As some of you guys pointed out, the boomerang is spinning, so the energy on the edges is quite higher than 69J. Pretty cool! Download @gameofThronesLegends by clicking here: gotl.onelink.me/W7zw/mike28
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="676">11:16</a> "If I put a little bit less power into it, it's pretty accurate" That's it my man. I've been making & throwing boomerangs for almost twenty years. When you're learning, it's usually better to focus on throwing technique rather than power, hitting a target or getting it to return perfectly. Throwing technique, particularly the release, is super important! Great work 👌
Much admiration for what you do. My father bought my brother and I plastic boomerangs as young teens. We had a large vacant field to practice and learn. Great fun. Too bad it's not more widely encouraged for kids today.
This actually goes for anything that involves strength in using. Throwing objects, hitting a poolball, even bowling. When we tense with everything we've got, our muscles tend to kinda flail at least a little bit beyond our goal. You gotta develop the habit/muscle memory of technique to compensate for it first and then you can give it more and more until you end up hurting yourself before actually fucking up your technique.
@@Taima As an aside, those nickel and dime ads YT plays for junk products list an "ab stimulator" (a TENS device) for tightening stomach muscles to loose weight and build muscle strength. B.S.!! It induces a low voltage electrical current through the skin shocking the muscle nerves to tense, then release. The unit is doing that, not the muscles. No benefit whatsoever to the idiot wearing it.
In general, hunting sticks were most often used from a distance to immobilize a kangaroo or emu... and then the 'deed' would be finished with the stick. It's also worth noting that not every group of indigenous folks actually used boomerangs; it was mainly those in the eastern regions of Australia who used them - spears were the far more frequently used weapon around the country. As you no doubt found out(!), you can do yourself some serious damage if you just try and throw a hunting stick 'full power' without warming up first, in terms of the throw (with your arm, shoulder and body) and the wrist (to get the 'snap' happening for the spin). It's going to be bad enough with a 313g 'plastic' version... but using a 'real' 500g+ stick made from redgum or similar would really destroy your shoulder, in particular. Another thought: What we used to do in the '70s with the early versions of clear boomerangs was to use a single wrap of insulating tape around the tip of one or both ends. This made the boomerang easier to track in the sky (producing a flying circle) as well as making it easier to find in the grass or scrub when they went wayward... Returning boomerangs were more often used as a 'training' tool, to help the younger folks work out the snap action required.. as that's what makes a boomerang and hunting stick fly, not the strength of the throw, which is really about range (hunting stick) and speed of travel (boomerang). A returning boomerang could be used in a pinch for hunting... by throwing it the 'wrong way' (parallel to the ground) towards, say, a pond where a mob of ducks were resting.. while making the sound of a hawk. The boomerang would come flying in, fast and flat... which would cause the ducks to take flight... and when the 'physics' of the boomerang started to work 'properly', it would immediately turn upwards and would strike at least a couple of birds... and so you'd have your lunch. To expand your understanding of the returning boomerang, think about 'conservation of angular momentum' as well as the 'lift differential' and the 'lagging' action of the torque... If you want to go 'full bottle' on the subject, chase down 'Boomerangs, aerodynamics and motion', by Felix Hess. from ~1975, I think. This was a thesis he wrote for his doctorate in mathematics... and explains about his 'winglet model', and includes computer simulations (written in ALGOL, of all languages(!)), with 3-D plots and even a set of stereo-viewing glasses so you can see the 3-D flights he recorded and simulated. ...but realize the mathematics is pretty heavy going, with partial differential equations and lots of physics involved...
boomarangs were used by most peoples around the world. They are found in Europe, Egyption tombs tombs had them... Oldest known boomerang is made from mammoth tusk found in poland.
Boomerangs that return are for hunting birds. When a flock is feeding on the ground, you throw the boomerang high and to the right of them making sure the sun is on the right of the boomerang. When it passes between the sun and the feeding flock, they see the shadow and think it is a raptor, so they fly, the boomerang then turns and passes theough the flock taking off , and usually takes out a couple. I am an older Aussie and I learned this as a child.
imho small are for birds. returning ones are just because if you miss you can re-used it faster so your overall effectivity will increase dramatically. bigger and heavier were probably used for shorter distance and didn't usually fly so far. their main purpose was to hit hard and affect or kill bigger animals or enemies. and you could use them also in close range combat or hunting or self-defence. bumerangs are terrific weapons indeed if you can use them...
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="489">8:09</a> Mike didn't aim for the watermelon. He aimed for the fly sitting on the watermelon. But he wanted to stun, not to kill or cut in half. What an absolute sniper with a boomerang!
When I was 9 yrs old, my Dad, an aeronautical engineer (so he knew ALL about wings), made 2 boomerangs in his woodshop for us kids to play with. At the end of the day, all the kids went home. My best friend took one home with him (2 blocks away). Upon seeing it, his Dad made him throw it away, telling him, 'You'll hurt somebody with that damn thing!". So he threw it as hard as he could, the wind caught it, and, as fate would have it, I happened to be standing in my yard in exactly the right spot for it to hit me right between my eyes, causing a 2 inch cut all the way to my skull. Yeah, great day, but at least I have a cool story to tell!
