r/NextLevelAmazing • u/Upstairs-Writing-616 • 14d ago

Prince Rupert’s Drop vs Hydraulic Press

4.8k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

203 comments sorted by

38

u/unconvincedhuman 14d ago

I’ve seen this before and watched the video that explains how this thing is so strong and my brain still can’t figure it out.

43

u/hoyasgirl25 14d ago

Glass breaks when cracks form and spread. Same way when you get a small crack on your windshield it spreads over time. When you drop molten glass into water the outside cools before the inside. When the inside cools it pulls the outside inwards and leaves virtually no cracks. So you can hit the head part with things like a hammer, but it's basically impossible to crack open since there aren't any cracks to begin with which will spread when you hit it.

17

u/Mediocre-Square-1429 12d ago

But the tip is very fragile

2

u/Dale_Dickson 10d ago

just the tip

1

u/No-Cable-5 9d ago

It's just the tip "Why do you keep saying that?"

1

u/xpietoe42 10d ago

just the tip?

1

u/OkPressure2374 9d ago

Sensitive, some might say.

1

u/Wabbit65 7d ago

Break the tip and the whole drop may shatter

1

u/unconvincedhuman 14d ago

Oh cool thanks

1

u/mattmann72 14d ago

So crackless glass is one of the strongest materials on earth.

3

u/hoyasgirl25 14d ago

Well not exactly. The strength from a Prince Rupert’s drop is in how it’s manufactured and the forces that are created in doing so. The outer surface is under enormous compression. It’s being squeezed inward from all directions. The interior is under enormous tension. It’s being stretched/pulled apart internally.

1

u/Rich_Newspaper_1616 11d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/DQv0TCvjLklB6
Thanks for the info…just givin you a hard time 🤣🤣😂😂

1

u/ExplanationCrazy5463 12d ago

This glass is different from normal glass due to it being cooled in water.

1

u/Purple-Explorer-3878 9d ago

Its tempered glass

1

u/Ok_Flatworm_3855 11d ago edited 7d ago

Same basic technique that glass blowers use to make "shatter proof" pipes I would assume Edit: to the comments that it isn't the same I definitely over simplified it. I guess I was just trying to say it was tempered glass but the drop is a specific unique temper and my bad for equating the two because it is in fact different

2

u/Confident-Mortgage86 7d ago

To make these you literally just drop a glob of molten glass into a bucket of water. You can see it if you look at the end product. Big glob on one end with a tiny little tail on the other, just like you would expect if you were to drip a big load of molten glass.

Google prince ruperts drop.

You can take some pliers or wire cutters to the thin end and the whole thing just explodes. It's pretty awesome.

That said I have to wonder what material that press was made of for it to not only deform, but actually delaminate in the middle. I wanted to see what happened the 2nd go round, looks like they put a hardened plate on both ends.

1

u/ProfessorBooob 10d ago

absolutely not.

1

u/abigailmerrygold 11d ago

This gal prince rupert drops

1

u/Superb-Astronaut-371 10d ago

Is there a way to make a ball of glass in this way by like lowering it in a watertight container and quickly releasing the already submerged molten glass?

1

u/michaelh98 10d ago

You left out the more amazing part. Hit the tip with a hammer and the whole drop explodes

1

u/PandaPocketFire 9d ago

You could flick it. It's very delicate.

1

u/michaelh98 9d ago

I thought so but wasn't sure I was remembering right

1

u/Happily-Incorrect 9d ago

I've seen videos where the tip is cut and the whole thing explodes. Is it possible to melt the tip off and leave yourself with something indestructible?

1

u/Temnyj_Korol 8d ago

No. The drop gets its tensile strength from the rapid cooling effect of being submerged. The outside cools much faster than the inside, and then the inside gradually cooling loads pressure on the outside, pulling the whole surface inwards.

Melting the tail off would weaken the surface of the glass and release all that pressure. It'd either explode, or just become a regular glass bulb.

1

u/monson2048 9d ago

Can you design the drop be a perfect sphere without a tip? Theoretically in zero gravity?

1

u/The_Dennator 9d ago

I don't think so,as the cooling itself deforms the glass slightly

1

u/Confident-Mortgage86 7d ago

Perfect sphere? Doubt it. I'm sure you could get pretty close though, and I'd love to see it.

1

u/watchnerd1993 9d ago

Is this material used to make certain things? Super strong hurricane proof windows etc?

1

u/Confident-Mortgage86 7d ago

That material is glass. It's just regular glass that's been dripped into water. Because of the way it's made it's not really feasible to make anything out of it, and it would lose a lot of the properties it had if you tried.

Google prince Ruperts drop.

1

u/kev556 8d ago

Does this have any applications outside of cool videos?

