Construct your own miniature siege engines!

Step 1: What You'll Need.

1. A couple of nasty looking boards.
2. A 1/2" diameter dowel.
3. A short piece of a 2x2.
4. A length of thin rope.
5. Two 1" wood screws.
6. A 1/2" drill bit.
7. A 3/4" spade bit.
8. A drill or drill press.
9. A table saw or circular saw or handsaw.
10. A miter saw or miter box or motorized miter box
11. Scissors.
12. A screwdriver
13. A lighter.
14. A pencil.
15. A roll of tape.
16. A ruler.
17. A miniature enemy.

Step 2: Preparing Your Boards.

First, use your table saw to cut your nasty looking boards into two 7 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangles.
Once you've done this, tape the two boards together with the broad sides touching, then, with your pencil, mark the two longer edges: "top" and "bottom", and the two shorter edges "front" and "back".
Measure 1" up from the "bottom" and 2" from the "front" and draw an X. Next, measure 1" down from the "top" and 3" from the "front" and draw another X.

Next, with your boards still taped together, measure 1/2" up from the "bottom" and 1/2" from the "back" of the board and draw a V. Flip your taped boards over and draw another V in exactly the same place on the other side.
Last, measure 3 1/2" from the "front" and 1 1/2" from the "bottom" and draw a T. Do the same on the other side.
Fit your 1/2" bit into your drill.
Drill the Xs all the way through.
Drill the Vs to a 1/4" depth.
Drive a screw into each of the Ts so about 1/4" sticks out.
Separate the two boards.

They should look like a mirror image of each other.

Step 3: Preparing Your Dowels

Next, use your miter saw to cut your dowel into two 5 1/4" lengths and one 4 1/4" length.

Step 4: Creating Your Catapult Arm.

Cut your 2x2 to a 7" length.
Cut one end into a triangle shape.
With your 3/4" bit, drill a 1/4" deep hole on the end opposite, and the side perpendicular to the triangular end.
Drill a 1/2" hole toward the triangular end.

Step 5: Rope

Then use your scissors to cut a 26" piece from your length of rope. If you're using braided nylon or another synthetic like I am, you'll have to use your lighter to melt the ends so they don't fray.

Step 6: Assembling the Parts.

Now that you have all your parts, you can start to assemble your catapult.

Start by tying a knot in each end of your 26" piece of rope. I prefer to use a knot called a double half hitch for this.

Then attach it to the screws.

Next, pass one of your longer dowels through the smaller hole of your catapult arm.
Fit each end into the lower holes on the sides. This dowel will be a pivot for the arm.
Use the catapult arm to twist the rope around the dowel as shown. There should be a fair amount of tension.
Slip your other longer dowel into the upper holes in front of the arm to maintain the tension in the rope.
Finally, notch the shorter dowel into the shallow holes you drilled toward the back, and you're done. You now have a functioning mechanism with which to wage minuscule siege warfare!