Trebuchet Cluster Incendiaries!!

[@CptHookNose]

If I ever become a feudal monarch, I want Tod as my royal siege engineer!

[@braddbradd5671]

Sorry he works for King Charles

[@daviddavidson2357]

If I time travelled to the middle ages and couldn't take anything with me (like in Terminator I'd pick up Nikola Tesla, edison, various vacuum tube inventors, wright brothers and other more modern aviation experts and the entire team working on the manhattan project as well as some pilots and ground crew along the way. "Fire arrows? Fascinating, we have metal birds which drop eggs that remove entire cities from existence" I imagine I'd have the world conquered in about 20 years. 10 years to set everything up, 10 years to get things done due to how slow information travels then and a lack of airstrips.

[@travisgeorge2809]

Yeah, but I am going to be defending my feudal lord using an army of paper knights. It's been a while since Tod's hit one with anything :p (I think the Trebuchet might be never if he sells it before hitting one :( )

[@victor1945]

@@daviddavidson2357 I think you're underestimating the amount of tools and processing of raw materials and such you'd need to make planes and nukes. You would need more than the inventors, you'd need a small town of talented craftspeople too, if not a major city. Also just things like acquiring and transporting raw materials. You'd need dynamite for blasting, precision machining and just so much stuff.

[@Menuki]

The mongols would have recruited him

[@Kelnx]

"Exactly what I wanted, multiple fires, I didn't even add arsenic" Lol man, without context this would sound really bad.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

"Fun" idea I had decades ago: Trebuchet flinging large bales of oil-soaked straw/hay liberally laced with poison ivy/oak/sumac. Only fire when you are upwind.

[@nymalous3428]

@@MonkeyJedi99 You are evil. Talk about chemical warfare. (It's a neat idea, just evil.) Edit: After re-reading my reply to you, I realize it sounded rather harsh and accusatory. I was being hyperbolic and figurative, not literal. I should have said something like, "That's quite a nasty idea" or something along those lines. To be clear, I hold did not intend to judge you for having a mean idea that people could have used in the past that would have been an effective means of conducting warfare. It's actually the kind of idea I might have had myself.

[@AkosJaccik]

They: "Airburst incendiary trebuchet round isn't real, it cannot hurt you." Airburst incendiary trebuchet round:

[@bunnyadvocate2999]

Mythbusters: A protective compound positioned a km away with multiple bullet-proof glass walls. Todd: Stands in the target area with a upturned wooden table for protection. 👍

[@DH-xw6jp]

One was controlled by insurance and the California board of labor and OSHA... The other is a bloke in his shed (well, neighbor's field).

[@stonedog5547]

But he put a paper knight on the front...... He was perfectly safe

[@tods_workshop]

@@stonedog5547 That was exactly why he was there

[@tods_workshop]

@@DH-xw6jp Very true. But also I have a background in SFX and didn't just 'do' this, it was very well considered for safety

[@DH-xw6jp]

@@tods_workshop I didn't mean to down play your experience, only meant to point out that you didn't have as many lawsuit fearing, safety worshipping, overlords dictating what you could or _couldn't_ do. I'm sorry if it came off as dismissive, some of the coolest stuff ever was made by "just a bloke in his shed".

[@BunnyOfThunder]

It takes a confident craftsman to stand behind his machines. It takes a REALLY confident craftsman to stand IN FRONT of them!

[@RobbieB2606]

The perfect swan song for the Trebuchet. We will miss her

[@tods_workshop]

I know - me too, but currently looks like I will get to keep her

[@Arkanic]

@@tods_workshop Not much of a market for trebuchets these days, eh? Honestly I cannot think of anyone who would get better use of it than yourself so perhaps you were meant to keep it! You've made such fantastic entertainment with it, the educational and speculative nature of the films have been wonderful.

[@RobbieB2606]

@@tods_workshop Never write off the last minute ebay bid! It'll probably go with 30 seconds left on the clock :)

[@theodorleberle]

@@tods_workshop Weird. Neither do I have the money nor the space nor do I live in the UK. But if I would have those three things, I would absolutely buy it. Seems weird that there isn't someone ready to do it.

