Luke's Projects

Luke's Projects

Siege Equipment

Models

Games

Miscellaneous

Past, present and future creations. Mangonel Dalek Javscript-based Harmonograph

Front Page Trebuchet Maglev The Bonus Box Arcade machine

Links Roller Coaster Raft Race

Magonel

Video of mangonel firing (500kb)

my mangonel

The mangonel is a medieval French siege weapon apparently. It's more or less what most people think of when they hear 'catapult', but with a sling attached.

The mangonel is only 20cm tall, but capable of hurling a conker over 10 metres. It's power is easily adjusted by the amount of twists in the string, to provide more or less tension. If I use only two or three turns the range is down to about 3-5 metres, so I can use the mangonel indoors. 4 or 5 turns produces a range of about 10 metres, if I twist it any further the string tends to snap. I've made a trigger out of a piece of wire coathanger, you can see it being put to good use in my video of the mangonel being fired here.

the trebuchet and mangonel
The mangonel was the second of my two siege weapons. I made it simply by cutting lengths of wood to the right lengths, then drilling gluing and screwing together at the joints. Here is a comparison of size between the trebuchet (with it's old arm, but new frame) and mangonel:

Luke's Projects	Siege Equipment	Models	Games	Miscellaneous
Past, present and future creations.	Mangonel	Dalek	Javscript-based	Harmonograph
Front Page	Trebuchet	Maglev	The Bonus Box	Arcade machine
Links		Roller Coaster		Raft Race

Magonel
Video of mangonel firing (500kb)

The mangonel is a medieval French siege weapon apparently. It's more or less what most people think of when they hear 'catapult', but with a sling attached.
The mangonel is only 20cm tall, but capable of hurling a conker over 10 metres. It's power is easily adjusted by the amount of twists in the string, to provide more or less tension. If I use only two or three turns the range is down to about 3-5 metres, so I can use the mangonel indoors. 4 or 5 turns produces a range of about 10 metres, if I twist it any further the string tends to snap. I've made a trigger out of a piece of wire coathanger, you can see it being put to good use in my video of the mangonel being fired here.
	The mangonel was the second of my two siege weapons. I made it simply by cutting lengths of wood to the right lengths, then drilling gluing and screwing together at the joints. Here is a comparison of size between the trebuchet (with it's old arm, but new frame) and mangonel: