We’re oohing and ahhing over a new arrival these days–a trebuchet built by eccentric genius Kaden.
This was a suprise–and rather late–Christmas gift I ordered for Frank, after reading about Kaden’s toys in BoingBoing. I loved it that this particular hanging counterweight trebuchet was “based on the familiar Monty-Python “dead-cow-over-the-castle-wall” catapult.”
Kaden invites special requests–for Frank, of course, I wanted “lots of physics.” Kaden dug right into it:
This whole physics angle is challenging…I dug up a chunk of brass heat
exchanger tubing at Capital Salvage that I’m using half of the outer shell
of for the launch trough…representin’ thermodynamics in da hood, I guess.I’m gonna put a hidden compartment in the inside of the weight box. Who
doesn’t like secret compartments, and the measurable discrepancy between
apparent volume and actual mass will serve as a piquant and ironic nod to
the ongoing uncertainty regarding Dark Matter.Or not.
Levers we got covered.
More later…
K
The trebuchet arrived in a large wooden box stamped “ECCENTRIC GENIUS”–I’m sure we’ll find a use for the box somewhere too. So far we’ve used it to shoot blueberries (which the dog likes to fetch but also likes to eat), small potatoes, and more-or-less round chunks of portobello mushroom, which are too light to go far.
It’s a gorgeous object, and sits in front of the fireplace when nobody is using it to launch pieces of food. I asked Kaden if I could share some of his email, and he replied:
I’m glad the piece was well received, and that your fireplace is now
properly defended. Here’s some pictures I took of it prior to shipping…do
what you want with ’em, and blog like a crazed marsupial…as long as you
spell my name right.
It’s Kaden. Thank you, Kaden! We love our new toy.