How to make your own Ballistic gel (Zombie style)

[linkpimp]

Hey team.. It’s your favorite Newbie with another one of my (how to threads)….

This time around I’m going to be showing you’ll step-by-step how to make your own Balistic gel to shoot at anytime you want.. But this is one small catch..

I’m going to be doing it in a Zombie motif..

Ahh to know me is to love me…

Please note!!
I don't necessarily ask that you like it, I only ask that you enjoy the ride..

(Wish me luck!)..


The beginning:
After an exhausting search on the web reviewing different molds, cast and just about everything else I could find I made up my shopping list and headed out with my kids to have some fun (dad’s style) and here is what we ended up with.

5 lbs of molding plaster
3 hard resin skulls
1 pig hart
1 pig brain
1 bag of plastic eyeballs
2 cartons of Knox unflavored gelatine (64) total packages
1 Round plastic tube measuring 8” x 8” x 24” ($9.00 at Michaels)
1 cardboard box 12” x 9”x 18”
2 rolls of resin tape
3 rolls of painters tape
1 can of Pam
1 small bottle of cinnamon leaf oil (anti foaming agent)
1 Bottle of Vodka
1 gallon of OJ

After watching several video of “myth busters and ultimate warrior” I decided to make 3 different types of ballistic molds to shoot up with my .50 Beowulf

1. 2 round 8” cylinders
2. 3 human heads
3. 1 upper body torso


To help achieve my goal (Tools wise) I’ll be using the following

1 extra large (46 gallon) cooler 16” x 18” x 36” (for cooling / setting and storing the ballistic jell
Several bowls from the kitchen (don’t tell the wife!)
A drill with a whisk attached (for mixing) the jell
A hobby scale of measuring out my plaster and Jell
A candy thermometer to ensure I don’t heat up the jell past 106 degrees
Some knife’s & scissors
Vinyl gloves

P.S.
I still need to pickup the following items to complete the project:
• 10 bags of ice
• A bottle of fake blood
• TBD (things I cant think of right now)


Starting the process:

I’m starting out with the head and a large screwdriver (70 % Vodka and 30% OJ)
My task / requirement here is a make a plaster mold from the skulls that I can use to make the shape and size of the head of course I’ll need to hollow out the skull add the brain and then insert the piece into the mold once the jell has been mixed up and is ready to pour..


Step one.. Making the plaster mold for the head:
I take one of the skulls and I need to add approximately 2” around it so I can achieve a mold that will allow approximately 2” of jell for this task I’m going to be adding the resin tape to the exterior the skull adding approximately 2” to the totally mass. I need to make sure that I still keep the basic shape of the head so I’ll be pressing the tape to the skulls and trying to keep the same basic shape throughout this process.

OK.. One roll and one screwdriver down, lets start on the second roll and the second screw driver..

Halfway done with the second roll and the 2nd screwdriver (note) getting harder to type..

OK… Now the second roll is completed. It’s coming long nicely so far (I think) IDK at this point.. Looks good me thinks..

 

[linkpimp]

OK… I’ve completed the basic size of the skull ie (3 rolls and 3 drinks) done / down and I'm now ready for the molding phase..

Progress is moving along slower than anticipated / hoped.. Ooo well dad by day and builder by night is the life I lead.. LOL..

I started out today (with a slight hangover) LOL so after a good breakfast I went with the boy and did a little shopping.

3 rolls of plaster bandages
2 bottles of Vaseline

So now that the wife and kids are a sleep, I can pickup where I left off.

I noticed that I need to add more (gerth) to the head and I also needed to add a neck! (I don’t know what I was thinking last night!)

 

[linkpimp]

Ok now that I’ve achieved the proper size of the head and neck it was time to get the Vaseline out and coat the head and cardboard box (Vaseline) is required so the mold doesn’t stick (so they say and I’ll find out soon enough)

Cool now the head and the box are completed covered in Vaseline it was time to breakout the plaster.. Since I’ve never worked with it before this should be at least a learning experience for me.. I added the proper amount of water first (remember never pour water on powder)! Always start with the fluids and then slowing add the mix) OMG! It’s not enough mix!.. I’ve got the box coated and if I don’t try something then I’ll lose the box and mix. After pouring the mix of plaster into the box (not a chance in hell!) DAM!! Not even enough to cover half the head (as I was hopping too on the worst case senerio).
FAIL………….

OK now what!?. Well it was now time to start drinking and come up with a plan “B”..

OK.. I have my plaster bandages that I was going to use for the upper torso mold so lets try these and see how they work.. I started by cutting them in strips 3’ long (folded in 1’ sections) cleaned out all of the initial plaster out of my bucket filled it with hot water and proceed to use the plaster cloth / bandages. This is kind of cool as it all new to me..

