Here is a fantastic trebuchet made by Ken. And it reallly works. It throws projectiles Outdoors both wood balls and paintballs 65 - 70 ft with 3 pounds of ballast.

And Ken has made an ingenious little ratcheting system so you can wind it up. I

Here is what Ken has to say about this trebuchet:

The one in the photos has thrown 1" wood balls 50' with a 2.58 pound counterweight. I can increase that weight 20-30% but any more power will cause balls to hit the warehouse ceiling and it has been too cold and windy for outdoor shots.

It is 34.5" at the top of the arm in the rest position. I built a winch system to retract it that includes a wooden ratchet system to prevent it from unwinding when you let go of the winch handle. Everything is pinned with small brass rods although I will be using 1/8" wood dowel pins for the next project.

This is a little large for a table top with a overall length of 19". I am at about 1:20 scale. The balls weigh about .195 oz which scales to 97 lbs. The counterweight is 2.58 lbs which scales to about 20,000 lbs. Height is 34.5" (2.875") which scales to 57.5'.

These ratios seem to be supported by a 50' throw which scales to 1,000' so I am rather pleased. Counterweight : Payload = 212:1 That is rather high so I could easily increase the projectile mass.

Weight has come from lead bullets from my reloading bench. This gave an excellent method of tracking weight accurately and adding incrementally. The high mass density allowed a good scale weight for the small size. My next will be 12" wide in order to be placed on a 12x12 piece of wood and easily transported. It will incorporate my trigger, winch and ratchet system. I also plan to optimize the arm some by eliminating excess mass in the throwing side.

This picture gives you a closeup look. You can see that all important angled pin at the end of the swing arm. You can also see the ratcheting winding mechanism and the eyehook with string. You pull that string and eyehook slides right out of the loop -releasing the treb.

This little bit is brilliant. The two arrows show you about the ratcheting mechanism. The big arrow shows the ratchet. The small arrow shows the rubber band that holds it down. With this kind of set up you can wind it up and it wont back itself out. Pretty darn neat!

And Ken improved the ratcheting mechanism so it doesn't need the rubber band anymore. just sanding it smooth enough it falls on its own.

And here is Ken with a real trebuchet at the Bern Historical Museum in Switzerland:

The Miniature Trebuchet by Timberkits

The trebuchet was the ultimate artillery weapon of the medieval period and early renaissance. A large and unwieldy weapon, it was typically built on-site during battle, and tuned to lob great weights - such as the carcasses of rotting horses and pots of burning pitch, over the castle walls and onto its inhabitants. Precision carved by computer controlled machinery for guaranteed fit and accurate joinery. The detailed instructions include loads of photos of each step of the construction process, tuning tips and safety notes. Included in the kit are four wooden projectiles, all the necessary components for the sling, trigger, and counterweight bucket as well as all the parts for the kit. The only thing you'll need to supply are 88 pennies for counterweight and a few simple tools - Scissors, a ruler, a utility knife, wood glue and a few rubber bands to hold the pieces together while the glue dries. Manufactured by RLT Industries

The Miniature Trebuchet - The trebuchet was the ultimate artillery weapon of the medieval period and early renaissance. A large and unwieldy weapon, it was typically built on-site during battle, and tuned to lob great weights - such as the carcasses of rotting horses and pots of burning pitch, over the castle walls and onto its inhabitants. This is our newest and smallest trebuchet design in a long line of catapult kits. Designed by master trebuchet expert Ron Toms, this machine is ideal for the student on a budget or as a wonderful display piece for any desktop or bookshelf of any history enthusiast. Precision carved by computer controlled machinery for guaranteed fit and accurate joinery. The detailed instructions include loads of photos of each step of the construction process, tuning tips and safety notes. Included in the kit are four wooden projectiles, all the necessary components for the sling, trigger, and counterweight bucket as well as all the parts for the kit. The only thing you'll need to supply are 64 pennies for counterweight and a few simple tools - Scissors, a ruler, a utility knife, wood glue and a few rubber bands to hold the pieces together while the glue dries. Tools required: Scissors, Glue, Ruler, rubber bands and a utility knife. Sandpaper is optional. Additional Counterweight Required: 64 pennies. Range: About 10 feet.

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