Magnet Powered Catapult (20x3mm magnets)

Here is a fun little catapult design that relies on magnetic repulsion rather than spring tension to power it.

This requires three 20x3mm magnets. Two will be embedded into the base and one will be glued into the arm of the catapult.

Slicer Settings

Default settings and .2mm layer height work fine.

Add a pause in your slicer right before the hole for the magnets in the body gets covered up.

Printing & Assembly Instructions

During printing, when the print pauses for you to insert the magnets, insert 2 of the 20x3mm magnets into the hole. Then continue printing.

After the print has completed and you have removed the catapult from the plate, you will need to glue in the last magnet into the catapult arm. Be sure that you orient the magnet so that it REPELS the magnets already embedded in the base.

Using the Catapult

The catapult's power is really limited by the power of your magnets but there are a couple of things that will help you get a little more distance on your throws:

• Hold the catapult firmly in place. The more locked down the catapult is, the more energy will be transferred into the launch.
• Release the catapult arm quickly and cleanly
• If you have more magnets, stick them to the bottom of the base to increase the magnetic repulsion! See picture below

Version Updates

1.1.0: Made catapult arm a solid piece rather than open in the middle for additional strength.