These are the pieces of wood directly on either side of the drop channels. Really cheap, really fun. [2] The eye bolts are usually placed at the bottom of the frame, locking above the arm to prevent accidental release. I don't remember the exact dimensions, but I think it was a little bit taller than 8 feet, and about 6 feet long. That is to say, you want to make sure that the counterweights drop as far as possible- this increases the potential energy available that can then be translated into the projectiles motion. Essentially, beef up the arm assembly. I'd guess that for throwing oranges, you'd want to be around 5-6 ft high and an 8ft arm, and maybe 50-100 lbs of weight? A wide chisel would also work. You should have 21 feet left. If you really want to include them, they should also be cut about 3 inches longer, until you know what to cut. In larger designs, the trigger system is applied at the top of the drop channel. we didn't use a simulator for the motion. (1.5875 cm.) I would like to work on the floating arm trebuchet because the design of it is more interesting and D lateral supports 6. I just so happen to be in the construction phase of an improved floating arm trebuchet. Change the lengths as you need to to keep the drop channels and tracks aligned. To reset the device, the counterweight must be raised back to the original height and locked in with the trigger mechanism. The Floating Arm Trebuchet The trebuchet is a medieval gravity powered engine of siege warfare designed to hurl a projectile, such as a heavy stone or a diseased animal, at a distant target such as castles. If you want a better pin system, look at the turnbuckle pin system here. 7 years ago. I don't know what gauge mine was, I found it in the trash Buy one that is at least 4 inches. Make sure everyone knows you are firing. I simply layed a fairly long board over the diagonal supports in the back, extending out a bit to give support to the sling until it was lifted up into the air. Approx 25 ft. (7.62 m)1/2 braided nylon rope I'm still not sure. A four foot piece and 21 foot piece. Then just screw them in. And lastly, for the extra supports, we have the lateral diagonal supports. 9 years ago 6. Oh man that is awesome. Try to determine the problem. Masses are lead (6x125g) cast from lead roof flashing. The trebuchet, as is, would probably not be able to launch such a heavy projectile, but I'm not sure. 9 years ago That's its fault. If this happens, use it on a hill or place two very thin pieces of scrap wood under the base, directly under the drop channels. For a traditional trebuchet, the optimum weight ratio is 133:1. The more you pull the edge over the other one, the deeper the pouch will be. So, again, cut off the ends of all the 1 ft, 5 in. On average these machines could fling material of 350 pounds onto an enemy territory. (0.635 cm) washers, matching carriage bolts Otherwise, I'd probably have a concussion because the folding trigger design released before we wanted it to. The key ratio of an arm is anywere between 3:1 and 5:1. WebStep 2: Prepare the Arm. [5], A floating arm trebuchet has three points of contact where friction can interfere with efficiency. Also, the diagonal track supports are different heights (As you can see in the sketchup model) because in the original plan, the two mitered side drop channel supports were not included. Image by Ron L. Toms. 4 rectangles of 3/4 inch (1.905 cm) thick wood 9 X 4 in. Make sure the axle bolt is short enough to clear the frame easily. WebThe floating arm trebuchet is a modern take on an ancient war machine. Tie the longer end of the rope through the hole in the end of the arm. Use the top bolt for screwing in, and the bottom one for unscrewing. Drive 2 screws through the drop channels and into the supports. As I said before, the longer diagonal support will be on the side of the drop channel that is farther away from the end of the tracks. Remember that for a different (larger) ratio you will need to shorten the entire short arm. ), Reply Mark this height. 2 segments of 6 ft. (1.8288 m) long 2 X 4 The frame is made from 12mm diameter square cross section pine (I used a about 2.4m). 20 yell heads up, countdown , just make sure everyone know you are firing. i am building a trebuchet for my physics class. 1). Do you still have the Matlab file? The bottom is the side where the 2 ft 1 X 6 overlaps the long 1 X 6. Tie a figure 8 knot. The eyes face inward. Just in case you didn't know on Step 15. Did you need to do anything special with the scaling? Keep the hole in between the main track supports and the diagonal track supports. Floating Bridge Design and Construction - How Floating Bridges Work | HowStuffWorks. Smash many pumpkins.Note:Time was of the essence on this project. on Introduction. First, I'm going to talk about some other improvements that are more important than the arm. If the weight is very heavy, the long part of the arm can This way, it's easy to angle the board to get angled shots. 