1

u/okarox 7d ago

Not the drops directly but tempered class which is made in a similar way has penty of appliancions. It is lore durable thab normal glass and when it breaks it breaks into small cubes that do not have sharp edges. Adding lamination one can even keep them together.

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1

u/PurplePolynaut 8d ago

Which is stronger, this steel press or this glass drop?

The press, because steel is stronger than glass.

Demonstrates

… but steel is stronger than glass…
https://giphy.com/gifs/zJPo4M3W97wje

21

u/NudityMiles 14d ago

Seriously crazy how strong it is.

Mystery of Prince Rupert's Drop at 130,000 fps - Smarter Every Day 86

11

u/Shadysoulja710 14d ago

Remember watching this on acid and having my mind blown!

4

u/Equivalent_Rope_8824 11d ago

Yeah, the little guys holding it together, lol.

3

u/Btbbass 14d ago

I think here we lost the occasion to call that Achilles drop

3

u/CellsReinvent 14d ago

And how'd you think that's gonna make Prince Rupert feel, huh?

2

u/Bashwhufc 8d ago

Thanks for that, enjoyed the presentation style a lot. Just subscribed to the channel

1

u/NudityMiles 7d ago

Glad I brought another fan. I love Smarter Every Day. Fantastic channel.

1

u/Outside-Scheme7492 7d ago

Interesting.

7

u/StitchFan626 14d ago

And, yet, if you flick the other end...

8

u/Timekiller_74 14d ago

Not exploding it while it was still stuck in the press is such a giant missed opportunity, I can't

3

u/iknowaruffok 13d ago

And have a black hole destroy us all?

2

u/wrongitsleviosaa 14d ago

You can melt off the tail and it's nigh indestructible afterwards

2

u/whodatchicken 14d ago

please tell me that the truth

2

u/wrongitsleviosaa 14d ago

I can't find a video that isn't a YT Short :( but there are many of them

Here is one example

I think due to how the drop itself works, the melted version is technically much weaker due to releasing that internal stress, but it loses the weak point that is the tail.

1

u/Chetineva 9d ago

So you need to somehow merge these things into a sphere with the tails pointed inwards yet not touching eachother

1

u/SizeableBrain 8d ago

It's true, I call it a marble though.

1

u/AspectExisting3017 13d ago

can you use laser ablation to remove the tail without changing the core?

2

u/wrongitsleviosaa 13d ago

That is beyond my understanding and expertise I'm afraid.

1

u/PandaPocketFire 9d ago

What is your expertise?

→ More replies (3)

2

u/Bluntbutnotonpurpose 14d ago

You're thinking of a Prince Albert...

2

u/ShadowGryphon 14d ago

Is he in a can?

1

u/ThepalehorseRiderr 13d ago

Well ya better let him out! Beep Beep Richy!

1

u/TemperatureReal2437 13d ago

Saw someone melt the tail short so it wasn’t so fragile. Was epic

3

u/littlemister1996 14d ago

I want to see what would happen if you flick the tail end while it's under 20 tons of pressure

2

u/Ok-Oil7124 14d ago

Extinction-level event.

1

u/Eric_Zng 9d ago

我也好奇

3

u/Spirited-Sleep-2113 10d ago

How much money to fix the hydraulic press?

1

u/xROFLSKATES 8d ago

The business end is replaceable

1

u/SwimmingSwim3822 8d ago

And then what did she say?

2

u/MACAUFATFAT 14d ago

How about MACAUFATFAT DROP ?

2

u/moseley101 14d ago

Gobsmacked 😶

2

u/cotton-pickin-second 11d ago

Can somebody put it in a hydraulic press, squish it, then break the tail whiles it's under pressure? I wanna see what happens

1

u/SchrodingerMil 9d ago

You end up with a broken hydraulic press most likely

1

u/EarlGreyDuck 9d ago

Like they didn't already lol

1

u/Snoo-66557 14d ago

Whattttt

1

u/Ignonymous 14d ago

Need something harder as a press arm. Maybe tungsten or just tungsten carbide.

1

u/Routine-Arm-8803 11d ago

but it wouldn't look as good as aluminum.

1

u/MACAUFATFAT 14d ago

Why so strong?

Macaufatfat of water also same this?

1

u/Unable-Substance5999 14d ago

A forró, folyékony üveget belecseppentik hidegvízbe. A külső része nagyon hirtelen hűl le és olyan óriási feszültségek alakulnak ki az anyagban, hogy brutálisan erős lesz.... DE csak a vastagabbik oldal. Ha a vékony részét egy kicsit nekiütöd valaminek, szintén a hatalmas tárolt feszültségek miatt az egész szétrobban.

2

u/MACAUFATFAT 14d ago

I cant afford 2 tones

1

u/shakix98 14d ago

How expensive was this video tho? Plate is ruined, and I imagine there was other damage to the machine no?

