Play Catapult: How to Design a Catapult Out of Paper Towel Rolls

The catapult is an ancient weapon first used by the early Greek and Roman cultures and made famous by Medieval English knights. The machine was capable of launching a projectile across a long distance without the use of combustibles. The catapult comes in many forms and goes by many names, including the siege engine and the trebuchet. Making a catapult is not difficult, as the mechanics behind it are simple. It can be made from a variety of materials, even paper towel rolls.

Instructions

Prepare the paper mache according to the package directions. Cut one of the paper rolls in half horizontally. Fill two whole paper towel rolls and the two cut halves with paper mache. Set them aside to dry completely for at least one day.

Lay the two whole paper towel rolls next to each other vertically. Glue the two cut halves in between the long paper rolls with the craft glue or hot glue gun. Leave at least 5 inches between the two halves. They should be placed toward the back end of the rolls (meaning there should be at least 4 inches of paper towel roll in front of the two cut halves). Allow the structure to set.

Cut the remaining five rolls open vertically. Spread a thin layer of glue inside two of the cut-open rolls. Place one more cut-open roll inside each of these rolls to create two rolls of double thickness. Once these have set, cut each in half horizontally so you have four double-thick pieces. Roll the long sides of each of these pieces up as tightly as possible to form four very sturdy cardboard rods. Tape these rods down their lengths to close them. Form a fifth rod from the last cardboard roll by folding it in half horizontally, then rolling it up and taping it closed.

Use the craft knife to cut two holes 1/2 inch deep into each of the long paper mache-filled tubes in the structure you made earlier. Each hole should align perfectly with the two cut halves that form the middle of the structure. There will be four holes in total, one on each side of the two middle tubes.

Insert one rod into each of the four holes. Glue the rods into the holes and when the glue sets, use tape to reinforce them. Glue and tape the fifth rod between the two front vertical rods. This fifth rod can be attached at the top of these two rods or toward the center of the two rods.

Make two small holes, about 1/2 inch apart, in the center of the foremost middle cardboard tube. Make a hole in the bottom of the handle of the spoon. Cut one rubber band open so that it has two ends. Work one end of the rubber band through each hole and then through the hole in the spoon. Tie the ends of the rubber band together tightly so that the spoon is securely attached to the structure.

Take the remaining two rubber bands and loop them around one of the back rods, then stretch the bands over to the other rod. The bands should be taut. Use some tape to secure the bands in place.

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