I added the first strip of plaster cloth (folded one end over about ¾”) for the seam and begin to cover one side of the head.. DAM this stuff dry’s FAST!.. It starts to tack up really quick here (so have everything ready)..

 

[linkpimp]

Ok I’ve completed one side of the head (Hey this just might WORK!) Cool.. I’ve got probably 5 layers of plaster cloth on now (I have no idea how much is required) but this should might work.. (lets find out together).. LOL..

OK.. Now after letting it sit to dry for an hour its time to start the second side of the head and time for another drink..

Questions:
Do I pull off the first side of the plaster mold or do I apply the second side with an overlapping seam (??) IDK??? My gut tells me to leave on the first side (it’s dry and water shouldn’t affect now) Right?? Hahahahaaa who knows but its getting late, I’m on my second drink and (to be honest) I don’t really care at this point the worst things that happens is I just fail at everything tonight and start fresh tomorrow night.. So lets go with it and see what happens..

Ok.. the second side of the skull is complete and now I just play the waiting game, drink my 2nd totty and plan my next steps (maybe refill my drink again) lol..

 

[linkpimp]

Alright it’s the moment of truth, its time to separate the plaster molds from the head and see if they will work at molds for the gel. Removing the wrapping from the head and seeing how think I actually got it? and prepping the head for the gel.

Hay that actually worked! Right on.. (lesson learned) I use this process on the upper torso it should work great!.. Also the vas worked as it should have and I had no issues at all removing the two halves.



Cool.. lets remove the wrapping form the skull without hurting the skull that’s the key here, wish me luck cause I’m starting to get nice buzz on at this point.. hahahaaaa..

Well that was a *****.. but overall it looks like a achieved about 1 1/4” all around the skull for the gel.. I don’t know if that good but that’s what I’ve got and I’m going with it.. I’ll research tomorrow how much space / cushion the actually human head has between the skull and the skin just for kicks and giggles..

Now it time to cut open the skull and try to figure out how in the hell I’m to fit in the brain.. haahahahaa



Look Mom… I’m a brain surgeon!..

…

P.S.
The brain is freaking me out!..

It’s going back in the frige.

 

[linkpimp]

So with the wife and kids gone (swimming meet) I had the afternoon to myself and decided to make the best of it. I started off with measuring out 1 lbs of the gelatin mix and 4 .31 quarts of water, once everything was all measured out I decided to mix it and get in a little football at the same time.

Ok.. cool that was easy.. while the bowl is in the refrigerator cooling for 3hrs I decided to turn my attention to completing the skull and having it ready so once the gelatin cools I can melt it, add it the mold and move on with life. I started out by drilling holes in the skull made up some bags of blood installed the brain and stitched back the skull with fishing line. Then I rubber cemented the eyes in for that finishing touch..

 

[linkpimp]

3 hrs go by and it time to continue on with the project. The gelatin looked good with very little sings of any air bubbles and it popped out of the container without any issues at all..

Ok well now that I a huge chuck of gel I cut it up in smaller pieces (for melting)..

Once the gelatin was ready for molding, I needed to complete the prep on the mold for the head. Once the head mold was completed, I then put it in an ice chest and filled it with ice. I’ll be keeping it here for the 3 days so it can setup without being in the fringe.

 

[linkpimp]

Time to make some gel.
The melting process went quick and easy without any issues at all. I used a huge pot filled it ½ full of water and then found a mixing bowl to set inside the pot (thus making my own cockpit. Keeping a close eye on the temp to ensure that it never exceed 106 degrees and stirring occasionally.

The head mold packed in ice and the gel cool I added the melted goop into the mold and hoped for the best.

Forward progress continues with my ballistic gel project

With one head completed, all wrapped up and put into cold storage.

 

[linkpimp]

I can’t wait for my wife to open up the frige and see this!

(P.S.) this was my son idea!.. THAT’S MY BOY!!!!

P.S.
Lessened learned on the Zombie head.
1. Wait for the gel to cool before adding it to the plaster mold
2. Add a piece of 1” PVC to the base of the skull to ensure it doesn’t turn inside the mold as it cools
3. I need to figure out a way to get equal amount of gel around the head as it cools (figure this out before starting on the 2nd head)
4. Add teeth to the next mold (TBD?)

 

[linkpimp]

I moved on to the 8x24” cylinder gel. Made up another 2lbs pound of gel, coated my plastic cylinder with Pam, melted the gel and poured it into the cylinder..
The problem I had here is

I only made up 1lbs at a time and had to pour them at different times into the cylinder mold. So I ended up with (2) 8x9” (ish) tubes..

Lessened learned.. Next time (this weekend) I’ll make up 2 lbs at once, melt all if it at the same time and that should result in me ending up with one solid gel cylinder 8x16”. Or 3lbs of gel to yield me 8x24”

 

[linkpimp]

OK team here goes nothing.. Literally

. I decided to stop by Home Depot, a meat market and the liquor store on the way home this afternoon.

