Home >> Toys >> Wooden Toys

Homemade Catapults

Catapults were used in medieval times to break down castle and town walls. Attackers also used them to fling materials such as heavy stones and burning oil over the walls and onto the defenders. These days they are used for educational purposes or for fun. You may see a catapult on display at a Renaissance Fair, with a description of its use as a weapon. Catapults can also be found at annual events around the country, tossing items such as pumpkins in Delaware, and fruit cakes in Colorado. The catapults used at these events are huge and toss their projectiles hundreds of feet, but a table top model is a good place for beginners to start.

Things You'll Need

3 1 x 12 inch wood strips
6 1 x 6 inch wood strips
2 1 x 6 inch wood strips, both ends cut at a 45 degree angle
Small screws, #6
Screwdriver
White glue
Drill
2 cup hooks
1 3 oz. paper cup, cut to be 1 inch deep
1 6 inch metal bar
1 large rubber band

Instructions

- 1
  Attach one of the wooden strips with the angle cut to the inside end of a 12-inch piece. Place the point of the angle at the end of the longer strip and align the cut portion with the edge of the 12-inch strip. Use a small screw and a dab of glue to connect the pieces.
- 2
  Position one of the flat-ended 6-inch pieces so the cut piece crosses in front of the new piece and the edges align. The new piece should be perpendicular to the 12-inch section. Use screws with glue to connect the two shorter strips. Attach the bottom of the 6-inch strip to the inside 12-inch section with a screw and some glue. The two 6-inch pieces and the 12-inch piece should form a triangle at one end of the 12-inch section.
- 3
  Repeat step 2 to create a second 12-inch section with a triangular framework at one end. The two assembled sections should look like mirror images of each other.
- 4
  Use the remaining 6-inch strips of wood to connect the two sides of the catapult together. Set the sides up so the triangle sections line up with each other. Be sure to place the attached legs on the inside of both sections. Place one wooden strip across the top of the 12-inch legs furthest from the triangular framework. Position another strip across the top of the legs immediately behind the framework. Use the last two 6-inch braces to connect the triangular sections, placing one brace a little more than halfway up the angled support, and the final brace between the vertical supports, about half an inch below the top.
- 5
  Make the arm by drilling a hole through the remaining 12-inch wood strip, half an inch from the end, and slightly larger than the metal rod. Attach a cup hook on the edge, 3
  inches from the other end of the strip. Screw the cup to the end of the strip, placing it on the same edge as the cup hook, just touching the hook.
- 6
  Drill a hole in each upright just above the bottom frame, making the hole slightly bigger than the metal bar. Push the metal bar through the first upright, then the hole in the arm---be sure the cup hook is pointed straight up at this point---and then through the other upright. Glue the ends of the metal bar solidly into each upright.
- 7
  Attach the other cup hook to the center of the horizontal brace on the frame right behind the triangular framework. Point the opening down. Stretch the rubber band from this cup hook to the one on the arm, which will bring the arm into an almost vertical position. Your catapult is now complete.

Wooden Toys