[MadScientist]

Hey

I'm working on making a new type of ballistics gel but I would like a recipe that does not use water, does anyone knoe any recipes that use solvents etc?

If not recipes. any idea where I would look for them?


MS

 

[unclenick]

Welcome to the forum. The main rules are to join in and have fun and be polite. Others are in the stickies in the different forums.

If you are going to develop a new ballistic medium to simulate animal tissue, we'd be interested to hear of it, but there's a good chance you'll have to invent it yourself. Ballistic gelatin is normally a mixture of 10% gelatin powder and 90% water by weight. It's basically extra dense Jello, and is not inexpensive to make. There are a couple of reusable ballistic media I've noticed for sale, but have no idea how they're made. Here's one type. Here's another that comes in a tube.

The ballistic putty I've seen resembles dense plasticine with something stiffer than petroleum jelly holding it together. That's about all I know of it. Most home brew experiments are done using stacks of old newspapers that are wet and are allowed to weaken into a kind of firm pulp. Some wet it with vinegar instead of plain water to help break the sheets into fibers.

 

[MadScientist]

Thanks

Thanks Nick, I'll have a look and if I get anywhere with it I'll post my formula up on here.

MS

 

[unclepaddy]

Get some of that stuff the military used to use to gel gasoline, that should be interesting. Especially good for testing tracer ammo.

 

[MadScientist]

A good suggesting but specifically I need to use either Methanol or Ethanol, becuase I need to run it trhough a Gas Chromatogaph - Mass Spectrometer, so I need a solvent that will not interfere with it.

If that stuff doesnt interfere then i'll give it a go.

MS

 

[GMFWoodchuck]

Why isn't the basic water based gel good enough? Just curious to know why a methanol based gel would be advantageous over water?? Why are you using a mass spectrometer?

 

[Kanuck]

I know cellulose (ie wood/paper fiber) is soluble in some solvents but don't know about alcohols. If you can find something that is soluble in alcohol, it would probably be a good place to start. There must be many materials that alcohol could be used as a plasticizer for.

 

[MadScientist]

Hmm cellulose, that might be an idea, I mean i'm not actually going to be using the gel as ballistics gel, but its suitable for my experiment.

 

[varminter]

Get some of that stuff the military used to use to gel gasoline, that should be interesting. Especially good for testing tracer ammo.

styrofoam will gel gasoline quite well. Never thought about using tracer ammo on it. Brilliant!

 

[7 Ring]

I would love to find a good inexpensive recipe for ballistic gelatin.

 

[GerstnerUSA.com]

Animal Hide Glue

I would love to find a good inexpensive recipe for ballistic gelatin.

You could always try animal hide glue. I work with the stuff and it is pretty close to what you seek. It comes in 20-40lb blocks and can be re-melted and formed in a standard crock-pot. This material is used in book binding and can be very inexpensive. LD Davis industries makes and sells the stuff I use. Keep in mind this is not a liquid glue or in pellet form like other animal hide glues sold in stores.. This stuff is semi transparent and feels like human flesh- not sticky or messy at all (heat activated 140 degrees aprox.).. Hope this info helps

 

[7 Ring]

You could always try animal hide glue. I work with the stuff and it is pretty close to what you seek. It comes in 20-40lb blocks and can be re-melted and formed in a standard crock-pot. This material is used in book binding and can be very inexpensive. LD Davis industries makes and sells the stuff I use. Keep in mind this is not a liquid glue or in pellet form like other animal hide glues sold in stores.. This stuff is semi transparent and feels like human flesh- not sticky or messy at all (heat activated 140 degrees aprox.).. Hope this info helps

Thanks ! I'll try it out.

 

[mikmarandola]

Why do you want Ballistic Gell it costs money. Here is my suggestion If you want to test penetration.
In my previous posts on stopping power I mentioned a formula to estimate Gell penetration.
All you need to know is Gel penetration times 0.6 gives Wet Pack Penetration(24hr soaked newspaper).
If your weapon penetrates 6" of wet pack then 6 divided by 0.6 = 10. Your weapon would have penetrated 10 inches of Gel.

Save the cost of the gel and buy more ammo.
mik

 

[jyatesmp]

You could always try animal hide glue. I work with the stuff and it is pretty close to what you seek. It comes in 20-40lb blocks and can be re-melted and formed in a standard crock-pot. This material is used in book binding and can be very inexpensive. LD Davis industries makes and sells the stuff I use. Keep in mind this is not a liquid glue or in pellet form like other animal hide glues sold in stores.. This stuff is semi transparent and feels like human flesh- not sticky or messy at all (heat activated 140 degrees aprox.).. Hope this info helps

I would love to try this. Do you have a link where I can buy it and a price?