German TV show coverage!

"Galileo" featured me once more.

Someone must have uploaded the clip to youtube (wasn't me):

Aspect ratio is wrong... I look thinner that way :)

Zombie Hammer vs. Steel Helmet

Can the upgraded Zombie Hammer go through a steel helmet (ex German army)?

Zombie Hammer - Upgrades!

The hammer was in need of repair after the test against the tactical vest.

Since the throwing knives went through the vest with ease, I decided to try one as a spike on the hammer.

I changed the threaded bolt from 10mm to 12mm, and bought some tubular threaded stainless steel nuts (50mm length). Then I welded both a stainless steel spike and one of the knife blades to the nuts.

Now I can quickly interchange them, preparing it for the job at hand (human aggressor or undead monster).

I also made the spike far more pointy for better penetration.

Zodiac contest - first winner!

Bill Hays won the first "Zodiac" contest - his entry for "The Bull" is just great. Congrats!

Here is the first "condition pic" for the contest.

Bady armor: Does it work?

Body armor may be a serious issue in a post apocalyptic world. You may want to wear it every day, and you may encounter aggressors that wear it, too.

There is very little public research about how well affordable (surplus) body armor really works. So I spent 50 Euros for a used ex-German police vest. It matches the IIIA protection class (protects against handguns, but not rifles, and protects against knife stabbing too).

Then I put it around a tree trunk and tested several practical weapons against it. Slingshots, a katana, my famous Zombie hammer, even a compound bow (converted into a homemade crossbow). I was very surprised -none of these weapons could pierce the fairly light vest (2kg). The only thing that did work was my throwing knife shooter.

Of course newer vests may work a lot better (this one is based on Kevlar inlays), but let's be realistic: Who can afford 500 dollar gear as an item of SHTF prepardness. These surplus products are affordable, and in plentiful supply. I can recommend them, clearly.

Shooting fun in the sun

Great weather this weekend, perfect for some shooting. Banded up some of my slingshots and having fun!

I also tested a slingshot I finished this morning - a customized Cougar that I traded with a Gentleman from the US, who gave me an original and official flag from the 1972 Olympics (Munich) in return. It is quite big, about 2 meters 50 x 1,60. I have no idea what to do with it, but it is rare and I like that.

He wanted a wooden handle. I chose cedar wood, very nice red colors and fantastic smell. I oiled it with linseed oil and then polished it - came out nice! Shoots well in hammer grip and excellent in support grip.

"Throwing knives" as ammo - now 86% more deadly

Most of you might have seen my latest "crazy ammo" contraption, a slingshot crossbow that shoots throwing knives. I demonstrated it with a fairly easy 18 kg (40 lb) band set, and it was already impressive.

Have used my own band dimension calculator now, entered a 25mm steel ball that weighs the same as one of these knives...

http://www.slingshotchannel.com/band_calc.html



This is 1,86 times more rubber than I used for the video... about 75 lbs of a draw. This brings the simple wooden construction to a limit. But the energy of the knives now exceeds 100 ft-lb for sure. Downright scary. Ricochets are super dangerous. Don't do this at home.

The Twin Hammers

OK, here is my take on The Twins (Gemini).

I started out with the classic Gemini symbol.

This almost looks like a double ended slingshot already! So I formed my plan - adapting my HammerHead design to the Gemini theme.

For that, I decided to use two different types of wood, each one representing one of the twin pillars of the symbol. I went for Red Cedar (smells great!) and Bubinga.

It was a very complicated build as Cedar is very soft, and Bubinga is quite hard. Not easy to shape these wood types in an even fashion.

This actually has advantages, as you can attach two bands at a time - you have a spare bandset with zero attachment time. It serves as a lanyard in the meantime. You can also attach a weaker target band and a stronger hunting band. 

 

 

Here, you can see it next to some of the other HammerHeads I own. They look alike, but aren't the same... I vary, in order to enhance the concept further. 

 

This frame isn't competing, in fact it is a prize that will go to the winner of the Gemini contest. Good luck!