Tired of Politics & Religion: My Trebuchet Story

[Aphex_Twin]

Indeed, mormergil. But the link gave it anyay

How about a special weaponry quiz? Who can tell the diference between a falchion and a cutles?

 

[Civrules]

I'm not that advanced for this yet.

 

[Chieftess]

Ok, I just moved my Mangonel back to the edge of my room, and pulled as hard as I could on the string (the other pencil is holding just fine... must've been from 2 different trees). The projectile (wad of tape) goes REALLY fast (6 foot ceiling almost instantaneously), and hits the ceiling before going any further.

 

[Vanadorn]

Wasn't a cutless much shorter then a falchion? Also, I seem to remember a falchion having more of a curve.

Size relation: Cutless, then scimitar, then falchion. (in regards to the curved blade family).

And the Mangonel was what we had attempted early on in the catapult saga. (that's what the wheels were for, to "wind" the ropes. Alas it didn't work, but the nasty CREAKING sounds the ropes made while we were tensing them, and the way the middle of the catapult was being sucked in towards the main throwing arm was very cool and at the same time, very scary).

V

Edit: Actually can't wait to get home now.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Here is a nice link I found

http://www.swordswallow.com/swordtypes.php

and this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword

 

[the mormegil]

I remember I made a 'missile launcher' when I was about 10. It was a thick cardboard tube about 2 foot in length. Then I put an elastic band through the top going through a used shotgun cartridge inside the top. Attached to the cartridge was a piece of string that dangled out of the bottom of the tube. You just needed to pull the string then let go. I only ever tried it with corks but it could fire them about 20 metres or so.

 

[yoshi74]

Nice pictures. I impatiantly awaiting the trebuchet pictures

 

[Archer 007]

Great read and something to pass on to my friend who has just started building a trebuchet.

 

[Civrules]

Yeah, I had to write an essay about this - would have helped if this thread was around that time.

 

[Vanadorn]

Trebuchet Pictures.

1st - Lifting the VERY heavy throwing arm into position. In order to work it, I had to build a temporary platform to work off of.

2nd - You can see the support frame for the weight box on the left side of the picture; a threaded rod with a 2x6 hanging down (there are actually 2, but the other is hidden in this picture).

In order to mount the throwing arm to the trebuchet, I had to feed a 5' threaded rod through the frame, the arm, and the other side of the frame. Also, to keep the arm from sliding back in forth in the trebuchet frame, the entire threaded rod was spaced with washers and nuts. So my friend had to hold the arm up, unsupported (not counting my other buddy off camera holding the bottom of the throwing arm) for about 10 minutes. Sliding that bar through an inch at a time and then spinning every nut, sliding the entire contraption over and repeating was very tedious.

Also, the rod didn't line up perfectly, so I had to gouge out the hole visible in the picture on the A Frame at least another 1/4 wide.

More pictures in a few minutes.

 

[Vanadorn]

2 more pictures.

1st - Mounting the weight box to the pivot frame. Box was 50-70 lbs, heavy. You can see the very grey piece of wood that says Tonka from the original catapult.

2nd picture - had to take the box off the pivot frame. Turns out that we didn't have the throwing arm centered on the A frame, so when we took off the platform I'm standing on, and tested the gravity and swing of the box, it came too close to the side of the A frame. If it was loaded and swinging fast, could have clipped the A Frame and torn the entire trebuchet down. So, We disconnected the box, rebuilt the platform, and there's me, nudging the throwing arm over a bit.

More coming in a few minutes

 

[Vanadorn]

1st picture - 85% finished. Box is mounted, centered and works. All that is left is the trough, sling, and trigger.

2nd - Finished trebuchet

 

[yoshi74]

Its quite a big thing. Not as big as the real ones in the past, but pretty impressive for the garden

 

[Vanadorn]

@ Yoshi: effectively, this one could be seen at 1/3 to 1/4 size scale. I do not have a stand of cedars to have my peasants cut down and trim for me (Heck, I don't even have peasants!).

 

[Vanadorn]

The infamous pumpkin day.

1st picture - This time I am not testing the machine but actually firing it. Everyone was a chicken and stood very far away. Hard to tell, but I am grinning my butt off at this point. In hindsight, that is a damn big pumpkin to be throwing in the sling.

2nd - Yeah, my roof with pumpkin guts on it. I had just installed a flood light for the back yard earlier, so that's why you can see the siding is missing. My wife was livid but no damage was done. I heard that day (and still do to today), "I told you so - don't use a rock first, What if you hit the house?" (Sheesh)

 

[Vanadorn]

Have very few picture of the machine actually firing. These two are the best.

1st - can see the machine almost ready to let it's payload go. To the right of the picture, can see the sling is held tight and away from the throwing arm.

2nd - just after release. Not once were we able to actually catch the ball leaving on film.

I think there's one more to follow

 

[Vanadorn]

Last picture.

After the October barbecue, sometime in early december, Had just cleaned yard up, tightened box, and had a few snaps left on a roll of black and white my wife had in the camera.

There it is, my trebuchet.

Thanks to all who taken the time to read and look.

V

 

[Chieftess]

I wonder what's the largest trebuchet ever built was...

 

[Vanadorn]

@ Chieftess: (From the history of the trebuchet),
The trebuchet was essentially an engine for destroying the defences of a fortification, so that it might be entered by means of scaling ladders or in other ways. From experiments with models of good size and from other sources I find that the largest trebuchets those with arms of about 50 ft. in length and counterpoises of about 20,000 lbs. - were capable of slinging a Stone 300 lbs. in weight to a distance of 300 yards, a range of 350 yards being in my opinion more than these engines were able to attain.

The trebuchet made by order of Napoleon III., and described in his ' Etudes sur l'artillerie,' had an arm 33 ft. in length with a counterpoise of 10,000 lbs. weight to work it. This machine projected a 50 lb. cannon-ball 200 yards, but was so lightly constructed that its full power could not be safely applied

 

[the mormegil]

I have to say those pictures look very impressive Vanadorn.