The weight is much closer to a sport boomerang (100g) than a traditional hunting one (around 2kg). The amount of extra energy can turn a semi-dangerous toy to a deadly weapon.
@@riccvven2078the traditional hunting Boomerang is basically a weighted stick. One of the wings is shorter and much heavier. It’s a bludgeoning weapon not a cutting weapon.
I find the choice to use polycarbonate really interesting. You can see in the slow motion videos how flexible it is. Polycarbonate is literally designed to absorb kinetic energy, which means that it's not a great code for pure destructive potential. And yet, despite all of that, this thing deals a lot of damage. I'd be very curious to see a heavier, more streamlined version of this.
i was wondering, would there be a way to keep the polycarbonate.... and maybe add a rim or some addition made of another material to increase power yet maintain the versatility of the pc?
The choice of polycarbonate is influenced by the need for a durable material of this approximate specific gravity. Heavier materials beyond about 1.35 specific gravity cannot be tuned to fly in our experience. We've tried everything up to steel. Polycarbonate is pretty stout in ½" thick and at the weight he is using has more than enough power to do damage on intended game.
@@aether565 Polycarbonate has an advantage of not taking damage in such a way that makes it sharp in the hand like many other materials which splinter or turn into sharp burrs.
These days, paxolin and carbon fibre composites are the 'plastic'-like materials most often used, owing to their light weight and stiffness. They are mainly used for 'long range' and MTA (Maximum Time Aloft) boomerangs...
We made these out of the same material in Jr. High shop class in the early 80s. A few of us made one, all a little different without knowing why they returned - or why 2 did and 2 didn't (though I did understand the lifting wing concept, so the were shaped correctly). We made them insanely sharp and were throwing them around the school yard after class when one took off, came back(ish), left the yard and broke a window. We caught some crap for it, but our shop teacher marked us extra credit for the effort and craftsmanship!
U did an amazing job mate but I have a few notes: 1) It’s too light for a hunting boomerang, they should be in a range between 1.5-2 kg so the kinetic energy is way higher 2) I would suggest material with less give/bounce. Polycarb is a great material for being strong and durable but it’s way too flexible so a lot of potential energy is wasted. Make it out of wood or other material that has less flex.
We've found that on average historical hunting boomerangs were about 350-400 grams. Polycarbonate delivers more than adequate force into targets at these weights and is durable compared to wood. It has the same specific gravity as historical woods used in Australia of about 1.20. It is flexible but in the thick gauge is is also pretty stout. Unfortunately hardwood sticks tend to break readily.
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="754">12:34</a> The poor wasp was just minding his own business and then an invisble boomerang kills the person next to it. Stay strong little one!
I can't believe he had to deal with a wasp. I had the same issue when I made our video for the same type of boomerang, the Kimberley Stinger. It's crazy. I even credit it at the end of the film.
For the kinetic energy calculation, you can also include the rotational kinetic energy. K = 1/2 MV^2 + 1/2 *moment of inertia * angular velocity^2. The moment of inertia can be guesstimated in CAD.
Tbf using those many rotational vectors will be wayy too much work. The boomerang doesn't have consistent thickness and neither does it have a straight shape. In my opinion the safest thing to do will be to spin the boomerang until it makes a near perfect circle, measure the radius of the circle and just apply a disc's MOI given we know it's mass. But all in all energy isn't even useful in this experiment lol
It is hard to calculate that energy because it it very dependent on which part boomerang hits the target. But it is there, and on larger distances it might be more significant part of energy transferred to target.
@@grafknives9544 it would be overkill to calculate, if you wanted to estimate the impulse imparted onto the target, it would be a fun exercise in impulse momentum.
By coincidence, I was in central Australia last week listening to a presentation from an Anangu elder on weapons. He mentioned that a good hunting boomerang has weight & curves thru the sky. The benefit is that, unlike a spear, it doesn't scare the prey away from you. Ideally, the kill shot hits them from slightly above & 45 degrees from the left or right. So even if they are weary of you, the don't see the boomerang till it hits them. If they run from it. They may still run to the left or right & not increase the distance much.
As a strayan (and of aboriginal heritage, no less!), we were taught in school that the boomerang returns due to the difference in the shaping. On one side, the boomerang is sanded down on the LEADING edge, while on the other side, the boomerang is sanded down on the TRAILING edge. This causes the profile of the wings and the way the wind interacts with them to be a mirror image. A normal boomerang shape will return, over a long-enough flight path, but once you alter it with a leading edge and trailing edge sanded down opposite from one another (at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="206">3:26</a> you can literally see that the leading edge of the bottom arm is shaped and the trailing edge of the upper arm is shaped) you can make the boomerange spin harder and tilt harder. One of the ones we made in class, as bloody 12 year olds (!) when thrown right, could return to you in about 10 metres of space. Also trufacts; what do you call a boomerang that doesn't return? A stick. P.S. I'd love to see you take the same boomerange, and shape down the leading edge on one side and the trailing edge on the other and show us what happens to the flight path! While wearing body armor or something though.
