Have trebuchet, will fling

I need a demonstration of this device, and no details were provided.

OOOO - I want one!

Is it legal for deer hunting? LOL.

Richard Chin: this was a fun article and it is heartwarming to see some people have not lost their sense of adventure and innovation.
However, the dark side is that you have now put these enterprising individuals in danger of having their fun & games shut down by the authorities.
I can count a number of instances where these poor guys are probably in contravention of a number of state and local ordinances; in areas ranging from zoning to public endangerment to pollution laws. You should not have mentioned the TV's and electronics.
I hope Phyllis Kahn and Margaret Anderson Kelliher don't read the newspaper; they would not hesitate to pass the info along to local authorities.

The only sentence that troubled me was about throwing Mercury.

Northstop wrote:

The only sentence that troubled me was about throwing Mercury.

That is not what the article said, nor is that what they are doing. They toyed with the idea of using mercury in the fuel-oil tank that is the counterweight, NOT throwing it. This is merely an example of thorough engineer-type thinking--mercury is very dense and would make an admirable counterweight. I suspect the comment was made in jest, as that much mercury would cost a fortune and they are clearly smart enough to know that it would be hazardous. As it is, they are using sand as the counterweight.

I love it...and yet there are always some pills in the crowd who can't appreciate a creative outlet for their energy.

I recall seeing a documentary on trebuchets once, and the team involved with that project found that adding wheels to a trebuchet greatly increased the throwing distance. Maybe that'll get you guys to 1000 feet.

Oh how fun! I've wanted to build a trebuchet for a long time now, but really have no place to put one.

I have been interested in building a trebuchet for some time.

I would not be surprised if the local authorities will try to pass a trebuchet tax and license at the next council meeting.

Von Mises wrote:

I have been interested in building a trebuchet for some time.

don't let Ellen Andersen or the rest of the flower pot gang find out about these dangerous assault weapons...

Old White Guy wrote:

I would not be surprised if the local authorities will try to pass a trebuchet tax and license at the next council meeting.

It will be a graduated tax, with trebuchets that throw over 1000 feet being in the highest tax rate. The payment will be given to people without trebuchets so that they can have trebuchets, because trebuchets are a basic right under the Constitution.

Trebuchets are surprisingly accurate.

yay Roger and Kurt- this is awesome!! I have some video for you of your launches.
People- seriously, I was skeptical but this thing is cool!!!

Northstop wrote:

The only sentence that troubled me was about throwing Mercury.

It was about filling the tank/counterweight with mercury not throwing it.

Roger Bacon sounds like a stud. 'Nuff said.

and the point of that was...?

I'd recommend concrete loaded with scrap iron for the counterweight......I've also seen a bucket of bolts and the counterweights from John Deere tractors used (on a smaller model).

I need to make one...

Labratt wrote:

I need a demonstration of this device, and no details were provided.

Works just like your vibrator.

I wonder if it will turn up on a Google Maps aerial shot? Or maybe the debris field?:-)