Trebuchet / Planning page

After rejecting the giant fireball machine and the enourmous gas-powered centrifugal pumpkin thrower, we settled on building a trebuchet. Our original design goals were the following:

1. Hurl a 10 pound pumpkin 1,000 feet.
2. Assembly/disassembly time of two hours by two people.
3. Disassembled parts fit into a pickup truck.
4. All materials workable with our skills.
5. No tools required which we didn't have access to.

(We did not meet number 2, and number 3 is questionable.)

After much research (bibliography forthcoming), discussion, and simulation (using Donald Siano's excellent trebuchet simulator TrebStar), we drew up plans for a machine. It would stand 36 feet tall and the counterweight would be 1,000 pounds of sand or mud; the counterweight arm would be 7 feet long and the throwing arm 28. The frame and counterweight arm would be build of sturdy timbers (4x4's and 5x6's), while the throwing arm would be a wispy thing made of 3/4" spars, corrugated plastic, and light steel cable. Major components would be held together by removable bolts.

Construction began in March in the Garbe farm's well-equipped shop.