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Authentic Working Wood Catapult Kit

Medieval Siege Engine

Working Wood Catapult Kit

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$29.95
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Overview:

It's one thing to toss insults, but it's a completely different argument when you're tossing flaming pails of scorching hot oil. The Authentic Working Wood Catapult Kit rests somewhere in between.

Yes, it is a working catapult. However, it's desk-sized. So, technically, you could make a small, flaming pail of hot oil, but it's probably a lot easier to toss marbles, small balls of clay, a Cadbury egg, the engagement ring she didn't accept, etc.

For people who like: toys, hobbies, crafts, gifts for the inner child

Features & specs:

  • Shoots over 15 feet
  • Easy to build in about 1 hour
  • Requires only glue
  • Wood pieces are pre-cut and drilled
  • Ages 8+
  • 10 " x 5.5" x 7.75" (l x w x h)

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Watch our Working Wood Catapult Kit Video
 

Besiege your enemies!

While catapults are normally associated with Medieval times, they were actually invented by the Greeks (seriously, what wasn't?). Anyway, these authentic, wood, and functioning catapults are modeled after medieval siege engines.

Although not powered by gas, they're still considered engines. That's because they're powered by human ingenuity (and physics) and in many cases by 200 peasant-slaves. Isn't history great?

Working Wood Catapult hurls more than insults!
Detailed and clear instructions are included in your catapult kit. It really only takes about 45 minutes to assemble your very own functioning wood catapult.

Easy to assemble. Only requires wood glue.

The box says that it is easy to build your catapult in 1 to 2 hours. We put it together (and we're not mechanically inclined in the least) in 45 minutes. And yes, it really only requires glue. We would suggest that you have a small rubber mallet or hammer handy in case some of the pre-drilled holes are being a little stubborn. But, we were able to put it together with just the glue. In fact, the catapult featured in our photographs was put together in this manner.

Using glue and a little elbow grease, it's easy to assemble to your catapult.
A little wood glue and some elbow grease is all it takes to put together your functional wood catapult.

Once you have your catapult assembled, it will shoot small objects about 15 feet. Of course, the tighter you twist the rope, the farther it will go. Also, at the top of the crossbar are two removable "stop blocks". If you remove them, the wooden arm of the catapult will travel a little further and so will your projectile. Experiment with it. That's the fun!

Accurate historical details

Medieval catapults were actually quite a bit larger than 10" tall. Other than that, the catapult that you'll build with your kit will be quite true to its ancestors. The pegged joints and the use of twisted string as the source of power are hallmarks of real catapults.

Pull back the launcher on your catapult and release to fire
The Working Wood Catapult Kit comes with a small ball of clay to use in firing.

Basically, you twist the wooden knobs on either side of the catapult, pull the "spoon" back, and release when ready to fire.

Legal Disclaimer and all that fun stuff

Basically, don't be stupid with this product. It's a wooden catapult. And it shoots stuff. Don't use your new wood catapult to shoot at someone's eye, an open wound, a cat, etc. Don't use your catapult to shoot a hand grenade. In fact, don't possess a hand grenade. You get the point.

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A few customer questions we've answered

Q: Does all-purpose Elmer's or something of the like work?
A: Wood glue/carpenter's glue is ideal for assembling the Working Wood Catapult Kit, but standard white glue will also work.

Q: What kind of wood is it made of? I'm not endangering some exotic tree or anything by buying this thing, am I? Like... are squirrels going to be squirrel hobos now?
A: The Working Wood Catapult is made out of Basswood. Basswood trees are not endangered, exotic, or rare. The wood used to make these kits comes from tree farms in Vermont and Quebec. The trees are planted, grown, and harvested for this purpose. If you still feel bad for squirrels, you could use your catapult to fling nuts to them.

Q: will it be big enough to throw a regular snowball?
A: This wooden catapult kit is not large enough to throw a regular snowball. You'd need a much larger catapult for that (this one is about 10 inches long and 5.5 inches wide).

Q: Is this big enough to hurl a ping-pong ball? If so, what is the range?
A: Yes, the wooden catapult should hurl a ping-pong ball with no trouble. While we didn't have a ping-pong ball here, we tested a small wad of paper (1 8.5 x 11" sheet, secured with a couple of thin rubber bands) and achieved ranges of 5-13 feet.

Q: is this easy to build?
A: Yes, we built one in about 45 minutes. It only requires glue and a pair of scissors. However, if a child wishes to build one, adult supervision would be necessary.

Q: Will it launch an egg over 3 meters?
A: We doubt it. This wooden catapult is fairly small, so only the eggs of a very small bird would work. Of course, we don't condone nest-robbing.

Q: Can I buy tiny slaves to operate the catapult? If so, where?
A: Well, you can't technically "buy" children.

Q: how far can it launch things?
A: The wooden catapult will shoot items approximately 15-20 feet with practice.

Q: does if fire by pulling a string
A: While you could certainly arrange for it to work that way, the catapult kit comes with a small wooden piece that you can move to release the catapult. You can also use your finger to hold it down and release the catapult.

Q: how many pieces of wood does it have?
A: The Working Wood Catapult kit contains approximately 15 pieces.

Q: how are you guys so awsome?
A: We went to Navy SEAL camp in 7th grade.

Q: You guys are hilarious. I had more fun watching your video and reading your witty comments then I'm going to have putting the catapult together! Thanks.
A: You're welcome.

Q: will it launch a large egg over a 1 meter high fence from 1.5 meters away?
A: Probably not. I would suggest the Working Wood Trebuchet Kit for that.

Q: does it work?
A: Yes, check out our video to see the Wooden Catapult in action.

Q: How far away are you guys in the video? Idk if my house is big enough for that. I have to tell you guys, I have wanted a a trebuchet for so long and now I'm going to get one(evil smile)
A: The guys in the Trebuchet/Catapult video were approximately 10-12 feet apart.

Q: why couldn't you include wheels to this product?
A: Since we didn't make it, we really don't know why the catapult kit lacks wheels. It wouldn't be too hard to modify it on your own, though...

Q: how does it work?
A: The tension from the rope allows the "spoon" to fling an object forward.

Q: would this be a good science fair project?
A: Well, that would depend on the requirements of the project. You could experiment with launching different weights, twisting the rope more or less, and measuring how far away the object lands.

Total number of Burning Questions answered to date on Vat19.com: 2,160
 
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