Tired of Politics & Religion: My Trebuchet Story

[Chieftess]

Here's a quick "catapult" I made out of my grided window fan.



I stuck 2 pencils in my fan, put a rubber band around it, and twirled a pencil in the middle. The cyan-blue lines is the corner of my fan. The dark grey "blade" is the fan blade (for reference). The 3 golden lines are pencils, with a rubber band in the middle. Since my fan is gridded, I was able to stick the pencils in such a way that the rubberband would lock them in place (the grids are off-center). The little grey thing at the bottom is the twist-tie I used (I didn't have anything else at the moment). I had no cross beam, although holding a pencil does the trick. After winding it some 100 times (I didn't count), I let it go. The twist-tie flew an astounding 1 feet!

I wonder if this "Fan Catapult" could be a UU in a Civ3 scenario.

 

[WildFire]

My eyes!!

What a horrible attempt at art!

AHHHH

 

[Vanadorn]

I see your results with the catapult were as wonderful as my own. It takes alot of effort and material to throw something only a fraction as far as your could throw something with just using your hands.

Although I will say, very nice.

In re to Junkyard Wars: I felt the aearlier seasons were much better than the later ones. And yes I saw the trebuchet episode (actually, there were two).

In re to trebuchets, there was a guy who built one that used a 17,000 lb counter weight (3 buicks) and would hurl refrigerators some 200 yards plus. Owned a junkyard (figures).

V

 

[Chieftess]

I was just thinking about the rope (rather, common household material). Which material would be better? Standard string, or a rubber band?'


EDIT: You also have to remember that my contraption is only 1 foot wide by a half foot tall, and a half a centimeter thick.


EDIT: 2nd time around...

I made the pencils 1 foot wide, and used a huge rubberband, and twisted it relentlessly. I also added string and tape to the top, then made a sling out of 2 pieces of tape at the bottom. It worked better... about 20% of the time. I used a pencil eraser to test (the kind that go on top of the pencil).

Try #1 - went backwards 2 feet.
Try #2 - shot straigh up into the air
Try #3 - went about 3 feet.

The furthest I got was 5-6 feet. It's not very reliable though, since a lot of times, the eraser would fall out, or release early (going backwards or up).

 

[Civrules]

Cool, I had to make a Catapult in school and today it got ~50 feet.

EDIT:
>>>Some people had made a Ballista type that launched a marshmallow over 90 feet.
(Yes, we were launching marshmallows)

 

[Civrules]

And BTW, Vanadorn, your catapult looks like my catapult but it is *slightly* ( ) larger.
My catapult was about 2x1x3'.

 

[Chieftess]

Attempt #3

I just gave the rubberband 20 more twists. I have a USB adapter for my mouse (about a couple of ounces). Before 20 revolutions, it could barely lift it halfway. After 20, it could lift all the way. Right when I turned around to get the eraser, the rubber band snapped! Atleast I found a structural weakness in using rubberbands! The rubberband's all warped right now (looks like someone smashed it all over the place with a tiny hammer)

 

[Vanadorn]

Never give up Chieftess.

As for catapults, they were frieghtening on the battlefield, but their accuracy left something to be desired. As to what was historically used, wound sinew and ropes were the best bets. Rubberbands are closer to what was actually used, but they are way too elastic (hence why you are winding them up so much). And, yes, they do snap (as do catapult lines).

Remember a story about a line that snapped from a roman catapult, it ripcorded through a rider and his horse, cutting them in two.

When trebuchets finally came on the scene: accurate, simple, much less of a chance to kill the engineers and operators, able to fire repeatedly and rapidly, small area where missle will actually land, further range - they were seen as the WMD of the day. Engineers were offered lavish sums of money to remain in the employ of the lord that needed their services.

Civ rules, funny you should mention the ballista. Because that is what I have been getting bugged about to build. A buddy of mine is already trying to scrounge me up a 6' - 10' long piece of spring steel (from a leaf spring of a truck), and the desire to build another one is climbing amongst my circle of friends.

We'll see. Maybe later the year or next. Have other projects this year. One of the things I'd like to do is make a rope/plank bridge to span between two trees. I have a pair of 40 year oaks deep in my yard, about 20 - 25' apart. Might do something like that.

For now, I'm building a castle/keep in my basement out of rocks and mortar. Something to do late at night when the baby's asleep and the insomnia hits.

More trebuchet pictures tonight when I get home. Thanks again to all who've read and made their comments.

V

 

[Chieftess]

Attempt #4 - Project "Miniature Catapult"

Used normal string this time (and doubled over the string. I saw that on Junkyard Wars). After about 20 winds, the pencil broke! Good thing the tape was still holding it down! I had to hold it, and used a ball of tape, and let it launch. It went 15 feet! (half the length of my room). Bueatiful trajectory.

The direction seemed to be better with the string, and it's a lot quicker, too (for something that's only 6x6 inches).


Vanadorn - Maybe you could build a simulated ancient/medival battlefield in miniature, and have the catapults/trebuchets fly at each other at once. Would require careful timing though. (both sides could have castles/forts)

 

[Aphex_Twin]

I think that rubber band twisting around a pencil is rather a mangonel than a trebuchet.

 

[Civrules]

A trebuchet uses a counterweight.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Can you tell which one is which?

 

[Chieftess]

I just thought of something. You could have a rapid fire mechinism like this:

		o
		|
		|
		|
@  @  @  @  @  @)
____________________________

the o and | is the catapult/mangonel, only it keeps going around and around. The @ are stones on a treadmill type thing. The ) is the sling, and picks up a rock each time it goes around.

It probably would have been practical in ancient warfare. The tosses would get weaker, but you'd want it to as the approaching army comes closer (don't want to over shoot).

 

[Civrules]

There is a mangonel . Look firmilliar?

 

[the mormegil]

Soon you 2 will have a tiny little battle going with tiny little robot droid swordsmen and you're tiny little siege engines and other tiny little stuff.

Anyway, what you 2 should be watching is Scrapheap Challenge. The original that Junkyard wars was copied off, and yes, it's BRITISH.

 

[Civrules]

Originally posted by Aphex_Twin
Can you tell which one is which?

1. Ballista
2. Trebuchet
3. Mangonel
4. Same one ^^

 

[Chieftess]

Originally posted by the mormegil
Soon you 2 will have a tiny little battle going with tiny little robot droid swordsmen and you're tiny little siege engines and other tiny little stuff.

hehe, then that would make for a good Civ3 Stories & Tales thread!

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Originally posted by Civrules
1. Ballista
2. Trebuchet
3. Mangonel
4. Same one ^^

Last one is not it

 

[the mormegil]

1.Ballista
2.Trebuchet
3.Mangonel
4.Catapult?

 

[Civrules]

Yes, the last is a basic catapult.