How to Build a Trebuchet

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Colin Kilbane and I'm going to show you how to make a trebuchet, a little tabletop trebuchet. Now here's one that's already assembled here. A trebuchet basically is a throwing arm. We have a weight at one end and we have our projectile in a sling at the other. Now this is very easy to make once you know what you're doing. So the parts for this are you have your throwing arm, notice I've already drilled the hole in it, you have your base, a block of wood. You have your sides and I've drilled a hole through those. You're going to need some masking tape, a short piece of string and your weight. Washers, a glue gun, stapler and a thumb, a push pin. Now what I did to make this side, I just traced my piece of wood on another and then cut it in half. I then took the two halves together and drilled the hole through. Now note this hole is a little larger than the axle so the axle turns freely in it. You need that. And our throwing arm, our throwing arm has got a little bit of tape wrapped around this end to hold your weights on. And a push pin at this end that will act as the catch for our sling. Our sling is just a loop of string with a little bit of tape taped across to hold the marshmallow. To assemble, you take your axle. Now this hole that I'm putting it through is rather snug, I want it snug. There we go. On one end we slide our weights on. I'm going to put a little bit more tape on to make that last weight nice and snug. Now take the end of this, get your stapler, just staple it on. For your base, hot glue works just fine. And the other side. Insert your arm. Now this axle will wander back and forth and fall out relatively easily. That can be solved with a little bit of masking tape. Take two pieces of masking tape, put it right here, make a tab, another small piece, make a tab, and now it will move but it will not fall out. Now to fire your trebuchet, get your ammunition, mini marshmallows, put it in the sling and let it fly. There you go. And that is how to make a trebuchet."