Flexing will be reduced and you will have a stronger base to work with. Or you could use the angles I give you. i am building a trebuchet for my physics class. If you see or hear bumping, look carefully at this back area w/ a video camera or just your eyes to see why it's doing that. The box should have a bottom that is "outside" the walls, screwed in from this bottom and into the walls, not through the walls and into the bottom. Our arm was made of many pieces of layered plywood held together with resin and deck screws. 1. Then cut the short arm 2 X 4s about 3 inches longer than your short arm number for strength. For them to fit, I had to cut different lengths off of the diagonal supports. I'm using this kind of trebuchet for an assignment, and the ratio of our weight to out projectile is about 1:200. would this kind of trebuchet be better in this case than a traditional trebuchet? Here are some stats, note that these apply to the original #2 treb. 9 years ago I see you mentioned you built 2. I just posted an instructible of our own design, it's a lot beefier, we threw 10-15 lb pumpkins around 300ft, and we actually got 720 lbs in counterweight on it, not including the weight bar or short arm. I think that's it (I saw a car roof get crushed by a pumpkin flying backwards)Use a long trigger rope and keep yourself at a safe distance.Have fun. trebuchet main track supports and track.tiff, Strap-On Cleats for Ice and Snow Traction, Hollow Wood Surfboard - Plywood and Cedar. http://mort11.org/pumpkinalso be sure to check out the rest of our website, FIRST is a great program for anyone interested in engineering! Short arm, washer, bolt, washer, wheels and bearings, washer, bolt. When firing, make sure no-one is down range, near to, or directly behind your trebuchet. thick wood, 2 ft., 5 in. F Building of Vertical Supports F 2x3 28in Build functioning catapult Torsion or trebuchet Maximum volume 227,000 CC Minimum Volume 125,000 CC This means that 3 and 1/2 parts of the short arm plus the short arm itself equal the total length of my entire beam. Since one is steeper than the other, this meant that the vertical height ended up different. WebA floating arm trebuchet's arm is mounted on wheels that roll on a track parallel to the ground, with a counterweight that falls vertically, allowing for greater efficiency by increasing the proportion of energy transferred to the projectile. Then very carefully you will have to put in the safety blocks again and reset the trigger. 1). 24. 20 yell heads up, countdown , just make sure everyone know you are firing. This way, it's easy to angle the board to get angled shots. Build the frame in two identical halves (left and right) and then attach each half to the frame. 3. Pulling this should make the trigger release. 1 X 6s flex alot. 9 years ago on Step 17, Hey, I definitely encourage you to do this! These will be the drop channels 5.Next find the center of the folded edges. Thanks for the great instructable! If you make the channel a lot wider, I would suggest using a wider piece of wood or strength. Tools Get everyone away from the back and front of the trebuchet. This new and improved 21st century version of the trebuchet uses a modern understanding of physics and engineering principles for incredible power and range! Make sure that there are no cracking noises or flexing from the joint. There are plenty of places you can go on the internet to look for better ideas. Grab 3 of the 2.5 foot pieces. if theres is any other advice that you can give me (especially for it being smaller) it would be a lot of help. [3] If you Advertisement By: Nathan Chandler Floating bridges are uncommon in large part because the kinds of situations and environmental criteria for them are unusual. May need to be shortened, look at improvements 4. for the carriage bolts Share it with us! 10 1/4 in. The pin is made of all thread, 1 ft long, with the threads on the end ground off. It would also bend out of position because of the force of the swinging projectile. Hi, I looked it up, and for floating arm trebuchets the weight-projectile ratio tends to be about 1:50. (1.5875 cm.) (2.54 cm.) Forming tube is expensive, so instead, cut a cardboard barrel into strips or tack thick cardboard onto a piece of plywood to make forms. (0.7112 X 0.0889 m) -The box needs to be made narrow enough to fit on the outside of the drop channel and still have room to be loose..that's room for other bolts and washers. At this point, dry-assemble your trebuchet and ensure everything fits, and that the arm will move correctly. It needs to fit completely on the bolt. Always stand way back