In May 2021, Amundson Outdoors presented me with a unique challenge—testing the breaking point of seven rods. I devised a fixture to withstand extreme pressure to meet this challenge. My solution? Using my two-story home as a platform, I assembled a scaffold and suspended the units from the upper deck. The goal was to have the rods hold their maximum poundage while suspended in the air. However, this setup proved insufficient, as the weight would touch the ground as we tried to reach the maximum.

The ultimate solution to our height restriction problem was a collaborative effort. We decided to rent an arena with no height restriction, use a scissor lift, and record each rod reaching its maximum weight. The video company played a crucial role in ensuring that every moment was captured for analysis.

Due to the dangers of a graphite rod shattering and shards and splinters exploding, it is important not to expose any part of the tester, so a full-shield face mask was added. Very carefully, I added weights as the scissor lift rose.

We would position the rod and raise the scissor lift until the weight was off the floor, adding more and repeating the process until we reached the maximum weight of the rod. The weights used were 1-pound, 7.5-pound, 10-pound and 15-pound lead balls. Amazing bend and stress, but the rods reach their maximum stress weight without damage.

Breakage Stress Strength with 45° tip up.