A mans home is his castle

[Rahmota]

So every castle needs its own siege engine. :) My boys and I built a real working Trebuchet as an after school project this week.

It is made out of scrap 2*4 lumber, some old cast iron weights and some 1" dowel rods and held together with 4" lag bolts. It'll launch a walnut about 100 yards. A softball about 30-40 yards. I have it out in the back yard. Maybe someday we'll build a full scale workign one and then the neighbors will really love me.:lol:

The kids are wondering what sort of project we'll do next. I'm thinking moat and drawbridge. :D

[sportsmom]

Too funny! That sounds like something my hubby would pull with our daughters. Especially since we have crazy neighbors on one side.:lol:

[It's me]

I can't wait to see the picture!

BTW: For those who like to help their kids blow things to bits, shock the cat, and otherwise participate in creative mayhem:

http://scitoys.com/

[Rahmota]

Well as you can see now that the picture is up. It was a rather quick knock otgether job with scrap lumber. So not surprisingly it kinda broke this morning. We tried to see if we could increase the weightbox a bit and put another 3 pounds for a total of 80 pounds on it. Which unfortunately was a bit too much for the vertical supports to handle and boom down she went. Oh well. Fun while it lasted and no body got hurt.

I'm thinking that next time replace the wood axle with a piece of rebar, some steel hinges for axle pivots and scaling it up a bit so we can pull it behind the truck or a quad.

IM: Thats a cool website. Them and edmunds scientific are fun places.

[It's me]

Very cool! Even if it didn't last long, I bet your kids had a great time building it with you, and will have a great story to take back to school with them.

BTW: When you do the next one, put in some diagonal bracing (the sides should look like triangles). Much stronger....

[Gawdzillers]

I wish I had the motivation to build seige devices.
But no, pursuing a music career is easier.

[sms001]

So every castle needs its own siege engine. :) My boys and I built a real working Trebuchet as an after school project this week.


VERY cool! I've wanted to do this since I read "Harry and I Build a Siege Weapon" about fifteen years ago. Now that I live out in the sticks my interest is picking up again.

[Kiwi]

dont ask me why but when I read the title to this thread I thought it said

A mans home is his cattle.....

I thought it was some american rural thing....

I should go to sleep now! Cool project buy the way

[Rahmota]

Its me: Yeah it was fun adn they had a blast. Their teachers are not quite sure what to say about things here.

We are very motivated at teaching the kids and getting them invovled with the world so this sort of thing is not an uncommon occurance. I brought back rocks and plants and all sorts of trinkets from my trip out west. If the kids have a project about a river or creek or some other nature thing its off we go.

Gawdzillers: Im just the opposite. Building stuff is a lot easier than making music. Good luck with that.

Sms001: Oh yeah it can be such fun. Good luck.

Kiwi: okay. Thanks.