[@QuantumHistorian]

@@theodorleberle there's less overlap between "people with 7k to spend" and "those who'll spend 7k on whim for a bit of fun" than you probably think. That's probably why they have the seven grand lying around in the first place...

[@QuantumHistorian]

I'm usually a little sceptical about the practical utility of cluster ammunition or incendiaries in a medieval context... But this ticks all the boxes! Lobbing fire over walls into a wide area is exactly what a besieger would surely want to do.

[@GofuKyersen]

Besides the damage to wood and thatch structures in your courtyard, Shock and awe and fire and smoke. It'll discombobulate your civilians, running around like headless chickens, getting in the way of the defenders

[@henrihamalainen300]

Mix in some stuff to make fumes toxic and it's even more effective...

[@TeutonicEmperor1198]

@@GofuKyersen yeah, exactly. If you consider how easily animals get scared by explosions, fire and smoke that would make things even worse.

[@tods_workshop]

I agree - too complicated and there is no point in starting, but this worked very well and simply

[@ΕρνέστοςΣμίθ]

@@tods_workshop I had an idea about low cost cluster ammunition. Take small but dense rocks and weak mortar and build a ball or egg of the weight and size suitable for the trebuchet. Let the mortar set (gypsum mortar sets in about 20 minutes) and launch. On impact with a reasonably hard surface (e.g. a cobbled road) the mortar will fail and the rocks will fly all around the point of impact. Especially if the rocks are flint, chert etc that break into sharp shards that would wreak havoc.

[@QuantumHistorian]

That wide side on view of the release and trajectory arc is beautiful!

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks and it worked well

[@QuantumHistorian]

@@tods_workshop if you see this: what's the mass (roughly) of the main beam of the trebuchet? And the distance between the main axle and the point that counterweight hangs off? I've got all the other bits of data, but I need this to see how well my animated numerical model lines up with reality :D (Happy to share the simulation with you if you want it btw)

[@timphipps404]

"Don't do this at home, but... please buy this catapult"

[@michaelanderson2166]

It a trebuchet. Catapults are so pedestrian. 😂

[@boogaboogaboogaable]

Yes, but don't use it in your home. Your neighbor's home is a better choice.

[@Johggd]

Trebuchet*

[@daviddavidson2357]

@@Johggd A trebuchet is a form of catapult. It's a pretty broadly defining word.

[@exploatores]

@@boogaboogaboogaable if I put it on my lawn. It wouldn´t be anywhere nere my home it lands and I have no clue what the minimum range is.

[@hulkthedane7542]

"Don't do this at home...." No, do it in your neighbor's field 🤣👍🙊🙈👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@tods_workshop]

Good point

[@jurakarok3343]

The reason the first test fire didn't work right was you forgot to shout "Loose!", the trebuchet just wasn't feeling it

[@tods_workshop]

You could well be right

[@dembro27]

Tod’s Workshop: Judgment Arc, raining fire and brimstone from the sky.

[@ΕρνέστοςΣμίθ]

"The wicked bend their trebuchet arms"

[@jewishmonarch6657]

This farmer must have all the best pub stories. "Some plonker tried breaking into the coop a few nights back, what about you?". - Tod came round and shot homemade cluster firebombs using a medieval siege weapon into the old rapeseed field... "...You taking the piss? Really?". - Yeah, it was awesome! XD

[@RupertAndCheese]

The spread on that last shot was beautifully rounded.

[@tods_workshop]

It worked very well

[@adventureike]

Such a success as to leave Tod speechless? Never thought I'd see the day! 😂

[@tods_workshop]

Rare indeed

[@jimwolford7294]

I think Tod needs to make a bigger trebuchet.

[@tods_workshop]

So do I, but no plans as yet

[@growingstruggle5493]

We're all thinking it🤣🤣 we need someone to finance it tho, this one was built as a stunt for the realese of age of empires.

