Improvised Ceramic Weapons

Overview

It appears that every place you travel today has banned most forms of self-defense weapons.  You can fight back though!  It's possible to create simple, improvised ceramic weapons from the high-grade ceramic packages used in manufacturing "military grade" integrated circuits.  Ceramic ICs (CerDIP), such as old EPROMs, are very easy to find at ham radio and used electronics swap fests.  Look for old circuit boards from telecom giants, like AT&T, and use a hot air gun to remove them.  You'll then use Dremel "diamond" cut-off wheels and grinding stones to shape the ceramic pieces into small improvised weapons which will have the ability to pass through a metal detector.  Other possibilies for using the ceramics are for making high-voltage insulators, or even for making certain "parts" which you don't want setting off a metal detector.

Construction Notes & Pictures

What you'll need.  Several ceramic packaged DIP integrated circuits and a Dremel tool with some diamond cut-off wheels and grinding bits.  The cut-off wheels shown above are from Harbor Freight Tools, part #31501.  The other diamond grinding bits are part #40547.

Use a padded spring clamp and a chisel to separate the two halves of the ceramic IC package.  The spring clamp "gives" a little bit, and helps to prevent cracking the ceramic halves.

Clean up the ceramic halves by pulling off the metal leads.  You may wish to use an angle grinder to further clean up the ceramic pieces.

Take one of the ceramic halves and begin to grind a pattern that resembles something like a knife edge or some other type of stabbing weapon.

Clean it up a bit so the final result is something like what is shown above.  This ceramic edge is actually fairly sharp.

These will make great concealed cutting edges for weakening plastic hand cuffs.

Experimental ceramic arrowhead.

Notes

• Higher resolution pictures and the original project article are available in GBPPR 'Zine Issue #42
• Ceradyne Ceramic  Semiconductor components and wafer processing materials.
• Ceradyne Ceramic  Armor systems.
• Ceramic Knife  Caution: Wikipedia
• Ceramic Knife Experiments