Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

Herc wrote:

Interesting! But am I the only one who didn't know what Prince Rupert's Drops were before this thread?
Anyway, in answer to the original question: it would work, because it is badass.

Aren't they cool?? But honestly the FIRST thought in my head when I learned about them was "Has anybody weaponized these?"

Brandon Sanderson says something like this: "Err on the side of awesome."

I mean, I've already made up my mind on what I'm going to do, but this conversation is still interesting and the answer doesn't matter. smile

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Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

Herc wrote:

Interesting! But am I the only one who didn't know what Prince Rupert's Drops were before this thread?

I found out because of the Smarter Every Day episode posted at the top of this thread, a few years ago. Great channel to subscribe to, he's currently doing a space series, talking to astronomers and so forth.

Also BDA: Owowowowow nope-nope-nope-nope

Last edited by Boter (2015-03-06 17:45:46)

Boter, formerly of TF.N as Boter and DarthArjuna. I like making movies and playing games, in one order or another.

Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

Boter wrote:
Herc wrote:

Interesting! But am I the only one who didn't know what Prince Rupert's Drops were before this thread?

I found out because of the Smarter Every Day episode posted at the top of this thread, a few years ago. Great channel to subscribe to, he's currently doing a space series, talking to astronomers and so forth.

Also BDA: Owowowowow nope-nope-nope-nope


I did not know what they were until this thread.

Also, I'm wondering if something nasty could be enclosed in the drops (somehow), such as acid or poison? That way you have the shattering glass noise (unsettling) as well as the possibility of causing damage to armor.

Also, and I'll defer to others on this, can the drops be made with barbs that are more likely to stay in a wound?

God loves you!

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Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

Because of the way they're made, I'd assume that any intrusions in them wouldn't impart them with the same properties - or in fact wouldn't form right at all and would just crack.

Boter, formerly of TF.N as Boter and DarthArjuna. I like making movies and playing games, in one order or another.

Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

Yeah, the drops only exist because of the properties of glass from the rapid cooling (high tension surface, lower tension interior). So having any large contaminants that could interrupt that consistent surface would probably impede creation or at least make the drop much more fragile than pure glass.

I could be entirely wrong though.

ZangrethorDigital.ca

Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

I can't imagine encasing a liquid in the Pr. Rupert drops. Solids, with higher melting temperatures than glass, no problem. You could put a nasty broadhead arrow inside a drop (in principle), which would expose the barbs when the glass disintegrates. They'd have to leave the arrow in rather than risk removing it. Of course broadheads are already pretty unpleasant to imagine...er, um...receiving.

Last edited by drewjmore (2015-03-07 23:52:21)

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Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

I don't see how you could make a drop with something in it. Their "manufacture" is very chaotic, you can't just place something inside.

Boter, formerly of TF.N as Boter and DarthArjuna. I like making movies and playing games, in one order or another.

Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

As has been pointed out, even if you did go through the complicated process of tipping an arrow with a Prince Rupert drop, the only result is that some of the targets would get dusted with a handful of (tempered) glass.  That's like having a handful of sand thrown at you - an annoyance in comparison to being hit by an arrow in the first place.    You'd get better results with a hollow clay arrowhead full of regular glass shards - and then again you'd mostly just be reducing the effectiveness of the arrow as an arrow

If the goal is to add some secondary effect if the target isn't killed outright, dip the arrowheads in dung.  Or animal venom.  Or plant toxins.  Or set them on fire.   I'll take a shower of glass dust over any of those options. smile

Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

Boter wrote:

I don't see how you could make a drop with something in it. Their "manufacture" is very chaotic, you can't just place something inside.

You'd just drop the rod used to gather the glass right in to the quench with the glass still wrapped around it. Put your 'core' item on a quick release, dip it in the melt, release over the bucket. Viola.

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Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

Holy shit . Destin put up a new video on Prince Rupert's drops, wherein a bullet fired at the bulb of one does not directly destroy the drop , instead sending a shock down to the fragile tail. Still watching but needed to share immediately.

https://youtu.be/24q80ReMyq0

Boter, formerly of TF.N as Boter and DarthArjuna. I like making movies and playing games, in one order or another.

Re: Prince Rupert's Drops as Arrowheads

I like Smarter Ever Day, but come on Destin, let the librarian man talk.

"ShadowDuelist is a god."
        -Teague Chrystie

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