[@theharbinger2573]

Your enthusiasm is just so joyful. Also I must say, I got my custom dagger I ordered from you a while back, and it is gorgeous and wonderful. Goodbye to Trebby, thanks for the videos.

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks and glad you love it

[@dallenlofgreen5331]

I fully believe that this would have been done. It's an absolute morale breaker. Imagine being under siege as these things come pouring over the walls. You can't see or breathe as the arsenic burns your lungs and eyes. Your house is burning, your food and water are contaminated by the noxious chemicals, it's a mess. 10/10 - Definitely trying this at home (once I sort out the whole no-trebuchet issue).

[@lubue5795]

Alternatively an Onager will also work.

[@RichWoods23]

You don't need to either "fully believe" or not that this would have been done; you need only to point to accounts of it having been done. How many do you have?

[@ornurbaum5312]

Add to that the confines of a castle. Not a lot free space to go around the fire. It would block chokepoints. Also the walls would keep the smoke all inside the castle. And last but not least don't just do this with one trebuchet but with multiple and multiple times. Probably very expensive but also very effective. Do it again and again over the course of a night to keep them busy while your main battleforce rests and attack in the morning. The defenders all worn out and dizzy from the smoke against well rested attackers. Or you could just make sure the defenders clearly see a carriage with hunderds of new, but faked, cluster shots arriving (real ones would be to expensive and to dangerous to transport all stacked up on a single carriage). Make them think this is how every night for the next month will be like. They'd surrender in no time

[@Steir12]

And by the time you are half done with putting off the fire mofos will reload it and launch another load.

[@08mlascelles]

Just imagine the psychological impact alone, you get multiple of those hurtling into your settlement, you're gonna think the apocalypse is upon you.

[@zackdines]

And you've never even thought of, let alone seen, mass incendiary weapons before. Definitely witchcraft 😛

[@chadford88]

Todd - you are, as ever, an absolute force of informative story-telling. Your enthusiasm will have inspired thousands to take more of an interest in our history - keep up the good work sire!

[@tods_workshop]

Thank you and I do love to tell a story

[@johnbeauvais3159]

As Churchill said "There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result." I suppose that is even more true to stand downrange of a trebuchet. Amazing stuff!

[@QuentinStephens]

I do hope a KZbinr buys it and puts up some awesome videos.

[@thecreweofthefancy]

My group already has cannon which we have ideas for....this would just be asking for problems. Luckily there is no US shipping.

[@soldat88hun]

Gotta agree, this was awesome.

[@shlamimk4664]

Tod, anyone sitting down to this video without the context of seeing your previous videos is gonna think you are an absolute nutter. I love it.

[@tods_workshop]

Really? I thought it was all very sensible and considered

[@rileyernst9086]

If it is to be the last video with the trebuchet I cannot think of a better send off than Tod standing in a field of flame and smoke with all the excitement of a man who has made a medieval cluster incendiary munition work effectively.

[@stalkingtiger777]

I'd call that an air-burst cluster incendiary rather than a multi-launch. But semantics aside, it's really cool to watch. I'll miss the trebuchet videos. Maybe we can get a gofundme setup so that Todd can build a 1:1 scale Warwolf.

[@tods_workshop]

I would like that very much

[@schmeed0000]

>list trebuchet on ebay for 7k >nobody bids >proceeds to burn it down

[@Ptaaruonn]

I would bid, if i had the money and a place to put/use it.

[@svenax]

The bids will come in droves after this video has gone public.

[@KaizerRemix]

​@@svenaxno, they won't. There is a very small number of people that can pay 7K (in reality it's going to be more like 10K because you have to take it somewhere else and probably pay Tod to help you put it back together), have a place to put a trebuchet and want one. More than likely he'll take a lower offer. Tod and/or the landlord of the farm want it off the land and he doesn't want the cost and effort of dragging it to the tip. There's nothing wrong with that, but let's not act like this is an item that is going to have a lot of people fighting over it.

