inner circle Michigan 1725 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-10-18 01:23, The Village Idiots wrote: My friends who do the block break with bed of nails both on top and underneath them tuck the brick into a t-shirt to prevent the chunks from falling on their faces. Not quite as spectacular (Not sure why not, it just lessent the effect a bit) bit it saves their faces. Gwyd. |
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
FYI: My bed routines, since they're mentioned (I never saw this thread before):
2300 lbs on top, is about my maximum weight, for now. I regularly have as many people standing on me, as there is room for feet. I've been doing 4 nails for about 20 years. This includes having somebody stand on me, for a total weight of about 370. I've been doing two nails for about 8 years, and have done one nail in a practice session. Blocksmashing...one on the belly, one on the face, with full swing of the sledge. Also have used barbed wire and thorns, as substitutes for beds.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Also, for the more extreme weight things, part of the weight is usually the biggest Harley-Davidson motorcycle available, parked, basically, on my face. So what do we call it?
Duh! Harley on Harley.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
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TAIT Regular user uk 142 Posts |
Quote: man ONE ar you add it to your show?
and have done one nail in a practice session |
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
There are quite a few stunts I know, that for one reason or another, aren't in my show. Sometimes it's just that I never found a hook for scripting, that fit my style.
With the one-nail thing, it's more important to keep focus with the audience, than to go into myself as far as necessary to do the stunt. I don't do two nails all the time either. With four, my arms and legs are in the air, and it makes a better picture. With two, I need to maintain contact with the floor, with one finger. Otherwise there's not enough stability to do it safely. Well, "safely" is a relative word to me. With one, I kept contact with my two little fingers. Intense. Very intense indeed.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
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poolos New user 34 Posts |
Check out this like. Pictures of Harley breaking blocks on my wife's stomach.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/MPHNSchool.html Harley is the Guru on this subject! |
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