DESKTOP Wooden Model Kit Trebuchet by Young Modeler

What a nice kit,You need a gluing jig, (a flat piece of sheet metal and magnets for gluing positions)But it's a nice kit once it's square in the beginning struts (patience is needed here), it pretty much goes together soundly after that,It was a bit disappointing with the projectile included but i found a big fishing sinker to do just fine,it certainly does show the power of the trebuchet though,Yes It Works .........just fine........you may want to stain it or get another kind of string ,i did like the fact there was not enough string for both the projectile and the winding mechanism,,,,,,,,but all in all it's worth the money asked,the parts are nicely cut even the gear for the ratcheting motion was precise,you just need to be careful removing the parts,i had a few pieces...the veneer chipped a bit upon attempted removal of a few parts but glue fixed it just fine. take your time and enjoy it .it is a nice kit

Shocked at how cool this is. The cut outs pop out easily and were never at risk to break (as with some models). The directions didn’t have any English but the pictures were easy enough to follow. My daughter loves it. The wooden shot easily launches about 8-12’

The model is well engineered; albeit lightweight. It is a good example of an ancient siege engine. However, the instructional text was worthless, having been written in English by someone fluent in Korean. They were not translated and were, occasionally, incomprehensible: Example from the adhesive packet: "Put the woods after 1 to 2 min later and be fasten them." Fortunately, the pictures accompanying the instructions were sufficient. The parts were well marked when confusion was possible. Also, this is not a kit for children, requiring a sharp blade to separate the parts from the sheet.

This kit was amazing and super detailed, had a blast putting it together. An an xacto knife, glue and a pair of pliers (for securing the metal rings) is all that was needed. I used the knife to pop out the pieces (they aren't meant to be popped out with fingers, I noticed one reviewer did that and gave this kit an unfair review.). The pieces were cut by laser and fit together very well, almost snapping into place (glue still needed). The instructions are easy to follow even if they only consist of pictures. As will all models, look through the instructions first and fit the pieces before you glue them so you don't end up in a panic mode. Very sturdy and detailed kit.

(This review is for the Trebuchet kit) I built this with my 9-year-old son. It was a fun project but doesn't appear likely to last long. Full marks for functionality: not only does the trebuchet launch realistically with nothing but gravity power, but it also has a clever rope-and-crank system, including a ratcheting gear. However, my rating dropped down to three stars because the wooden pieces are far too delicate. I broke the trigger mechanism by simply trying to tie it securely with the provided nylon thread. The trebuchet still worked without the trigger (we could just hold the launch arm with our fingers and release it manually) until my son accidentally stepped backward onto the support arm of the trebuchet after less than a dozen launches. I know I shouldn't expect a wooden craft to stand up to being stepped on without damage, but the poor thing just shattered. I've made an attempt to splint it back together with some of the longer broken pieces - we'll find out in the morning if the repair is successful. Also, the construction is heavily reliant on glue. Many of the pieces don't interlock with tabs and slots; you just have to glue them really well. We used small binder clips as clamps to keep things securely in place while the glue dried. Oh, and there are no weights provided. We used an effective combination of fishing weights and small rocks. Not bad, but not what I was hoping for. I might try to make a new trebuchet from scratch using sturdier wood and this delicate little flower as a template.

This item is the worst! My daughter needed it for a school project. It's pathetic; not at all the quality suggested by the photos. The wood is literally 1/8 inch thick making it incredibly flimsy. To make things worse, when I tried to return it before we even took it out of the packaging I got a notice saying it's non returnable. Shame on me -- I should have looked at that before. My mistake. But shame on anyone else for buying this item after reading this!

Let's be honest, who doesn't love this kind of thing? I have to give it five stars just because of the education in physics and the Hands-On development and building. If you just snap it together that's one thing. But if you look at it and make it work the right way it's so much more! It not only teaches just by putting it together, but if you start looking further into it you have to say it teaches so much more!

Nicely cut pieces that fit well but some dowels are longer than they need to be. Overall a great model and fun to build and operate. Launched the supplied projectile with 3 AA batteries in the counterbalance basket about 10 feet. Just really interesting on the construction and physics. Instructions are to the point with no room for error and kind of hard to read but in context it makes sense. Recommended...it's fun!!