8 .5 in. long carriage bolts *look at the last step, improvements. the base Im going to try to attach an image of this fine litle machine if i canim not an expert at this. on Introduction, do you have the exact dimensions of the final product. The straight track drop is an idea used in a FAT (Floating Arm Trebuchet), or in our Baby ASOK (Arm Slides Over Cam). WebThe Floating Arm Trebuchet: The floating arm trebuchet is a modern take on an ancient war machine. If they protrude into the channel, cut it small enough to fit only on the wood on the side. Wheels are from the rotating platform from a microwave but any small stong wheel will do. WebA trebuchet is a device used in the Middle Ages to launch very heavy objects at opponents during battle. (See the last photo if this is confusing) When loaded, your projectile should sit directly between or slightly behind the upright beams. If you need any more help feel free to let me know, and it would be great to see a picture of the final thing. Tools I really appreciate your work in building this instructable. (0.7112 m) long 2 X 4 The angles shown in the pictures are based off of the sketchup model, but they seem to be correct. Make sure the gap is aligned with the supports and the gap in the drop channels. So, use the turnbuckle system I mentioned in the introduction. They are fairly simple to make. nails will slide out of the wood, and will not keep the box together. WebSmall floating arm trebuchet plans. The ball did slip out a few times. Ask me if you have a question. 3. 10 1/4 in. I did not have a drill bit long enough to go through all of the 2 x 4s of the short arm, so I had to drill individual holes in each individual 2 X 4 and hoped that they lined up. I haven't noticed any cracking with a 1 pound weight being fired at full speed, but a 6 lb weight will exert much more force on the arm because of its higher inertia.. Did you make this project? Hopefully everything has been built straight and solid. If not, just measure the distances on each piece as accurately as you can. The Cardan gear was invented to accept linear motion from a steam piston to create circular motion. Or you could buy a longer beam to begin with. Now comes the moment of truth. [9] These machines and their designers are frequently to be found competing in various recreational events, for example, pumpkin chucking contests.[10][11][12]. 3/8 X 4 eye bolt (Including bolts) (Look at the picture) These keep the arm straight as it is being loaded and dropped. These Are not included in the instructable because I did not think they were necessary. Now you simply lay the 6 ft pieces across the supports, lining up the edges, and drive three of the 2.5 inch screws into through the track and into the supports. WebA floating arm trebuchet's arm is mounted on wheels that roll on a track parallel to the ground, with a counterweight that falls vertically, allowing for greater efficiency by increasing the proportion of energy transferred to the projectile. 7. Try to have all the sizes of your shafts and designs for your trigger and sling release figured out at this stage, as well as how you plan to attach the shafts (welds or flanges, etc). 0. jigsaw the one I used here The seam will help prevent the string from pulling through and takes all the force of the swinging pouch. It takes awhile to calibrate the different lengths and ratios to reach optimal firing capabilities. The base is finished. Do the same with the bottom of the board, the part that you held against the bending brace. To include the 7 years ago 10 ft. (3.048 m ) of gorilla tape for the carriage bolts We drilled holes in the upright beams perpendicular to the weight bar, directly below where it would hover when the trebuchet is ready to fire, and stuck a piece of 1" steel bar though on each side. We are to have a constructed trebuchet and have it prepared to launch on Tuesday, April 23. Now, I believe that the width between the bottom of the main track supports is somewhere around 1 ft, 1 inch. GoochesVFD said that there was some cracking around the base of the long 2 X 4 used as the drop channel. .and several of the bolts for the 5/8" threaded rod. This metal loop goes around the pin, and as the centrifugal force increases as the arm swings, the ring slides off the pin to allow the pouch to open. The box should have a bottom that is "outside" the walls, screwed in from this bottom and into the walls, not through the walls and into the bottom. Allow about 1 week before firing your trebuchet. On the fraying edges, use only one strip and fold it over. Your arm should look nice and smooth like the pics. The pouch also isn't the best. 4 segments of 1 ft., 5 in. A good way to estimate the range is to use conservation of energy. (The counterweight bolt has to be strong enough, too. ) (1.3462 m) long 2 X 4 Basically, THE CW BOLT MUST BE MADE STRONGER!! Also, get the most straight lumber available for the longer pieces on the frame. Their defining feature is free movement of an axle on the throwing arm, and a linear drop channel for the counterweight. although I'm still not quite sure how that happened. A few things to keep in mind are the optimum ratio for the arm length (2:1) , or L=3P in the schematic diagram. The knot should be on the inside of the pouch. Parallel to the seams, cut all the way through so that you can open it into one sheet. *A few notes: the angles were based off of the sketchup model which had a few errors. Approx. Simply miter off each edge at a 45 degree angle, so that the piece is the shape of a trapezoid. If you make the channel a lot wider, I would suggest using a wider piece of wood or strength. 