Okey-dokey, so now I’m on a roll … I did say I was keen! So here goes with my home made ‘exploding’ targets … first of all I came across these tiny targets on various web sites and I thought nahhh! far too small for me to hit and way too expensive to buy at this stage, bearing in mind I am still in the process of buying my guns, magazines, cases and kit etc. and now I have started on rifles with a Ruger 1022 plus Hawke Vantage scope (thank you Andy of AAR) with an Umarex Legends Cowboy and Crosman 1077 on the way … I need help!
So, being a gal who likes to tinker about, come up with my own way of doing things and save a bit of dosh, this is what I came up with: Plaster of Paris – oh yes that’s the baby!
So here is what I use:
Plaster of Paris (PoP) – Fine Casting Plaster of Paris
Silicon mould(s) – the type used for making cake decorations, chocolates etc.
Cold Water
Scales
Two mixing cups - I use disposable plastic drinking cups
Stirring stick (lolly pop stick)
Plastic cocktail straws (3mm diameter)
1-2mm drill bit/drill
Once I worked out the weight of a cup of POP and how much water I need, making sure that the combined contents don’t overflow the cup they are mixed in, I don’t need to weight the POP out again, just fill the cup and add to the correct amount of water. Also using a 20ml syringe to measure out the right quantity of water makes things easy.
How to Mix Plaster of Paris
(1) The mix ratio for Fine Casting Plaster is 100/70, i.e. 100g plaster to 70ml water
(2) Add the plaster to the water in small amounts, mixing well after each addition. Don’t add water to plaster, this will just make it lumpy. If the mix is too watery the plaster will soft and crumbly; if it's too thick, air might be trapped and will weaken the plaster.
The ‘exploding discs’ I make are thin in order to smash to pieces on impact with the BB or pellet. and they are so quick and easy to make, I find it better to make up in small batches.
How to Make the Disc Targets:
(1) Cut the cocktail straws into pieces about 8mm long and open up each end
(2) Mix the PoP
(3) Pour the PoP into the silicone mould one section at a time at 3mm – 5mm thick (just guess) and press in 1 piece of straw towards the edge so it’s sticking up, hold it until it stands up on its own which it will do so very quickly, then move onto the next disc
(4) Repeat until used up batch of PoP and make more if needed.
(5) Leave to dry for at least a few hours, (I leave until the next day) remove from mould (they will just pop out) and cut away some of the excess straw.
(6) Drill gently down through the straw to ‘pop’ out the back bit of PoP, thus completing the ‘hole’ which I then use to attach to my home-made target spinner … but that’s another story!
NB: DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING FLESHY BEHIND WHERE THE DRILL BIT WILL COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STRAW – IT WILL SUDDENLY POP OUT VERY QUICKLY.
So that’s it, couldn’t be easier really, you can experiment with different moulds, target thicknesses and even colours by painting or felt pens … I’m going to try adding some powder paints while mixing the PoP at some point, to see how that goes.
I get my POP on at under £4 for 1Kg (cheaper the more you buy) and I haven’t used a third of that yet and have 2kg in reserve.
The silicone moulds I bought were 3 x trays of 15 sections for about £10 and I use 2 for targets and 1 in my kitchen: the little octopus mould was a freebie.
Be careful when you get the moulds, make sure that the size of the sections are big enough for the targets would want as some are really tiny!
So, being a gal who likes to tinker about, come up with my own way of doing things and save a bit of dosh, this is what I came up with: Plaster of Paris – oh yes that’s the baby!
So here is what I use:
Plaster of Paris (PoP) – Fine Casting Plaster of Paris
Silicon mould(s) – the type used for making cake decorations, chocolates etc.
Cold Water
Scales
Two mixing cups - I use disposable plastic drinking cups
Stirring stick (lolly pop stick)
Plastic cocktail straws (3mm diameter)
1-2mm drill bit/drill
Once I worked out the weight of a cup of POP and how much water I need, making sure that the combined contents don’t overflow the cup they are mixed in, I don’t need to weight the POP out again, just fill the cup and add to the correct amount of water. Also using a 20ml syringe to measure out the right quantity of water makes things easy.
How to Mix Plaster of Paris
(1) The mix ratio for Fine Casting Plaster is 100/70, i.e. 100g plaster to 70ml water
(2) Add the plaster to the water in small amounts, mixing well after each addition. Don’t add water to plaster, this will just make it lumpy. If the mix is too watery the plaster will soft and crumbly; if it's too thick, air might be trapped and will weaken the plaster.
The ‘exploding discs’ I make are thin in order to smash to pieces on impact with the BB or pellet. and they are so quick and easy to make, I find it better to make up in small batches.
How to Make the Disc Targets:
(1) Cut the cocktail straws into pieces about 8mm long and open up each end
(2) Mix the PoP
(3) Pour the PoP into the silicone mould one section at a time at 3mm – 5mm thick (just guess) and press in 1 piece of straw towards the edge so it’s sticking up, hold it until it stands up on its own which it will do so very quickly, then move onto the next disc
(4) Repeat until used up batch of PoP and make more if needed.
(5) Leave to dry for at least a few hours, (I leave until the next day) remove from mould (they will just pop out) and cut away some of the excess straw.
(6) Drill gently down through the straw to ‘pop’ out the back bit of PoP, thus completing the ‘hole’ which I then use to attach to my home-made target spinner … but that’s another story!
NB: DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING FLESHY BEHIND WHERE THE DRILL BIT WILL COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STRAW – IT WILL SUDDENLY POP OUT VERY QUICKLY.
So that’s it, couldn’t be easier really, you can experiment with different moulds, target thicknesses and even colours by painting or felt pens … I’m going to try adding some powder paints while mixing the PoP at some point, to see how that goes.
I get my POP on at under £4 for 1Kg (cheaper the more you buy) and I haven’t used a third of that yet and have 2kg in reserve.
The silicone moulds I bought were 3 x trays of 15 sections for about £10 and I use 2 for targets and 1 in my kitchen: the little octopus mould was a freebie.
Be careful when you get the moulds, make sure that the size of the sections are big enough for the targets would want as some are really tiny!
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