This one was really cool. I didn’t expect the wood to actually stop a real bullet and it’s insane how much time and resources were spent on this video.
this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2023
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I really enjoy Nile Red/Blue. The humour is spot on - dry and subtle and I be up laughing out loud quite a bit.
And - the chemistry is fantastic.
this is one of his best so far!
Great proof of concept. This process alone isn't ready for widespread use yet due to the costs of the press and chemicals.
To enhance performance I would recommend experimenting with combinations of this material and the home epoxy/tarp process that some people have shown before. If some combo of those improvised materials can be squished down to about an inch thick, it starts to become practical for a modern armor plate. With refinements I bet there is a design that can reliably stop most handgun threats. Keep in mind his final proof of concept stopped 9mm out of a carbine length barrel which is a bit spicier than out of a pistol.
Another possible idea would be to coat the final plate in rhino-lining type truckbed coating, as this may prevent the spall and wood splintering from the front of the plate, and backface deformation... Both issues that threaten the armor wearer.
I wonder how much more strength this would have if the back side was wrapped in carbon fiber with just the one layer of wood. The hardness wasn't the issue necessarily, as we saw. The bullet didn't punch a whole clean through, it "pushed" the wood out of the way. Carbon fiber seems like it would help reduce the thickness and weight while keeping the wood intact