League Catapult

This catapult is meant to launch unmodified tennis balls, and is meant to launch as far as 30 yards.

Materials:

3— 2” x 4” x 8’ Stud (Common); 1.5” x 3.5” x 8’ (Actual)

1— ½” x 10’ PVC Pipe

50’— ¼” Braided Polypropylene Rope

Electrical Tape

Assorted nuts, bolts, washers

Wood screws ¾” x 3 ½” Lag Screws

1. Take 1 piece of wood and make a cut 2 feet from one end. This 2 ft piece will be one side of the base of the catapult.
2. Take the original piece of wood and make a second cut 2 ft from one end. This other 2 ft piece will be another side of the base of the catapult.
3. Set both 2 ft pieces aside, and with the remaining wood from the original 2 by 4, cut 9 inches of wood from it.
4. Set the newly cut piece aside and cut another 9 inches of wood from the original 2 by 4.
5. With the original 2 by 4, cut 18 inches of wood. Set this aside.
6. Cut another 18 inches of wood form the original 2 by 4, and set aside.
7. Cut 1" of a wooden dowel for the axis of the launch arm.

At this point you have cut the wood for the base and the vertical supports of the launching arm.

8. Take another 2 by 4, and cut 4 pieces that are each 18.24 inches long.

9. Take the final 2 by 4 and cut 27.65 inches of wood from it, and set aside.

Those are all the cuts that need to be made, now we can begin assembling.

Take the two 2 ft long pieces, and the two 9" long pieces for this step.

1. Drill two pilot holes, approximately a quarter inch from the top and bottom of the 2 ft long piece (this should be at the end of the piece, where the 9 inch one will meet)
2. Screw the 9" piece of wood to the 2' piece of wood, using wood screws to screw through the pilot holes.
3. Do the same thing with the other 9" & 2' pieces of wood, so you have two 'L' shapes. The 2 ft piece of wood should be on the outside of both 'L' shapes, so the 9" piece of wood will be in between the 2 ft-ers.
4. Drill two more pilot holes on the opposite end of the 2' pieces, at what should be the top of the 'L' shape. Drill the holes approximately a quarter inch from the top and bottom of the piece.
5. Turn one of the 'L's over, and line them up to create a rectangle that is 2' by 1'.
6. Use 4 more wood screws to screw the rectangle together, creating the base.

At this point, you should have a rectangle that is 1' wide and 2' long. Now we are attaching the supports for the launch arm.

1. Attach the vertical supports we cut earlier (18" long pieces) on the inside of the rectangle, 3 inches from one side.
2. Take the diagonal supports