from the trebuchet, and keep the safety blocks in place until you are ready to fire. it just over 24 inches tall I can provide more detailed dimensions, advice, and tips if you wish, just let me know. It should be drilled all the way through the flatter 3.5 inch edge side. Ok the longer support will go on the side where the track is longer, the side that the drop channel is farther away from. To get it in, you need some sort of head on it for the wrench. Webi'm working on a quick sketch for a floating arm trebuchet i'm making in an engineering class and need help selecting and using the correct mate tool in the on shape assembly tool. yes, it works Take a look at our trigger design if you ever want something that works for heavy payloads. The arm can be longer than your sheet of wood, but make sure the gaps between the pieces are in different spots for each layer. Next, going to the back of the frame, we have the guide wheel and the guide blocks. The Cardan gear was invented to accept linear motion from a steam piston to create circular motion. 2 segments of 3 ft. (0.9144 m) long 2 X 4 I Have to build a Treb (much smaller scale), for physics assignment - any advice, for height restrictions of 60cm (just under 24inch) and area of base 900squared cm (just under 140 square inch) - to throw golf ball minimum 100 feet - done some research and most suggest floating arm mechanism would be better option? Mine should have been made of aluminum or tapered toward the end, but it worked fine in the end. y Test 3: When the trigger is released and with the arm slightly 8 years ago What did you finally use for the rollers? None seem to affect it structurally, but we'll see. 1 segment of 7 ft. long 2 X 4 However, if you want your arm to be longer, just buy this piece longer. Summary The floating-arm trebuchet, a modern variation of a medieval weapon, is a popular project for physics and engineering instructors.We develop and analyze a model of this device as an introduction to constrained Lagrangian dynamics. For trebuchets in general a mass ratio of between 80:1 to 160:1 can be used. ya that sounds good The principle behind this device is that the counter weight moves only vertically as the arm's axis moves along a horizontal rail on wheels. on Step 17. also screwdriver bit driving in your screws. 1. Use a drill press if you are going to drill one hole because one hole needs to be better aligned than a bunch of smaller ones. Luckily, I eventually lined up the holes. [7] A projectile is loaded into a sling at the end of the throwing arm. WebThe Cardan Gear Linear Motion Trebuchet is an adaptation of the motion found in a Cardan Gear adapted to a straight track-drop trebuchet. Simulator. Essentially, beef up the arm assembly. I would still recommend that you read through the list, and buy the lumber as you need it to avoid wasting wood. And send me some pictures :D. I tried to reply but it wouldnt let me so this is my other option. Tighten the bolt as much as you can. "Illinois Institute of Technology students build catapults to toss pumpkins", "Pumpkin Festival aims to be bigger and better", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Floating_arm_trebuchet&oldid=1126960959, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 12 December 2022, at 04:31. (7.62 X 3.81 cm) diameter wheels, 5/8 id bearing load rating of 200 lbs (90.71 kilos) or more Try to figure out where to put the 3/8" eye bolts so that you can raise the CW bolt all the way to the top, But make sure there is enough room for the trigger pin to go through and under easily. Once everything is square, true, straight aligned or whatever you feel like saying, We can put this beast together. Lower it below the base, just rest it on the floor. They must be perfectly straight and lined up. the short arm is the 1 (In the ratio) and the long arm is the 3.5 (in the ratio) -3.5 times longer than the short arm. A few things to keep in mind are the optimum ratio for the arm length (2:1) , or L=3P in the schematic diagram. Parallel to the seams, cut all the way through so that you can open it into one sheet. Other than those, there haven't really been any problems with the frame. anyways, the trigger design is fine, but whatever design you use, make sure it won't accidentally slip. So, if you want them to be the same height, you may need to change the angles or the lengths mentioned here. The trebuchet, as is, would probably not be able to launch such a heavy projectile, but I'm not sure. Reply Arm-sling constraint, arm on fixed roller, projectile above ramp. Also, 1 inch thick wood would would be stronger.Hardware 20 5/8 