Help A Student Out!

[Moress]

Hello,

So as soon as my quarter is over, I'm planning on starting my senior project over the summer. I'm working on my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, and I want to specialize in structures, specifically with composites. I figure I can combine my two favorite things into one really cool activity and actually get graded for it!

My plan is to use the composite materials I have on hand to design and build plates that can slip inside of a vest. My goal main goal is to be able to withstand three 30-06 rounds at a distance of 100 yards.

Now, I've been doing my reaserch for a few weeks now in preperation to get started, but what I just realized I need is a vest to put the plates in once I have a final product to present to my advisor at the end of the next school year (Technically it's not due until next june, but it's highly encouraged to get a head start on it).

So my question to you ladies and gentlemen, do any of you know of a good vest that is affordable? (I can't be breaking my fragile college budget after all lol).

P.S. I already ran this by my advisor, and he thinks it's a great idea.
P.P.S. If you have any suggetions, especially if you work in the field of composites and/or structures, I'm all ears. My former materials professor is on medical leave, so unfortunately a large source of potential information is no longer available to me.

[ankyle62]

Well wouldnt you be mostly testing the durability of the plate? My not just use an old jacket and fit the plate into it and just copy the dimensions of a already known sapi plate.

Or if you need a flak jacket, just search google for a surplus flak jackets.

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&safe=off&source=hp&q=flak+jacket+surplus&aq=f&aqi=g1g-m1&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=f518a831da86a66c

[Kala]

Check this website out, I have no experience with any of the products or anything, but this seems to be what you're looking for...

http://www.majorsurplus.com/Rapid-Assault-Tactical-Plate-Carrier-P16114C2228.aspx

Good luck!

[Moress]

Well wouldnt you be mostly testing the durability of the plate? My not just use an old jacket and fit the plate into it.

Or if you need a flak jacket, just search google for a surplus flak jackets.

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&h...18a831da86a66c

Yeah, the plates are what my project is going to be graded on, not the jacket. The Jacket itself is just for cosmetic purposes really, just to present to my advisor once it's all said and done. I figure it will look more 'professional' this way while it's sitting on display while I present my data and findings, thats why I didn't want to spend too much on the vest itself.

Those are some pretty good finds. I will definately have to give those surplus flak jackets a good looking over.

Thanks.

[ankyle62]

If you live near a military town you will also see people selling issued gear sometimes, but it's usually expensive.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/for/2388882955.html

Good luck, I hope you post your findings with pictures here.

[Spetsnazos]

How are you intending to measure the impact that a certain composite can endure? I'm in a similar major, but I'm curious what kind of equipment your school has. All we have is some lame Charpy impact test and Brinell tests that we could do. Maybe even a tensile test, but I don't think I could use any of those to get any kind of conclusion.

Pretty interested, PM me if you prefer

[Moress]

If you live near a military town you will also see people selling issued gear sometimes, but it's usually expensive.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/for/2388882955.html

Good luck, I hope you post your findings with pictures here.

Thats a good Idea, Vandenberg AFB isn't too far away from where I live, actualy I have a couple buddies who work there as MPs, I never thought of asking them if they had tuff like that laying around until just now lol.

How are you intending to measure the impact that a certain composite can endure? I'm in a similar major, but I'm curious what kind of equipment your school has. All we have is some lame Charpy impact test and Brinell tests that we could do. Maybe even a tensile test, but I don't think I could use any of those to get any kind of conclusion.

Pretty interested, PM me if you prefer

Thankfully Cal Poly has jut about every type of machine you can think to measure this kind of stuff. The one I'll probably be using the most is some sort of high impact machine (It's not a Charpy Impact machine, but I can't remember the name of it for the life of me right now). You basically set the material on the base, and the machine drops a weight on the material and it hits it with a measured amout of force. This will help me measure how much pressure, and energy the material will take before it starts to fail.

The idea is I'll use small pieces until I can get it to withstand at least 4kj of energy before I make bigger plates to test at the range with live bullets. This will save the lab money from continuosly making large plates to shoot at, and save me money in ammo from all the misses I'll be acumulating haha.

