That's an interesting idea Toolmaker, but would not the Treb be a bit slow initially? Those little rats may be stupid but they are lightning quick. The set up I envision will be a bit simpler and easily portable without carriage. Probably use about 2 dozen 3/8" bungees on each side of the fulcrum for propulsion, an old truck shock to avoid auto-destruct sequence. The glued peanut has great merit, will incorporate that one certainly. Bill of materials I think is 1 4x4, 1 2x4, door hinge, piece of scrap 1/4" ply, the aforementioned bungee(keeps coming back into my life), and a string release trigger of undetermined design. Couple of pieces of 1/2" rebar to nail it down.

derf, I am surprised at myself for not considering whether or not they are CAT qualified. Again, the synergy of many outweighs the imagination of one.

ncbowman, appreciate your concern but already have an alibi. "Why does a chicken cross the road?", becomes "How does a squirrel cross the river?" All of God's creatures lust for greener grass on the other side, I'm only trying to help out. Those poor tree rats were slighted by evolution and left flightless, so in reality I'm helping the handicapped. Acts of random kindness, dispensed one at a time.


Dan

Pres., TYGC
www.RockysFlight.School

A fellow Highlander! Which clan? I like the glued peanut idea - it appeals to my innate "thriftyness". The money then could be put to something more useful like Matchkings. As for the "catpult" idea - think Trebuchet - I keep thinking about building a floating arm Treb using one of those laminated beams they sell at Home Depot for the arm and say a ton of recovered lead shot for the counterweight(like I said innate "thriftyness"). Here's a link to a pretty good Treb site. Among other things. they offer software to design them.

http://www.ripcord.ws/

Toolmaker

I have a "solution" regarding the squirrels escaping before launch - No Pest Strips! The adhesive is strong enough to retain said squirrel for launching but not enough(I think) once said squirrel reachs the zenith of the momentum curve. He'd be yanked free to meet his destiny

Toolmaker

Just had another idea... instead of a catapult, why not a giant slingshot? Here's the idea: take one of those large plastic funnels, glue peanut inside, put eyebolt in spout - this will be our release. Attach elastic to either side (bungee cord, surgical tubing, etc), at other end attach to uprights to form an incline angle of say 30 to 45 degrees. Now for the release - set two eye bolts parallel to one another just far enough apart to admit the eyebolt on the funnel between them. Said pair fo eyebolts are far enough away from uprights so as to give a really good stretch on the elastic. The "trigger" is nothing more than a pin on a wire with the pin dia. just small enough to pass through the eyebolts and long enough to pass through all three. Firing is simple: wait for squirrel to get next to bait and then yank pin free!

Toolmaker

www.RockysFlight.School
I like that one Dan. I wonder how many others will admit to being that old. For your next feet,will you pull a rabbi out of your hat?? derf

TM, Sorry about not answering the first question. It's clan Forman. Don't know who we were allegeded to be affiliated with,though I suspect it was the McDonalds. There are rumours of our clan being so mercenary that they would switch sides in battle if it looked like their side was going to lose and they wouldn't be able to collect their gold.
It is also rumoured that the clan was also quite reclusive. To the point where messengers heads were returned to the senders alone with rumours of cannibalism!
The ancestors did come down out of the hills however at least once a year for the games,to break a few heads and steal a few women.
I don't know how much of that I believe however as I have very strong feelings of loyalty,fairness and honour! derf