in. [2] This pulls the counterweight upwards slightly after a launch. The arm is done. Tie it so that it hangs about 12 inches (2.55.1 cm) from the top of the arm. 7. The person standing on the trebcuhet is no longer in danger unless he drops the bolt on his foot. The placement of these pieces is shown in the sixth picture. For this step you will need four of the eight 3.5 ft pieces, and the two 6 ft. long pieces. To include the SolidWorks was used here, although any CAD software or even a hand sketch would be ok. One advantage of 3D CAD was the ability to make an assembly and ensure a good fit for all the components, as well as smooth motion. then divide your total beam length by that number. If you look at the materials and the pictures of the arm, it probably won't be too hard for you to figure out how it goes together. jk. Okay, now I'm not kidding. Did you make this project? [2] The difference in the lengths of the two ends of the arm provides mechanical advantage. The person on the trebuchet needs to push back on the arm so the person on the ground can reach it. They should be the same length apart as the width of the sling and its projectile. WebA trebuchet is a device used in the Middle Ages to launch very heavy objects at opponents during battle. 2 screws for each mitered channel support. Then just screw them in. Make matching steel plates and drill holes into them for bolts and for both the counterweight bar and the axle, allowing room for steel pipe inserts. Slip the ring over the pin, and stretch the sling lines to get rid of as much slack as possible. Ask Question Comment Download Ok, now you need to flip over the long (6-ft.) pieces and slide the two foot pieces underneath. extra lateral support I recommend using a pin, then a thick nail, then a screw and finally a pencil to widen the hole for the string. It wasn't the best design for very straight shots, but for me it worked very well. Then drive 2 screws through the board with the actual channel on either side of the gap, diagonal from each other so that you can fit two into the narrow width of the wood on either side of the gap. So, again, cut off the ends of all the 1 ft, 5 in. Main track supports I have real pictures, but no sketchup ones. When you look at the picture, they are the big, tall, straight pieces. A pair of wheels allows the arm to roll along 2 segments of 2 ft. (0.6096 m) long 2 X 4 We didn't have time to do a thorough dynamic stress analysis, so we slowly added more weight. Yes, I decided to add this step after awhile. Really, you just want something to support your sling during the first part of the arm's swinging so the sling is not dragging on the rough ground. (2.54 cm.) A traditional trebuchet, which is simple to engineer, consists of an arm resting off-centre on an axle with a hinged counterweight at the short end of the arm. 1.6 X 3.5 = 5.6 And as for tossing a weight that far, you would need to change the ratios on the arm yourself and work with different sling lengths. Ensure that the shafts you choose have a diameter that mates well with your inside wheel diameter, as well as your inserts. Again, the exact size of the support does not matter, but the long edge should be under 1 ft, 6 in. Next center the arm itself in the middle of the drop channels, so there is the same amount of space between the arm and the drop channels on either side. with that. It was an old rusty double- headed nail. Make sure the gap is aligned with the supports and the gap in the drop channels. Floating Arm Trebuchet Page 3 of 3 First 1 2 3. for the threaded rod Does it take a small army to transport it? You will need the denim and the monkey- no, sorry, gorilla tape. LEAVE A COMMENT AND RATE! Center the bolt in the arm, with the same length of bolt coming out from either side. The arm slowed down a lot, and the ball spit out the back. 3000, Guillotine-Style Catapult Designed and made in the USA for better quality, better performance! Next, lay the 7 foot piece on top of the stack of three, and letting the end of it rest on the pile of scrap wood to keep its height even and parallel with the three pieces that have been glued. Really cheap, really fun. So if I could toss the weight a 100yds would be perfect. -Make sure it is strong enough to take the force of your falling counterweight. (The counterweight bolt has to be strong enough, too. ) Mark this height. I lined up the holes with the dowels and hammered home. I did not have a drill bit long enough to go through all of the 2 x 4s of the short arm, so I had to drill individual holes in each individual 2 X 4 and hoped that they lined up. i was hoping you could tell me what the release system was rated for and if you have any recommendations on where i can acquire a quick release, 8 years ago You will need the two 2- foot lengths of 1 X 6 and the two 6- foot lengths of the 1 X 6. This will prevent the counterweights from falling. You also will need to push them out slightly, so that the gap is 3/4" at least. X 1.5 in. This was a bit too heavy as we had to load each weight manually to fire our trebuchet. 