Bed of Nails

Video credit: Sarah Mehl

Equipment:

  • Bed of nails
  • Chest plate
  • Plastic dome to protect instructor’s face
  • Apple or potato
  • Cinderblock
  • Sledgehammer

Demo:

The “Bed” consists of 726 individual 3″ nails. The “Chest Plate” is smaller and has 238 nails of the same size. Show to the students that the nails are really sharp by tossing an apple or potato upon the “Bed.” The apple or potato will be promptly impaled. An instructor lies down with the help of the Demo Lab staff on the “Bed of Nails.” A “Chest Plate” is placed on top of his chest, nails down, so the instructor is sandwiched between two plates with sharp nails. A cinderblock is positioned on top of the chest plate and a plexiglass dome covers the face of the instructor. A volunteer takes a long, heavy sledgehammer and swiftly strikes the cinderblock. The cinderblock bursts into pieces and the instructor stands up unharmed.

Explanation:

  • The weight of the instructor plus the weight of the cinderblock is typically over 200lbs, and evenly distributed between 726 nails.
  • The big mass of the cinderblock absorbs most of the impulse of the sledgehammer.