Spider Silk body armor?

Question

I hear that spider silk is 3 times stronger than Kevlar. Would it be possible for me to walk around finding spider webs to harvest silk from until I have enough to make a vest? Would it work as is or would I have to find a way to weave it? I was thinking just get a whole lot of it, put it between two pieces of fabric like in quilts and just use that. It is too sticky to weave though. Anyone know anytihng about this?

I know the army and cops don't use it because it is too difficult to mass produce but I might be able to gather enough for one vest. The problem is we could use spider farms except spiders have a bad habit of eating each other. I want to make one vest for my own use.

Answer 1

While it is true that spider silk is very strong. They have yet to perfect a method of suitable manufacture. The US military has studied the properties of spider silk since the 1940s. However, they have not yet been able to reproduce the method that spiders use to create the silk.

Transgenic or GMO organisms my ultimately solve the production issue but they will also introduce new issues in regards to environmental pollution, i.e. escaped mutant organisms that could radically unbalance the ecosystem.

Nano particle chains are a more likely solution to creating stronger body armor. However, soft body armor only protects against bullet penetration not against the kinetic force of a bullet. The force of a bullet impact can still cause you great harm even if the bullet does not penetrate your body.

Answer 2

its a complicated process the spider silk has to be polimerized and that takes money the government doesnt even have the money to put it on our soldiers. the polimerized spider silk will stop a 9mm armour piercing round at point blank range though

Answer 3

when you gather enough web and make your own vest, test it and let us know how it worked out for you.

Answer 4

You are on to something.

Try making and testing one, and tell me how that works out.