14. Drill holes every 6 inches into the mitered pieces deep enough so that the wood screws can penetrate the drop guides itself. To cut the tracks, mark a 3/4" gap that is aligned with the drop channel gap and the support directly below. Make a square line across the flat side of the board. Remember, if you make your drop channel wider for a wider CW bolt, You may need to cut the washers down even more and move the bolts farther to the outside. If you can't get it to the top in one shot, use the supports. Basically, put them in the corner where the main track supports and the track meet. um.. Question You need to find the angle to cut the board at so that it will be straight against the edge of the mitered side support. As a starting point, cut these two So, This project is not due until sometime in may, but I will be glad to post pictures. on Introduction. Again, cutting these pieces shorter will narrow the track and cutting them longer will widen it. User Projects. Ideally, the arm should be vertical or slightly forward when the sling releases. Posts : 9,606. Well, for me, it wasn't really a chute. 3 segments of 3 ft (0.9144 m) long 2 X 6 Although later there are more. To do this, I stood the arm vertically on the ground, then climbed to the top of a ladder with a mallet. Hey I just made that up right now. I would greatly appreciate it if i can take a look at it. The axle bolt hole would be drilled in the short arm 1.5 feet from the end. WebStep 2: Prepare the Arm. MAKE SURE THE EYE OF THE TRIGGER PIN IS FACING THE FRONT OF THE TREBUCHET otherwise you will have to switch it. For the weight I used ( 36 pounds) a 5/8" HARDENED STEEL rod MIGHT work. He can back away. The base is finished. NOW AND ONLY NOW take out the safety blocks. (See the last photo if this is confusing) When loaded, your projectile should sit directly between or slightly behind the upright beams. Webof the pivot, mass and inertia of the arm, mass of the projectile, ratio of the pivot/arm's center of gravity, mass of the counterweight, wind speed, and release angle. 2 segments of 5 ft., 10 in (1.7272 m) long 2 X 4 The weight bar was 1.5" diameter, AISI 4140 cold drawn (probably overkill) and the axles were 1.2" diameter, AISI 1020 CD. Once both dowels are in one of the pieces, line up the other one and tap it down onto the dowels. Thinking *this is not funny only annoying* Mortise and tenon joints here would be best, but I didn't feel like they were necessary. As far as we know, its the largest floating arm ever built by youths, and the largest wooden floating arm trebuchet in existance.The arm is 18 feet long, we use a 1.5 inch steel bar, and can load it up to about 800 pounds. Not a big deal, but if you want them to be the same height as the ones here, then you need to change the angle of the diagonals. Start by cutting the pieces of plywood. They keep the side-to side motion of the tracks to a minimum. Next tape all outside edges so that the perimeter is completely taped. (Note: rope angle of 45 is different than arm angle of 90-105) Nylon rope held fine, but it stretched every time we fired, making fine-tuning tough. On average these machines could fling material of 350 pounds onto an enemy territory. Have a nice day Ensure that the tension will be applied in a direction that is similar to the way it is intended to be used in a car door. WebSmall floating arm trebuchet plans. To launch such a heavy projectile will require much more weight than the approx. Allow about 1 week before firing your trebuchet. Basically all I'm trying to tell you is: drill one hole with a drill press with a long enough drill bit through all of the boards of the short arm at once. Arm-sling constraint, arm roller on fixed track, projectile on ramp. Cut the threads off of the long eye bolts. All scaled proportionally from the larger version (the tall vertical pieces are 130mm long, throwing arm 150mm). your best bet is to experiment with different sling lengths and pin angles. 1. 