I'll alo have the instron machine to measure the properties of my 'new material' once I get a final product since I'll be basically be working from scratch. Most likely it will probably end up being a ceramic base, with layers of carbon enased in butt loads of resin to keep everything together, but another one of my design criteria will be to make it as light as possible. Hopefully under 5lbs per plate, assuming the plate is approx 10x12x1inch

Edit: It's called a Drop Imact Machine (Dur! lol) http://www.made-in-china.com/showroo...wtt-Test-.html

[Kala]

Here's another one, slightly less expensive than that other one, in case you're looking for a no frills one!

http://www.majorsurplus.com/High-Mobility-Plate-Carrier-P15055C2228.aspx

Here's one that comes with a pouch, doesn't look like it's meant for body armor, but in theory, you could drop a plate in there! It's also super cheap!

http://www.majorsurplus.com/Voodoo-Chest-Platform-P16113C2228.aspx#

Anyone heard of Voodoo tactical to see if it's any good?

[Spetsnazos]

Thats a good Idea, Vandenberg AFB isn't too far away from where I live, actualy I have a couple buddies who work there as MPs, I never thought of asking them if they had tuff like that laying around until just now lol.



Thankfully Cal Poly has jut about every type of machine you can think to measure this kind of stuff. The one I'll probably be using the most is some sort of high impact machine (It's not a Charpy Impact machine, but I can't remember the name of it for the life of me right now). You basically set the material on the base, and the machine drops a weight on the material and it hits it with a measured amout of force. This will help me measure how much pressure, and energy the material will take before it starts to fail.

The idea is I'll use small pieces until I can get it to withstand at least 4kj of energy before I make bigger plates to test at the range with live bullets. This will save the lab money from continuosly making large plates to shoot at, and save me money in ammo from all the misses I'll be acumulating haha.

I'll alo have the instron machine to measure the properties of my 'new material' once I get a final product since I'll be basically be working from scratch. Most likely it will probably end up being a ceramic base, with layers of carbon enased in butt loads of resin to keep everything together, but another one of my design criteria will be to make it as light as possible. Hopefully under 5lbs per plate, assuming the plate is approx 10x12x1inch

Edit: It's called a Drop Imact Machine (Dur! lol) http://www.made-in-china.com/showroo...wtt-Test-.html

Cool same theory idea as the Charpy except that one has a much higher range of of forces it can capture.

Carbon Fiber stuff can be fairly complicated and alot of guesswork until you really understand what you're doing. Especially if you do wet layup. I guess if you really know what you're doing you can limit the error and get a good estimate where you're at, I can't say I have enough experience to really comment.

Resin is expensive man...

Cal Poly SLO or Pomona?

[Moress]

I wonder if those vests cover the chest area too? by the looks of it, most of them only seem like they have pockets that hold plates over just the abdominal region

[Moress]

Cool same theory idea as the Charpy except that one has a much higher range of of forces it can capture.

Carbon Fiber stuff can be fairly complicated and alot of guesswork until you really understand what you're doing. Especially if you do wet layup. I guess if you really know what you're doing you can limit the error and get a good estimate where you're at, I can't say I have enough experience to really comment.

Resin is expensive man...

Yeah, Carbon Fiber is still very new to me. I'm pretty confident with my abilities in regular regid body mechanics and structures, but this is definately going to be a learning experience for me, but our motto is learn by doing so challenge accepted!

Cal Poly SLO or Pomona?

The real Cal Poly ofcourse, SLO

P.S. Shear flow still kicks my butt tho

[bigred1]

You should be able to pick up a simple plate carrier chest rig

http://www.google.com/m/products?oe=UTF-8&client=safari&q=plate+carrier&hl=en&bl=/m/search?q%3Dplate%2Bcarrier%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari&source=search&channel=products&ei=enPbTbi9HZiwqAPblsNY&ved=0CBsQzQM

[aznanimekid]

http://www.greyghostoutlet.com/rigs/mod-plate-carrier-acu

[ConcernedCitizen]

On a recent episode of Pawn Stars, someone came in selling a bullet-proof vest. He worked security and claimed that the kevlar in the vest "expired" after 5 years. the vest had a label with an expiration date. Apparently, it degrades over time and loses it's effectiveness. I'm saying all this because your MP buddies may be willing to part with their 5 YO vests pretty cheaply. You will be replacing the kevlar with your own design, so the expiration shouldn't be an issue to you.

Good luck.

[Sub95]

Check craigs list, the last one i seen on there the person wanted $80.00 for it. and ebay has a bunch of them too.