Wood Based Trebuchet

A trebuchet is a medieval siege engine designed to hurl projectiles over great distances using a counterweight. In this step by step guide you will learn how to make a small trebuchet from wood.

Materials needed: 

two 9cm 2x4 Rectangular Shaped stick

two 21cm 2x4 Rectangular Shaped stick

two 22cm 2x4 Rectangular Shaped stick

five 25cm 2x4 Rectangular Shaped stick

one 3.5cm 2x4 Rectangular Shaped stick

Sling material 

small, thin cylinder stick

Take two of the 9 cm sticks and two of the 25cm sticks and make a layout of the base. Then use glue to stick the base together and let it dry for about a day. If the glue does not try the base will fall apart.

Get two 21cm sticks and find the middle of the 25cm base and mark it out. After doing so add glue to both the base and the stick and add it onto the base. Let it dry and repeat on the other side.

Use a protractor and mark out a 45 degree angle on the stick from the edge in order to maximise accuracy. Then glue the cut out side onto the support beam and the other side of the stick to the inside of the base. Repeat until 4 support beams are created to support the stick.

Cut the small, thin cylinder stick that will serve as the pivot to 12cm, then measure 3.5cm under the middle support beam and mark it out to drill. drill the hole using a 4.5 mm drill to drill it out. Repeat on other side.

With the same size drill, drill a hole into the 22cm stick 4.5cm from the edge of the frame stick and take out the pivot add in the stick which will be the arm then put it in with the pivot.

measure out two 9cm wood sticks and mark out 1cm within the edge of the stick. we will then drill both sides of the marked place and this will be our hook.

cut out the second stick that will hold the weight to around 5cm and add the stick into the other drilled hole to finish the whole arm.

Overall your product could look like something like this if you followed all of the steps.