Really Cool DIY Trebuchet Plans

Jeff Johnston is a medieval reenactor and avid history fan. He is also the publisher at Living History Publications.

Make Your Enemies Weep

A trebuchet is medieval man's most powerful siege engine. It launches huge boulders at walls and reduce any fortification to rubble in no time. Building a trebuchet is fun, and relatively easy. So if you want to knock down a castle wall, or simply throw some pumpkins, check out some of these cool trebuchet plans online.

Why would anyone WANT to build a trebuchet?

This is the question many might ask upon finding this article. The question I have to ask in return, is why wouldn't someone want to build a trebuchet, but lets ignore that and look at why you might want to build one. The medieval world is much maligned as a world devoid of engineering advances, a dark age which was only saved by the enlightenment, seeing a trebuchet in action makes you question this. So much engineering beauty in the launching of whatever it is you want to launch. It is a great study in physics, after all the trebuchet is essentially just a series of levers and pulleys to increase the power of man.

Free Online Trebuchet Woodworking Plans

• "The Insensible" - a counterweight trebuchet
  Lindsey over the road has a big back yard. My family as been coveting his land for some time now. Finally I decided enough is enough, and began to plo...
• Eight online trebuchet and catapult plans and blueprints | DO IT: Projects, Plans and How-tos
  A collection of plans and blueprints for building a trebuchet at home.
• How to Make a Trebuchet | Building with Free Plans
  Trebuchet building plans and video. History of siege weapons and how to build your own backyard trebuchet quickly and inexpensively. Most Popular free trebuchet design plans.
• Giant Trebuchet
  Make a giant trebuchet in less than a day with a couple of trees, some rope and a few other easily found parts.  Best made in a paddock with plenty ...
• Trebuchet Catapults - Fully Assembled Working Model Trebuchets , Trebuchet Kits and Trebuchet Plans
  Ok, these plans aren't exactly free, but they have some pretty cool ones.
• Trebuchet Physics
  Not plans exactly, but great explanation of trebuchet physics and how to achieve optimal design when building one.
• Warwick Trebuchet: The Warwick Trebuchet
  Also not plans, but details about the building of the Warwick Trebuchet.
• Trebuchets at WoodworkersWorkshop.com
  A decent collection of free trebuchet woodworking plans.

A Brief History of the Trebuchet

The image on the right shows two early forms of the trebuchet, the staff-sling or fustibalus, and the traction trebuchet. In both cases these were human powered trebuchets. The staff sling was exactly what it sounds like a sling attached to the end of a staff allowing the user to throw bigger rocks further than they could normally use. The traction trebuchet simply took the staff sling, made it longer and attached it to a base and used two or more people as the counter weight allowing for even greater payloads.

The counter weight trebuchet is what most modern people think of as a trebuchet and made its debut in the 11th century with minimum success. From there it grew to be one of the most powerful siege engines until cannons outclassed them.

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The trebuchet's main purpose was always as a siege engine. Usually the trebuchet would be built to be able to be taken down to move from one battle to the next and assembled on the battlefield. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like to sit on a castle wall watching what would most likely be the instrument of your death being built below out of range of your archers.

War Wolf

The Largest Trebuchet Ever Built

The year is 1304, King Edward I, known as Longshanks, is at war with Scotland over his claim to the throne of Scotland. Stirling Castle is besieged by Longshanks, but it would be a long siege and Stirling was well fortified. Longshanks commissions the building of one of the most feared devices of medieval warfare, a mighty trebuchet, but he wasn't content with just any trebuchet, this one needed to send a message and the message was England is superior in every way.

It took 30 wagons to haul the disassembled destroyer to the war-field and 3 months to complete building it. When all was said and done it is estimated that this monstrosity measured as tall as 400 feet. This weapon of mass destruction was a masterpiece of medieval engineering, and it was given a name. War Wolf.

Records claim that it took only one shot from War Wolf to end the siege at Stirling. The message was received by the Scots, and the wall at Stirling castle fell with a whimper under the might of a single blow from War Wolf.

Pumpkin Chuckin'

Pumpkin Chuckin' is a phenomenon sweeping North America, and it features trebuchets frequently. Basically pumpkin chuckin' is a contest where the contestants use various methods to throw a pumpkin (or other object) as far as possible. These contests take place all over both Canada and the US.

• Pumpkinfest in Saugeen Shores
  This one-of-a-kind festival offers more than 40 events on top of finding the world's largest pumpkin each year. Port Elgin is a key pumpkin weigh-off spot and Pumpkinfest is the place to be each year.
• Punkin Chunkin
  The world Pumpkin Chuckin' championship tournament.
• Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival
  Vermont's annual pumpkin throwing event.
• Pumpkin Chuckin | Youth Garden Project
  A Utah Youth based pumpkin chuckin' challenge.
• Kemble Harvest Blowout - Pumkpin Chuckin - Let the pumpkins fly!
  An Ontario based Pumpkin Chuckin' contest

© 2014 Jeff Johnston

Take your best shot

Leaidan on January 14, 2015:

Just cause it's simple doesn't mean it's not super hefupll.

Tanner Wills on October 13, 2014:

This website is fantastic, it helped so much.... not.