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Thread: A friend and I just launched a project to build a bunch of trebuchets

  1. 03-22-2011, 01:02 PM #1
    carpdiem
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    A friend and I just launched a project to build a bunch of trebuchets

    Hey guys, since spydie owners tend to be more of a hands-on sort, I figured that you guys would appreciate seeing this kickstarter project that a friend and I just launched.

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ktop-trebuchet

    We've been working at a machine shop for the past month in order to get the tolerances good enough that the whole thing just snaps together, and any of you have access to laser cutters, you'll be interested to know that we'll be posting the full design files on our site, free for anyone to use, once the project succeeds.

    Just thought I'd share my latest adventure!

    Edit - Here's a pic of the finished design:

    Last edited by carpdiem; 03-22-2011 at 03:12 PM.
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  2. 03-22-2011, 05:20 PM #2
    jzmtl
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    Ha, I built one in high school, a meter and half tall. It was for physics class project and teacher said we were going to have a water balloon fight after. After seeing how the other catapults mostly consist of rubber bands, he said we aren't going to do it, since my trebuchet would slaughter everyone.
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  3. 03-22-2011, 05:52 PM #3
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    wsdavies
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    Sweet
    Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
    Theodore Roosevelt
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  4. 03-22-2011, 07:07 PM #4
    Monkeywrangler
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    If one builds trebuchets, one should read Lawdog's extended story of the Ratel Pit...which does in fact detail his erstwhile construction of a trebuchet...

    www.thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com

    You must search the archives for the posts on the following dates, in order.
    Tuesday, June 27, 2006
    Thursday, June 29, 2006
    Saturday, July 01, 2006
    Saturday, July 08, 2006
    Monday, July 10, 2006
    Friday, July 14, 2006

    It is one of the funniest stories you will read online...Lawdog is quite the writer and well worth following his blog!

    --MW
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    MSgt. Timothy Roy Bodden

    Don't the sun look angry through the trees?
    Don't the trees look like crucified thieves?
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  5. 03-22-2011, 10:14 PM #5
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    Nick D. Fingerz
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    My nephew and I built one a couple years ago for his school project. His design, after we got it dialed in, it would fire a small Kong dog toy 100-120 feet. Of course, he later destroyed it launching objects that were too large and heavy.
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  6. 03-22-2011, 10:42 PM #6
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    Th232
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    Seems they're rather popular to build, when I was 15 I made one that was a bit over 2 metres tall. Think the counterweight was over 40 kg, flung everything from tennis balls to apple sized rocks.
    Will

    "No one wants to look the fool. Everyone does the best they can. If they knew better, they'd do better" - old woman on the railway tracks to Sal.

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  7. 03-22-2011, 10:43 PM #7
    carpdiem
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    Quote Originally Posted by Monkeywrangler View Post
    If one builds trebuchets, one should read Lawdog's extended story of the Ratel Pit...which does in fact detail his erstwhile construction of a trebuchet...

    www.thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com

    You must search the archives for the posts on the following dates, in order.
    Tuesday, June 27, 2006
    Thursday, June 29, 2006
    Saturday, July 01, 2006
    Saturday, July 08, 2006
    Monday, July 10, 2006
    Friday, July 14, 2006

    It is one of the funniest stories you will read online...Lawdog is quite the writer and well worth following his blog!

    --MW
    GENIUS! MW, this made my day.
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  8. 03-22-2011, 10:45 PM #8
    carpdiem
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    Yep. Biggest one I've ever made sported 300-350 lbs of counterweight, and would throw small water jugs almost a hundred meters.

    The ones we're making, though, are only about a foot tall, and throw superballs about 20 feet.
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  9. 03-22-2011, 11:51 PM #9
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVADKznOhY
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  10. 03-23-2011, 02:32 AM #10
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    Dr. Snubnose
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    I just spit...Doc
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  11. 03-23-2011, 12:54 PM #11
    carpdiem
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    Quote Originally Posted by clovisc View Post
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVADKznOhY
    Awesome!
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  12. 03-23-2011, 01:53 PM #12
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    JNewell
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    That is truly cool. I'm going to twist my wife's arm...my two college-age boys would have a blast with this...probably as much fun looking at what you've made and how you've designed the kits as assembling and "testing" them.

    Quote Originally Posted by carpdiem View Post
    Hey guys, since spydie owners tend to be more of a hands-on sort, I figured that you guys would appreciate seeing this kickstarter project that a friend and I just launched.

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ktop-trebuchet

    We've been working at a machine shop for the past month in order to get the tolerances good enough that the whole thing just snaps together, and any of you have access to laser cutters, you'll be interested to know that we'll be posting the full design files on our site, free for anyone to use, once the project succeeds.

    Just thought I'd share my latest adventure!

    Edit - Here's a pic of the finished design:

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  13. 03-23-2011, 04:24 PM #13
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    defenestrate
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    I should build one of these down at my old farm - there's about 1/3 of a mile between the house and the reservoir, and noone to see me launching ridiculous crap, and even if they did they wouldn't complain out there.
    Love and Fury,
    D-FENS/Kris
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  14. 03-25-2011, 09:20 AM #14
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    jimbo@stn24
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    There's more to building them than meets the eye. My oldest girl and I built one and needed to keep reinforcing the pivot, the counterwieght attachment, and then we were only so-so in our release mechanism. The throwing arm was about 4' and we had about 40# for weights.

    Going to need to study up some more as it was good fun at backyard get togethers.
    WTC #1455
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  15. 03-25-2011, 09:21 AM #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo@stn24 View Post
    There's more to building them than meets the eye. My oldest girl and I built one and needed to keep reinforcing the pivot, the counterwieght attachment, and then we were only so-so in our release mechanism. The throwing arm was about 4' and we had about 40# for weights.

    Going to need to study up some more as it was good fun at backyard get togethers.
    H*ly smoke.
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  16. 03-25-2011, 09:56 AM #16
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    Lungbarrow
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    Two words, two punctuation marks.

    Trebuchet: Awesome!
    Michael
    Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith."
    -Alexis de Tocqueville
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  17. 03-25-2011, 10:06 AM #17
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    jimbo@stn24
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    Quote Originally Posted by JNewell View Post
    H*ly smoke.
    There's ALOT of physics going on there that I admit I'm not fully understanding. And alot of scrap lumber.

    I like Carp's version more.
    WTC #1455
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