15 Dangerously Mad Projects for the Evil Genius

CHAPTER 2Trebuchet

SOMETIMES THE EVIL GENIUS LIKES to go for that retro-look when creating his projects, and it’s hard to get much more retro than a medieval siege engine.

The trebuchet uses a weight attached to an arm with a sling on the end of it to throw objects. In its time, the projectiles varied, but were often big rocks or dead and rotting horses, thrown into the enemy fortifications during sieges. The Evil Genius’ trebuchet will not throw much more than a tennis ball, but it will throw it a decent distance, and it’s a good project to try if you like woodworking.

Figure 2-1 shows the trebuchet ready for action.

It’s a simple design that ...