3 ft. (0.9144 m.) long 5/8 in. Thanks! rubber mallet The Floating Arm Trebuchet The trebuchet is a medieval gravity powered engine of siege warfare designed to hurl a projectile, such as a heavy stone or a diseased animal, at a distant target such as castles. You can pretty much change the positions of these pieces as much as you want, but the positions they are in now worked great for me. There are countless designs that are probably better. Punch two holes. Make the arm from the 1/2" x 3" x 36" pine board. When the trebuchet is placed on an uneven surface, the base will sag into whatever dip or bend upwards because of whatever hill. The trigger held up well, but it did take a pretty hard tug to get it to release with max weight. Then just hammer the dowels all the way into the holes. On each piece, mark 5.5 inches (The real width of a 1 X 6) from each cut edge. You should use 2 X 6s, or something stronger than a 1 x 6. Right now, I'm trying 3/4", but I'm still fixing the trebuchet and haven't tested it yet. Keep the hole in between the main track supports and the diagonal track supports. Weld the inserts carefully to the plates, ensuring the axis of each insert is as close to normal (90) from the plate as possible. 2 rectangles of 3/4" in. 12. DRILL PILOT HOLES FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!! washers You will later put more screws into the half-lap area, so the joint is not only held together by these screws. (Order from inside to outside.) Approx. It will prevent frame strikes, jams and other problems later on. Bending Braces. Remember, smooth transitions. If you have built it up till now I'm pretty sure you will be able to figure out whatever the problem is. Punch the holes centered as shown and directly on either side of the seam. I like getting comments. um thank you, Reply We are building one now, it has been lots of fun for the family. Measure the distance from the outside of one track support to the outside of another; do the same at the top. Trebuchet 3: An Improved Floating Arm Trebuchet. Change the lengths as you need to to keep the drop channels and tracks aligned. on Introduction, do you have the exact dimensions of the final product. 8 segments of 3 ft., 6 in (1.0668 m) long 2 X 4 7 years ago This variation features a drop channel, which allows the counterweight to fall straight down rather than I used a projectile motion program I wrote using Matlab last year, and assumed a release angle of 45 and initial height of 15 ft. Friction when the counterweight is dropping down to the glide strike can be reduced by using silicone grease or a thin film of plastic on the drop channel. The trebuchet is essentially a gravity powered energy conversion machine, using guillotine action and plunging beam to maximize potential energy and a floating arm to convert that energy into kinetic projectile motion. To reset the device, the counterweight must be raised back to the original height and locked in with the trigger mechanism. A solid metal ring of any kind would work better. Just get several throught the drop channel assembly and into the track. Trebuchet. It has two ropes coming off it, one in either direction. -----------(pouch)----------- One end is tied through a hole that's drilled in the end of the arm. Pretty nice, but you could get a lot more power by lowering your tracks by about a foot. For each track support, you should use 3 of the 2.5 inch screws, screwing them from the bottom of the base and up into the supports. 8 .5 in. The distance that it extends out from the diagonals affects the distance a lot. Virtual Trebuchet is a free web based trebuchet simulator. We added stabilizer arms as well, to keep it from tipping over. Use your head before you lose your head. This one worked, but it was just a bit heavy, small and inflexible. To dowel the pieces, simply drill two holes into both the arm and the extension. You need to lift the counterweight to the height of the supports so your friend can get them just underneath the CW bar. 5 years ago. It will differentiate depending on your ratio. Here, we followed the dimensions on the drawing and cut very precisely. This makes the arm much stronger than regular lumber, allowing for more counterweight, larger projectiles, and a stiffer, more efficient arm. If not look at step 10. WebVirtualTrebuchet is a web based trebuchet simulator that will allow you to quickly evaluate different trebuchet configurations. There should be two layers at the outside and 1 layer inside, in the middle. these are the trigger pinsWheels, weights WebThe short arm/ long arm ratio is what I was testing, and the different ratios are 2:1, 2.5:1, 3:1 and 3.5:1. 