[@MrTarfu]

@@KaizerRemix Plus for the most part people that want their own could build one for a lot cheaper

[@skilletborne]

@@KaizerRemix If I was middle class, I would buy it in an instant. There's history to this trebuchet, it's a goddamn trebuchet, and I'd get the chance to shake hands with a legend Also 10k? Idk what you're smoking to think renting a truck for a day is gonna cost more than 800 smackaroos, or that Tod isn't enough of a stand-up guy to help with the important parts.

[@crownshatter4244]

Your work is so useful to the writer community, Plus it's just super cool in general. Keep up the good work, Tod!

[@matthewmccalister5594]

I've said it before and I will say it again - when Todd gets giddy in a video, it is going to be an EPIC video. I am SO grateful to be at the point in history where I can watch this and just laugh out loud in awe at how amazing it is and how well it worked; because if I was alive in that period of time this would be TERRIFYING. That looked better than what CGI tries to recreate in films. Thank you for making content you're passionate about and sharing it with us all.

[@matthewmccalister5594]

Anybody else start tearing up at the end seeing Todd speechless and excited? lol

[@valentinmoerth2279]

now we just gotta worry about cluster bombs, land mines and global warming.

[@foldionepapyrus3441]

Indeed the more excited Tod gets the more interesting the results are going to be.

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks and glad you enjoyed it

[@daemonharper3928]

Well done, that worked a treat.....yet another horrific and ghastly medieval nightmare weapon proved effective!

[@larsbundgaard5462]

There has never been a happier man on KZbin.

[@LuxisAlukard]

9:30 Tod: "Here it comes... Oh, yes!!!" Tod's wife: "You are never that excited with me..."

[@based-p2b]

lmaooo

[@DH-xw6jp]

Can she throw 10kg of fire at an enemy castle? I didn't think so.

[@ivanjednobiegowiec7656]

... and the excitement build-up crowned with such a glorious "Yeeeeeessss!!!!" Instant classic 😎😎😎

[@Tom_Quixote]

He's having fun so you don't have to.

[@axelhopfinger533]

"Don't try this at home!" Well Todd, being the pathological contrarian and rebel that i am, now i HAVE to! Well done. I'm gonna blame you if something goes horribly wrong with my selfmade incendiary trebuchet, just so you know!

[@Lo-tf6qt]

I think Tod is the only man on Earth who would get excited about being in the splash zone of a trebuchet, just imagine you're besieging some castle in the 1400's and some bloke on the castle walls just goes "OOOOHHHH YEEESSSS" at the sight of your trebuchets letting loose, at that point I'd just abandon the siege and wish the defenders a good day

[@caret_shell]

Mmmmmmmm trebuchet MIRV.... (good Lord, imagining these raining down on my medieval village is scary)

[@clearmelody6252]

Never, ever change, Tod, you are the most epic piece of living history experimentation I've ever seen!~

[@vincentmueller3717]

The constant joy this man brings to "just another day at the office " is very heartwarming. True, his office is better than most...

[@Imperator-el4nt]

This may have been the only time in history that a man happily screams "oh yes" while fireballs fly towards him😂

[@abrameleh5865]

This video is exactly what I wanted to see.

[@ThisHandleIsDefinatelyTaken]

worked way better than I would ever have assumed. so cool!

[@tods_workshop]

me too

[@jonno27]

That was the perfect airburst. In Australia, we have hazard reduction burns. I am going to have to try this at home.

[@stocktonjoans]

Tod: "Don't try this at home" Also Tod: "Who wants to buy this lovely siege weapon" Tod, mate, I'm getting mixed messages here

[@stonedog5547]

Angel on one shoulder, daemon on the other....... And they both look like Tod!!

[@tods_workshop]

Buy a trebuchet, just don't throw nasty burny stuff

[@hellequingentlemanbastard9497]

I think Fire is still one of the most dreaded things in Life. 10 years ago my house burned down, thatched roof with a sprinkler system on top, just in case, you know. Although when a fire starts inside your house, that sprinkler system is utterly useless when the fire reaches the thatch. My house burned for 16 hours straight, 3 fire-engines fought the inferno.

