Posted on 05/17/2014 7:51:52 PM PDT by null and void
How to create medieval weapons with modern tech
Do you have a castle that you need to storm, or a siege you need to lay upon your enemies? Are you sadly bereft of the medieval weaponry it would take to accomplish those tasks?
Well don’t despair: luckily, you live in the age of the Internet, which means somebody knows how to make things like self-igniting flaming arrows for all your siege needs, and that somebody is completely willing to share that information with the world:
First things first: materials. As a denizen of the modern age, you only need four things to create self-igniting fire arrows—a ball of steel wool, an ordinary nine-volt battery, a slingshot and, well, arrows. Attach the steel wool to the arrow, stick the battery on the base of your slingshot, and start shooting: when you draw back the slingshot’s elastic, the battery and steel wool meet, igniting the wool and subsequently the arrow.
[Video at source]
While the guy in the video is using a slingshot, this technique should work just as well with a regular bow or crossbow, although you’d probably have to modify it a bit.
I’m going to leave you with a small disclaimer: since you probably don’t have the mad archery skills of your medieval ancestors, and you’ll be shooting flaming projectiles, please experiment with this in a very large, completely empty area where you can’t set anything important on fire, like the land or houses or yourself.
But while you’re in that large, empty area, by all means see if you can look this badass:
Is this how you got your FReepname?
Finally-a way to deal with your obnoxious neighbors, or armed bears.
This guy was planning to kill a judge with a crossbow and napalm.
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/04/16/pd-accused-kaufman-county-killer-had-another-hit-planned/
>Finally-a way to deal with your obnoxious neighbors, or armed bears.
>>>Looks scary. I think I’d need 4 or 5 stiff drinks to work up the courage to try something like this.
2 posted on Saturday, May 17, 2014 10:54:43 PM by ClearCase_guy (Fegelein! Fegelein! Fegelein!)
OK, clearly you two have the best idears on this here thread so far, which I think I shall deploy next weekend when I’m not at work. Not against the armed bears, who are quite decent, but the neighbors. *belch*
That would be unbearable if true...
Skip that...let’s just drink....
Now, if there were plans for a home brew flame thrower, I might tool up for that, just in case, don't you know.
Many years ago when I was a traveling Musician there was a place I hung out called the Raider Ranch.
it was an old house on several acres that had had a small fire in it and had the interior gutted because of the smoke damage.
A bunch of us long haired youth used to hang out there (it was owned by one of the boy's fathers.)
In the summer there were always interesting things going on there. the guys had fixed up the place and cleaned up the interior and made sort of an homage to Animal House. It was shabby yet clean with all sorts of weird artifacts contained within (including a scantily clad manikin who wore a Imperial Storm Trooper helmet and was named "Irma the Star Whore")
At one gathering just prior to the 4th of July weekend there was much activity to do with homemade fireworks. At the same time there was an ongoing archery tournament and well someone got the bright idea to make exploding arrows.
The first few were somewhat exciting in fact one was shot into the side of a cooler and it blew a sizable hole in the side. Then it was suggested to disassemble a roman candle and reconfigure it into a crossbow bolt and use the rather impressive crossbow one of the guys had instead of a bow and fire it into the sky.
Many attempts were made and finally the group explosive experts seemed to have made the proper adjustments and everyone gathered closely around the crossbowman for the attempt. The bolt was carefully loaded and the shooter brought the weapon to his shoulder and aimed it straight up. The Head explosive guy lit the fuse and the bolt was away and I assure you it was quite impressive shooting out balls of colored flame as it ascended to the darkened heavens.
There was a resounding round of applause and much backslapping and good cheer and them a voice rose above the din and said "Where did the bolt go?" And it was like someone shot a gun and the crowd scrambled realizing the shooter had shot it almost straight up and it soon would be back down.
As we are all scrambling we hear two quick sounds a sort of short flitting sound followed immediately by a loud "thunk" and when we investigated we had found the bolt had come down on a customized jeep with a cloth top and had stuck on the custom console the owner had put between the front seats. He left it there and he fixed the hole in the top and loved to tell the story when someone asked why he had a crossbow bolt stuck in his jeep's console!
When I look back on those days I am amazed I am still alive...
Ah yes, when the feral gaggles come from the hood to pillage your neighborhood, if they cannot get into your house easily they will need this ‘technology’ don’tchaknow.
I like it, but I see a couple of possible improvements. A sling shot? That’s for whimps. Let’s use one of those rubber band rides from the carnival. And a little steel wool pad? Please. That’s bush league. I say we use Chevy Volts. We put flaming Chevy Volts in one of those carnival rubber band rides and shoot them at Cuba.
“You commies want some new Chevys? Here they are, and they’re on fire! Drive these hot rods to the rutabaga commune!”
My son and I loved that story!
Good luck trying to hit anything more than five feet away with that....
My name is a Hamlet reference. Or maybe an omelette reference.
So it was a *to be or not to be* a *slings and arrows* screen name for ya :)
The right to keep and arm bears shall not be infringed.
And here I thought it was an explanation of how you accumulated your outrageous fortune.
> Or maybe an omelette reference.
Hmmm.
It is also a great name for a mixed drink of gin, cherry brandy, and fruit juice, served with a crossbow bolt for a swizzle stick.
Get thee to a punnery!
That was great!
Fine steel wool (like 000 or 0000) will work for this, but I doubt it would be able to set much on fire upon arrival. Why not a Bic and some kerosene on a cotton wrap on the arrow.
Thanks,
Just one more opportunity.
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