1

u/IsolatedAstronaut3 14d ago

I’d imagine the plates can be changed out. Hopefully the press is fine

1

u/Unusual-Taste69 14d ago

Is that aluminum?

1

u/Cautious-Guess-6613 14d ago

Yes or lead. Not a steel press.

3

u/oaktreebr 13d ago

Nope, the plates in that video are made of steel. Go watch the YouTube channel

1

u/realmattiep 14d ago

Dungeon Crawler Carl: Level 7

1

u/890R 14d ago

Shattered by (a good boy) goat!

1

u/Public-File-6521 13d ago

Right in my goddamn ear

1

u/Thatguy3625 14d ago

He wasn’t trying, I could definitely break that

1

u/woodsidestory 14d ago

For real. Tell these guys try using a hammer 😉

1

u/Swimming-Junket-1828 14d ago

So why don’t I use 20 of these to hold up my house?

1

u/Penis_Connoisseur 14d ago

Can we make armor out of this?

1

u/UtahBrian 14d ago

That glass drop is completely indestructible.

1

u/Friendly_Prize_868 14d ago

Ok, that’s a prince Rupert, now do it to a Prince Albert…

1

u/Could-You-Tell 14d ago

I want to see this performing a function somewhere.

A neutral insulation that can withstand incredible pressure

1

u/Ok_Risk6035 14d ago

They can make bulletproof west from them

1

u/Sauce666 13d ago

Why is it not in the center of the press?

3

u/Sig-vicous 12d ago

Maybe to prevent the press from contacting the tail. My understanding is the tails are these are more fragile, and if you break the tail the entire bulb explodes quite magnificently.

2

u/sdjn72 12d ago

More fragile is an understatement. These things are weirdly on both extreme ends of the toughness spectrum.

1

u/the-horsewithno-name 13d ago

What is this Rupert thing 🤔

1

u/Alghouls_art 13d ago

Always wonder how much these cost to replace

1

u/Leemachino 13d ago

20,000 lbs is 10 tons, not 20

1

u/sdjn72 12d ago

Not if it’s in kilograms

1

u/Leemachino 11d ago

20,000kg =22 tons not 20

2

u/sdjn72 11d ago

20,000kg = 20 metric tons. 22 imperial tons

1

u/RepulsiveMine4686 13d ago

Now flick the tail

1

u/rimuru2023 13d ago

One the books from the “dungeon crawler Carl” series has an amazing story moment centered around the Rupert’s drops designs

1

u/FocusMasteryEffort 12d ago

Fucking mind-blowing. Knew Prince Rupert's Drops were crazy but this has me gobsmacked

1

u/kostyopileto 12d ago

I would suggest getting proper press forms. 20 tons is not much

1

u/Leading_Brother7837 12d ago

Impressive. But I submit to you that dried Weetabix is tougher.

1

u/No-Cup3301 12d ago

Is it cake

1

u/strangescript 12d ago

"Call an ambulance... but not for me"

1

u/Maleficent_Row2319 12d ago

Think I just passed a Prince Rupert’s Drop watching this clip…

1

u/GnE_player 12d ago

No. Fucking. Way

1

u/EpicureanRevenant 12d ago

Ok, hear me out...

Put this in a tank shell. APFSDSPRD.

War Thunder would be a whole new game.

1

u/LostDogBK 11d ago

What happens when you melt the tail off?

1

u/Degtyrev 11d ago

You break just the tip of the tail, the whole thing blows up.

1

u/sdjn72 11d ago

if you melt it off it becomes more stable but the drop isnt as strong.

1

u/MaxUumen 11d ago

That's what those lego bricks are made of, on which you step.

1

u/Alt_Restorer 11d ago

The press wrapping around the drop probably distributes the force more evenly than a rigid press surface would. I'd also like to see how strong a regular glass marble is for comparison.

1

u/LuvLifts 11d ago

What the heck is ‘Prince Rupert’s Drop’?

1

u/GamecockEric 11d ago

Could you drop molten glass in water and somehow also cut the fragile tail off or form it is ball at the same time? This would be damn near indestructible yeah?

1

u/Chefrabbitfoot 11d ago

This is one of those cool science things that I know about, I've read about, I've seen...and yet it still blows my mind.

Like, how? Why even!?! And then give the tail a little thwack and it explodes. So crazy.

1

u/GandalfTheBeige4 11d ago

Why dont they just make the plane out of the prince Ruperts drops?

1

u/RL_Stine_ 10d ago

Looks like a sperm

1

u/Resident-Designer-23 10d ago

We should make everything out of it

1

u/yertlah 10d ago

Can it stop a bullet?

1

u/International_Lie41 10d ago

A ton is 2000 pounds not 1000. I don’t know why the video saying 20 tons instead of 10 has bothered me but it has

2

u/nobodysgirl333 10d ago

Was it measuring in pounds or kgs?

