Handheld Slingshot Trebuchet

After the winch operated cannon and the "Ballista" slingshot, The Slingshot Channel continues to combine medieval siege engine technology with modern rubber. This time, a long throwing arm is powered by a lot of pre-tensed rubber. The weapon is cocked much like a break barrel air rifle, and then a 20 mm steel ball is put on the "spoon" shaped end of the lever, held in place by a neodyme magnet.

The trigger works much like on a crossbow or firearm.

The video includes impressive super slow motions of the shot, recorded at 1200 fps with the Casio EX-F1 Pro camera.

Jorg You never cease to amaze with Your inventions!

As always Im very impressed but if Im honest I much prefer Your more accurate shooting weapons like the winch operated slingshot cannon...Maaaaan that is fuckin' pure BadBoy right there!

Btw Your avatar looks better each time You come on here, 'Specially diggin' the blue suede shoes!

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Any plans on setting up shop and selling any of your designs? Or do you already?

That is very cool! I like the video, it's entertaining, good personality!
I would be mostly scared about any flaws in the mechanism that could cause it to break haha... I've had my share of rubber launchers snapping on me.

Cool weapon...But wrong name...The closest approximation to what you have made here would be a roman catapult... Check the links below.
Sorry this site does not give an embed code.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/science-channel/29114-what-the-ancients-knew-the-roman-catapult-video.htm

As apposed to this...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebuchet

But still a cool hand-held weapon.

I'll be honest mate, Jorg's one more resembles a Trebuchet...It just lacks the sling

The Roman Catapult is AKA a Ballista, Basically a crossbow on steroids capable of firing spikes, Balls etc.

Notice the difference in how they launch the projectile;





A Trebuchet uses an "over arm" action to launch, Just like Jorg's.

Not only that...All the time Jorg puts into designing and building His creations I very much doubt He wouldn't bother to research the actual title of the weapon in question!

To blatantly come out and correct Him is a bit rude Bruvz, You could have said sumink like "Hey Jorg, Are You sure its refered to as a Trebuchet coz to Me it resembles a Roman Catapult mate" or sumink along those lines.

testmonkeyking wrote:

Cool weapon...But wrong name...The closest approximation to what you have made here would be a roman catapult...

The link you posted was for a Ballista, which is very much different than either of these two.

This is a Roman catapult.


This is a trebuchet.


I disagree, and here's why. The pivot point.

If it was a replica of a catapult the pivot point would be at the END of the throwing arm.
A trebuchet has the pivot point at about 3/4 (4/5ths?) the length of the throwing arm for the counterweight.
On a catapult the main axel is under torsion and spins when released moving the throwing arm.
On a trebuchet the end of the throwing arm is pulled down pivoting the other end of the trowing arm forward/upwards.

I agree there are differences in the hand-held design. There is no counterweight and there is no sling. As this is hand-held the replacement of the counterweight by elastic bands seems o.k., and in my opinion adding a sling to this wouldn't make it work better. (but what do I know?)

I understand what point you're making, but in my opinion, and it is just a opinion, I still think it's closer to trebuchet than a catapult. Just my 2 cents.

Edit: You beat me to it Bill! I always take to long crafting my post.

I agree with what Bill said...be careful about correcting people. Especially if that person knows more about what they are doing than you do. This dosen't mean that we don't want to be corrected, because we all hate looking dumb by being wrong. This just means that before you correct someone make sure that not only is your information correct (like posting a Ballista link) but look to see if it really needs correcting (is he really wrong?). In this matter I agree that Jörg studied what he was doing and knows what he's talking about.

AND!! As it's his design, his idea, his handmade working model...he can call it WHATEVER HE WANTS!
He can call it a Mark 5 Fraganistic Bearing Ejector...and he woudn't be wrong! If you wanted to describe WHAT it is....looks like a hand-held trebuchet to me.

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The Roman Catapult is AKA a Ballista

That was that first "HowStuffWorks" link of a "Ballista" claiming it was a poxy "Roman Catapult" that made Me say it was AKA a Ballista, Fuckin' Divz I gave them the credit of actually being right when obviously they were'nt, Thus making Ol' Bill look silly, I knew what I was on about though so fuck'em!!!!!

I apologize for the wrong link(sloppy on my part no excuse I neglected to watch the video)...But the reason I was saying this is more of a catapult was due to the way it launches the projectile...And it also more closely resembles the image of the roman catapult that Sinza posted...But Sinza you are right he can call it what ever he wants to call it...I was in no way trying to be rude. And if I have offended you(JoergS) I apologize.

You guys are funny.

I would've liked to give you guys the rundown on seige weapons but it looks like I'm too late. The matter is settled


I just want to ask Mr. Jorg a question. I bought this on E-bay,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350441074458&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
Is this the right stuff to make one of these awesome shooters, the arrow slingshot in particular.

I know I could just wait and find out, but my excitment would be that much more enflamed if I knew I'm getting the right stuff.

Thanks, Keep up the awe-some!

Yep that's the stuff by the looks of it mate, Check out the International shipping, It's nearly 6 times as much as what it costs in the first place!

Can't wait to see what You come up with Mickey (Snatch ) mate!

Well, my construction really is neither a trebuchet nor a roman catapult, it just takes some parts of the concepts behind these ancient siege engines and combines them with rubber as energy storage/conversion engine.

I really see no offense in any of the postings in this thread, so never mind. I am very happy to discuss these issues!

The weapon isn't really as powerful or practical as my other sling-x-bows - I mainly built it to prove that I can! Was a fun project.

Jörg

billsykes wrote:

Check out the International shipping, Its nearly 6 times as much as what it costs in the first place!

thets wey-aym happey ay lev en th-staets bass. am much mar parchal fer shippin ahn handlin hear.
That's the best Mickey impression I can do in text form. haha.

And oh yes there will be some majorly devastating creations coming with this stuff in my possetion.

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thets wey-aym happey ay lev en th-staets bass. am much mar parchal fer shippin ahn handlin hear.

Lolz that was a wicked Pikey impersonation Bruvz, I could'nt understand a fuckin' word of it, The Baihz down the site would be very proud Muckah!