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How to Make a Tinker Toy Catapult

A catapult was an early type of cannon used by soldiers to shoot projectiles at castles and enemy fortifications. You can build your own toy catapult using tinker toy parts. Household supplies will also be needed, but no tools.

Things You'll Need

9 green rods
8 wheels
1 red rod
String, 1 foot

Instructions

- 1
  Insert an end of a green rod into one of the side holes in a wheel. Insert the other end of the rod into one of the side holes in another wheel. Repeat this procedure with another green rod and two wheels.
- 2
  Place one of the two wheel sets you have made horizontally on a table. Insert a green rod into the hole on the side of the left wheel that is not facing you. Repeat this procedure with the wheel on the right.
- 3
  Insert the end of the rod on the left side into the hole on the side of the wheel on the other wheel set you made. Insert the end of the rod on the right side into the hole on the side of the other wheel on the other wheel set.
- 4
  Stand a wheel on the table. Insert an end of a green rod into a hole on the left side of the wheel. Insert an end of a green rod into a hole on the right side of the wheel.
- 5
  Insert the end of the green rod on the left side of the wheel into a hole on the side of the wheel closest to you on your left side. Insert the end of the green rod on the right side of the wheel into a hole on the side of the wheel closest to you on your right side. Repeat this procedure to make another wheel with two green rods inserted into it.
- 6
  Insert the end of the green rod on the left side of the wheel into a hole on the side of the wheel on the left side of the table farthest from you. Insert the end of the green rod on the right side of the wheel into a hole on the side of the wheel on the right side of the table farthest from you.
- 7
  Push a red rod through the center of a wheel. Insert one end of the rod into the side of the wheel farthest from you that is raised above the table. Insert the other end of the rod into the far side of the wheel closest to your that is raised above the table.
- 8
  Insert one end of a green rod into the side of the wheel that the red rod has been pushed through. Insert the other end of the green rod loosely into a hole on the side of a wheel.
- 9
  Tie an end of the string around the red rod and knot it. Rotate the rod until almost all of the string has been wound around it. Pull the end of the string to spin the green rod and shoot the wheel from your catapult.

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