Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Dane on January 13, 2012, 08:30:41 am

Title: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Dane on January 13, 2012, 08:30:41 am

Hi, folks. I've been MIA for a while, but keeping busy. A while back I had a thread about building a medieval style crossbow. The bow is finished now, and performed far beyond my expectations. Because it was a test bed to try new ideas, I have retired it and will utilize the prod (bow), stirrrup and tickler in a future project. Im well along now on a new Central European sporting crossbow (armbrust), and if anyone is interested, I can start a new topic.

For those who were following the course of the German thread, I appoligize for letting the ball drop. Here are a few photos of the weapon. It threw it's bolts very well, was accurate, and fun. A number of folks also tried it and had fun playing medieval. Overall, I feel that even if I never make a bow again (I make one every other year now or so), I expect to be messing about with these weapons for a long time. I recently built a Chinese repeating crossbow that is an excellent little toy. I have a late Roman period crossbow in the planning stage now.

And now, the photos. of the German and one of the repeater.  Feel free to ask any questions.

(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu30/Danemitchell/test2A.jpg)
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu30/Danemitchell/tung5.jpg)
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu30/Danemitchell/test14A.jpg)
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu30/Danemitchell/test8A.jpg)
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu30/Danemitchell/finished2.jpg)

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Pappy on January 13, 2012, 08:35:14 am

Good looking rig,very cool and nice work. :) Welcome back ,hadn't heard from you in a while.  :)
   Pappy
   

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Del the cat on January 13, 2012, 09:07:37 am

Yup, crossbows are cool, keep posting.
I for one will be reading your posts.
I'm going to make a better prod for that primitive crossbow I posted a while back sometime.
Dunno if you saw that thread
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,28795.0.html (http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,28795.0.html)

But there's always plenty on the to do list (not to mention the list that Mrs Cat gererates)
Del

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Dane on January 13, 2012, 09:29:21 am

Thanks, Pappy.

Del, that is a handsome weapon. The all wooden ones, the Skane style bows, are nifty. That little repeater is all wood, with bamboo bow and antler trigger, minus the 2 brass pins and 4 brass washers.

I'll start a thread on the Central European bow soon, since you and presumably others are intersted in this sort of thing.

Dane

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: mullet on January 13, 2012, 09:43:07 am

Glad to see you back, Dane. I'll be watching, for sure. I'd like to build one also.

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Parnell on January 13, 2012, 10:23:37 am

Beautiful work Dane.  I know next to nothing about them.  What is the effective range for shooting that first one?

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Dane on January 13, 2012, 12:06:36 pm

Thanks, Parnell. This one is pretty light, 100# pull, and shooting 14" bolts (2 fletch,3/4" oak shafting with 120 grain heads) at about a 10.5" draw. I was getting about 120 yards maximum distance. The new one I am currently building will have a 190# draw. On this one, I was getting about 4"+ penetration on a traditional hay archery target at 25 yards.

Dane

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Dane on January 13, 2012, 12:07:54 pm

Thanks, Mullet. Good to be back. Wish I had your weather right now. :)

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Pat B on January 13, 2012, 12:15:37 pm

Cool crossbow, Dane. You may need it this coming year!  ;)

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Dane on January 13, 2012, 12:39:59 pm

Maybe. The Myans were never wrong! :) Other reasons, I guess too. I should stock up on MREs and hunker down.

Thanks, Pat.

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: gstoneberg on January 14, 2012, 12:01:24 am

Thanks for the pics, I was following your thread too.  Looks like it turned out great. :)

George

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Dane on January 14, 2012, 06:32:02 am

George, thank you. I recall the comments you made on that older crossbow thread, and I appreciate it. I'll be starting that new crossbow topic soon, probably next week, as I have kyudo first shot training this weekend, in Cambridge. A long drive but am really looking forward to it.

Dane

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: jpitts on January 24, 2012, 02:55:17 am

Hi Dane, good to see you back from MIA. I feel ya. Been there a lot this year. Life has gotten in the way of bow making and shooting as well. The cross bow turned out fantastic. Great job. Glad I found this thread. Better late than never I guess ;D
Would love to see that repeater shooting too.
Can't wait to see your next thread.

Jimmy

Title: Re: Closure on German Crossbow
Post by: Dane on January 24, 2012, 07:28:48 am

Hi, Jimmy, and thanks. I do have a video of the Chinese repeater in action. I will see if I can figure out how to post that.

In the meantime, I am about to start a new thread on a new crossbow projects, since enough folks seem to want to see one.

Dane