Trebuchets?

[renfairephotog]

You can play a fun trebuchet game here.   

Another game pretty basic but  interesting read.

[Mandrake Von Sets]

You can play a fun trebuchet game here.   

Good thing there isn't a wireless connection at faire.

[Tahra513]

We have a full size one at the PA ren. faire. Our archer and his son built it. We fire it over the joust field.

[Pat McGroin]

  I looking for any body that can shine some light on a problem I'm having. I'm building a Trebuchet and I would like to know what the TRF campground rules are about bringing one. It's not very big, will fit in the back of a trunk. It was designed to launch waterballoons, 1-1.5 lbs max. I have emailed TRF and no one will respond back on the matter. Hopfully someone here will have some insight. I would hate that I drove 8 hours from the east side of Baton Rouge, La. to not be able to show my project off to other Rennies.

If you need more information about my trebuchet let me know and will post a drawing w/ all the dimensions on it.

Thanks,
Pat 

[Al-Nimer]

I recently built the Ripcord Trebuchet (link to instructions in prior post.)  Here's the picture:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1703696&l=a1d2e8218e&id=837242766

Here's some videos of some hurling today:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/al-nimer/sets/72157618988754297/

[Woodland Artisan]

Very nice, Al-Nimer.   What kind of distance are you getting?

That's about the size of my original Scrap-wood Treb.

[BubbleWright]

I came across 2 magazine articles in my paper files on trebuchets. The first was from a June 1992 Car and Driver with the title "Siege the Day! Bringing new meaning to the idea of a car launch". The two English fellows involved were also the guys who created the trebuchet for the "Northern Exposure" episode. They launched an Austin Mini to an acceleration of 90 mph in 2.5 seconds and a distance of 87 yards.The second article is a tad more scholarly as it was in Scientific American, dated July 1995. The six page article has photos and drawings showing live action, construction and physics of the trebuchet. There is a list of 5 books on trebuchets and siege warfare, which would probably take years to read all of them. If you have access to these in a local library, they are worth digging out and reading.

PS- The spell check on the Forum does not recognize TREBUCHET

[Al-Nimer]

Very nice, Al-Nimer.   What kind of distance are you getting?

That's about the size of my original Scrap-wood Treb.

I estimate the tennis balls were first bouncing at about the 50 foot mark.  Next time out I'll try bending the release pin forward for more distance.  I'm hoping to try water balloons next weekend, but I may have to use some lead weights

[Dustin]

Another great trebuchet game... http://officegamespot.com/flashgames/crush-the-castle.htm

[Woodland Artisan]

I estimate the tennis balls were first bouncing at about the 50 foot mark.  Next time out I'll try bending the release pin forward for more distance.  I'm hoping to try water balloons next weekend, but I may have to use some lead weights

Ahhh, excellent.   What are you using for weight right now?  Yep, flattening out that trajectory will get you quite a bit more distance.  But, it's not quite as satisfying to watch as it is with that nice, high arc.   

For my Scrap-wood Treb, I used around 55 lbs of lead shot.  That's easy to add and subtract weight to dial-in on the targets.  I was getting around 62 ft at first and then trimmed some weight on the beam to get in the 75 ft range.  It sat there for quite a few months until a few more modifications and the last time I used it, at the St Louis Faire in '08, I hit a little over 100' consistently.  Using a tennis ball to fling.

Keep us updated on your progress.

[Al-Nimer]

I estimate the tennis balls were first bouncing at about the 50 foot mark.  Next time out I'll try bending the release pin forward for more distance.  I'm hoping to try water balloons next weekend, but I may have to use some lead weights

Ahhh, excellent.   What are you using for weight right now?  Yep, flattening out that trajectory will get you quite a bit more distance.  But, it's not quite as satisfying to watch as it is with that nice, high arc.   

For my Scrap-wood Treb, I used around 55 lbs of lead shot.  That's easy to add and subtract weight to dial-in on the targets.  I was getting around 62 ft at first and then trimmed some weight on the beam to get in the 75 ft range.  It sat there for quite a few months until a few more modifications and the last time I used it, at the St Louis Faire in '08, I hit a little over 100' consistently.  Using a tennis ball to fling.

Keep us updated on your progress.

Wow, that's impressive for a tennis ball!  The coffee can is currently filled with rocks & sand.  I think it might weigh about 10 lbs.  When we go to my parents next weekend, I hope to get enough old lead tire weights to fill the can...should double the weight!

[Craigmeister]

Another great trebuchet game... http://officegamespot.com/flashgames/crush-the-castle.htm

HUZZAH!  This is the best trebuchet game I've played!  It kept me up wayyyy too late last night.  Grammercy.

[Al-Nimer]

We had fun last weekend firing small water balloons with my trebuchet a week ago.  I switched out the rock/sand weight for 15 pounds of old lead tire weights.  I think the distance was about 40-60 feet, depending on the size of the balloon.  The kids caught a few of them, and had a lot of fun!  Here's the link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/al-nimer/3648831832/in/set-72157618988754297/

[Dustin]

Here's another trebuchet game, a little harder than Crush the Castle: http://www.officegamespot.com/flashgames/siege-master.htm

[mross7]

I've built one that throws softballs about 200'.