A Report from Ken Rower
Some 30 timber framers and a roughly equal number of cadets at the Virginia Military Institute joined forces for a long four days in the first part of April to build and test-fire a trébuchet, the artillery machine of choice for centuries before gunpowder and spherical shot rendered it obsolete. The new trébuchet (from the French trébucher, to overturn) takes its place alongside others built in modern times in England, France and Denmark. Someday it may do so literally in a giant flip-off to see which can throw the heaviest missile farthest.

Arriving in 80-degree Virginia weather the weekend of April 4, Guild members and families pitched their tents alongside the cadets' bivvies in a VMI-owned park in Lexington. Four days later they left in 30-degree Vermont weather augmented by an Alaskan wind, having meanwhile produced a 20-ton wooden machine which, after one alarming hiccough and a couple of shorter shots, successfully threw a stone. Cadets reported the best shot of the first day at about 700 ft. (unadjusted for sloping terrain) for a 95-pound rock.

Conceived by a couple of VMI professors, Cols. Grigg Mullen and Wayne Neel, and enriched by the historical viewpoint of visiting professor Paul Chevedden, the trébuchet's framing, counterpoise basket and axles were built entirely of local oak, locust and hemlock sawn out by Col. Mullen and a crew of cadets. New York millwright Jim Kricker took time out of a job in the Carolinas to come north and direct the conversion of a swept and bully 24-ft. hemlock log into a graceful tapered octagon. Lexington artist-blacksmith Lee Sauder forged the numerous iron straps and fittings. Ed Levin produced the working drawings from information and illustrations supplied by the VMI team.

Joel McCarty oversaw the joinery, assisted by official instructors Donna Williams, Kricker, Levin and Mullen. Other Guild members including Dave Dauerty, Mike Goldberg, Wendell Hedges, Chris Madigan, Curtis Milton and Paula Speirs also taught and supervised cadet details. Scott Northcott donated the oak pegs. Marcus Brandt directed rigging and raising. See below for a complete list of Guild participants, and visit the Photo Essay of the Virginia Adventure. (All photos on this page courtesy of Will Beemer) – Ken Rower

Guild Participants & Friends

Jim Arndt Michael Barnes Mike Basile Will Beemer Marcus Brandt Laura Brown Rick Brown Peter Bull Michael Buzerack Joan Buzerack Paul Chevedden Paul Cooper Bruce Cowie David Crocco Dave Dauerty Bill Dillon Joe Endress Michael Goldberg Janel Grice Wendell Hedges David Irwin Liz Irwin Bjorn Keller Chris Kiss Bill Kohler Jim Kricker Kevin Lanier Chris Leusch Edward Levin John MacFarland A. Gordon MacKay Chris Madigan Joel McCarty John Miller Thomas Miller Curtis Milton Cindy Mullen W. Grigg Mullen Grigg Mullen III Roger Nair Joan Neel Wayne Neel Susan Norlander Wes Quinlan Kenneth Rower Lee Sauder John Schloerb Keith Speirs Paula Speirs Colin Stotts Allan Thomas Andrea Warchaizer Donna Williams Nelson Woods Brian Wormington Janice Wormington