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Product Description
The ballista was the ultimate artillery weapon of the Roman Empire. Similar in appearance to a giant crossbow, it was powered by massive bundles of twisted horse hair. The bolts it fires would mow down enemies and fortifications alike. This kit is based on the Roman design. It is laser cut from select hardwood for easy assembly and reliable performance. This tabletop kit has been designed for simple assembly. Designed with interlocking parts, a simple, reliable trigger, high strength cordage and lightweight projectiles this ballista is incredibly durable. Three easy-to-follow rules for public demonstration are provided to ensure everyone's safety.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Durability:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Educational:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
When I initially received this, just by looking at the box, I began to doubt it was worth the money. However, I turned a few of my enterprising students loose on this model and I have to report it was worth every penny. The skeins(string)are a bit tricky, as stated in another review..but if you have an issue..just call over an eighth grader and he'll handle it for you..I admit, never being a sailor or a Boy Scout, I was a bit baffled by the loops until two students said..no wait!.do it this way...and in no time it was done..you have to watch your tension, align the projectile just right...true to history no doubt..and my students got more than 35 feet in range after a few adjustments. So by popular demand I am ordering three more for my other classes in Roman History, and we're having a ballista shoot-a-thon contest not seen since the days of Gaius Marius..I truly recommend this ballista without any reservation.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tricky to assemble, but a fine replica of old Greek/Roman designs
February 23, 2012
Durability:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Educational:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I bought this ballista together with Catapult Kit (onager) from the same company. It is much more intricate than the latter. Both arms are powered by torsion cords like the real Greek/Roman siege weapon, and the wind-up mechanism comes with stoppers. There is also a firing trigger, which is missing in the onager.
The many parts are mostly assembled with wood glue, of which I have a bottle in the garage. My 10-year-old insists on doing this without my assistance at first, but eventually relents when it comes time to put together the torsion cords and the drawing string, partly because the instruction sheet contains a minor oversight in this stage of construction. The instructions are otherwise excellent and very easy to follow.
The end result is a fine replica of the real thing, with much better energy efficiency than the onager. My son is very proud of himself and very fond of his newly completed science project.
The many parts are mostly assembled with wood glue, of which I have a bottle in the garage. My 10-year-old insists on doing this without my assistance at first, but eventually relents when it comes time to put together the torsion cords and the drawing string, partly because the instruction sheet contains a minor oversight in this stage of construction. The instructions are otherwise excellent and very easy to follow.
The end result is a fine replica of the real thing, with much better energy efficiency than the onager. My son is very proud of himself and very fond of his newly completed science project.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Gatz
Durability:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Educational:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This was a fantastic purchase and a lot of fun to construct with my son. He is a history enthusiast of ancient warfare and loves this toy. Absolutely advise getting one for your "tween" or teenager.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
All the parts in my kit were cut askew.
It seems the slab of wood for my set was loaded crooked onto the computer-controlled laser-cutting machine. Every piece is about 2° or 3° askew on the edges. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Fatal-Noogie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little toy - does take some skill to assemble
My 9-year old son loves this toy! I did most of the assembly. This is probably too hard to assemble well for a child younger than 12 or so (in my opinion. Read more
Published 15 days ago by J. Blilie
4.0 out of 5 stars
BETTER AND EASIER TO ASSEMBLE THAN THE TREBUCHET
THE LASER CUT PIECES ARE MORE PRECISE THAN THE TREBUCHET, AND ARE EASIER FOR A CHILD TO ASSEMBLE. They used more precise joinery like dovetails and mortise and tenon joints. Read more
Published 1 month ago by tsel_shaddai
5.0 out of 5 stars
fully functional
Excellent engineering exercise, and who said engineering wasn't fun. Once built, it is satisfying to use it and measure the different distances.
Published 1 month ago by Chris Eagle
3.0 out of 5 stars
good model to make with the kids
The instructions were clear and my 7 year old was able to build the model successfully. I have had better results/experience with the 3B/Scientifics & Pathfinders products that... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Brett Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good fun
Sits on my office desk and provides a nice distraction now and then. Reasonably difficult to construct and I advise using the videos on their website to help.
Published 1 month ago by pdte
5.0 out of 5 stars
a great present!
Bought this as a present for my dad. We had a lot of fun making it. It's not the easiest thing in the world to calibrate, but that's part of the charm. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mike Barrett
5.0 out of 5 stars
its a blast
I bought this for my boyfriend who is into medieval weapons and he really likes it. There was one problem with part of a piece not being completely finished, so he had to get a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Miss Mel
5.0 out of 5 stars
fun kit
pre cut and easy to assemble works great once you get tension springs wound correct and adjusted to corredt tension
Published 2 months ago by John F. Jennings
1.0 out of 5 stars
Unassembled, Uneven Parts. Would Not Recommend
So the picture of a wooden ballista kit looks fun and dandy, but don't be fooled.
This kit, for me, was very difficult to put together. Read more
This kit, for me, was very difficult to put together. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Johnny Tran