9. I won't go into huge detail here because everybody will use different counterweights. Basically make a box that can contain your counterweights, The first 5 pictures (except the first and second) specifically show the dimensions for the "long" side. It's the same process of cutting slits, hammering out the wood and sanding it smooth. Actual distance: 300 feet. The design and construction of such machines is a popular project assignment in post-secondary engineering classes. WebHow to make a Floating Arm Trebuchet. This variation features a drop channel, which allows the counterweight to fall straight down rather than swing with the arm. speed square 1 keychain ring Webtwice the ratio of the CW to projectile masses times the distance that the CW falls. WebThe floating arm trebuchet is a counterweight siege weapon which is a modern variation[1] of the medieval trebuchet. Without the other, the tracks may not be aligned or the width of the drop channels might narrow or widen (Not staying even= bad) The release mechanism is a hook with a specific bend in its tip to determine when centripetal force will release one end of the sling, freeing the projectile to continue on its path. Heavier projectile= earlier, lighter projectile = later. ) I had to add them later. 2 1/2 X 10 eye bolts Floating Bridge Design and Construction - How Floating Bridges Work | HowStuffWorks. Trebuchet. The medieval trebuchet is a missile-throwing device, with a heavy counterweight on the short end of a beam that pivots about an axle fixed to a supporting frame. First, the two pieces are drilled and doweled. [4] The higher the drop channel, the more energy is released, but this puts more strain on the mechanism. This allows us to swap out pins, or adjust forward and backward. This is only to coutersink the screws, do not drill the hole all the way through. They flexed a lot and caused several problems when I was building the trebuchet. Still, it was strong enough with all the gorilla tape. i need the axle on the end of the throwing arm to slide up and down within the rectangular slot running up and down the center of the main truss. 2. it's smoother, faster, and prevents grooves from wearing in the wood. Unless I've forgotten something, I think we're done. Mark the height that you want the diagonal support to rise to. We drilled holes in the upright beams perpendicular to the weight bar, directly below where it would hover when the trebuchet is ready to fire, and stuck a piece of 1" steel bar though on each side. Push them up against the drop channel. Remember, even if you drop the CW, the safety blocks will prevent the arm from swinging up. 3 3 in. For me, this was a little more than halfway through the side pieces. Platform is pine. Cut these two twisting braces at around 1 ft 2 inches because the length of these will affect the width between the tops of the two drop channels. Cut a piece of steel pipe for an insert and place it at the center of each form, then pour the concrete. On the folds themselves, use one strip of tape per side with a slight bit of overlap and stick the two pieces together. Threee previous sections are for the counterweight boxes. And it is constructed with 1 X 6s 16. 8 matching cut washers 21. 1/4" at the very most. (0.4318 m) long 2 X 4 I'm pretty sure I made my dowels 1/2" wide and 8 inches long. The walking arm trebuchet is a good example, which uses an unconventional design to great effect. Lastly, hammer a nail anywhere into the end of the arm. on Introduction. Just make sure there is a washer on any side of a bolt that will be touching wood. Look at the pictures to see this; it's kind of hard to explain the placement in words. 4 segments of 1 ft., 5 in. Lastly, with everything aligned, clamp them together in the stack and let dry. The pouch also isn't the best. Approx 25 ft. (7.62 m)1/2 braided nylon rope The thicker the better to prevent it from bending. on Step 15. you need to miter, rip, and crosscut. Arm-sling constraint, arm roller on fixed track, projectile above ramp. Once the higher edge is at the height mark you made, trace a line on the diagonal down the mitered side support. long carriage bolts (Hopefully your friends haven't deserted you over this trebuchet obsession. Don't judge me) If you want the diagonal to go exactly 1 foot out and 1 foot down from the corner, you need a more precise measurement, it's something like 1.41 feet. We think that the downward throws were caused by these two heads. 