Paperclip Viking Catapult
by kittykatkisses in Living > Office Supply Hacks
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Paperclip Viking Catapult
You are going to need:
7 Large Paperclips
3 Small Paperclips
10 Small Rubber Bands
Post-It Pad
Tape (not shown)
Pliers help but the first one I made I used the tab popper on a bottle opener and a padlock key
7 Large Paperclips
3 Small Paperclips
10 Small Rubber Bands
Post-It Pad
Tape (not shown)
Pliers help but the first one I made I used the tab popper on a bottle opener and a padlock key
Basket
This is the hard part for me.
After unbending all of the paperclips, take the three small ones and wrap the rubber band around one end.
Grasp them right above the rubber band and bend it 90degrees.
Move the pliers out about a cm and bend again. You want the angle obtuse but not too wide.
Move your pliers up about 2cm and bend them again towards the center.
Now form a triangle with the paperclips. The ends should be touching the corners.
Wrap the ends around the corners to make the sides of the triangle.
At this point I prefer to clip my paperclips short but you can twist it around itself. It won't make a difference either way except to maybe save your thumbs so grief.
Take one of your post-its and rip or cut it in half. Take that half and rip or cut it in half. Take the first half and trim a corner off. Before you trim the corner, find how it will best fit into the bottom of the basket. Unless you made a perfect triangle, one way will fit better than the others. I also found it helpful to use one of the corners with the sticky side to make my triangle for the bottom.
Put the triangle in the bottom and secure it with tape.
Take one of your strips and place it on top of one of the corners (this is not the top for simplicity sake) weave it inside the bottom two corners then fold it back up onto itself and tape it.
Place the other strip on the bottom of the triangle and fold it up along the sides and tape it. make sure to leave your sides open as you will be putting rubber bands there in a second.
Use tape to secure everything in place. Don't worry about small holes unless you are planning on using some sort of buckshot.
Attach rubber bands to the three sides using a larks head knot.
After unbending all of the paperclips, take the three small ones and wrap the rubber band around one end.
Grasp them right above the rubber band and bend it 90degrees.
Move the pliers out about a cm and bend again. You want the angle obtuse but not too wide.
Move your pliers up about 2cm and bend them again towards the center.
Now form a triangle with the paperclips. The ends should be touching the corners.
Wrap the ends around the corners to make the sides of the triangle.
At this point I prefer to clip my paperclips short but you can twist it around itself. It won't make a difference either way except to maybe save your thumbs so grief.
Take one of your post-its and rip or cut it in half. Take that half and rip or cut it in half. Take the first half and trim a corner off. Before you trim the corner, find how it will best fit into the bottom of the basket. Unless you made a perfect triangle, one way will fit better than the others. I also found it helpful to use one of the corners with the sticky side to make my triangle for the bottom.
Put the triangle in the bottom and secure it with tape.
Take one of your strips and place it on top of one of the corners (this is not the top for simplicity sake) weave it inside the bottom two corners then fold it back up onto itself and tape it.
Place the other strip on the bottom of the triangle and fold it up along the sides and tape it. make sure to leave your sides open as you will be putting rubber bands there in a second.
Use tape to secure everything in place. Don't worry about small holes unless you are planning on using some sort of buckshot.
Attach rubber bands to the three sides using a larks head knot.
Assemble
Use your rubber bands to make the base. Just wrap the rubber band tightly around the ends to make a triangle.
Put your basket on the paperclips before attaching them together on the upper triangle. The easiest way to do the is to fold the rubber band over so you have two loops then slide the paperclip through the loops in a weaving manner and then tighten the rubber band. This makes another larks head.
After your two triangles are made, take your last paperclip an slide it between the ends through the rubber band at one corner on each triangle. (this is now the top)
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO STAB YOURSELF!!!
This doesn't have to be perfectly centered.
On one triangle, make a hook in the end of the paperclip and slide it down so it is against the rubber band then press it so it is wrapped around the rubber band, this will keep it from sliding down and provides the spine of your catapult. Only do this to one end for now.
Attach your two triangles together at the bottom corners. If you are like me and have a shortage on rubber bands, make some slack in the existing rubber bands and use them to connect the corners. Or you could just find two more rubber bands.
Now adjust to the desired shooting angle by sliding the spine up or down. Once you have it where you want it, make a hook and press it into place as with the other one and remove the excess paperclip.
Alliteratively, you could put a stopper on the end and leave it long so you can adjust the angle depending on what you are shooting at.
Put your basket on the paperclips before attaching them together on the upper triangle. The easiest way to do the is to fold the rubber band over so you have two loops then slide the paperclip through the loops in a weaving manner and then tighten the rubber band. This makes another larks head.
After your two triangles are made, take your last paperclip an slide it between the ends through the rubber band at one corner on each triangle. (this is now the top)
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO STAB YOURSELF!!!
This doesn't have to be perfectly centered.
On one triangle, make a hook in the end of the paperclip and slide it down so it is against the rubber band then press it so it is wrapped around the rubber band, this will keep it from sliding down and provides the spine of your catapult. Only do this to one end for now.
Attach your two triangles together at the bottom corners. If you are like me and have a shortage on rubber bands, make some slack in the existing rubber bands and use them to connect the corners. Or you could just find two more rubber bands.
Now adjust to the desired shooting angle by sliding the spine up or down. Once you have it where you want it, make a hook and press it into place as with the other one and remove the excess paperclip.
Alliteratively, you could put a stopper on the end and leave it long so you can adjust the angle depending on what you are shooting at.
Ammo
Ammo is really easy.
Take a post it and fold it in half until you can't anymore and tape it.
And that is all there is to it. You are now ready to ambush your office mates.
Take a post it and fold it in half until you can't anymore and tape it.
And that is all there is to it. You are now ready to ambush your office mates.