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Wooden Desktop Trebuchet

Wooden Desktop Trebuchet
The trebuchet is a medieval invention originally designed to lay siege to fortresses and castles. The largest of them could hurl immense stones hundreds of yards. Now you can have one to play with in your own home. The whole device stands about foot tall when unloaded and flings various things ten feet or more. Moreover, this is a nice introductory woodworking project that you can do with mostly basic tools. Make sure to check all of the images. A lot of the details are in the notes there.

 
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Step 1Materials and Tools

Materials and Tools
Materials
3/8" Hardwood Square
1/8" Hardwood Dowel
3/16" Metal Rod
Jumbo Craft Sticks
Wood Glue
Heavy Stuff as a Counterweight

Tools
Saw
Miter Box
Ruler
Sharp Knife and/or Chisel(s)
Drill with 1/8" and 3/16" Drill bits
Clamps

You can really make this project out of just about any type of wood. I chose poplar because it's cheap and sturdy. Most big hardware stores will also have oak and occasionally maple. The design is stout enough that you could make it out of something softer like basswood. In fact, it's probably not a bad idea if you don't have a sharp narrow chisel and you're going to be carving the joints with a knife. These measurements call for just a little over six feet of it. Most 3/8" square is sold in three foot pieces. You might get away with just two if you adjusted the size of a couple of parts, but you'll almost certainly have to recut a couple of pieces so you might as well just get three sticks.

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191 comments
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Aug 23, 2009. 10:15 AMtulekah says:
WARNING!!! nobody seems to have mentioned that TIRE WEIGHTS contain CADMIUM to harden them. CADMIUM vapor released by melting tire weights is far more dangerous to life than plain lead fumes. I nkow of at least two cases of near-fatal heavy metal poisoning of mountain man types casting flintlock balls from tire weights!!! Me, i used pennies for me weight, easy to fine-tune the range by adding or subtracting a handfull.
Dec 8, 2011. 7:19 AMRangemaster42 says:
I have melted tire weights in order to cast bullets for more than thirty years. Provided you do it in a well ventilated area there is no danger involved. Tin and antimony are used to harden lead in wheel weights. Cadmium is mostly used for battery plates WHICH SHOULD NEVER BE USED and for cable sheaths.
Sep 4, 2009. 6:35 PMI am Silas. says:
You could also use dead batteries for weights.
May 18, 2011. 7:27 PMilpug says:
or a bunch of nuts. the kind that go on bolts, that is.
Jul 21, 2011. 9:26 PMdoodoo123 says:
could you give me the sizes of wood i would need to make the trebuchet in double the size. thanks
May 2, 2011. 11:15 PMaagnitsch says:
I had alot of fun making this. my daughter asked me to make a catapult but thought better of it and this was perfect. got wondering what else i can make with this extra wood i bought before i found this sight. Good work on the instrutions
Nov 13, 2010. 4:44 AMbrian5003 says:
Just buildt one from your design.  Few deviations......worked great.  Used plasti dip spray on to coat the lead and brass rod for the arm shaft.

Thks, my son really enjoys it.


