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Trebuchet Construction Instructions

Follow these instructions step by step to create your trebuchet.

Materials:

• Trebuchet Template (6 pages cardstock)

• Trebuchet Template (1 page paper)

• One unsharpened No. 2 pencil

• Paperclip

• String

• Patch of fabric

• Elmer's glue

• Scissors

• Box knife

Guidelines: It is very important to read every direction in here and follow them exactly as you build your

trebuchet.

• Shaded areas will be glued to another piece. The number in the shaded area

corresponds to the piece that it will be glued to.

• Solid lines are the exterior border of the pieces and should be carefully cut out.

• Dashed lines are places where the parts will be folded down.

• When you are going to fold a dashed line, it is necessary to SCORE the dashed line with a ballpoint pen.

This will help you fold the creases exactly on the dashed lines.

• All "pizzas" should have their 4 diameter pieces cut (but not the circle circumference) so that

they can have a pencil push through without tearing. These need to be cut before folding and gluing

these pieces. Make sure that you have a surface that is safe to cut on so that you do not cut or scratch

the table that you are working on.

• Also USE CAUTION with the box knife so that you do not cut yourself.

• When you glue pieces together, hold them with pressure for 45 seconds to a minute until it will stick by

itself. Do not handle freshly glued pieces until they have sufficiently dried.

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1. Locate and cut out pieces 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Pieces 2 & 4

Pieces 1 & 3

2. On pieces #2 & #4, additional slots must be cut on

each side as shown. Be careful not to cut past the

line in the shaded area. Do this two times on #2

and two times on #4

Piece # 2 shown, cut slits where the bold lines are,

but DO NOT cut past the dashed line in the shaded

area.

3. Score and fold all the dashed lines on pieces 1, 2, 3,

and 4.

Fold #1 and #3 into the 3-D shape and glue it to

itself as shown.

Fold #2 and #4 into the 3-D shape and glue it to

itself as shown.

Allow glue to dry.

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4. Glue # 1 into # 2 at a 90˚ angle. Remember that all

the shaded areas get glue.

Glue # 3 into # 2 at a 90˚ angle. Remember that all

the shaded areas get glue.

Allow the glue to dry so the pieces won't move

before handling.

5. Glue both ends of # 4 to # 1 and # 3 just as you did

before.

The end result is a rectangle that will be the 4-

sided frame which is the base of your trebuchet.

Let this finished piece rest flat on the table to finish

drying.

Lay the final result

flat so that the

glue can continue

to dry as you move

on to the next part.

6. Cut out the uprights of the trebuchet:

pieces 5, 6, 7, & 8.

Carefully cut the pieces of the "pizza" on all 4

pieces.

* see page 1 if "pizza" confuses

you.

DO NOT CUT TOWARDS YOUR

FINGER IN CASE YOU SLIP

ALSO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOMETHING UNDER

YOUR CARDSTOCK WHEN YOU CUT SO YOU DON'T

SCRATCH THE TABLE.

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7. Pieces 5, 6, 7, & 8 need a final trim.

Cut down the bold line and cut out the small

triangle.

Cut the bold line and carefully cut out and remove the

small triangle

8. Pieces 5, 6, 7, & 8 need a final trim.

Cut down the bold line and cut out the two small

triangle.

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9. Score and fold the dashed lines of pieces 5, 6, 7,

and 8.

Glue the pieces to make the upright arms

The small tabs at the bottom must be glued.

10. On the regular copy paper, cut out strips # 9 and

# 10.

Use a pencil for shape and roll the strip # 9 around

the pencil and glue them so they will stay.

Repeat for strip # 10.

Also repeat for strips #15, #18, #23 & #24.

Make sure you do not accidentally glue the strips

to your pencil. strips should be just loose enough

so they will easily side on and off your pencil. It

may help to slightly sharpen your pencil.

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11. Fit uprights together and put in base, but do not

glue yet.

Take rolled paper #9 (once it is dry) and while on

pencil, carefully push it through the overlapping

ends of the uprights. It is easiest to push the

pencil through and then push the rolled paper

through the "pizza" cut openings.

Take rolled paper #10 and while on pencil,

carefully push it through the overlapping ends of

the uprights.

