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How to Make Catapult Baskets

Catapults are devices used to hurl objects a great distance. They were invented by the Greeks, and used as effective war weapons against enemy fortifications throughout the Middle Ages. Catapults used a winch system to create tension in an arm holding a catapult basket. The basket was filled with stones and when the arm tension was released, the rocks would race toward a target at great speed. Modern-day replicas of catapults come in three basic designs with three unique basket types. If you already have your model catapult built, the time is right to add a basket in one of these three styles.

Things You'll Need

Catapult
Wood chisel
Hammer
Metal, plastic or wooden bowl
Screws
Screwdriver
Burlap or nylon cloth
Medium-weight rope

Instructions

- 1
  Carve a bowl-shaped depression directly into the end of the catapult's throwing arm. The objects to be thrown can be placed inside this depression. This basket type is used for a fused-arm catapult where the basket and arm are made of one piece.
- 2
  Attach a wide plastic, wood or metal bowl to the end of the throwing arm to create a catapult basket with greater capacity than the fused-arm catapult's depression basket. Drill through the bottom of the bowl and attach the bowl to the throwing arm with screws. Do not use nails or glue because nails will pull out over time and most glue won't hold, as the force generated by the catapult is considerable.
- 3
  Assemble a sling out of sturdy cloth such as burlap or nylon. Cut the cloth into a square and cut holes about an inch from each of the four corners. Tie a piece of rope between the holes in the corners on one side of the cloth and tie another piece of rope between the holes in the corners on the other side of the cloth. The resulting creation will resemble a hammock. To use a sling basket on your catapult, the throwing arm must be altered. Insert a round dowel through the width of the throwing arm at its end. Hang the sling basket from this dowel. Secure the loops of the sling by using additional rope to tie the loops to the dowel.

Artifacts