In action at Norton priory 2023
As part of historical enactments, there's a lot of stunt work that takes place to show an accurate account of what happened without hurting or destroying any properties. So how do you smash down a castle door for real? Bring your own castle, of course! Here, you will find the build of my own trebuchet and work on our own stunt castle.
trebuchet being used on the field
Nunes in front the stunt Castle
Trebuchet build
Usually, I would have access to a workshop, but this was 2020 lockdown in full affect and I had to make do with my flat.
build requirements
The engine needs to be able to fit into a transit and be packable so that it can be easily moved around. It must also be able to reliably throw a 1 kg ball 90 meters.
plans
build pictures
building the frame
cutting out the mortice joints
shaping the arm with a draw knife
assembly of the legs
starting to look like a trebuchet
building the arm
the arm has a turned axle for accuracy. As you wan the machine to put the projectiles in the same place each time.
the rest of the arm was pinned together with a "floating arm" that allow it be swapped out for different events. the arm fitted will produce a distance of 90m the function of the distance thrown is the length of the arm and the ratio of the sling length, this allows us to adjust the machine for out needs on the day.
testing in the garden
finished engine at Norton priory
Stunt Castle
I operate and help build a flat-pack castle, which we use as a destructible prop with cut-out sections for people to break open and doors. This entire structure was built over the course of a weekend. Here are the pictures of those mad few days.
i was on mortice duty to cut the slots for the ground anchors
one of the first engines being made
a lot of pizza was needed
the finished pile of panels
staking it down in a cross wind
what i looks like upright
