Our Next MFFG-SFL Test Cutting Day

[Mike Cartier]

We decided to do more than just slay water bottles for the next test cutting day for MFFG South Florida.

So far our general concept is a home made Ballistics Gel. We did tests with soda bottles filled with gelatin. By using approx 2 packets (enough for 2 cheesecakes with Jello or 2 Jello molds) in one bottle for the best effect. From our preliminary test on 3 bottles it seems to work as an excellent cutting medium. Our final intention is a load of water, soda and other plastics bottles and a bunch of cardboard milk cartons filled with a good concentration of gelatin and some Green Bamboo sapling for a bone simulator. I think judging from the bottle experiment, I can with 4- 6 packets of gelatin make a gallon carton milk jug with a bamboo center act as a reasonable simulator of an arm or leg. We may also trot out some leather over a carton to help the simulation. The original idea was a mold to pump out bricks of the stuff but its too gooey to work with like that, needs a container.

The final test cutting will be videoed and have an accompanying article with photos. The goal being a new path on test cutting to make it more representative of the material we would be working with if we were using this for real. This should help us get the attributres from test cutting that we are hoping too (correct alignment, accuracy, follow through and power).

[A Froster]

We've been thinking along the same lines. There's a company called "Glaceau Smart Water" that makes a 12 inch long bottle comparable to a man's forearm in girth. We were looking at filling these foot long bottles with Gelatin or Silicon mixed with red food dye to simulate blood. I was worried how the gelatin would do in the Florida heat though. Once the gelitin or silicon is set we planned to insert a dowel or a piece PVC pipe to simulate bone because it's tough to find bamboo this far north. I've collected about a dozen of these bottles so far. What I like about the longer bottles is that there is enough area to make at least two cuts maybe three if you keep the pattern tight.

I also think that we should study Michael Edelson's cutting guildlines before the event to make sure we haven't missed anything important.
http://newyorklongsword.com/articles/cutting_curriculum.pdf

[Mike Ruhala]

You may want to consider reusable ballistic gel products like these for the future,

http://www.thebullettesttube.com

http://www.perma-gel.com/

[Mike Cartier]

Its official
Next Sunday at my house. All are welcome

[Bill Welch]

Rolled up newspaper with a wooden dowel in the middle soaked overnight and then set out to let the excess water drain out work well.

We have on occasion gotten pig legs from a local butcher. They generally throw them away so you can usually get them pretty cheap. the one we use will even leave meat on the legs to better simulate arms or legs. We even managed to get a scapulas still attached. Wrapped in cloth or an old shirt they are a very different cutting medium, and well worth giving a shot at cutting. Soak a piece of thin leather and you have some tough skin to cut on top of it.

[Mike Cartier]

great suggestions Bill thanks

[Jayson May]

So, how did the cutting go?

[Mike Cartier]

was not bad, but i never did get the bamboo I needed to put down the soda bottles filled with my home made ballistics gel.

Next time I will have better ballistics gel, i think i needed more concentration of the gelatine. It was pretty good, far better than simply water bottles but still not like an arm or a leg.

We have video which I will process over the next few weeks.

[Jayson May]

Cool, I'm excited to see how it turned out.