[@gregkral4467]

Haha, very cool Tod. Image a pot of petroleum and those firestarters on the field eh? a few volleys of those..... over prepped area..... thank you for sharing your trebuchet with all of us. Great fun.

[@TalRohan]

this is the pinnacle of a lot of research and development...Tod you would have been a medieval weapons tech....spot on dude

[@jonnypeterson3971]

It's so great to see it work so successfully! Congratulations and well done!

[@brucevaughn2886]

What a perfect delight!!! My son-in-law and I have a lot of fun with a smaller scale trebuchet in the backyard. Really enjoy your full size builds!

[@helikos1]

I love this channel. Not only does it pique my curiosity, Tod also brings history to life. Thanks

[@Blue-Pheonix455]

"The only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down" - Adam Savage Great video this was really cool to watch

[@CommunityGuidelines]

When they landed, they weren't just on fire, they were spitting fire, like a crushed lithium battery. Amazing medieval technology, great video.

[@garrettmillsap]

Congratulations on a successful launch Todd!

[@nymalous3428]

That was pretty awesome! I can't imagine staring down an incendiary load that was hurled by a trebuchet. It must have been terrifying for a Medieval person to see. Your dedication to history and your craft has definitely earned my subscription. Great video!

[@stonedog5547]

Some favourite lines: "Its not just a firey fire" "I've got a cute, tiny, baby trebutchet" And of course, "OH YES!!!!"

[@skilletborne]

Tod is such a man after my own heart My little forge and anvil will probably never take me to the same places as this legend, but here's to trying!

[@Krommer1000]

Ha ha! I LOVE the shakey cam when the incendiaries go off! Ha ha! 🤣

[@jayrey5390]

Tod, you never cease to amaze! I've always wondered how they might have gotten inventive - your plumbata cluster munition was impressive too!

[@martinmasey7453]

Well done, Tod. A Medieval game-changer. T'would swerve a berserker.

[@noneofyourbusiness3288]

Just imagine that Korean rocket-arrow thing but with incendiary arrows. Now that is proper terrifying.

[@act.13.41]

IMPRESSIVE! Thank you Tod.

[@Niodium]

You mad bugger. Never stop. Utterly brilliant.

[@geoffallert1921]

You have so much fun in these videos. I'm very jealous. Cheers, mate.

[@northwall9243]

That was absolutely awesome. Incredible video

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks

[@beepboop204]

Tod and Tasting History are the only KZbin my mom cares about

[@MrBanzai10000]

That was absolute fire!!!❤️‍🔥

[@chrisjones6002]

Tod has to be the most excited person in history to have a trebuchet toss an incendiary at him.

[@Rekaert]

Neighbour: "Edith, Edith! Get inside, Tod's at it again!"

[@upcyclemichael]

That would have been truly terrifying for people with thatched roofs and wooden structures. Plus as a siege strategy it's great for making them deplete their water supply. Excellent work as ever.

[@ericmorneau8819]

Seeing you this happy made me happy.

[@rursus8354]

10:00: the spinach got a spice of gunpowder.

[@blendmartialarts2408]

I am really happy that creative, curious people make this content possible and share it with us. I pay my respects to you King Tod. Long live King Tod!

[@connorkitchen7156]

If Tod wasn’t on a watch list he certainly is now, he has a trebuchet with airburst incendiary munitions wtf

[@LetsgoBrandon35729]

"Gunnery" Tod, You are Brilllant. 10:34 Standing Ovations 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Miiabooish]

Tod sounds so happy in the end! :3

[@tods_workshop]

I was

[@TheLoveTruffle]

The best sendoff the trebuchet could get.

[@Kargoneth]

Friggin' cool, Todd and friends!

[@Kargoneth]

*Tod

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks

[@communistzombie44]

This is the content I want in my life. Hell yes Tod!

[@gastonbell108]

3:25 - I'm a little confused... KZbin and the farmer who owns the field both gave a hard NO on throwing a jar of burning liquid, but they're both fine with solid-fuel incendiary cluster bombs that can't be extinguished? I must have missed the critical aspect here that makes this logical.

