-- We've found that the best and easiest counterweight is to simply load the hanging basket with coins - pennies, quarters, whatever you have. Coins are very dense weight, and it works great. Other ideas: rocks, sand, batteries, nuts and bolts

-- Adjust the angle of your firing pin. The firing pin is the thin metal rod that you put the sling loop over. Use a pair of plyers to bend the metal pin slightly up or down. This will help your projectile release sooner or later, thus giving you a higher or lower trejectory. This will help you get more distance. If you fill the counterweight box with coins, you will not need to adjust the pin angle when launching the bouncy ball that comes with the purchase of a Mini Trebuchet. The pin is pre-set for this scenario.


Would you like to build your own trebuchet? We've taken the time to explain the basic process in detail. We've built enough working trebuchets by now to compile quite a collection of tips and tools of the trade to help an aspiring launcher. Click HERE to download the detailed explanation - everything short of a diagram. Speaking of a diagram, simply visit our Downloads page to get a copy of our Mini Trebuchet Kit instructions - this will also help you envision the building process. Drop us a line to let us know how it goes! Good luck!