For Western Civilization, there is an extra credit assignment to make a fully functioning trebuchet. There will be a contest between all the other people that made a trebuchet and the one that chucks a golf ball the farthest wins. So far, I did a little research online and sketched a basic schematic. So what I want to know is if anyone, by chance, ever made one of these and could give me some tips. Oh, random picture. http://www.stormthecastle.com/catapult/images/trebuchet-drawing1.jpg
I would read into the actual physics of it. It wouldn't be too hard to find the mass of a golf ball online, and if you know about what size you want the arm to be, you should be able to calculate the ideal pivot point and counter weight.
My own attempts at building a trebuchet haven't been that successful, probably because I just kind of threw everything together.
Hey, thanks for the tip. I think a golf ball is around 1.5 grams, and the counterweight goes near the bottom of the counterweight arm. I looked a little online, but I still have a bit of work to do.
Only thing I know about Trebuchets is that you want the counter-load to drop as close to a straight line as possible. Dunno why, but on TV they had two different types of counter-weights, and one was closer to a straight line, and it went further.
Ooooh! Medieval weapons of a-fair-bit of destruction! It really depends how far you want to hurl your ammo. Then there's the calculating on WHEN the ammo actually gets out of the sling, the overall size of the trebuchet, what you're gonna make it out of (I made one from things I found around the house and some popsicle sticks). Of course, if you're a skilled crafter, I'd suggest making it from scratch, bending wood and everything.
the counterweight goes near the bottom of the counterweight arm.
Well, yeah. But there is an optimum weight to the counter weight depending on your load. I'm pretty sure that bigger is not necessarily always going to be better. There should be plenty of trebuchet calculators floating around the internet that would help you determine this.
And yes, building materials are important. You might want to look into non-wood options, if you are allowed. Some sort of light metal might work a lot better for you, though you won't be able to drill into it as easily... It all depends.
Update: I have looked through various videos on youtube, schematics on google, and have decided that I'm making an average trebuchcet (not a floating arm trebuchet). I have the basic idea of what the base needs to be like, how to set up the counterweight, and kind of know the rough size.
What I still need to figure out: -The specifics of the sling (how to make it detach, I believe it has something to do with a curved nail or hook) -The effective counterweight load -How to create a safety (to keep the counterweight up before release)
I know my school one time built a massive one, big enough that it had to be transported by a truck, for the sole purpose of launching pumpkins at a contest. I think we did the best out of all the schools in the contest, but it wasn't specifically for schools, and there were much more professional builds that beat us. It's been sitting in the back of the parking lot for years now, I'll get a picture of it if i can.
I've been planning to build both a trebuchet and a Tesla coil this summer, so I've talked with my brother a good bit about this.
For the counterweight, I would suggest using water instead of something solid. It makes assembly and loading a good bit easier. Use metal pipes welded together for the frame and arm, not wood. Under high torque systems, wood will shatter, but metal will bend. This only applies if the angle is off, but it's better safe than sorry. For the curved nail, weld the flat end to the pipe, then bend it to the correct curve by gently hammering it around another pipe.
@master565 Are you thinking of Pumpkin Chunking? They have it on Discovery or Science channel every year I think. @Dragonblaze052 Good luck with your trebuchet and Tesla coil (I wish we could make a Tesla coil ) About the welding thing...I don't know. This is for a high school extra credit project, and metal is out of my budget. I will still use metal frames of course, but I don't have a blowtorch, so no welding D: The water is a good idea, though, didn't think about that. Thank you much!
Are you thinking of Pumpkin Chunking? They have it on Discovery or Science channel every year I think.
No idea, but on the topic of the pictures, i won't be posting any. Turns out all the bad weather we've had over the last few months has left the thing in a large pile of rubble.
