How to Make a Catapult

How to Make a Catapult How to Make a Catapult A catapult is a really interesting weapon used in the medieval times. When you think of making a catapult, it is indeed very exciting but the problem is that you have no sense of engineering and this can be a major impediment in making it. But it is also possible for a beginner to make a catapult by using the resources which are easily available near him. But before making a catapult, you need to know that it has the capability to seriously hurt someone. You may use it as a toy but beware of hitting an animate object.

You need to choose a piece of wood which is in the shape “Y”. If you directly rip it off a tree, then remove the bark first. Use sand paper to smooth the surface of the piece of wood. Make sure that there is nothing on the surface which can harm your hand.
It is important to dry the wood so that it works better as a catapult. For the strong elastic material to make the side bands of the catapult, you can cut long rubber bands and use them at the sides.
Each arm of the Y-shaped wood can be joined to the cut pieces of rubber band through smaller rubber bands. You can do this on both sides of the Y-shaped wood. See that the catapult is totally secure.
You need to place to hold the projectile. A sling or a pocket is ideal for this purpose. Make this sling in such a way that it is wide in the middle and tapers towards the sides.
Again, smaller rubber bands will be necessary to secure one end of the sling to another loose end of the rubber bands already used in the catapult. Make sure that the connection is secure.
You can do the same with the other end of the sling. Join it to the other end of the catapult. Smaller rubber bands will serve the purpose.
Now your catapult is ready to be tested. Hold a small object such as a pebble in the sling and release it after holding it back tightly. It should hit your target with great intensity.

If there is any problem with the catapult and it does not perform as expected then unwind the rubber bands and sling and do the good work all over again. All the rubber bands used should be elastic enough to make a good catapult. You can also use surgical tubing in place of rubber bands. And you can use fabric or duct tape on the handle so that it does not slip. But be extremely careful while using the catapult outside the house. You should not hurt anybody by your rash behavior.