Making bulletproof wood

Summary by Krater

NileRed attempts to replicate a scientific paper on densifying wood to make it bulletproof. After experimenting with chemical treatments, pressing pressures, and multiple wood layers, he finally successfully stops a .22 LR bullet with a three-layer densified pine block.

From the video

Answers: Can you make bulletproof wood at home?

• densified wood
• bulletproof wood manufacturing
• wood delignification
• hot pressing wood
• ballistic testing of wood

What it concludes

• Treating wood with sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfite removes lignin and hemicellulose, leaving loose cellulose that can be squished.
• A single layer of densified wood is unable to stop a pellet gun or a .22 LR bullet, but a three-layer cross-stacked version successfully stops a .22 LR bullet.
• Stacking multiple layers of densified wood with grain directions at 90 degrees to each other significantly increases its strength.