Give all your classmates or co-workers copies of the template - declare war over lunchtime...
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Signing UpStep 1: Materials and tools
This is a cut-out-and-make Instructable.
You need a copy of the template (I work to A4), a cocktail stick, scissors and a glue-stick to make each catapult (though sticky tape may be useful for battle-field repairs). A cutting mat is a lot of help if your work bench is a s rough as mine (my mat is marked in 1cm squares, which gives you an idea of the sheer size of this great weapon).
New for 2009, at no extra cost! A redrawn PDF file of the template is now attached to this step!
The ammunition can be anything that will fit in the catapult's bucket - paper balls, the rubbers off pencils. I shot Tic Tacs at my class - if they caught them before they hit the floor, they ate them.
Safety
A pad of paper towel or modelling clay will stop you skewering yourself when you poke the necessary holes in the paper.
Full personal safety precautions can be seen in the video in step five.
You need a copy of the template (I work to A4), a cocktail stick, scissors and a glue-stick to make each catapult (though sticky tape may be useful for battle-field repairs). A cutting mat is a lot of help if your work bench is a s rough as mine (my mat is marked in 1cm squares, which gives you an idea of the sheer size of this great weapon).
New for 2009, at no extra cost! A redrawn PDF file of the template is now attached to this step!
The ammunition can be anything that will fit in the catapult's bucket - paper balls, the rubbers off pencils. I shot Tic Tacs at my class - if they caught them before they hit the floor, they ate them.
Safety
A pad of paper towel or modelling clay will stop you skewering yourself when you poke the necessary holes in the paper.
Full personal safety precautions can be seen in the video in step five.
Catapult template.pdf(596x842) 60 KB
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It's the sort of thing they stick olives on in drinks. In the UK, they're sold in boxes of a hundred for a few pennies at supermarkets.
However, if you have a toothpick, and it's long enough, by all means use it.
A couple of comments about my build. Here in the US I printed it out at 95% onto card stock, 35 lb paper instead of 20 lb copier paper.
I 'score' my crease lines with a single heavy pass with a ball point pen and a steel ruler as a guide.
I rough cut the pieces with a pair of scissors and finished them off with a sharp utility knife, steel ruler and a plastic cutting board.
I used a white school glue applied to the tabs with a small paint brush.
I folded most of the creases with the lines inside to make a cleaner model. Except for the throwing arm, needed the Instructables.com writing on the outside.
Cheers,
Jim
It's the PDF of the full project that is restricted to pro members.
Kiteman, I'm going to put a mod on my catapult and perhaps make an 'ible for it, but I will point out that it is merely a mod, and that your genius is the cause for this amazing work of art :D
Today my physics teacher took the suggestion of making these in class. He had the whole class making their own catapult so we could learn more about projectiles.
Thank you so much Kiteman! and thank you instructables!
Are you telling me that somebody can print this thing out in one, constructed piece now??
That is so abso-awesomely-lutely cool!
As soon as somebody does this, please post up a photo, maybe even a video of it in action??
Thanks for that. Unfortunately, I have a new computer, and did not re-install the, er, borrowed software I used to draw those templates. I'll just have to rely on observant users like yourself.
:(