[@funnyyylock]

Thats where you've made a mistake. KZbin doesn't use logic.

[@slinky7355]

I wondered that too, but perhaps he didn't want shards of pottery in his field.

[@paladinbob1236]

i love it when a plan comes together

[@marcoengelbracht4141]

What a brilliant idea to say farewell to the Trebuchet with such a firework! 😁

[@harrymoto6951]

That was indeed EPIC!! Thanks for letting us tag along, Tod!!

[@dirkvantroyen9170]

WOW! You really outdone yourself with this one

[@athena1491]

I've always wondered if they would have used trebuchets as a shotgun style weapon with a ton of sling size stones, it feels like it would be very effective, one crew can lay down as much stones as a whole bunch of slingers, this is that but more,

[@danstotland6386]

Good show! Well done!

[@edhazlewood124]

So well done. You made my day.

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks

[@BluTGI1]

The fuse worked perfectly! Great shot!

[@mattpastell3728]

After all the tinkering with your trebouchet to get it work consistently. It was quite rewarding to see it perform flawlessly!

[@thomasg4324]

*Great way to spread Caltrops amongst advancing troops formations, obscure their sight, identify their deployment locations.....and allow for cavalry to take advantage of the thereafter confusion/dissorder.*

[@justskip4595]

Next I'll be waiting for Tod to make a medieval cannon. Would be fun but I suspect that UK government is anti fun in this case.

[@stonedog5547]

Nope, FAC if its over 2 inch bore and it'll need proofing.... And a Black Powder license so you can feed it. But apart from these minor details GTG

[@tods_workshop]

done it. Made a very interesting 9 barrelled organ gun for a TV show where the premise was to use medieval materials and modern thinking. So made a lead acid battery wires from drawn copper in linen and pitch insulation, BP around a fine wire for igniters and made the whole thing push button

[@stonedog5547]

@@tods_workshop That's the Tod we know and love. Next the Hussite War Wagon/Flail Tank hybrid with repeating ballistae and Greek fire thrower

[@sotiriospeithis6659]

Coming from a dry environment, where fires are a common things, this stresses me out so much. Love every second of it though.

[@LarryGarfieldCrell]

I have never been more excited to hear a man repeatedly yell "Oh, Yes!" We need Todd to direct a proper medieval siege movie. With Matt Easton doing didn't choreography.

[@sightseeingberlin]

I love the positivity of the "oh yes!!!!"

[@ponyote]

Multiple launch incendiary day. What a great day! Thanks for staying safe, Tod.

[@John_Conner222]

This was incredible.

[@mace8873]

That was an absolutely beautiful break, it almost looked like it actually carried a break charge but that was probably the rotational force separating the bomblets. As an old pyrotechnician I know how hard something like that is to time, espcially when working with a relatively slow burning fuse like the green Visco. For those interested, it burns at a rate of 1cm per second, now, had he used a faster fuse it would have been easier to calculate exactly how long it should be, in order to break at the right time, but with this fuse even a few mm off and it breaks too soon or too late at that speed of the bundle. Well done Tod, excellent job, couldn't have done it any better myself!👍

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks. Yes it did look like it had a break charge and that was unexpected to me, but I think you nailed it with the spin causing it

[@Angatyr34]

So awesome! Well done on the successful launch!

[@joshuakarr-BibleMan]

0:38 You had me at "Let me explain my thinking."

[@smithsphotography1]

Awesome results! Thanks!

[@alexking671]

Loving the enthusiasm for your craft, you went my sub bro

[@Catonius]

Fair play, that went off very nicely indeed.

[@andrewsock1608]

Great job Tod 👍Usually when you want to take a castle you want to occupy it so burning it all down isn’t that common I would guess. But no doubt sometimes they erased castles and keeps

[@antaguana]

The castle is made of stone, if you burn down the wooden houses and terrify the population so they run away you get to keep the stone and land it controls. rebuilding the wooden buildings is relatively quick, easy and cheap