Ancient Engineering SeriesONAGER.com
The Mighty Roman War Machine

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Desktop Onager, in Red Oak

Cut from solid Red Oak!


Designed and made in the USA for
better quality, better performance!


This version of the kit is cut from high quality Red Oak instead of the whitewood (Poplar) used in the
other version of this item.

This awesome little machine is the perfect desktop item to enforce the peace in your cubicle or dorm
room. It really works!

This all wood and twine machine has no metal parts! Find out how the ancients were able to use nothing
but wood and ropes to build machines that could hurl heavy stones great distances. These machines were
the predecessors of cannons and modern artillery!

Measuring nine inches long, six inches tall and using the mighty torsion skein for power, this beast hurls
wooden balls (included) up to twenty feet across the room. Food fight? Load it up with olives,
marshmallows, maraschino cherries... the choices are endless!

Simple and easy to build. This kit includes everything you need except for glue and a few simple tools like
scissors, sandpaper, a file (a utility knife would be helpful too) and about two or three hours of your time
from start to finish. It's a far better use of your time than watching TV, and you'll have a really
cool desk ornament when you're done. And don't forget, it not only looks cool- but unlike those other
little desktop catapults we've collected, this one really works! (It works well too.)

Features include:

  • Precision cut from high quality solid red oak
  • Authentic leather padded strike bar
  • True skein torsion power- not a wimpy spring
  • Range from 10 to 20 feet or more!

What you get:
The kit includes seventeen wooden parts, one hardware bag containing twine, trigger, wooden pegs and
ammo, and assembly instructions.

The instructions are highly detailed and complete with full-color photos and historical notes. This kit can
be assembled to a finished model in two to three hours, plus glue-drying time. Some light sanding may
be required to smooth any rough edges.

We've put a lot of time and effort into making this kit as easy and complete as possible. It's a fun way to
learn about history and engineering!


* Warning: This is a representative model of a real ancient military weapon. Use only with competent adult
supervision.
* Shown stained as red oak. The kit ships as a natural, unfinished poplar wood product. Colors may vary.
* Can throw 20 feet when properly constructed and using appropriate missiles. Your performance may
vary.

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    Price: $39.95
    Minimum age: 10
    Availability: out of stock

    Item code: 10902

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Interesting Notes

The Roman Onager was the main artillery device of the Roman army. It was named after the Asian Wild Ass because they both have a tendancy to "kick" when they go off.

Oftentimes, an Onager would be fitted with a sling on the end of the arm instead of a cup or bucket. The sling will give greater range to a heavier projectile, but can only hurl one rock at a time. The bucket could be filled with lots of rocks at once - an effective anti-personnel device.

The kinds of things the Romans hurled includes heavy rocks and clay pots filled with pitch and tar- on fire.

Onagers are sometimes called a "Mangonel", but Mangonel literally translates as "War Machine" - a category that also includes ballistae and trebuchets.

The Onagers were used from early Roman times right up to the medieval period alongside the trebuchets. They lost their advantage to the cannons and gunpowder in the 13th century.