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How to Make Mangonel Catapults

A mangonel is a medieval siege engine that used the torsion power generated by tightly coiling lengths of rope. It used this power to hurl projectiles at the castles of the enemy. These fearsome weapons could be used to fire rocks, balls of flaming pitch and even the heads of captured enemy soldiers. You can build your own version of one of these catapults from household materials. The only fiddly, time-consuming section is the coiling of the string to produce sufficient power.

Things You'll Need

1/2-inch diameter dowel lengths 2-by-12 inches, 1-by-10 inches, 5-by-5 inches
4-by-5-inch board thin hardboard
2 pencils
1/4-inch screws
20 feet string
Hacksaw
Wire
Matchbox
Glue

Instructions

- 1
  Lay two of the 5-inch sections of dowel parallel on the table 12 inches apart. Make a rectangle by laying the 12-inch sections between them, one joining one set of corners, the other joining the other. Be sure that the 12-inch sections sit on top of the 5-inch sections so that they are raised off the table. Screw the corners together.
- 2
  Stand a 5-inch section up on its end on top of one of the 12-inch pieces. Stand it four inches from the end of the 12-inch section.
- 3
  Cut the board diagonally in half to produce two triangles. Position one of them against with its long edge against the upright 5-inch section and its short edge against the 4-inch section. Its tip will be level with the end of the 12-inch section.
- 4
  Screw the section of board into place with five screws. Use another 5-inch section and the other section of board to repeat the procedure on the 12-inch section. The two sides should mirror each other.
- 5
  Place the final 5-inch section between the top ends of the two upright 5-inch sections and screw in place. Drill a hole between the end of each 12-inch section and the point where the 5-inch section stands up from it. Drill a further hole in the end of the 10-inch section.
- 6
  Place the 10-inch section between the two holes in the frame with the holes all lined up. Tie the end of the string to a length. Tie the other end around the center of one of the pencils. Place the pencils flat and parallel against the outsides of the 12-inch sections.
- 7
  Thread the wire through the hole in the side of the frame, through the hole in the 10-inch section and out through the other hole in the frame. Pass the string around the pencil, back through the holes and around the other pencil. Do this four times.
- 8
  Continue passing the string back and forth through the holes in the frame but instead of going through the hole in the 10-inch section, pass it alternately over and under the arm. When you have looped all the string tie the end around one of the pencils and begin twisting the pencils to bring the string tight and bring the firing arm up against the cross piece formed by the 5-inch sections. Twist until as tight as possible.
- 9
  Slide the drawer out of the matchbox and glue it to the end of the 10-inch section. This is the basket where projectiles can be placed and fired from.

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