Science Toy Number VIIII Collapsible Trebuchet

[Reebs]

This little trebuchet launched golf balls well over 100 feet and I’m sure with a little tuning we can get much more out of it. The math teacher wants to combine our classes in the Spring for a few days. She found a project involving trebuchets. I have made hundreds of wooden ones over the years in workshops for teachers. They are too small to be much fun so I designed this one to fold up and take less space. One down, 11 to go!!!

[pigpen60]

thats cooler than owl crap! nice cleen well done! pigpen

[mello*vip]

That's really cool! Those students are lucky to have such a creative teacher!!

[Naudi2U]

You have to stop posting these things. Every time I see one of your post I hate my education more and more. My taxes went up 29% for schools this year! There should be more teachers like you out there. If I ever have Kids I might have to move to your school district. I think that everyone on this forum should take all of your posts and plaster their schools with them. Education for the education system! Keep up the fantastic work!!!

[Grimm1]

Oh boy! I can't wait to see what kind of trouble I can get myself in with one of those! It's a good thing you weren't my instructor. But seriously, good job making learning fun for your students.

[Reebs]

Thanks guys. It is a fun build. I got some kids wanting to fling flaming tennis balls. The board may not like that idea.

[DSW]

Originally Posted by Reebs

Thanks guys. It is a fun build. I got some kids wanting to fling flaming tennis balls. The board may not like that idea.

Well, don't have them throw them at the board members then! Just stick to the golf balls or go to billard balls instead when targeting the board.


Another good project! It's good to see teachers that still teach things that interest students and don't worry about the PC BS about "dangerous items". Of all my teachers in Jr. high and High school the ones I remember are my shop teachers, my drafting teacher, and the science teacher who liked to do hands on demo's of things like this.

[transit]

This will sound counter intuitive, put the frame on wheels. Wheels will change the way the weight falls. Without wheels the weight falls in a circular path. Will wheels the weight falls straight down and increases the kill range.

[Reebs]

That is correct.
That is something the kids will "discover" I have some old roller skates with wood platforms on them to sit the treb.

[SpyGuy]

Great work, looks like lots of fun. Sooooo .......... where's the blueprints?

[transit]

Many sites with links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebuchet

http://www.globalspec.com/trebuchet/

http://www.redstoneprojects.com/treb...t_history.html

http://www.tbullock.com/trebuchet.html

http://www.algobeautytreb.com/

http://www.io.com/~beckerdo/other/trebuchet.html

[Reebs]

I do not have blue prints but I do some more info. The following is my school web page http://www.blackriver.k12.oh.us/~dreber/
Once there click on the Reebz welding link on the left of the page. The throwing arm should be at a 4:1 ratio Meaning the section withe projectile should be 4 times longer than the section holding the counter weight.

[Easygo]

Reebs,

Very neat project the kids must have loved the testing.
I thought I'd point it out that VIIII is not a Roman numeral.

VIII is 8
IX is 9

Just in case you were to paint it on there.

[fredf]

neat! but just how do you attach the golf ball???

[Reebs]

Easygo I'm not sure how I did it but I messed up a bunch of my title/roman numerals. I looked at my past post over x-mass and discovered my errors.
Brain fart

[Reebs]

fredf I will take a picture to night.

[timrb]

Totally cool project. I mean to build a trebuchet myself sometime, maybe welded, maybe not.

I suppose if you built such a thing and took it to a school here in California, you would have to be careful not to tell any teachers that it's a modern replica of an ancient war machine. Otherwise, they'd all wet their pants, call in the SWAT team, and order mental trauma counseling for the students.

Tim

[Reebs]

Teaching in the country has some advantages. Pay is not one of them, but i would not trade my spot

[Bruce]

What a cool project, Wadworth, Ohio must be a great place to work/live!

[Reebs]

Thanks it fits me well.

[Reebs]

Fred here is a poor picture (The last golf ball is stuck in a tree)
The idea is real simple I drilled a hole in the golf ball and put an eye screw in it. Then tie a string or wire to the eye screw, The other end of the string has a loop on it. The loop slips over the hook on the throwing arm (see picture 3 of post one). The angle of the hook is important if it is too straight the G. Ball flies straight up. If the hook is bent forward too much it slams in the ground.

[DSW]

Hmm... I was expecting a fabric sling similar to those I see Pumpkin chunkin.

[Reebs]

The sling is better for distance but adds difficulty for students to "get right".
The wire adds drag which reduces distance. The sting should be be long enough to have the golf ball rest under the axel.

[Reebs]

UPDate
Crappy Picture all 12 trebs. I got some barbell weights and welded handles to them for counter weights.
Man this took time. 250 plus holes to drill.

[zapster]

Originally Posted by DSW

Hmm... I was expecting a fabric sling similar to those I see Pumpkin chunkin.

Cool Show!!!

...zap!