[Alan H]

I'm proposing Sunday, June 7th as a "Try the Heavy Athletics" day. This is the Sunday after the Modesto Highland Games.

This is tentative, right now. We have most of the gear for both men and women, though we don't have any of the Masters womens weights. We only lack a 22 pound hammer and a 56 pound weight for the Open Men. However, we do have a 42'er, which is the Masters weight, and trust me, 42 pounds is heavy enough. We have a 16 pound hammer for the men, and a 12 pound hammer for the women; those are the light hammer weights. We have a newbie caber...a dinky little caber and we also have a Pretty Darned Big caber for the Muscle Men in the crowd. With luck I'll have an intermediate caber by June 7th.

If any of you Manly Men and Womanly Women are thinking about learning more about this stuff, get back to me in this thread.

I will be asking a number of the local athletes who didn't cop invitations to the Modesto Games to come out, so there will be lots of expertise around. You can learn, and put up some marks to stick in your pocket and use as comparison when you throw in your first Games. Or, if you never want to throw in a Games and just want to try the implements, pretty much the Real Deal, and actually get your results measured, here's a place to do it.

OK, let me know...

[Alan H]

I'd like to mention that if someone wanted to try this, but was a little bit leery of handling the heavy weights, you can always pick up a weight that's down one size.

for example, you pick up the 42'er for the weight for distance, and your Guardian Angel is whispering in your ear..."you're not 22 years old anymore, you DUNCE, put that thing DOWN".... then put it down and pick up the 28'er. Nobody will care.

[Smayniac]

where would this be taking place? I am in the valley that weekend, or rather the gold country. I might or might not be in the running depending on location.
Bob

[Prester John]

Alan

Where do you get hammers and such to practice Highland athletics with?

Do you have any sources?

[Alan H]

Originally Posted by Prester John

Alan

Where do you get hammers and such to practice Highland athletics with?

Do you have any sources?

Stones....got from the local Garden Supply, but the riverbed works good! LOL

My 28 pound weight for distance... I went down to the local metal shop and bought enough 4-inch cold rolled 1018 steel rod to make up 25.5 pounds. They cut it off of some round rod stock they had. That was about $45 Then I took it next door and had the welder put on two one-inch "L" shaped tabs. That was $20. I drilled the tabs, the part that sticks up, with a hardened bit, 5/16ths inch. Over that goes a 5/16ths inch anchor shackle....couple of quick-links and then the handle. I saved about 40% off of what a 28'er would cost from one of the vendors, below and the thing is within 0.3 lbs of 28 pounds. I could epoxy a couple of nickels to the top and it'd weigh in.

I bought a D-Handle from the Old Celt for $22, but honestly I wish I spent a few more dollars and bought a Mjolnir Hammers handle, they're exactly what we use in competition, here.

Mjolnir Hammers

http://www.mjolnir1.com/

The Old Celt

http://www.nasgaweb.com/ads/oldcelt/

Now the 42 pound weight for distance, that's more problematic. Not too many places carry 6-inch cold rolled steel stock, or cast iron stock. I just priced it from a couple of online vendors, and just the metal itself, no shipping is $75. Ouch. If I had to buy a 56'er...double ouch. So I fake it by stacking up barbell plates on 1-inch galvanized pipe risers, which are available at any hardware store....

See here:

http://highland_tools.tripod.com/

Hammers, I make from stacked 2 1/2 pound dumbell weights, on the end of PVC pipe...look here:

http://www.nasgaweb.com/forums/forum...96&KW=old+dude


There simply aren't very many places in North America that make this stuff. Mjolnir Hammers and the Old Celt are about it. Spend money on a real D-handle, at least. Your hands will thank you. Then cobble together the weights.

I must admit that buying a REAL hammer, is mighty tempting.

[Arizona Scot]

Alan that Sunday will mark my first full week in California depending on where you are located I might be tempted to take a trip up the coast to see yall. Let me know exactly where you will be and as it gets closer and I know my schedule I'll try and make it.

[Alan H]

This is firming up. I have responses from 4 "regular" athletes who want to come and one guy who'll come when he gets off work. We have a barbeque and a couple of X Markers who are "in".

So it's a GO. Now I gotta find a venue!

[Farlander]

Thanks Alan for setting this up (and the PM)! June 7th is good for ME. With some luck, I will see you all there!

[Alan H]

We'll be holding the event at my regular practice grounds at Stanford. Only one heads-up... Beer is OK, coolers with sandwiches and soft drinks is totally OK, even the BBQ is OK, but don't even think about showing up with anything harder than beer. I"ll have a local map online shortly.

[bunchdescendant]

I will try to be there with camera in hand.

Ray