Your Cart . About Us . Bridges & Towers . Levers & Gears . DaVinci Kits . Catapult Kits . Backyard Artillery . The Shot Blade
Ancient Engineering SeriesTREBUCHET.com
The Atomic Bomb of the Middle Ages

Desktop Onager, in Red Oak

Cut from solid Red Oak!


Designed and made in the USA for
better quality, better performance!

This version of the kit is cut from high quality Red Oak instead of the whitewood (Poplar) used in the other version of this item.

This awesome little machine is the perfect desktop item to enforce the peace in your cubicle or dorm room. It really works!

This all wood and twine machine has no metal parts! Find out how the ancients were able to use nothing but wood and ropes to build machines that could hurl heavy stones great distances. These machines were the predecessors of cannons and modern artillery!

Measuring nine inches long, six inches tall and using the mighty torsion skein for power, this beast hurls wooden balls (included) up to twenty feet across the room. Food fight? Load it up with olives, marshmallows, maraschino cherries... the choices are endless!

Simple and easy to build. This kit includes everything you need except for glue and a few simple tools like scissors, sandpaper, a file (a utility knife would be helpful too) and about two or three hours of your time from start to finish. It's a far better use of your time than watching TV, and you'll have a really
cool desk ornament when you're done. And don't forget, it not only looks cool- but unlike those other little desktop catapults we've collected, this one really works! (It works well too.)

Features include:

  • Precision cut from high quality solid red oak
  • Authentic leather padded strike bar
  • True skein torsion power- not a wimpy spring
  • Range from 10 to 20 feet or more!

What you get:
The kit includes seventeen wooden parts, one hardware bag containing twine, trigger, wooden pegs and ammo, and assembly instructions.

The instructions are highly detailed and complete with full-color photos and historical notes. This kit can be assembled to a finished model in two to three hours, plus glue-drying time. Some light sanding may be required to smooth any rough edges.

We've put a lot of time and effort into making this kit as easy and complete as possible. It's a fun way to learn about history and engineering!


* Warning: This is a representative model of a real ancient military weapon. Use only with competent adult supervision.
* Shown stained as red oak. The kit ships as a natural, unfinished poplar wood product. Colors may vary.
* Can throw 20 feet when properly constructed and using appropriate missiles. Your performance may vary.

    Price: $32.95
    Minimum age: 10
    Availability: out of stock

    Item code: 10902

Accessories
More Stuff

Links
Search for stuff
Search:
By Age
By Max Price
By Keyword
(help)

(Click images to enlarge)
(Click for larger Image)
(Click for larger Image)
Interesting Notes

Some Trebuchet History:

From the 13th century writing: "Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi"

In June and July of 1191, Richard the Lionheart (the Duke of Normandy) laid siege to the city of Acre as part of the medieval Crusades.

The Duke concentrated on constructing siege machines and placing trebuchets [petrariae - literally, stone hurler] in suitable places. He arranged for these to shoot continually day and night. He had one excellent one which he called "Bad Neighbor" [Malvoisine]. Its continual bombardment partly destroyed the main city wall and shattered the Cursed Tower. On one side the Templars' trebuchet wreaked impressive devastation, while the Hospitallers trebuchet also never ceased hurling, to the terror of the Turks.

Besides these, there was a trebuchet that had been constructed at general expense, which they called "God's Stone-Thrower". A priest, a man of great probity, always stood next to it preaching and collecting money for its continual repair and for hiring people to gather the stones for its ammunition. This machine at last demolished the wall next to the Cursed Tower for around two perches' Length [11 yards or 10 meters].

The count of Flanders had had a choice trebuchet, which King Richard had after his death, as well as another trebuchet which was not so good. These two constantly bombarded the tower next to a gate which the Turks frequently used, until the tower was half-demolished. Besides these, King Richard had two new ones made with remarkable workmanship and material which would hit the intended target no matter how far off it was. . . . He also had two mangonels [traction trebuchets] prepared. One of these was so swift and violent that its shots reached the inner streets of the city meat market.

King Richard's trebuchets hurled constantly by day and night. It can be firmly stated that one of them killed twelve men with a single stone. That stone was sent for Saladin to see, with messengers who said that the diabolical king of England had brought from Messina, a city he had captured, sea flint and the smoothest stones to punish the Saracens. Nothing could withstand their blows; everything was crushed or reduced to dust.