Crossbow (pics)

[david w.]

that is one of the coolest things i have ever seen.  one day i want to make one

[Marc St Louis]

Very nice.

[venisonburger]

I'd like to shoot that puppy!, looks like a nice job. I like the design.
VB

[Dane]

Again, well done. Those bolts (cool little things) have tips you forged yourself, correct?

A book I recommend is "The Book of the Crossbow" by Ralph Payne-Gallwey, published by Dover. 0-486-28720-3, if you like crossbows. They show one early crossbow, similar to yours, but with a nut made presumable of bone. Still, a self crossbow, but maybe a bit safer? Meaning, the string would be positioned directly behind the bolt (having a bolt come at you would suck big time  But, no more worries about what to make for dinner, I guess).

The illustration shows the guy spanning the weapon by standing with each foot on the bow by the stock. Is that how you draw yours?

Dane

[Kviljo]

Thanks comrades

Yep, those are some of the bodkins I forged this summer.

That book is awesome Dane! I've only scrolled through it sometimes, and it seems to have a lot of good information in it. At least a lot of cool drawings

I'm hoping to make a more conventional crossbow with a metal trigger and a nut, but I'll have to find myself a new forge first. Hoping to make that nut-protection-clip that holds the bolt in place too. Would be easier for flightshooting, and I bet a lot safer too

[Dane]

Ivar, was editing my comments when you beat me to it.

[Minuteman]

I've built one before but your trigger set up interestes me. Could you take a better pic showing how you conenected it to the front of the tiller(stock).

[Kviljo]

Ahh, didn't notice that. That's the way I spanned it up untill today. I made a footstrap (in lack of a better word) in the little extra hole in the stock. J. Alm philosophized about that, but wasn't sure that it was for that, but it seems to work fine, and that way it won't be able to get in the way for the bolt, like it could have, if it was tied to the bow.

[Bikewer]

I'm making progress on mine, I have the "nut" roughed out and I'm nearly ready to install it into the stock.  Different design from this one, mine'll have a rotating nut.

Very fine job!    You're right about bracing these bows, mine is only about 50 pounds, and it's a major pain to get it braced!

[Kviljo]

Minuteman, It is as simple as you see it in this pic:



Which means that it could move sideways. I've tied it in place now. The original has a notch on the trigger so that it cant move sideways. Didn't notice that from the drawing before I was finished.



That's interesting to hear Bikewer! Got any pictures? I've wondered how you insert the nut in the stcok. Do you "laminate" it in, or just dig a hole for it in the one-piece stock?

[Heiner]

I've wondered how you insert the nut in the stcok. Do you "laminate" it in, or just dig a hole for it in the one-piece stock?

There's a very detailed how-to for building a 13./14. century crossbow made by a reenactment-group called "Berwelf". The how-to is plain german, but the pictures are very good and I think you guys will figure out alot even without understanding the text .
The instruction is a pdf, you can dl it here if you like. I attach some pictures of the nut and it's well for you to see meanwhile.

I hope this helps,
Heiner

P.S.: I'll gladly translate parts of the text, but I'd like to keep it "on demand" and just when you guys need it.
P.P.S.: Berwelf reenacts medieval Berlin around 1300. You can visit the homepage here: http://www.berwelf.de/ . It's well worth a visit...

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[Kviljo]

That's very helpful Heiner! My german is a bit rusty, but ich verstehe ein bisschen

That picture of the hornbow braced the wrong way is just terrifying to look at


Just compiled a little video by the way:

http://www.kviljo.no/bue/lasbue.wmv

[Dane]

Heiner, very nice site and how-to document, pretty easy to follow, even with my very limited German. The site was very cool, as well.

And Ivar, that video was fun! Those bolts hit with authority! The slow-mo sections were neat, with accompanying sound. By the way, the book we were talking about before has nice illustrations of the nut and all the other components.

Dane

[Ludi Mile]

how long is the prod? I tried making some and found difficult to make it safe unless draw length is about third of the whole length, even in light weight. hard to tiller too. The best I managed is 23" long prod with 45# at 8"

[david w.]

want to make me one?