Ballistics Gel Making
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:46 pmWell I did some re-search cause i wanted to know how to make the stuff and found some clues on how to do it both the cheap way and the expensive way, and if it would help with the process of making repro or casting molds it may have just been time well spent.
On the Show Myth Busters they have a Gel they use called "Ballistics Gel" it's a mixture of two ingredents
I'll post two of the recipes I know of plus a little info...
The main ingredient is gelatin powder. That?s just plain, unflavored Jell-O. You can get it at a supermarket or resteraunt/baking supply place dirt cheap. The reason proper ballistics gel is so expensive it's because it is specially manufactured for forensic testing, and so it?s chemistry is very precise. If you just want something to work with in an artistic capacity, you don?t need to go so far.
Recipe #1
1 part pectin powder (used in making jams & preserves, shoud be in the same supermarket isle as gelatin)
1 part gelatin powder
3 parts boiling water (double boiler reccomended)
Stirr untill disolved. Makeup powder or other dry pigments can be mixed in to color the gel. A few drops of oil of wintergreen (from baking supply store) can be used as a preservative.
Recipe #2
20 grams gelatin powder
12 cc distilled water
100 cc glycerin (sometimes available at drugstores, check first-aid isle)
Let the mixture soak for about 45 minutes, then heat to 140.F in a double boiler, and pour into ziplock bags and lay flat to cool. The gel can be remelted for use with a microwave. Oil of wintergreen works as a preservative here too.
Although I?ve not tried them myself. You shouldn?t need the kinds of molds they describe. Just strong plaster molds w/ petrolium jelly as a sealer. The two downsides of any gelatin recipe will be (1) it is perishable like food, and so will be succeptable to decay & mold, and (2) it is water soluable. There are addatives that will alleviate the water soluabilty issue, but I?m not up to date on my sources, I apologize, but if you look around you should be able to find a solution to the water issue.
If you want something similar in look and feel, but of a more permanent chemistry, there are other options: silicons (expensive, but better durability & flexion), and hot-melt vinyls (cheap, but they get the job done). www.smooth-on.com makes silicons that are now widely used for this sort of work. Or you can try www.artstuf.com . They also sell silicons.
Hope that helps
On the Show Myth Busters they have a Gel they use called "Ballistics Gel" it's a mixture of two ingredents
I'll post two of the recipes I know of plus a little info...
The main ingredient is gelatin powder. That?s just plain, unflavored Jell-O. You can get it at a supermarket or resteraunt/baking supply place dirt cheap. The reason proper ballistics gel is so expensive it's because it is specially manufactured for forensic testing, and so it?s chemistry is very precise. If you just want something to work with in an artistic capacity, you don?t need to go so far.
Recipe #1
1 part pectin powder (used in making jams & preserves, shoud be in the same supermarket isle as gelatin)
1 part gelatin powder
3 parts boiling water (double boiler reccomended)
Stirr untill disolved. Makeup powder or other dry pigments can be mixed in to color the gel. A few drops of oil of wintergreen (from baking supply store) can be used as a preservative.
Recipe #2
20 grams gelatin powder
12 cc distilled water
100 cc glycerin (sometimes available at drugstores, check first-aid isle)
Let the mixture soak for about 45 minutes, then heat to 140.F in a double boiler, and pour into ziplock bags and lay flat to cool. The gel can be remelted for use with a microwave. Oil of wintergreen works as a preservative here too.
Although I?ve not tried them myself. You shouldn?t need the kinds of molds they describe. Just strong plaster molds w/ petrolium jelly as a sealer. The two downsides of any gelatin recipe will be (1) it is perishable like food, and so will be succeptable to decay & mold, and (2) it is water soluable. There are addatives that will alleviate the water soluabilty issue, but I?m not up to date on my sources, I apologize, but if you look around you should be able to find a solution to the water issue.
If you want something similar in look and feel, but of a more permanent chemistry, there are other options: silicons (expensive, but better durability & flexion), and hot-melt vinyls (cheap, but they get the job done). www.smooth-on.com makes silicons that are now widely used for this sort of work. Or you can try www.artstuf.com . They also sell silicons.
Hope that helps
