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Build a Trebuchet From Scrap Wood!

By: Kyle Farris (04/10/06)

School project anyone?

	Total Project Cost: Approximately $25 USD.
	Author-Rated Ghetto-ness Factor: 3/10
	Reader-Rated Ghetto-ness Factor: ?/10
	This Tutorial Has The Following Features: (?)

For all of you folks that have that un-dying urge to build destructive medieval castle siege engines, you have come to the right place. This project is great for a school project (that's why I built it...). I made it out of extra wood I had laying around my house from other projects and such. Also, you can often find wood good enough to use for this in construction site dumpsters. When you have completed this tutorial and followed all the steps, you will have a powerful ancient catapult that can launch a golf ball many a yard.

Now, as I mentioned, you will need some wood, that is obvious. There may be a few things you will need to pick up at your local Home Depot, Walmart, or Michaels. Either way, we are looking at a cost-effective and very easy-to-build weapon of mass chaos and destruction (humor here, people...). The materials you will need are as follows (obviously, considering the nature of this article and of this site, you may use different materials, but try to stay in proportion with mine as best as possible.):

• Wood:
  • Main Wood - 2.5"(width) x 5/8"(thickness): 41 feet total
    • 4 x 55" = 220"
    • 4 x 36" = 144"
    • 3 x 13.5" = 40.5"
    • 2 x 31" = 62"
    • 2 x 13" = 26"
  • Wood for diagonal supports - 1.5"(width) x 5/8"(thickness): 9 feet total
    • 2 x 32.5" = 65"
    • 2 x 20.5" = 41"
  • Wood for counter-weight box - 4.5"(wide) x 3/4"(thick): 4 feet total
    • 2 x 11.5" = 23"
    • 2 x 6" = 12"
    • 1 x 10" = 10"
  • 1 x Wooden Dowel for axlel rod (5/8" diameter)

You will also, undoubtedly, need tools and some hardware. Most people will have the hardware they will need, if not, again, it's all very cheap stuff. Tool-wise, the tools I used were not exactly cheap, but substitutes can be made. At the very least, you WILL need a drill and a decent set of drill bits. The tools and hardware I used consisted of a drill, small drill bits for pre-drilling screw holes, 5/8" wood-boring bit, miter saw, tape measure, hammer, 1.25" wood-to-wood screws, 5 small eye-hook screws, 2 long eye-hook screws, material for a pouch (denim, netting, etc...), and a large roll of jute twine (very cheap at Home Depot)

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