12. Once the upright have the paper rolls through

them, leave the pencil all the way through and

glue the uprights to the corners of the base. The

pencil will help hold everything straight.

Only glue one at a time, and hold these to make

sure they are sturdy before moving on to the next

step.

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13. Cut out # 11 and # 12.

Slice the "pizza"

* see page 1 if "pizza" confuses

you.

Score all dashed lines and fold.

14. Attach # 11 and # 12 to the top of the trebuchet

arms. You may have to skip this step until the

upright arms have completely dried and will not

pull off of the base. Glue in place.

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15. While that is drying, find piece #13. Cut out,

score, fold and glue piece # 13.

Score and fold the dot-Dash line up.

Once # 13 is dry, it should be glued to the base

lengthwise in the center.

16. Cut out and score piece # 14.

CAREFULLY Slice the 4 "pizzas."

Also cut out the ovals that have arrows point to

them.

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17. Starting where the arrow is, fold inward and glue

the arrowed segment to the shorter shaded area.

18. The rest of the folds go the opposite way.

Glue the edge to the shaded area.

This will be the swing arm.

19. Cut out, score and fold piece # 21.

This is the end of the swing arm.

20. Cut out the circles # 16, #17, #19, & #

CAREFULLY Slice the 4 "pizzas."

Glue them on top of the "pizzas" on the thick end

of the swing arm. Make sure you only glue the

shaded area and no the "pizza" pieces.

reinforce and strengthen the swing arm.

21. Cut out, score, fold, and glue pieces #22, #25, and

#26.

Cut slits where the arrows point towards the bold

lines.

Glue the bucket handle reinforcements after

cutting the "pizza" pieces.

CAREFULLY Slice the 4 "pizzas."

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#19, & #20

on the thick end

Make sure you only glue the

shaded area and no the "pizza" pieces. This will

arm.

and glue pieces #22, #25, and

Cut slits where the arrows point towards the bold

Glue the bucket handle reinforcements after

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22. Assemble the counterweight bucket.

23. Push the medium length paper tubes through the

swing arm.

24. Push the short paper tubes through the counter

weight bucket handles.

25. Obtain a paperclip. straighten the end and

remove the tip.

Cut a strip of scrap paper and tuck it into the

paper clip and wrap it around and glue.

It is important that the loop of the paper clip

and the straight piece stick out slightly.

26. Glue the paper clip you just made and stick

it in the narrow end of the swing arm. It

should stick out approx 1 cm.

27. Assemble your swing arm and counter

weight bucket to the base and uprights.

Make sure you remembered to glue piece #

13 to the base across the bottom.

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25. Obtain a paperclip. straighten the end and

Cut a strip of scrap paper and tuck it into the

paper clip and wrap it around and glue.

It is important that the loop of the paper clip

and the straight piece stick out slightly.

Glue the paper clip you just made and stick

it in the narrow end of the swing arm. It

and counter

weight bucket to the base and uprights.

Make sure you remembered to glue piece #

13

28. Obtain approx 35 cm of string and a 5 cm by 5 cm

piece of fabric.

Securely tie one end of the string to the paper clip

loop that sticks out the end of the swing arm. Cut

this string where it reaches just pas the pivot bar

holding the swing arm.

Tie a loop in the remaining string and hang that

loop on the straight paper clip piece extending out

the tip of the swing arm.

Fold the fabric in half, and again in half. Staple the

fabric so the fabric pouch is closed on the end but

open enough to hold a marble

Use a stapler to attach the string to the sling.

YOU WILL NEED SOMETHING TO PUT IN THE COUNTER WEIGHT BUCKET TO OPERATE YOUR TREBUCHET.

I suggest you bring in a bunch of pennies to put in there, but anything small and heavy will work.

You should practice using your trebuchet to launch projectiles. Tinker with the angle of the paperclip which will

change the launch angle of the projectile and therefore how far the projectile will travel.

You will get two trials during the lab, make sure you can operate your trebuchet.

To get a good grade for functionality, your trebuchet must launch the projectile 8x the length of the base.

You should decorate your trebuchet, but be careful not to alter the functionality of it.