Any ideas of how to hold a pumpkin in a pumpkin launcher?
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FiRE_MaN (
684
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November 13th, 2010
Today my friends and I made a pumpkin launcher that is going to launch a pumpkin between 4–8 pounds. We have the whole thing constructed except for the pouch or holder that is going to hold the pumpkin. I made a model of it in Google sketchup before building it and I will put a link to it. But does anyone have any good ideas of a container or some way to hold it? We have thought of just a piece of leather but we do not know where to get a piece of leather large enough. Or a colander but we think that the colander is going to bend. The lines in the sketchup model are actually bungee cords. The stick near the back is going to be a bench press bar. I dont need to explain everything all I need is an idea for a pumpkin holder. Also there has to be a way to attach string to the back of this pouch or whatever so we can pull it back and cut it with an axe.
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n126/omgthepopo/pumpkinlauncherv2.jpg
this thing is 8 ft tall/long and 4 feet wide so it will fit in the back of my truck if anyone is wondering.
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10 Answers
You can use a bath towel. Cut it so it extends just past the half way point on the pumpkin side. You do not wan tit so large that is can accidentally flop in front of the projectile when it reaches the shortest point of the bungee cords.
I also suggest adding surgical tubing with one end tied to the frame and the other to midpiont of the bungee cords to help keep them out of the way.
A swing seat might work well, or a helmet or the right shape of pan.
I piece of rubber cut from the right size inner tube might work. You’re basically making a giant sling shot, correct?
well kind of a sling shot. originally we planned to use rope instead of bungee cord so it is not purely a sling shot but I dont know what else one would call it haha.
and @worriedguy I was thinking about making one out of cloth also out of a couple of old shirts I have but we have to put them together in a way in which they do not tear when pulled back with so much force. If all else fails we will probably do that.
I built a trebuche pumpkin launcher a few years ago and getting the pumpkin to sit in the pouch was a major hassle. I watched another team launch their pumpkins that were secured in mesh potato sacks hung off a hook on their catapult….a perfect punkin chunkin every time!. I used an old ace hardware cloth nail pouch/belt that I was able to make work well.
Trebuchets need a sling, so you will need something soft to hold the pumpkin yet release… An old hammock might work, or perhaps a section of tarp. If you do use old t-shirts you will need several layers, to withhold the stress.
This site has a cool calculator so you can check the proportions of your machine…
Sounds like lots of fun!!!
anyone have any idea how a cloth pouch should be shaped?
Contact the experts. Contact the Punkin Chunkin folks. They know what’s what when it comes to hurling pumpkins however far and however which way you want to do it. Talk to the rednecks who know, that’s all I can say.
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