Hello!
My name is David and I'm just starting out with woodworking.
I live in an apartment, so my projects are greatly limited by noise, space and dust collection. This means I mainly use hand tools, but I'm discovering that some jobs (routing, sanding etc.) are considerably faster with a few power tools thrown into the mix.
I really am a beginner however, so I spend an lot of time exploring my tools, and fixing (hiding!) my mistakes. I'm learning that I enjoy working slowly and mindfully.
I hope to meet and learn from you all!
The Christmas Catapult
Here's my latest little project for the kids. But really to test a new tennon saw from Santa
I'm not sure what type of catapult it is. The internet seems split between onager and mangonel.
Catapult Collage - 1280w.jpg
Wood is basic pine.
I planned to use glued butt joints except for lap joints on the cross-bar to take the impact. However, I decided to reinforce the verticals and diagonals with screws, as constant firing might eventually crack the glue.
I also added some small secondary lap joints to the cross-bar, to prevent the inward pulling force of the wound rope collapsing the frame.
Finally, my wife unknowingly donated a kitchen spoon.
The kids love it. They set up breakable forts and try to knock down the walls. The cat remains understandably suspicious.
What would I improve?
Gluing the stop dowels was a mistake. I can't increase the twists to add more power. If I made this again, I would either use removable stop dowels or make a simple ratchet and pawl system. It's meant to be a kid's toy however, so maybe it's a good thing to limit the power.
I would also add some height (maybe wheels) to give the the firing arm some clearance underneath.
Finally, I'd add another cross-bar just after the rope, to prevent bending inwards from the twist force.
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