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Description

You can balance 12 nails on a single vertical nail by assembling them into an interlocked structure off the table first, then balancing them on the final nailhead.

Resources

• 13 identical nails with heads (12 for the structure, 1 to hammer upright)
• A small block of wood and a hammer

Instructions

Materials Needed

Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Set the base nail: Hammer one nail straight up into the center of your wooden block.
2. Lay the first nail: Place one nail flat on a table or flat surface horizontally.
3. Alternate the cross-nails: Take 10 more nails and lay them across the base nail. Alternate their directions back and forth (5 on each side, with their heads resting on the opposite side's shaft or the base).
4. Place the final lock nail: Lay the 12th nail directly on top of the stack, pointing in the opposite direction of the very first bottom nail. This sandwiches the heads.
5. Pinch and lift: Firmly pinch both ends of the top and bottom sandwich nails together with your fingers. Carefully lift the entire connected assembly off the table.
6. Balance on the single nail: Lower the center of the bottom base nail directly onto the head of your upright vertical nail. Let go slowly so the weight distributes evenly.

https://stevespangler.com/experiments/balancing-nail-puzzle/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM98DRv6RHI&t=1

Tags

• 7th Woking
• Challenger ESU
• Woking Explorers

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