I picked up the following from home depot:
(24) ½” UL-40 90 degree elbows
(6) ½” Cross fittings
10’ of ¼” plastic tubing
(1) 8’x ½” piece of PVC piping




Some sausage tubing from the meat market
&
Then I picked up a bottle of Vodka (we have OJ at home)


I started out with nice tall glass of Vodka with just a smidgen of OJ (for coloring)

I laid out everything and started on the drink and the torso.

Ok this is coming along nicely now, I’m halfway done with both the ribcage and the drink

Ok one drink and one ribcage completed

Ok the neck done..

Now it’s time to mount head on it. I’ll start off by working my way thru the 2nd drink and cutting an opening in the skull to accommodate a 1” PCV pipe (Lessened learned from the first head).

Ok now that I’ve done that it’s time mount the skull and finish off the 2nd drink.
(LooK a skull on a stick!) hahahahahahahahahhaaaaaaaaaaa I’ll finish off the skull with bags of fake blood as soon as I ready it for the gel, but for now this is going to haft to work..

 

[linkpimp]

Ok team I made some more progress
On to the pictures:

Went shopping and picked up the following supplies:

Stripped the ribcage clean so I can use it as a model

Wrapped it cotton to add 2-3” around it for the gel

Filled the end too

Wrapped the entire thing in two layers of tape

Sprayed it down with Pam oil, I ran out of Vaseline, cut all the pieces of the plaster tape

Wrapped / installed 5 layers on the front side

Well that’s as far as I’ve gone to date.. I’m going to try to finish up the upper torso and another head out this weekend..

I’ll post of Video of everything blowing up in a few days / or more like two weeks LOL..

Thank you all for your time and I hope you enjoyed this thread..

Link..

 

[linkpimp]

I’ll save your trouble!!

Please note!
If you are thinking about informing me that this method will not produce the same ballistic properties as real BG then you really need to read this!.


This method will provide me with the same, Key word being the same!.. Ballistic properties as real ballistic jell.. I did tons of research before starting this project and as long as I mixed it to a certain mix, heated to a certain degree and keep it at a certain temperature it absolutely does have the same properties as real ballistic jell.. Here are some of the threads where you can read up on the subject if you would like to..

This is how the boys at MB do it!.
http://www.customcartridge.com/pdfs/BallisticGel.pdf
1. Buy (true) ballistic gel @ $300 for 25lbs
2. Add some Cinnamon oil (for clarity)
3. Boil, mix, stir, cool, etc. etc..

How the other agencies and companies do it:
Ballistic Gelatin (I followed this guideline)

Cool site, good information, just not correct IMO..
How to Make Your Own Ballistic Gel
1. Use one pound of regular gelatin powder for every one gallon of water
2. Stir the powder in carefully, trying to moisten all of the granules without adding too much air to the mixture
3. Set the gel mixture in the refrigerator to chill and hydrate (a process known as “blooming”) for two hours.
4. Set the gelatin over a pan of water and heated it until it melted. A candy thermometer was used to make sure the gelatin mixture didn’t get hotter than 130 degrees. During the melting process, we stirred carefully to minimize air getting trapped in the gelatin
5. Use specially constructed 6” x 6” x 16” molds coated inside with silicone spray for easy release.
6. The gel was set to chill in the refrigerator for 36 hours before use. We carried it to the testing site in insulated containers and unmolded it before testing.



Just some quick fun facts..

Gelatin testing cannot be used to predict the "effectiveness" of ammunition.

But I also know that:
Testing bullets in gelatin as a soft tissue simulant provides useful information about a bullet's terminal mechanical performance and wounding producing effect and nothing more. These two characteristics are directly linked to the bullet’s design, construction, and velocity.
I.E.
Terminal mechanical performance is a measure of bullet penetration, expansion, fragmentation and yaw at a given velocity.

Wounding producing effect is the disruption produced by a bullet’s terminal performance characteristics in the target.

 

[I Like Firearms]

Holy Crap...This is so cool. I cant wait till the videos!

 

[TheCapulet]

I'm really, really!!! looking forward to the end results.

 

[IndyGunworks]

 

[E5RANGER375]

VERY COOL!!! thanks!

 

[Naptown]

Wow, another incredible thread. You are incredibly talented!

 

[Turn Key]

$$$

OK linkpimp , how much do you have invested in your Zombie style gel project so far?

Do you plan to sell any?







TK

 

[bigiron]

so, why not invite us over when you plan to put zombie to the test? you would only have about 10,000 people. as far as i know it would be the first all INGO gathering, and you could be the host!!!! i'm in, whos with me?