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If a bolt is designed to be placed in overhangs and roofs, pulling it straight up (or down) is actually a valid test.

I'm glad y'all are getting your own store set up, its a huge step for y'all. You're doing something important for the community.

For glue that doesn't proplely adhere to the bolts, could it be worth seeing what happens if you do some surface preparation, a quick rub with 120grit sandpaper or something?

I was around the Red when this style of bolt started being used and wanted to point out Rick and Liz Webber who did all sorts of amazing things from buying and opening Muir Valley to climbers to doing well executed and well documented destructive testing on the rock in the area to confirm the safety of this style of anchor and its advantages over older types like the "5 piece." (Of course lots of us took lots of whips on everything from spinner, short, plated 5 pieces to... uh.... let's call them IADs (Improvised Anchor Devices) in the preceding years. The rumors of bed frames being repurposed as hangers were all too plausible from what I saw/clipped. Which generally went OK, but we're all better off with this more systematic, proven approach to anchoring.)

I climb mostly in the Red River Gorge on steep sandstone. Good to know that what I've been whipping on is super good enough. Thanks for all your amazing work!

I don't climb, but your videos are fascinating.

What really gets me about your testing vids, is; you have these hardened chunks of metal, then a bit of cord (or tape) is used to pull them in the tests. People underestimate the strength of rope and tape.

“It’s not just about when it pulled out, it’s when it starts to deform.” That’s what she said

I think the technical term for the strength that the equipment resists without permanent deformation is working load right? Even though these bolts might break at the same strength as thicker bolts, their working load is lower (and good enough for climbing, but maybe not for highlining apparently).

Thanks for this video. Having installed MANY of these, I’ve become acutely aware of their strengths and weaknesses. I was nervous that that this video would reveal all sorts of new problems with these bolts but everything you said pretty much confirms what I’ve seen, and I generally feel good about the bolts I’ve placed. Some thoughts: 1. I’ve seen the eyes of these bolts deform (slightly) in normal climbing falls. I can think of a few crux bolts at the VRG (which was entirely rebolted with Waves) that are this way. Fortunately it seems they are still plenty strong and this is no big deal. 2. I agree the interference fit is too tight, but I’ve learned that I can “wallow out” the hole a bit with a 1/2” bit to get just the right amount of interference to keep the bolt firmly in place without having to wail on it. This is a bit of an art based on rock hardness, how new the bit is, and technique. 3. The problem of the bolt “twisting” to the wrong angle is very real and is exacerbated due to the asymmetry of the legs and the interference fit. They tend to go in pretty straight until the last few taps and then twist right at the end. I am now in the habit of inspecting from all angles as I hammer them in, occasionally tapping a bit on the side of the bolt to make sure it is at the correct angle. I can also apply a little torque to the installation tool with my free hand and this generally keeps things lined up. 4. The installation tool is a royal PITA. I have a few problems with it but the worst is I have to take it off for the final few taps or I get spoodges of glue all over it. Then there’s the issue of my non-stainless hammer damaging the paint I’ve applied to the eye of the bolt or imparting dissimilar metal which can result in rusting. I’ve taken to padding my hammer with a bit of duct tape to prevent this, but maybe someday I’ll invest in a heavy rubber mallet. 5. These bolts, and glue-ins in general, can indeed excel in softer rock. However, there are limits to this. As you mentioned it is so, so essential to have a clean hole, but this gets exponentially harder the softer the rock gets. I’ve drilled holes for these in Red Rocks and Sedona where no amount of brushing or blowing will yield a clean hole: It seems I could indefinitely enlarge a hole with a plastic bristle test tube brush! In these cases, I just don’t trust glue-ins and worry they are actually over used in really soft rock. Instead I’ve taken to using the largest mechanical bolts I can (usually very long 1/2” 5-piece) which, between both the expansion of the cone itself and the expansion of the sleeve over the cone, actually have a lot of expanding surface area. I reason this may hold in less-clean holes better than glue-ins… or at least when these bolts weaken it will be more obvious as they will start spinning or wiggling and won’t just slide out like a glue-in that has a poor bond. 6. Finally, I love AC 100+ Gold for its very neutral, rock-like texture and color and its usability in cold-to-moderate weather. It is a bit of a race in warm weather for sure (always bring extra nozzles, get everything totally prepped beforehand - including yourself, and have your methods totally dialed!).

Interesting. I have only ever seen regular bolt hangers here in the US. The first time I saw those wave bolts was in Germany and I refrained from climbing those routes for a while. Eventually I figured they must be safe enough or people wouldn't be climbing on them. Still they look a lot wimpier than traditional bolt and hanger. Another cool video though. Thanks!

I like the background-color shirt =]

Please test used hollow block as a sling. Thank you.

Lol at, "they need a half inch hole because they're 6mm". Nice unit mix 😅

Dang it. I still have the bag of Hilti glue I need to ship you!

I would love to see what happens if the two ends are welded together before installation.

I was looking for bolts in the hn2 store the other day.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a new climber on which carabiners to use? I've watched many of these videos, but I'm still very undecided. (I'd be more than happy to buy something that's considered to be overkill, for a decent price) as it only has to go wrong once.

bobby's poor forehead

I would love for you to carry totems, esp. the Phoenix CRT version if they’re still available

If there's one thing the world needs it's more bolts

Another down side to Wave Bolts: Part of the upside to glue-ins is they are in a protective sheath of epoxy... elements that can break down the steel, like salt which is common in limestone and sandstone, don't make contact with the steel as the steel is encased in glue. With wave bolts those elements make contact inside the hole at multiple points, meaning the bolt can break down and you can't even see it. With the Bolt Products bolts that contact point is near the surface, so you will likely see it break down if that becomes a problem. You will never know it if a Wave Bolt is breaking down 2 inches under the surface.

Hell yeah

I wonder how much rock dust is created by hammering in the wave bolts. I've put threaded rods in concrete where the hole was a bit wonky and when I test fitted the rod (without glue) it was dusty as hell. Soft sandstone was even worse. Plus with these things I was told to always twist the thing I'm putting in to create some flow in the glue, you can't do that with a hammer. I wonder if a little bit of a kink right below the eye would be a good solution. If it's in the right direction the steel would be "pre-deformed" to there it's already resting on the edge of the hole on the pulling side.

How about break testing some big bros

I've always used a copper hammer on these would that be a problem

Could you test the pull-out strength using chemical anchor for bolting?

wave bolts

Can you try to scuff the stainless surface finish with a scotchbright pad? I wonder if that would improve adhesion between the glue and the metal.

i would have been interested in a test result for installing the bolts in bigger than recommended holes.

2 part epoxy glue, used for gluing studs into concrete for framing, I’d bet is stronger

Have you guys ever tested the effects of epoxy on slings, rope, etc? Wondering if they are at all compromised if some should find its way from your sticky sticky gloves onto your stuff.

you need to test if these are better in pull out when you cut a few shallow notches with an angle grinder

Obligatory Algorithm boost. 👍👍

Genuine stainless steel is not magnetic and will never rust.

First

Seems like you really thought it was going to be weight equivalent to multiple elephants. Perhaps you should check the accuracy of your comparisons before wildly comparing things with others.