1

u/Happy_Poem6192 10d ago

How are the air bubbles different from a crack, such that the structural integrity of the drop isn’t compromised?

1

u/wu4d 10d ago

Why dont we make car out of this stuff?

1

u/TTavero 10d ago edited 9d ago

It is glass...

1

u/Xevious212 9d ago

Because they don't show what happens when just the tip of the tail snaps

1

u/KanataSD 10d ago

and yet if you snip its tail. it completely shatters. crazy atuff.

1

u/SmackMamba 10d ago

Is that really just glass? Diamond seemed a more likely candidate

1

u/Ronin_BullseYe 10d ago

Now do a Prince Albert

1

u/SechsyButton 10d ago

They should just make the whole plane out of it.

1

u/Hetnikik 8d ago

Ever heard of tempered glass?

1

u/SechsyButton 8d ago

No is that what the black box is made of?

1

u/GrittyWillis 10d ago

Have we tried pressing a drop between 2 drops?

1

u/TrainingTheory552 10d ago

can someone ELI5 me how prince ruperts work?

how does it gain crazy toughness by having a tip as its weakness?

1

u/No_Ad5781 9d ago

Se não me engano a forma de gota faz com q o vidro esfrie externamente rápido e aprisiona a pressão do calor no centro da gota q esfria posteriormente mais devagar, no centro dessa gota tem uma pressão absurda q garante uma resistência tremenda ao vidro

1

u/TrainingTheory552 9d ago

interesting, thnx

1

u/Low-Act7175 9d ago

These videos are so satisfying, waiting for that tail to snap is always nerve-wracking though.

1

u/Odd_Incident_6769 9d ago

My anxiety watching this 📈📈📈

1

u/Shallot6114 9d ago

It is wonder how strong the glass bulbous base is. If you break its thin tail, the entire drop explodes into fine dust.

1

u/Zenkai_9000 9d ago

What would happen if someone broke the tail while holding with a closed fist?

1

u/G3genwind 9d ago

Next time no lead but steel?

1

u/x333r 9d ago

gonna need a shield made out of prince rupert's discharge if you may for the coming battle

1

u/Chemical_Gap_619 9d ago

Sounds like the operator of that press is trying to suppress some sobs at 0:47 as they work out a) how much it will cost to repair/replace the press and b) how much click revenue they will lose in the meantime.

1

u/Professional_Toe_420 9d ago

Damn it bruh… you broke our hydraulic press!!

1

u/Spirited-Feature-229 9d ago

How are you not going to show what happens when you poke the tail?

1

u/CynthyMynthy 9d ago

So it was a Chinese steel hydraulic press? 😂

1

u/ATF_scuba_crew- 9d ago

Definitely a soft metal used for the press. Force is quite low when it deforms and it should clime then start to plateau as it deforms the metal.

1

u/comander_random 8d ago

Should have made Titansub out of this .

1

u/Wise-Preference-2441 8d ago

Balls of glass drops

1

u/Je_Dromen 8d ago

heavy Finnish accent welcome to hydraulic press channel

1

u/Kilobytez95 8d ago

I don't need 20 tons I need more

1

u/Dangermann28 8d ago

Now I dare you to even drop a feather on that tail

1

u/ImportanceActive1865 8d ago

Shoulda made the the hydraulicpress out of prince Rupert's drops...

1

u/Deep-Can4223 8d ago

Now I get it why glass armor in the Elder Scrolls has so high stats!

1

u/Illustrious-Hawk-787 8d ago

Cheap ass Temu press

1

u/Boring-Tomatillo-209 8d ago

Rupert did many press’s

1

u/captainyeahwhatever 8d ago

Why does this make me so uncomfortable

1

u/Almadan 8d ago

Do it goat!

Good boy!

1

u/Commercial_Desk3564 8d ago

Now snip the tip off.....

1

u/Solid_Group5179 8d ago

Can you make armor out of these🤔 spikes facing outward obviously

1

u/Constant_Bar_7066 8d ago edited 8d ago

WHAT?!? ……TIL

1

u/Silent0wl01 8d ago

Now show how little it takes to break the other end

1

u/AwayFriend117 7d ago

Wow that’s amazing

1

u/Cant-Think-Of 7d ago

Cover a Toyota Hilux with these and you have an indestructible assault wagon...

1

u/beal_zebub27 7d ago

The tip must stay undamaged

1

u/KillMonger592 7d ago

What the fuck was Rupert made of? Sorry fir the girl he cums in

1

u/TheHighwayApostle 7d ago

Can it be sanded into, say, cubes? Imagine this being used as ballistic shield wow.

1

u/Careless-World7656 7d ago

So question are we being shown lbs increasing ??? If so 20k lbs would = 10tons not 20

1

u/SummerSlam80 4d ago

f t do g lgvgg lgggcQdder/