Reads with Scotch ’s Comments (group member since Mar 14, 2008)

Reads with Scotch ’s comments from the Axis Mundi X group.

"Mechanical engineers design weapons;
Civil engineers design targets."

http://andypsionfan.users.btopenworld...


I think I stumbled onto a fellow enthusiast here is a little clip of the floating arm trebuchet this guy built, lots of ideas, I will admit I wasn't sure of the mechanics of it till I saw this little clip.

yes'um. I am looking more into this floating arm trebuchet, and it appears that many people, college level science classes are trying to crack it. After I figure out the basics I am going to crack it.

Yeah we pretty much burn Tennessee every year and don't really notice.

You have touched on a very bitter subject here in Alaska Johnny. I wouldn't mention it when you’re up here.(remember they are armed and not as nice as I am) Technically Alaska IS the biggest state in the Union, but it never ends up that way on all the lists. In fact when I was in school I remember vary clearly learning Cali was the biggest state. But let’s break this down. Only the vary south east portion of Alaska is populated and has infolstucture, from the Keni to Fairbanks. There are some small villages but Fairbanks is pretty much the last town on the last highway to nowhere. Anyway think about this the line from the Keni to Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay is about 860 miles... this is the narrowest part of the state Johnny. (From north to south) I am not sure how they crunched the numbers to bamboozle Alaska out of the largest state title but I agree with my adopted statesmen. We're getting screwed. I am going to try and find the sat pictures I dug up late last year and imposed Alaska over Cali and then the eastern sea board. Alaska is beyond huge.

More of Alaska burns every year then the rest of the lower 48 combined. Nobody gets too concerned about it up here though. It is good for the wildlife and the vegetation. It can get a bit bothersome if it is close to town, but that hasn't happened in a few years. I don’t have some spiffy sadistic to quote but they say it on the local news every fire season. When I first moved up here I couldn’t believe it the news anchor was bashing Cali because of all the complaining they were doing on the cable news networks (Awe 100, 000 acres burned boohoo)

Well another bonus to doing this shindig in July august is that there will probably be a forest fire going so nobody will know when we set the hillside on fire by flinging burning pitch at it }:-D

This design has also made me start to consider a Floating Arm Trebuchet as well as a fixed. I am sure by the time everyone shows up I will have many toys for us all to play with.

and of the sling release

http://img.rlt.com/a/10101/x/tip.jpg

http://www.ripcord.ws/theory.html

This is a page of equations that I have been using to pencil out my plans

My problem is everything is in my head right now. I haven't been able to actually touch a tool yet. But I go home tomorrow.

I would assume it is not a true fluorescent. Perhaps a halogen or some other gas bulb.

From everything I have read the sling and release of the sling are pretty much the most important aspect of a successful trebuchet. So I have found a vary creative but simple design that allows you to adjust the pitch of the sling catch (thus dictating when the sling will open, I have read that a 45deg release is the most effective, but I will test that myself.)


I will see if I can find the website that had the mechanical catch adjuster on it, if not, I could e-mail you the one I drew up. If I can get it done before I leave tomorrow. I don’t have a scanner at home.

I'm thinking end of July beginning of august... leaning toward July. Better weather, and the most daylight, we would be able to pretty much work 24/7. About 22 hours of direct sunlight 2 hours of dusk and then 22 hours more sunlight, nice :) I had thought about the layering. I am not sure how to work the mechanics of it yet, but I can make a whole slew of interchangeable fulcrum arms. I believe I can get a lot of information out of this scaled down "info" model. Wouldn't the terminal velocity of a heavier weight be higher? Causing more downward force? If not then this changes things, where did I get that idea...?

The Mosquitoes are the size of African swallows yes, and we have bears, wolves, wolverines, links (which are quite nasty). But there are simple solutions to all of this.

a) Bears will stay away because of the amount of people there. (And I am armed, and standing next to a trebuchet, no worries)
b) Wolves and wolverines; There has never been a single confirmed case of an attack on a human, and I will be armed to the teeth standing next to a trebuchet.
c) The mosquitoes are something that we will have to deal with, I do have a couple past mosquito traps that work really well, and then there is the terrain, One of the reasons I picked the location I did was for the river, there will be a constant breeze that will help further with the biting bastards, and I will be armed to the teeth and standing next to a trebuchet.

And finally, for those of you that require a life of luxury away from the action, armed men and the trebuchet, there is the Chena Hot springs Resort just a few miles further up the road. (By a few miles I mean about 34.8)

Some more of the specifics

Ammo weight start at 10lb move up to 20lb (NickTreM1)

Sling Length ranging from 6ft to 12ft

I’m also going to be playing with the release point, I have herd 45 deg, but I want to mess with that.

What kind of composite? Ply or a high density plastic?

I was also toying with the idea of going plastic for some of the high stress points. But I am arguing with myself about being authentic, or efficient. I don't know, I suspect by the time you all arrive I will have a trebuchet grave yard around my house. Instead of the white trash thing (dead cars). No offence anybody with dead cars in the yard.

I am starting on a scaled down version this weekend.

16 ft fulcrum pivot point at 5 ft

From top to bottom 21 ft highest apex/ 17ft 2in in the cocked position.

10ft from ground to axle (would like to maintain a 6in clearance at the bottom swing for safety, getting crushed would not be good)

I’m starting off with a 450lb counter weight, and will work up too a 750lb weight (with my current plans, growing bigger once I have this perfected)

19... I am not sure how accurate this is. I agree I like the night more then the morning, but I also wake up really early no matter when I go to sleep or how tiered I am when I fall asleep. I think I average about 5 hours of sleep, doesn't matter if I am at work or home? I don't know maybe I am a paradoxes or a time conundrum... screw this man, there is a perfectly good universe right next door lets go.