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Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog (Read 1113 times)
Dawesome21
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Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Dec 28th, 2020 at 9:43pm
 
Yesterday we were beset by fog while throwing fireballs.  It was terrible conditions for ropes.  The chain anchor grew icy and sharp and wore through one of the strands in the sling.  I have spliced it back together.

In case you wondered what a natural-fiber rope netted trebuchet sling looks like after around a hundred shots and a few dozen fireballs...  In short, something out of the middle ages!

I am using the silver fid to point to the section that broke, with the broken strand at the top.

I have added leather chafe protection around the rings.

YouTube edit:  https://youtu.be/McP2L5FYBwY
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Kick
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #1 - Dec 29th, 2020 at 4:01am
 
That looks really cool Cheesy The fireballs in the fog looked awesome as well. Do you know what your furthest shot has been?
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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923
 
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NooneOfConsequence
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #2 - Dec 29th, 2020 at 10:27am
 
Who says you couldn’t have a little fun during the dark ages Grin
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“My final hour is at hand. We face an enemy more numerous and cunning than the world has yet seen. Remember your training, and do not fear the hordes of Judas. I, without sin, shall cast the first stone. That will be your sign to attack! But you shall not fight this unholy enemy with stones. No! RAZOR GLANDES!  Aim for the eyes! May the Lord have mercy, for we shall show none!“  -Jesus the Noodler
 
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vetryan15
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #3 - Dec 29th, 2020 at 11:39am
 
Sweet. Where are u located?
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Dawesome21
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #4 - Dec 29th, 2020 at 3:15pm
 
I'm in Northern Utah.  We were sending these 20lb fireball rocks 600ft, but we sent a bowling ball 850ft a few months ago and I think we can break 900ft in Spring.
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IronGoober
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #5 - Dec 29th, 2020 at 7:42pm
 
What do you do to lubricate the axle? It seems like friction would be the biggest killer of launch speed with your setup.
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #6 - Dec 29th, 2020 at 8:22pm
 
Great video!  The fog adds a very cool aspect.

For some real fun, play the video from Dawesome21, and in another tab open this one so you can hear the sound from it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pSCxok55zwGrin
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vetryan15
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #7 - Dec 30th, 2020 at 1:45am
 
Dawesome21 wrote on Dec 29th, 2020 at 3:15pm:
I'm in Northern Utah.  We were sending these 20lb fireball rocks 600ft, but we sent a bowling ball 850ft a few months ago and I think we can break 900ft in Spring.

That iis amazing, that scenery was beautiful
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Dawesome21
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #8 - Dec 30th, 2020 at 1:53am
 
IronGoober wrote on Dec 29th, 2020 at 7:42pm:
What do you do to lubricate the axle? It seems like friction would be the biggest killer of launch speed with your setup.


Yeah, I'm not sure what the friction is exactly but it is definitely there.  This year, before putting the machine together, I rubbed beeswax into all the negative bearing surfaces and then smothered all positive and negative surfaces with tallow (fat).  I think the tallow especially helped a lot in the first month or so (the machine was quiet when shooting), but it may have worn off by now.  When we went for distance I also dropped in some olive oil with a syringe into any nook I could get it into.  I've been trying to keep a theme of natural lubricants.

It would be cool to have a control test (bare wood on wood, then perhaps tallow added) to see the difference all that makes.  I have no clue.  Before our best shot this year, I squirted some olive oil into the main axle groove, and rubbed down the sling trough, and I think we gained 30-40 feet compared to the shot before it.
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NooneOfConsequence
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #9 - Dec 30th, 2020 at 8:47am
 
You should also look at polymerizing oils on the wood friction surfaces. With enough heat and friction, soybean oil turns into something akin to Teflon. You can even pre-bake parts if they’re small enough. Tallow will probably do something similar, actually, so you may already be doing this slowly over time.
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“My final hour is at hand. We face an enemy more numerous and cunning than the world has yet seen. Remember your training, and do not fear the hordes of Judas. I, without sin, shall cast the first stone. That will be your sign to attack! But you shall not fight this unholy enemy with stones. No! RAZOR GLANDES!  Aim for the eyes! May the Lord have mercy, for we shall show none!“  -Jesus the Noodler
 
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IronGoober
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #10 - Dec 30th, 2020 at 7:23pm
 
Interesting.

Your videos are amazing, by the way. Very fun to watch.

I know very little about historical trebuchets, are the bearing surfaces just wood on wood? or can/do you use things like bronze bearings (they must've had bronze? right?).

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John R.
 
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Dawesome21
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #11 - Dec 31st, 2020 at 1:35am
 
NooneOfConsequence wrote on Dec 30th, 2020 at 8:47am:
You should also look at polymerizing oils on the wood friction surfaces. With enough heat and friction, soybean oil turns into something akin to Teflon.


Whoa, I didn't know that about soybean oil.  Polymerizing oils.  I will have to look into that.

IronGoober wrote on Dec 30th, 2020 at 7:23pm:
Your videos are amazing, by the way. Very fun to watch.

I know very little about historical trebuchets, are the bearing surfaces just wood on wood? or can/do you use things like bronze bearings (they must've had bronze? right?).


Thank you!  The bearing surfaces are just wood on wood here (good to use different woods, one harder than the other).  There is an interesting article about this kind of stuff.  I should re-read it actually, it's been a while.  I think they had a lot of things (iron, bronze, etc) and certain setups were complex.  But a lot were simple and just wood vs. wood (thinking of grain mills mostly).

https://uccshes.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/friction-and-lubrication-in-medieval
-europe-the-emergence-of-olive-oil-as-a-superior-agent.pdf
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NooneOfConsequence
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Re: Trebuchet Sling Repair after Throwing Fireballs in a Fog
Reply #12 - Dec 31st, 2020 at 11:35pm
 
I was playing with polymerization of soybean oil on rocks for a while until my wife banned all stones from the kitchen Grin

Here’s an example.
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“My final hour is at hand. We face an enemy more numerous and cunning than the world has yet seen. Remember your training, and do not fear the hordes of Judas. I, without sin, shall cast the first stone. That will be your sign to attack! But you shall not fight this unholy enemy with stones. No! RAZOR GLANDES!  Aim for the eyes! May the Lord have mercy, for we shall show none!“  -Jesus the Noodler
 
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