Timmy and I decided to take a little video today but the results were disappointing. We thought there might be neat footage available if we took a block of the gelatine and shot it with the Monsoon at a rapid rate of fire. The idea was that impact and exit would appear on video and just look cool. We got everything set up and then Timmy started the video and I shot the block as fast as I could squeeze off 12 rounds. Sadly at 1000 or 420 FPS the action is pretty weak. The .22 pellets don't make a dramatic entrance or exit so there's not a whole lot to see. The pellets go through the gel block in less than a thousandth of a second and the .22s don't tear up the gel much. We would have got much better video shooting the spinner targets with the Monsoon but that will have to wait on the light!

Anyhow, since we took the video and I processed the shots, I might as well post it here (I'd post it in the video section but I hope to keep that area for videos worth saving...).


Thats 12 shots at 1000FPS but I think I got the frame rate up to 60 per second to keep it from being endless..


That's 12 shots as fast as I can shoot them semi-auto filmed at 420 FPS.


That's another 12 shots but taken just slowly enough to put them all in a tight group. You can't see any of that but that was the idea of the video...

Here's some stills that may or may not add something:


That's the block after being riddled with pellets. The long vertical streak is the track from the .32 shot the other day. The star scar in the upper right is the entrance wound from the .62 shot the other day. All those other small stars and cloudy areas are pellet tracks from the Monsoon and 3 more from Timmy's Benjamin.


Here's the opposite side of the block.


Pointless close-up! This gel is pretty tough. If you shoot it a bunch of times in nearly the same spot it gets tough to track progress pretty quick but the gel does not react differently just because it's been shot once. I don't know how many overlaps I had but I did shoot this block 36 times with the Monsoon (which is a pretty stout .22) plus once with the .32 and once with the .62 and the block is still solid.


This shot from the edge just shows tracks. If you make this stuff and shoot it, you won't have any trouble knowuing where your shot went.


If you look about 3/4 of the way to the left of the frame and just above center you can see the wound track from the .62 Woodsamn shot the other day. Going in and going out the big .62 round left behind a fairly small hole. The permanent damage was a bit bigger though as the light reflecting off this tear shows. The gel does not preserve or model the permanent wound channel in flesh very well. It apparently does the temporary wound channnel OK (if you have fast enough video) and models total penetration pretty good but you need something else to model temporary wound channel so you can get an idea of how much meat you're going to ruin or how much tissue you're going to traumatize in order to kill whatever it is you intend to hunt. There is a product out there that is not resilient and captures the temporary wound channel. It is pretty pricey though. I decided not to buy it a while back because I thought the gell would be good enough and a lot cheaper. Well, the gel has its place and it is cheaper but more expensive than I planned. I'm glad I have it though.

I might try the rapid fire Monsoon again with enough gel to stop the pellets and see if that's worth watching. Shooting the .62 and also the shotgun loads has got to have interesting video in there somewhere....

So.........BLAST IT WITH A BIG BORE!!!!!

Lon,
Have you checked the "Video Library?" There's a couple vids there of big bore shots.

I'd say shoot the stuff until it starts to smell, then leave it out as bait.

Who knows, maybe you'll score yourself a wild hog or something.

Actually, it smells bad enough when you make it! It should melt down for reuse very easily. Besides, there are no hogs here except my kids...

Got any wadcutters/hollowpoints ??
That might make the video a bit more dramatic!!

Surprised at how un-eventful the shots were. First video I couldn't really see if it was being shot or not! Those rounds are just too quick to do much obvious damage...

Well, that's why it was a learning experience. 12 shots in 2 seconds and hardly any action. I'll have to try some hollow points later (if I have any) but the next event will be back to the big bores.

The one thing I noticed is how the gel bulges toward the shooter at impact. Must be the pel pushig the gel aside as it enters.

Cool vids! Thanx for posting

Good observation Dan. All the videos show that bulge happening to one extent or another. The most violent action is at the point of impact and the gel expands or more accurately, moves to the point of least resistance.

Think thats what they mean by "temporary cavitation".

Ouch.

I'm so dissappointed in the weather! The only clouds in Maryland appear to be over my house today and video (high speed that is) is out of the question. Even worse, the forecast has it cloudy at best for the next week. I hope they are wrong as they so often are. I was really hoping to get a frontal shot of the impact cavitation today.

I tried to pull a still from the .62 movie that shows how big a hole is opened up.


After two "export cycles to get the right format the picture is pretty weak... But, compare the size of the first and second blocks of gel to the last one.

How would different colored layers show up ?

I think adding color to the gelatine would just darken it.

I suspect you are right, I wonder if strongly "back lighting" it might be good. It would light up all the defects though, but I'll bet it would show better.

(Now, you can't back light if you filming the face entry wound ... unless you have an expendable light!

Gary

Hmmm... expendable light... You know, TV shows have budgets for that sort of thing. Maybe I should ask for donations of stuff to be shot or to help shoot something else, like the gel?

You can bring it up at the next meeting of the BRSC. We will need a powerpoint presentation, and the board LOVES those little spinning graphic thingies ...



Anyway ... I think now you've established that the gel doesn't shatter or spray debris ... so you can film from a closer vantage point. That should give you better resolution.

Gary

I was thinking that a color like red in the first layer might follow the slug through the clearer layer.
Kind of like a tracer.

Interesting idea, but the science is not that exact. These blocks are cast in flat trays. You're talking of a stacked Parfe' (or however you spell it). Requiring special molds, release methods, multi-color gel, cast in multiple pours, with time for setting up in between.

Now ... must be careful too, because Jerry is becoming increasingly suggestive that "others" can "also" perform these experiments and video tape them. Don't want you to run into him when he's not accepting suggestions.

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2009 01:23AM by barnespneumatic.

This is true. I've had some testy moments lately!

I don't know about parfe's and such but I can tell you that the gel does not flow. That is, it displaces outward from the moving slug and then collapses back, it does not get dragged from block to block. In the videos the gel wobbles around like simple jello but that is misleading. This stuff is very firm and the video is only showing a few thousandths of a second. It's similar to watching a boxers face in slow motion when he gets hit...

Jerry,

I heard from your neighbors, that there was a foul smell coming from your place. Something like boiled pig lips and such.

I hear you rendered that stuff down to "PURE?" blocks again. What's next on the schedule?

Gary

Indeed, the blocks are back to pristine condition. I very simple job actually. Chris cut the embedded slugs out and then just rinsed the dirt off the blocks and patted them dry. Next, they were tossed in the pot one by one and allowed to melt on very low heat. Then we just poured the stuff back into the mold to set-up in the fridge. The stuff really doesn't smell bad anymore. The odor is only there when the powder is first mixed. It's not so bad it fills the kitchen or house either, it's just a little annoying to the guy stirring.

So, I've got these blocks of gel that need shot... I'm thinking of hitting them with the P3 on high power shooting a Totem Pole and also with the high speed Falcon. Maybe more shots with the big slugs from the Woodsman after that and if I can find some hollow points for the .22, I might work that in too.

Maybe put a piece of aluminum foil behind the gel. Or set gel on piece of clear plastic and shoot light from bottom. Dory

Perfect! The first donations can be light sources! Brilliant!

Sorry gents but I went out and filmed a bit without the fancy gear. I'm sure pumping more light in would help but I just don't have the gear. I did get a bit closer this time though. I would have been closer yet but the angle was from near the front so I was a little cautious.