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Marlene Davis
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Title: Overview: Links to badges: Links to a festival/notable date: Programme zones covered: Equipment/resource needed: Mini-Pioneering Building a mini ballista and firing it at a target Outdoor &

Howl or other opening ceremony ask them what a ballista is. Explain that later in the evening we are going to build one (hopefully two), and then we can have a battle.

1 Title: Overview: Links to badges: Links to a festival/notable date: Programme zones covered: Equipment/resource needed: Mini-Pioneering Building a mini ballista and firing it at a target Outdoor & Adventure Broom Handles/staves, sisal, Strong elastic (egbike inner tube, and bungees as elastic), tin, newspaper balls Programme detail Introduction and opening ceremony (10 minutes) After the Grand Howl or other opening ceremony ask them what a ballista is. Explain that later in the evening we are going to build one (hopefully two), and then we can have a battle. Active game Heads, Hands, Feet and Bottoms (15 minutes) Split the pack into groups of three cubs and get each group to spread out away from other groups. Call out a combination of heads, hands, feet and bottoms and the group have to ensure only those parts are touching the floor. For example no heads, no hands, three feet, no bottoms means that they must stand on one leg but 1 head, 4 hands, 4 feet, 1 bottom could be achieved by one person doing a headstand with their legs held by someone standing upright and the third person sat on the floor with their feet and hands on the ground. Main activity/activities (1 hour) For each ballista you will need six staves, seven sisal lashings, and a shot holder made from an empty tin with three extra-strong elastic bands (either bungee cord or cut from car inner tubes) attached to the base. This shot holder should ideally be prepared before the meeting. Start by tying Sheer Lashings (see page 5) on two pairs of staves. These are the joints highlighted in red in the picture below. Open the legs of one of the sheer lashings and tie a bar across using Square Lashings (see page 4) this is called an A-Frame as it is in the shape of a capital A. Tie the other set of sheer legs and the locking bar to the A-Frame using square lashings (locations highlighted in blue). Feedback!

2 Finally loop the shot holder over the ends of the back legs and the locking bar. Note that the locking bar is moveable and is square-lashed to the crossbar of the sheer legs, but merely rests in the crutch of the back legs. The angle of fire can be adjusted simply by moving the locking bar in the crutch. The Ballista is locked in the firing position when the gunner sits astride the back legs. Line the ballistas up at one end of the room and fire tight balls of newspaper sealed with tape at targets. Close (5 minutes) Remember to send your feedback by clicking here! 2

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4 SQUARE LASHING So called because the turns of the rope make a square and it is used to fasten any two sparscrossing one another, whether they are at right angles or not, so long as they are in contact with one another. Start with a clove hitch round one spar at the place where the other spar will be crossing it andon the side which the strain will come when the spars are in use. As an example, when making a trestle the transome or upper horizontal part will press downwards in use, so we start the lashing on this leg or upright spar, but below the point where thetransom will meet it. You will see the reason for this quite clearly when you make your trestle. Twist the end of your lashing rope or cord round the standing part to prevent the clove hitchslipping and to avoid having a loose end hanging down. Start binding the two spars by winding the lashing round as in L.1, being sure each turn is tight. Continue until you have completed three or four turns, L.2. Then you bind these togetherby making two or three complete turns BETWEEN the spars. These are called frapping turns and must be very tight, and then finish off with a clove hitchon a convenient spar, L.3. If you still have some cord over do not cut it off, but lose it by continuing to make half hitches round the same spar until it is all used up. L.4 is looking at theback of the lashing. 4

5 SHEER LASHING Having done two kinds of lashing for second class you will find this one quite simple, but it is a very useful one as it is used whenever you want to make sheer legs for building a monkey bridge or aerial runway. First line up the two spars to be joined, so that the butts are level, then put a piece of packing between the tips. This packing can be any piece of wood or a wedge, but it must be thick enough to allow you to pass the rope between the spars without difficulty. Now make a clove hitch round one spar, its position depending on the purpose for which you are making the sheer legs. Assume it is for an aerial runway so we will make it near the tips of the spars. Twist the end and the standing part of the rope together, as we did in the square lashing, make six or eight turns round both spars, make them tidy, N.I, but you need not pull them too tightly. A couple of flapping turns; now you can see the reason for the wedges finish with a clove hitch on the other spar, and, as usual, use up any spare rope with half hitches round the same spar, N.2. You cannot see this clove hitch m the sketch as it is behind the spar. 5

Square Lashing. Prepared from FS315080

Square Lashing. Prepared from FS315080 Square Lashing Begin with a clove hitch underneath the spar to be supported. (a) Wrap the rope first over one spar, then under the other, pulling tight all the time. (b) On the second time round, go inside