3. It will prevent frame strikes, jams and other problems later on. The Floating Arm Trebuchet. It will be harder to split or break the wood. I attached the arm extension to the rest of the arm with some wood pices, dowels and some leftover aluminum channeling. 5. The pinis crap. At least i think. Whatever you decide you want to launch with your trebuchet, your counterweight should be from 100 to 133 times the weight of your projectile. hacksaw if you don't have a METAL CUTTING BLADE FOR YOUR JIGSAW, (0.7112 X 0.0889 m) Did you make this project? if you buy pt lumber make sure they are approved for use in it.. I see you mentioned you built 2. diagrams showing the medieval trebuchet design vs. the modern floating arm trebuchet, and brings in the relevant math as well. Remember, even if you drop the CW, the safety blocks will prevent the arm from swinging up. 1 keychain ring 91.4 meters. We built a trebuchet that we call the medieval stuff chucker (MSC). The first recorded use of traction trebuchets appeared in ancient China and were probably used by the Mohists ps-mohist are a scientific lead version of the chinese What is the floating arm Trebuchet, and how does it work? Again, not critical. there are small cracks throughout the trebuchet now because I was lazy. 2 segments of 6 ft., 2 in. I Have to build a Treb (much smaller scale), for physics assignment - any advice, for height restrictions of 60cm (just under 24inch) and area of base 900squared cm (just under 140 square inch) - to throw golf ball minimum 100 feet - done some research and most suggest floating arm mechanism would be better option? First, pick one end of the trebuchet to be the back. LEAVE A COMMENT AND RATE! (0.3175 m) long 2 X 4 Does anyone have a solid works file for this trebuchet? Then, measure 3/8" from either side of this mark. 11 years ago So, cut the first twisting brace, on the very front, as wide or narrow as you need it to keep the drop channels straight. Without one of them , the arm would simply fall into the ground. Again, this is not a critical dimension, something near that would work. about 250 2.5 in. thick plywood, 2 ft., 5 in. Ok lets get started. yes, it works I will be launching this in a range 200yds and I'm looking to toss under that because I will be demonstrating my trebuchet about 50yds or so from a football field and I will be tossing the weight towards the field and at the other end is a parking lot. Shims may be needed to level out the device. circular saw (The one I used here) OR miter saw AND table saw Again, make sure a 5/8" bolt can easily fall through. 7 years ago 1. cut off about 8 inches from the leg of the jeans. If anyone takes the time to do a thorough dynamic analysis on an F2K trebuchet, and would like to share their results, please post them below. Yeah, this happened to me. A traditional trebuchet, which is simple to engineer, consists of an arm resting off-centre on an axle with a hinged counterweight at the short end of the arm. 8 segments of 3 ft., 6 in (1.0668 m) long 2 X 4 You can use a clamp and a tape measure in combination to figure out the right lengths before you cut them. The arm is split into two parts by the fulcrum. Now, cut very carefully and very straightly down the lines you made. You want this to happen when your sling is at 45, and it will vary somewhat with projectile weight and counterweight.The sling itself and release pin are a bit of trial and error. There should be two layers at the outside and 1 layer inside, in the middle. Clamp the beam and let it dry, allowing the appropriate time for curing (follow resin instructions). Luckily, It's also pretty simple to make. (while you're there, pull some harmonic balancers from a Chevy 350 engine for your wheels) Toyota or Nissan models work well for the trigger, and ours held with around 1000 lbs of tension on it.IMPORTANT: You should have a separate safety mechanism on your design. Strap-On Cleats for Ice and Snow Traction, Hollow Wood Surfboard - Plywood and Cedar. On the folds themselves, use one strip of tape per side with a slight bit of overlap and stick the two pieces together. This may change depending on the width of your wheels. However, a floating arm trebuchet is more efficient when built to a size of between one meter and five meters,[5] making it suitable for hobbyists and model builders. I have no clue what it is for f2k, but it is a more efficient trebuchet. Luckily, I eventually lined up the holes. Do you have any instructions or tips perhaps? Hi, read your comment, Need some advice please, if you don't mind. 2 segments of 8 ft (2.4384 m) long 2 X 4 2 segments of 5 ft., 10 in (1.7272 m) long 2 X 4 May need to be made thicker For each track support, you should use 3 of the 2.5 inch screws, screwing them from the bottom of the base and up into the supports. Now I'll tell you how to lock load and FIRE! Take off the drop channels completely so you can cut through here. if theres is any other advice that you can give me (especially for it being smaller) it would be a lot of help. Additionally, I would make the arm as long as possible as well. 21. 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