How to Build a PVC Catapult 

By Michael Pergrem

Have you ever wanted to learn how to build a catapult? I have built a few catapults for school physics projects and was surprise on how much fun they really were. I mean, what is more fun than hurling objects across big distances? Well, many people ask me how to do it so I thought it would be a great subject to write an article about. In this article I am going to cover some of the basics of how to build a catapult from the ground up!

The first thing to remember when building a catapult is safety! If you are afraid something might be unsafe, then do not do it!

Alright, so what are we going to build this out of? I recommend something simple to start with. So let's say PVC pipe. It is inexpensive and very easy to work with. After you make one like this, you could upgrade to wood to hurl bigger objects. Just remember, safety always comes first.

There are three main parts of a catapult you need to know to learn how to build a catapult. They are the swinger, base, and anchor.

The base should be wide and very stable. It is pretty strait forward to make. You could do it with just two PVC pipes parallel to each other or you could close them off in a rectangle shape. I would close them off just because I like things to be the best possible. This can be accomplished with a little PVC primer and PVC cement. Of course that is optional and it will work fine without it, but it will make your catapult last much longer!

Now the swinger is a little more complicated. There are many factors that will change the performance of your catapult. The longer it is, the farther it will throw objects, but make it too long and now it will be weak and possible not work as well. Luckily for us, PVC is easy to cut. So I would make it a little long and if it does not work well you can just cut it a little shorter until you find the perfect spot.

The anchor is a little different from a normal catapult for one reason. We are using PVC pipe. To make it simple, you could just operate it manually by pulling down on the other side of the swinger. Or you could attach a hook to the base on the side with the swinger. Then you would attach bungee cords from the pipe holding the swinger in place.

With that, you should know how to build a catapult easily with inexpensive materials!

Now that you know how to build a catapult, you might even be able to get the materials for free!

Having a catapult is a great way to turn heads and have loads of fun! So get out there and give it a try! You never know, you might have just found your new hobby!

Thanks for reading and good luck!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com