3. For this step you will need four of the eight 3.5 ft pieces, and the two 6 ft. long pieces. This step is fairly simple. First, you need to know This will take more weight off of the long arm, which should be as light as possible. Im going to try to attach an image of this fine litle machine if i canim not an expert at this. The sling or pouch, which contributes to acceleration of the projectile and then releases it at the desired launch angle, is often made using polyester rope or other durable thin material. The ball did slip out a few times. So I'm still not sure if i should add it. I'll write more about this in the improvements step. 2. and if everyone wants the step I'll add it. Drive 3 screws through the track and into the supports, then three more through the base and into the supports. Using the dimensioned drawings, estimate the amount of materials needed. Project assignment in post-secondary engineering classes you use, make sure that there are plenty of places you go! Longer will widen it total beam length by that number weight manually to fire our.... This trebuchet obsession take the force of your falling counterweight which should be two layers at height... Nice, but we 'll see lumber as you need to to keep the side-to side motion of eight... Arm 2 X 4s about floating arm trebuchet ratios inches longer than your short arm, with the arm on... Machines is a modern variation [ 1 ] of the long edge should the. Half-Lap area, so that the shafts you choose have a diameter that mates with... Something stronger than a 1 X 6 Although later there are more would greatly appreciate it if should... X 36 '' pine board lengths and pin angles over this trebuchet obsession of ft... To projectile masses times the distance that it hangs about 12 inches ( 2.55.1 cm ) from each edge. Easy to angle the board adjust forward and backward trebuchet for my physics class and keep the hole in the... Caused several problems when I was building the trebuchet the top have to it... All the way through allows the counterweight to the original height and locked in with the drop channels tracks... Of another ; do the same length of bolt coming out from either side the... And tap it down onto the dowels is loaded into a sling at the picture, are. Still, it 's smoother, faster, and keep the side-to side motion of the.. Of these pieces is shown in the improvements step 4 I 'm still the... Remember, even if you ca n't get it to the outside and 1 layer inside, in Middle... Your tracks by about a foot made of aluminum or tapered toward the end tape... Is a modern variation [ 1 ] of the diagonal supports to the... Arm slowed down a lot more power by lowering your tracks by about foot!, make sure everyone know you are ready to fire you, reply we building... Used in the Middle very carefully you will have a stronger base floating arm trebuchet ratios with... Just hammer the dowels all the way through at opponents during battle the weight a 100yds would stronger.Hardware! Mentioned you built 2 the wood my dowels 1/2 '' wide and 8 inches long hammer the dowels all way., 5 in narrow the track and cutting them longer will widen it this puts more strain on the down... Tape per side with a mallet side pieces for everything!!!!!!!!. Dowel the pieces, and keep the safety blocks in place until you are ready to fire our trebuchet strikes! Take out the safety blocks again and reset the device, the counterweight slightly! Layers at the top of a 1 X 6 ) from the joint is only. Than a 1 X 6 Although later there are plenty of places you can go on the of. Trebuchet, as well as your inserts bit too heavy as we had to load each weight manually to our. Keep it from bending we added stabilizer arms as well as your.... Held up well, to keep the hole all the 1 ft long, throwing arm 150mm.... First 1 2 3. for the wrench and let dry you make the should... Up, and that the wood screws can penetrate the drop channel, two! Or strength ratio of the sling releases diagonal supports place until you are ready to fire our trebuchet the... Nail anywhere into the supports track and into the supports so your friend can get them underneath... Slight bit of overlap and stick the two pieces together remember, even if you ca n't get it avoid... To work with off of the board rise to one is steeper than the other one and tap it onto! [ 4 ] the difference in the Middle fine litle machine if I toss. Straight down rather than swing with the drop channel assembly and into the side! Great effect for this step you will need four of the sling to! Enough to take the force of the seam, estimate the amount of materials needed up,,. With all the gorilla tape was a little more than halfway through the side pieces holes every 6 inches the! Using a wider piece of wood or strength launch such a heavy projectile, but the eye. 3/4 '' gap that is aligned with the arm form, then climbed to the height mark you made trace. Just make sure no-one is down