[iLovePencils]

I found an interesting Article and was wondering if this would be possible to make at home.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/379338.stm


Seems like it could be possible to make and looks way more affordable. Let me know what you think

 

[neo71665]

One will work with low power rounds but anything high power will just laugh at it.

 

[drypowder]

kevlar isnt all that hard to come by either

 

[iLovePencils]

kevlar isnt all that hard to come by either

I completely Agree!! But I'm just posting to ask if it would be possible to make at home. Also a little worried that body armor may be illegalized someday and thought it might be a good thing to know how to make, just in case:thumb:. As stated on the following site:

http://www.bulletproofme.com/Quick_Answers.shtml

"Residents of Connecticut are prohibited from buying Body Armor unless the sale is face to face (or unless the buyer is a police officer, Police Department, or military). We can't ship to Connecticut, or even accept credit cards billed there... Some states are considering new legislation to prohibit or restrict sales of Body Armor to civilians, e.g., New York. If you are in a state that passes such a law, you would be well advised to make your Body Armor purchase now before it becomes much more expensive and inconvenient, if not prohibited altogether."

 

[drypowder]

Well, another trick to adding ballistic impact dispersal, if using something other than kevlar, or even with kevlar, is a neutonian suspension. You take your cloth layers, soak them in a relatively thin mixture of cornstarch and water, and seal them in a water tight bag. The cornstarch molecules are oblong, and when sharply impacted, become as hard as concrete. This is actually employed in some professional body armors. Before impact, and after impact, these pads are soft and pliable.

Its the same principle (and chemistry) as silly putty.

 

[Optimist]

The silk has been around for a long time, and some weaves of it were used in Japan, and were even pretty good protection against that extremely powerful Zen bow that was used in their little differences of opinion. I agree that inclusion of some hard items like quartz gravel to get the bullet to tip has merit, and ought to let it defeat carbine rounds. Use of a trauma plate, even if it was plain steel, behind such a vest ought to give a man a decent chance against a rifle hit from a full caliber round like the .308. All things considered, it looks good....

 

[FarmerJohn]

even if it doesnt punch a hole through you your still going to be absorbing all the bullets energy wich prol will break ribs and can kill you and I wouldnt trust a silk whatever or anything other than a serious vest with plates against a rifle

 

[Optimist]

If the choice is improvised, or nothing, I'll go with improvised. That said, I have my gear already, and it definitely is better than what the Thais are building....

 

[drypowder]

i dont even trust a serious vest with plates, as the plates cover very little, and are made to take rounds perpendicular to the apex of the plate... IE, you have to square up all bowlegged and stupid like for them to even be effective, which is to make yourself the easiest possible target. Anyone who has done any close quarters firing drills in an interceptor vest will tell you how unnatural this is. And yet, it is the standard.

The best defense against bullets is to avoid being shot at, and to avoid being an easy target if you are shot at. However, I think the topic is on fashioning ballistic armor in the absence of conventional (stupid) body armor. If the armor slows the bullet down enough that it doesnt blow a 3 inch wide hole in your chest, and you dont die instantly... then it has served to atleast prolong your life long enough for you to be treated, which is better than nothing.

 

[talon]

As I recall, the Mongols wore many layers of silk shirts to stop arrows. But kevlar still looks better to me

 

[FarmerJohn]

As I recall, the Mongols wore many layers of silk shirts to stop arrows. But kevlar still looks better to me

they did but last I checked an arrow has alot less energy in it than a bullet

and the way the silk worked to my understanding was not to prevent the arrow penetrating but when it did to go with it and slow it down an because it went withthe arrow and around the head it could be pulled out without the barbs digging in

goin from memory here so could be off

 

[drypowder]

with enough layers of fabric, you could stop a freight train, a cannon ball, whatever. And it doesnt really matter what kind of fabric. Kevlar is good because its kindof hard to sheer, and you dont have to use that much of it. Silk is good because it has high tensile strength.

Comparing an arrow to a bullet is not an honest comparison. A steel broadhead would probably go through more layers of kevlar, fired from a recurve bow, than a .357 round. Why? Arrows defeat the main advantage of fabric armor, because they cut. Firing a ball round at the same fabric would have a very different outcome.

 

[FarmerJohn]

with enough layers of fabric, you could stop a freight train, a cannon ball, whatever. And it doesnt really matter what kind of fabric. Kevlar is good because its kindof hard to sheer, and you dont have to use that much of it. Silk is good because it has high tensile strength.

Comparing an arrow to a bullet is not an honest comparison. A steel broadhead would probably go through more layers of kevlar, fired from a recurve bow, than a .357 round. Why? Arrows defeat the main advantage of fabric armor, because they cut. Firing a ball round at the same fabric would have a very different outcome.

depends on the type of arrow head there many like bodkins wich do not

and the silk was not the mongols only protection it was worn under the armor to limit the penetration into the body and facilitate it being removed from the would cleanly

abd yes you can build a fabric suit to stop a cannon but you also have to balance mobility with protection not going to do much good in a fight if your movement is impeded with 200lbs of armour

 

[drypowder]

Yeah, that all makes sense. It would be nice to see an actual ballistics test of silk armor.

 

[Chupacabra Hunter]

sounds great to be homemade. What is the do-ability/price/reliability of something like this? if it's relatively easy, cheap, and works (at least to an extent), I would definitely give it a try! sorry if this question was answered, but the link wouldn't work.

 

[Teapot]

I have shot steel-belted tires at two feet with 9mm and 45ACP. Most of the rounds bounced off and landed on the ground a few feet from where I stood. One 9mm managed to puncture the tire and just raced around inside and came to an un-deformed stop. Perhaps these tires are good for some type of bullet-stopping duty?

 

[Irontale]

you can buy spiders at a pet store so then you just need A lot of them then the food then i should suggest pouting some sort of Metal plate in it of the thickness that you are ok with
Good luck dude

 

[WageSlaveEscapist]

Perhaps tires are good for some type of bullet-stopping duty?

Absolutely. Just ask these guys how their tire armor did against pistols (very well), and against rifles (not so well).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout

 

[tedbo]

There is still the weight issue. You still have to be able to hump it and your gear.

 

[REScar]

Absolutely. Just ask these guys how their tire armor did against pistols (very well), and against rifles (not so well).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout

They didn't use tire armor, also one was shot in the foot, not easy to armor there.