This is why a right-handed boomerang rotates anti-clockwise when thrown; you need to do the shaping completely mirrored as described for a left-handed thrower, in which case the boomerang rotates clockwise. You _can_ throw an 'other-handed' boomerang but you need to throw it across your body, so it flies the way an 'other-handed' thrower would make it fly...
I am sure someday this man will become the final boss, he has mastered all types of skills and weapons. This man is getting more dangerous, I have to meet this man someday, I want to be his apprentice.
As a former "boomerang guy," this was very cool....one thing, in the future, don't use a wooded area as your background-use the open field-much easier to find anything you throw....PS, LOVE the accent!
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="453">7:33</a> Anyone else paused the video to look for the boomerang? It took awhile but it’s at the red pipes, you’ll see it when you realize it (I’d recommend zooming in)
I played with boomerangs all the time when I was a kid. I loved them because I was always lame when throwing a ball, but I could throw a boomerang the length of a football field. They really are a perfect low-tech weapon, and like the bow and spear, are excellent for hunting.
I’m not a boomerang expert, but I’ve spent some time experimenting with it. I believe the best way to throw it is vertically, resembling the letter “C.” This method initially makes the trajectory ascend, then the boomerang flies low close to the ground, and finally, it ascends again before falling back toward you. A friend of mine, who is good at basketball, and has strong arms, excelled at this, which helped me understand why it’s such an effective weapon. If thrown properly, the second phase can be extended and very low, likely the ideal moment to strike the prey. You should make another video and improve the throws because they can be way better/effective.
There is an 'optimum angle' at which to throw a specific returning boomerang, as if you throw one perfectly vertically, there is (mostly) not going to be any (practical or effective) gravitational force that acts 'against' the rotation/lift forces, which is where the 'conservation of angular momentum' comes in to force the precession of the boomerang and make it 'return'.
I'm following mike for a while and it's so nice to see how the video's qualities increasing day bay day, not just by using better cameras and getting cooler shots also by improving the quality of the actual content. Keep doing that mike, we love ur videos.
An article published in a magazine in the 50's outlined how to build and use a hunting boom.Made a few of the out of 3/4 oak plywood and it did work well on rabbits ,one thing the article mentioned is winding copper wire around the wing near the tip to add weight and increase impact without adding too much weight overall
when you said subscribe at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="779">12:59</a> the subscribe button had an outer line glow which is really cool, I never noticed that, and I subscribed.
I built a plexiglass boomerang 35 years ago on a different pattern. Mine was designed for flocking birds. Large birds. Best part of that design is that it you miss it does come back. Scary! Do not attempt to catch! What do you call a boomerang that doesn't get you dinner or doesn't come back? You have a beautiful weapon there.
Thankyou!!!! I am pro 2032 Boomerang throwing opening ceremonies etc. ABC calls them a weapon, thankyou so very much for explaining the difference. my grandfather Frank Donnellan also would be thankful . He would have loved this post, well done, brilliant post. xx
Growing up we used to make what we called "target boomerangs" out of just river wood we found around western Australia. Imbalance between the two limbs or "Wings" was preferable. All our favourites were fairly imbalanced and a heavier than you might otherwise want for a returning boomerang
Admittedly it's kid/teen logic, but our understanding was you wanted it spinning around the heavy wing, with the lighter wing both driving that centre of gravity spin and stabilising.
Hey Mike, watching your videos has been really motivating for me! I’ve gotten into woodworking and have really enjoyed it. Love the videos, and please keep it up!❤
Polishing it to make it transparent is indeed the better more sturdy method, but if you want you could simply clearcoat spraypaint it and it would instantly be clear seethrough.
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="523">08:43</a> Unbelievable! The fly saw that coming and dodged it by changing the direction. I enjoyed that moment more than the rest of the video.
@ <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="746">12:26</a> - so glad that bee got away 🐝 Your videos are dope, keep them coming. Cool to see you build your world doing what you love.
watermelons were originally yellow, and red watermelons are something humans cultivated because they looked good, so yellow watermelons are actually more natural than red ones
Have you ever thought of using transparent aluminium for a boomerang? The material isn't readily available but the size of your channel might be enough to help you getting the stuff. It is mostly used in armor for helicopters though.
At <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="740">12:20</a> this is a very impressive illustration why all head injuries can be much more severe than they look like at a first sight.
It actually is cutting cleanly.. The issue is its doing what it does to air to the water. Its making a differential between the top and bottom of the "cut" object causing the boomerange to try to rotate. Its like the effect of cupping vs flatting your hand while driving in a car at high speeds out of the window. The air from your speed causes different forces on your hand depending on what shape you put your fingers in.