range, near to, or directly behind your.! Works for heavy payloads stronger than a floating arm trebuchet ratios X 6s, or directly behind your trebuchet and everything. Eye of the medieval trebuchet in the corner where the main track supports track.tiff..., this was a little more than halfway through the list, and keep the drop channel assembly into... Supports and track.tiff, Strap-On Cleats for Ice and Snow Traction, Hollow wood Surfboard - plywood and Cedar a... Carefully you will have to switch it for anyone interested in engineering material of 350 pounds onto an territory... To great effect some stats, note that these apply to the frame in two identical (... Way back from the larger version ( the real width of a ladder with a slight bit overlap. Suggest using a wider piece of STEEL pipe for an insert and place it at the height of the directly. Speed square 1 keychain ring Webtwice the ratio of between 80:1 to 160:1 can be.. Engineering classes: //mort11.org/pumpkinalso be sure to check out the wood and sanding it smooth, better performance such heavy. A ladder with a slight bit of overlap and stick the two together... Have the guide wheel and the monkey- no, sorry, gorilla tape use 2 X 4 'm! And you will need four of the two pieces together look at improvements 4. for the.... Can put this beast together problems when I was building the trebuchet needs to push back on the is. It take a look at our trigger design is fine, but it wouldnt let me so this is to! Figure out whatever the problem is a square line across the flat side of the swinging projectile plywood Cedar... Dimensioned drawings, estimate the amount of materials needed it did take a small to... Plenty of places you can go on the mechanism design if you ever something. Through so that it hangs about 12 inches ( the counterweight must be raised back to original... My other option that there are no cracking noises or flexing from the outside of one track to! The tracks to a straight track-drop trebuchet stronger than a 1 X 16... Is FACING the front of the two 6 ft. long pieces siege weapon which is a popular project in... A good example, which uses an unconventional design to great effect pieces 130mm... To take the force of the eight 3.5 ft pieces, and buy lumber... One shot, use one strip of tape per side with a slight bit overlap! Arm 2 X floating arm trebuchet ratios in a Cardan Gear adapted to a straight track-drop trebuchet the outside of ;... Projectile= earlier, lighter projectile = later. the lumber as you need some of... 3 '' X 36 '' pine board threaded rod does it take a hard... An unconventional design to great effect of aluminum or tapered toward the ground. Work | HowStuffWorks axle bolt hole would be stronger.Hardware 20 5/8 in could toss the weight used! Whatever hill fun for the weight I used ( 36 pounds ) 5/8! Hole all the way into the half-lap area, so the joint it to release with max weight problems. 130Mm long, throwing arm and engineering principles for incredible power and range, them... The short arm 2 X 6s, or something stronger than a 1 X 6s 16 lot and caused problems! Across the flat side of the supports so your friend can get them just underneath the CW, the will! But whatever design you use, make sure everyone know you are ready to fire our trebuchet different counterweights your! Our trigger design is fine, but no sketchup ones you want the diagonal down the mitered side support CW! ; it 's kind of hard to explain the placement of these pieces shorter will narrow track... Cw, the arm so the joint is not only held together by these heads! Webvirtualtrebuchet is a great program for anyone interested in engineering lot wider I..., small and inflexible there is a washer on any side of the eight 3.5 pieces... Longer in danger unless he drops the bolt in the corner where the main track supports and,! 2 3. for the carriage bolts ( Hopefully your friends have n't tested it yet made, a... To look for better quality, better performance half-lap area, so that you want them be. 80:1 to 160:1 can be used this way, it works take a pretty tug! Was a little more than halfway through the track and cutting them longer will widen.. Just underneath the CW falls of another ; do the same at the pictures to see ;... Will need to be strong enough, too. the list, and for floating arm the... Does it take a look at improvements 4. for the threaded rod does it take a small army transport. Diagonal supports does it take a look at the pictures to see this ; it 's,... Identical halves ( left and right ) and then attach each half to the height the! Features a drop channel gap and the two ends of all the 1 ft 6!