The Miniature Trebuchet

by RLT Industries

Product Features

• Takes up only 4" x 9" of desktop space
• Stands just 7" tall at the axle
• Designed and made in the USA
• Quick and easy to build
• It really works!

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B001LEVJRW
• Item model number: 10441
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,861 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #11 in Industrial & Scientific > Science Education > Physics Classroom Supplies
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Product Description

The trebuchet was the ultimate artillery weapon of the medieval period and early renaissance. A large and unwieldy weapon, it was typically built on-site during battle, and tuned to lob great weights - such as the carcasses of rotting horses and pots of burning pitch, over the castle walls and onto its inhabitants. This is our newest and smallest trebuchet design in a long line of catapult kits. Designed by master trebuchet expert Ron Toms, this machine is ideal for the student on a budget or as a wonderful display piece for any desktop or bookshelf of any history enthusiast. Precision carved by computer controlled machinery for guaranteed fit and accurate joinery. The detailed instructions include loads of photos of each step of the construction process, tuning tips and safety notes. Included in the kit are four wooden projectiles, all the necessary components for the sling, trigger, and counterweight bucket as well as all the parts for the kit. The only thing you'll need to supply are 64 pennies for counterweight and a few simple tools - Scissors, a ruler, a utility knife, wood glue and a few rubber bands to hold the pieces together while the glue dries. Tools required: Scissors, Glue, Ruler, rubber bands and a utility knife. Sandpaper is optional. Additional Counterweight Required: 64 pennies. Range: About 10 feet.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Manufacturer's notes and responses, December 2, 2010

By 

R. L. Toms (San Antonio, Tx) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Miniature Trebuchet (Toy)

Thank you for your interest in the Desktop Trebuchet!

First of all, please disregard any photos for this product with a black background. Those photos are NOT of this item. Somehow the wrong photos keep showing up here. The correct photos are the ones with a white background. The design has not changed, and the white background photos show exactly what the model looks like.

In response to M Wang, the pouch ("sac") material was chosen specifically for its performance characteristics. We originally tried a very soft, thin leather, but it was too heavy and seriously affected the performance. Fractions of an ounce matter in a model this small, and the leather pouch only gave a range of five to eight feet, whereas the net pouch yields 20 feet or more with the same projectile. Feel free to swap it out and try for yourself! This might even make a great science experiment. (and by the way, our other trebuchet products do use a leather sling.)

All my products are designed to perform well as a primary goal. Cost is secondary (and believe me, it is TOUGH to try and compete with Chinese made goods on price!) Our products are 100% domestic materials and labor, which isn't the cheapest way to do it, but try the competition and I'm sure you'll agree that ours is a far superior product.

The proper glue to use is any ordinary wood glue. Large binder clips make great clamps to hold pieces together while the glue dries, and the glue will set in about half an hour. Screws and nails are NOT recommended. Glue is all you need, and our customer support staff can help if you have any questions at all about the assembly.

Regarding the dowels, any wooden dowels 1/4" in diameter or less will not be dimensionally stable, no matter where you get them. (This kit uses 3/16" dowels). Temperature, humidity and pressure can all affect swelling in small pieces of wood. It's uncommon, but it does happen occasionally. Fortunately, the dowels are trivially easy to sand down a tiny bit to fit within the pre-drilled holes if necessary.

If you have any difficulty assembling this kit at all, our support desk is always happy to help. Contact information is provided in the instructions -- assuming someone actually looks at the instructions! (that's not just extra packaging material, you know...)

If you have any questions, send us a note. We'll respond as quickly as possible.
Thanks again, and have a great day,

-- Ron Toms, President, RLT Industries, inc.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FUN, WORKS, BUT, November 3, 2009

By 

Dennis Lachaud "avidreader" (MI) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Miniature Trebuchet (Toy)

THIS TOY IS FUN TO BUILD AND FUN TO OPERATE, AND IS A GREAT TEACHER'S HELP FOR MEDIEVAL HISTORY, BUT BE READY TO IMPROVE ON IT; THE DOWELS SENT WITH THE KIT DID NOT FIT, THEY WERE TO BIG (THE NEAREST HOBBY SHOP HAD THE PROPER SIZE FOR A FEW CENTS). AND THE WHOLE TREBUCHET ROCKS ALARMINGLY WHEN FIRED, REQUIRING EITHER THE ADDITION OF A LARGER AND HEAVIER BASE, OR SIMPLY A SET OF WHEELS (AS SEEN FOR INSTANCE ON THE PBS DOCUMENTARY ON MEDIEVAL SIEGE ENGINES). OVERALL ,STILL A FUN EXPERIENCE!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, educational, and works well, December 29, 2011

By 

B. Melgaard (Any Town - United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Miniature Trebuchet (Toy)

This is a great kit. I was a little skeptical when I saw the parts came in one board and that they had to be snipped out and sanded, but it wasnt a ton of work and was a great bonding experience with my son (10 yrs old). We built the whole thing over 2 days, and it took about 6 hours from opening the package to firing projectiles around the house. We let it sit overnight for the glue to harden then finished the sling the 2nd day. It took us about 10 attempts to figure out how to get the pouch to work and to adjust the sling to fire correctly. Great product, sturdy, educational, and plain old fun.