And we're in full swing...

Laura was away today so I ha to make sure I was very productive and that we would be on track still. I built some of the arm yesterday but majority today. I had problems with the sturdiness of the center with my hole being so large that the wood could snap under a slight bit if weight. So I re-enforced it with 2 pieces if timber. Then my next problem was how the weight would hang off the end? I soon figured that problem out after a few experiments and decided on pulling a thick long nail between 2 pieces of wood for the weight to hang off. So the nail wouldn't come out I hot glued it into place and then secured each end with a small piece if thin timber to cover the homes. I haven't tested it yet so I don't know if it will hold the weight or not. Hopefully it does. A big problem I had today was that one of the support structures broke and fell apart so I had to reassemble that which was frustrating and time consuming. However after all that we don't have much left to do - just put some wheels on it, finish of a trigger system and tidy the thing up. We should be firing away next lesson!!!

ITS COMING ALONG!

So our trebuchet is coming along really well. Today we finished up making the main structural base and started on the swinging arm. We decided to make where the rod goes across different to everyone else's. instead of drilling a hole on either side we decided to get an extra piece of wood to  go over the rod so we didn't have to drill (and it kinda looked cool to me :P ). I started making the arm while Laura finished off the base. I obviously was not thinking or concentrating properly because i glued, nailed and drilled a hole all on the wrong side. So our planned arm didn't really go to plan. I am hoping tomorrow at lunch to re-make the arm better so that it will work. Our current arm looks like would snap at the lightest bit of weight. It will either need reinforcing or to be re-made again. Laura and I are working really well together. We have reached the rest of the group and may have a working trebuchet by the end of the week if were lucky (if we don't that means lunch time work has to be done). I was thinking once it was done we could spray paint it so it looked mean and nasty, the scariest trebuchet ever see. A WEAPON OF DESTRUCTION!  maybe even some spikes or something hahaa :P 

3rd lesson in

So far so good with a catapult. We have got quite far lately and I think we will be able to get on with the actual catapult soon. :)

2nd lesson

Laura spent yesterday without me cutting out wood and stabilizing the base of our trebuchet. Today we glued the side parts of our frame today and nailed it together. Today was very productive and we caught up to the others.

Day 1 in the workshop

Picture of Laura with our wood