The Trebuchet
After playing Castle Clout we were inspired to make two things. A really awesome remake and a really awesome trebuchet, all while using the word ‘awesome’ too often. Joey and I spent the last half of our Friday making this really cool medieval weapon.
We started the build around 12pm. We grabbed supplies and were back at the office in about an hour, and spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what final design we wanted. Here’s what we bought:
20 feet of PVC
6 End Caps (PVC)
10 45 degree Connectors (PVC)
13 T Connectors (PVC)
2 4-Way Connectors (PVC)
Twine
PVC Pipe Cutter
PVC Glue
PVC Grease
Duct Tape
We decided on a standard design, nothing too fancy. Simplicity works wonders.
After cutting a bunch of the pipe, remeasuring, and then recutting again, our design started to come together!
We forgot a crucial part of the trebuchet: the weight. Luckily earlier that day we bought about 3 pounds of peanuts and other mixed nuts for the office snack bar, and were lucky enough to snag it in-time for the build.
We fired a few shots inside and magically it worked! We then took it outside to see how far we could launch a Ball Revamped squishy.
With the peanut weight we can launch about 15-30 feet without additional manpower. That’s pretty good for a 2-3 hour build. After about 5 more tries we also discovered that the ball is the best item to launch.
Dan also had the idea of trying to push down on the trebuchet arm as fast as possible, and then we suddenly had a range of 30-60 feet! It was a pretty awesome experiment, and we learned a lot of about Trebuchet physics to pick up and start this project.
And with that, here’s a screenshot of our newest game (click to embiggen). We’re going for the Castle Clout style but we’re going to have a few more features and some new art style. We have permission from the original artist, of course, so all due respect for his design is there. I’ll let Joey update you on that news as it comes around, since he’ll be leading that project.
But seriously, trebuchets are fun. Spend a couple hours making one, you won’t regret it.
I am super jealous guys. Last time I built a trebuchet was for a Physics group project in high school. Thing was about 4 feet tall, made of wood, and launched a tennis ball about 200 feet.
You guys are my Hero! Nicely done and I look forward to your new game Joey.
Trebuchets are amusing. You should try actual rocks and little stone blocks like in Castle Clout, as a fun way to recreate the game. ^_^
Trebuchets are fun, but potato cannons are better
[...] working out the physics in code wasn’t appealing so the guys at the Armor office decided that building a scale model of the trebuchet that will eventually be used to lay seige to downtown LA was a good idea. Photos [...]
pretty much anything that involves improvised projectiles is amusing.
HOW IS EVERYONE ELSE BETTER AT BUILDING STUFF THAN I AM?!
Now you just need to build a castle to fire stuff at. Maybe a card castle could work, if it stayed up long enough to be target.
But seriously, you guys should win some kind of prize for making that thing.
Oh right, maybe you could fire at little Warhammer figurines.
Maybe you could get Dan to stand at one end of a field…and put the trebuchet at the other…and then try and hit him! Whoever can hit him gets a packet of those Chip thingies you like…
OMG stop talking about potatoes your guys are making me hungry :O
Lol, good luck with that trebuchet.
Oh and BTW in the picture, who’s joey and who’s john?
you guys are smart
put that thing on wheels it will toss much farther.That gives me an idea for a game where you have to amass the components to build a trebuchet.But seriously put wheels on it!!!
I had to make a trebuchet for the “Trajectory” event in Science Olympiad once. It went quite a bit further, about 70 feet I think.
that is totally sweet…
you should watch that recent “chicken challenge” episode of I Love Money 2 on VH1 to see how hard it is to construct a large PVC trebuchet!
wow you guys need to stop watching t.v.
I was so inspired that I failed at building one in my big garden, I laid unconscious for over 3 hours until my cat started licking me.
Oh well, it was worth a try anyway
make a game about the great conflict of 1939-1945 or world war two.
you guy’s trebuchet is awsome! i have to build atrebuchet for my science and im using your as insperation!
[...] give even further inspiration, John and I decided to make our own Trebuchet in the office here with a fair amount of success. After terrorizing the town with it for a few [...]
We are making a catapult and there are some good ideas. you did a good job making this site and making it…
medieval weapon looks awesome
[...] give even further inspiration, John and I decided to make our own Trebuchet in the office here with a fair amount of success. After terrorizing the town with it for a few [...]
crush the castle is a great game i wish i no where to find games like that
A very cromulent screenshot.
Cool/Awesome/Legendary success!
BTW, Which is which (person)?
Very nice physics in this game. “Live” testing is important!