Weekends in October in Santa Paula mean the Santa Paula Rotary Fulkner Farm Pumpkin Patch
This year Chris Wilson built a Trebuchet to hurl pumpkins about 200 feet. He got the plans from a photo provided by Guy Cole. He downloaded a simulation program from the internet and built the trebuchet just the right size for the length of the field and the size and weight of the pumpkins we used.
The energy for the machine comes from a 500 lb. block of steel. The kids and adults pull on a rope through pulleys to cock the arm. A long blue fiberglass pole is used to raise the pulley and rope to the eye on the top of the arm. Once cocked and latched there is a safety. The ropes are pulled out of the way and the pumpkin loaded in the sling. After “All Clear!” the safety is switched to the off position and the countdown begins. We start at “Three” because who can wait to start from “Ten”? A blue rope is pulled to release the latch and the 500 lb. hunk of steel moves down as the arm and sling go into operation. The sling has two ropes and a third attachment that is slipped over a steel pin. As the arm comes up to the top of the arc the loop attachment slips off its pin and the pumpkin is hurled. Each pumpkin spins in a little different way. Keeping the stem on the pumpkin helps in observation of its orientation durning flight. At the point of impact several different actions occur. Some pumpkins just roll, some split in half and some splatter.
As part of our fundraiser for our community service projects we ask $5.00 per pumpkin or 3 for $10.00.
You can find out more about trebuchets on the web.
5 responses so far ↓
Denise // October 8, 2008 at 12:28 am |
I stumbled upon a trebuchet at Dan Roatcap’s Santa Paula Christmas Tree Farm recently. Sadly, there was no ammo in sight, just the vegetal carnage left behind.
johnchristensen // October 14, 2008 at 4:59 pm |
I’m planning on building a trebuchet for a similar purpose. Thanks for the video! That’s pretty impressive. I couldn’t tell what his counterweight was made of. Do you know?
sespe // October 14, 2008 at 5:06 pm |
John, The counterweight was 500 lbs. of solid steel. Just something Chris Wilson had sitting around his shop. He made it from scraps from his construction business. He told me he went on line and purchased a computer simulation program. He knew that the field we had for our use was 200 or so feet long so he buile the trebuchet with the weight and length of arm, etc to throw a pumpkin of the size he knew we would be using just 200 feet. Beyond where the pumpkins splat to the ground is a road and we did not want pumpkins landing on the road and bothering the cars. We are charging $5 per pumpkin or 3 for $10 and a fundraiser for the Santa Paula Rotary Club. It was exhausting work and a crew of three is nice but two can work it.
johnchristensen // November 11, 2008 at 7:21 pm |
How is your fund raiser going? Is it over yet?
John Nichols // November 11, 2008 at 8:39 pm |
Yes. The pumpkin patch went on for 4 weekends in October. The Santa Paula Rotary Club raised over $100,000 for service projects. The entire club and many members of the community volunteer. It’s not over and mostly cleaned up. Unsold pumpkins were given away or fed to cattle. Until next year.