Dec 22, 2007. 10:00 PMbrainspater says:
Me i use a cannon.
May 30, 2009. 1:48 PMJake_C says:
bazookas are for wimps, i use laser-injected ninja super amazing rocket lazerbeam -coolwhip sword gun grenade cannons from outer space...
Jun 27, 2009. 1:09 AMjamalk says:
laser-injected ninja super amazing rocket lazerbeam -coolwhip sword gun grenade cannons from outer space are for wimps i use lightsaber+force choke lol kidding
Jul 15, 2009. 7:13 PMLEDmuffin says:
Lightsaber and force choke is for wimps, I use Shoop-da-whoops.
Jul 23, 2009. 2:49 AMFashim says:
Nice.
Jun 27, 2009. 10:14 AMJake_C says:
lightsaber + force choke is for wimps, i use bagels
Jun 28, 2009. 2:31 AMnecropolian says:
bagels are for wimps, i force my enemies into spontaneous combustion.
Jun 28, 2009. 11:52 AMjokerlz says:
Forcing enimes into spontanious combustion is for wimps, I kill them through the medium of dance.
Jun 29, 2009. 5:24 AMnecropolian says:
medium of dance is for wimps, I also use studio 100 music. seriously, that stuff is lethal.
Jul 23, 2009. 2:48 AMFashim says:
studio 100 music is for wimps. I use a Laser Canon Graphted to my chest that Explodes my Enemies into candy.
Jul 28, 2009. 1:06 PMnecropolian says:
a Laser Canon Graphted to my chest that Explodes my Enemies into candy is fot total wimps. I use a strong, undetectable poison.
Aug 12, 2009. 7:03 AMrabbitkillrun says:
strong, undectable poisons are for wimps. I use long repetitive comment threads to distract my enemies while i aim my laser cannon graphed combusting candy bagel laser-injected ninja super amazing rocket coolwhip laserbeam lightsaber sword forcechock gun grenade cannons from outer space shoop-da-whoop bazuka trebuchets...
Aug 12, 2009. 12:57 PMnecropolian says:
you know, all this time I do not get a comment on mine, and just as i thought this very morning : " hey, I still do not have a comment on mine! how strange!" and, of course, I get a comment the same day. so, here it comes: long repetitive comment threads to distract my enemies while i aim my laser cannon graphed combusting candy bagel laser-injected ninja super amazing rocket coolwhip laserbeam lightsaber sword forcechock gun grenade cannons from outer space shoop-da-whoop bazuka trebuchets are for wimps... I do not use that, because I do not have enemies...at least not enemies who know where I live, and who really am.
Feb 5, 2010. 2:12 PMdirty9774 says:
ha, you said "forcechock"
Feb 6, 2010. 2:36 AMnecropolian says:
No, I copied the text from "rabbitkillrun". He made the mistake.
Aug 12, 2009. 5:16 PMcorey_caffeine says:
not having enemies is for wimps. I use bananas.
Aug 13, 2009. 1:13 PMrabbitkillrun says:
bananas are for wimps... i use pacman to eat the banana, then the big dot then eat all my enemies...
Sep 20, 2009. 12:16 PMjmitch77 says:
Using pacman to eat the banana, then the big dot then eat all my enemies is for wimps. I use Chuck Norris.
Sep 20, 2009. 1:06 PMrabbitkillrun says:
Chuck Norris is for wimps. I eat spinach like popeye.
Oct 20, 2009. 1:32 PMsuperdude678 says:
Eating spinach like popeye is for wimps. I use the Athena orbital defense network's ion cannon. muahahaha
Oct 26, 2009. 3:52 PMryanpriehl says:
 Using the Athena orbital defense network's ion cannon is for wimps. I just surrender.
Oct 26, 2009. 5:17 PMrabbitkillrun says:
Surrendering is for wimps. I use pacman.
Oct 26, 2009. 7:27 PMtim_W says:
 pacman is for wimps and doesn't ensure everyone's death
I use miley cyrus's party in the usa song guarenteed 100% lethal
Oct 27, 2009. 3:53 AMFashim says:
miley cyrus's party is for wimps.. I use Hand Held Midgets
Nov 12, 2009. 2:05 PMZerg says:
Hand held midgets are for whips...I just kill people >:)
Jan 25, 2010. 6:17 PMI ACW I NINJA says:
killing people is for wimps, i spontaneously give birth through my ears
Oct 28, 2009. 5:15 PMmatt_miele says:
mr. T pittys you all!
Dec 30, 2009. 10:56 PMtherapist says:
ccc combo breaker
Jan 5, 2010. 11:42 AMjokerlz says:
 ccc combo breakers are for wimps. I use discarded hairstyles from the 50s.
Jan 4, 2010. 1:53 PMrabbitkillrun says:
If you're going to ruin it, at least do it properly... <_< ffs 
Oct 28, 2009. 6:08 PMsuperdude678 says:
my comment fells claustrophobic
Jan 4, 2010. 1:53 PMrabbitkillrun says:
Not as much as mine. :S 
Jan 5, 2010. 2:51 PMcdousley says:
The end.
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