Crossbow Bolts

[Lezle]

Being new to all this I don't know what either of those words refer to.

-LP

[pmel018]

Hi Lezle
he is talking about the profile of the arrowshaft. It is possible to alter the performance of an arrow by changing the cross sectional diameter at various points on the shafts length. According to my bow maker it doesn't work well on the short crossbow bolt.

BTW thats a really nice job on the crossbow, where did you source the bow itself??? I remember helping the late Steve H to make several light crossbows on the same pattern, AS+S used them in their crossbow range. The bow was made from a fiberglass sail batten.

[pmel018]

Bogue
here is a few more pictures. The bolt is authentic, hand forged head, rawhide fights and riveted together

Close up of goats foot lever

About to span the bow

Another look

A bolt

Closeup of bolt head


Hope this helps
Phil

[Lezle]

Gidday.

Thank you very much. I am rather proud of it myself.

That looks great!

How accurate is it?

The bow is made by Buffalo River. It was $30. 120lb. At Advanced Archery they had a Bennett 150lb. bow for $250. Just a bit of a difference. Haha.

I was thinking about making a steel bow, or buying one form the internet of course; part of why I decided on such a low poundage, aside from the fact that the bow was cheap and if I buggered it up it wasn't going to be the end of the world, was the fact that I wanted to be able to shoot it on my lawn! I also wanted, as you can see, to make a very early form of crossbow. It has an accurate shooting range, without much trajectory, of about 50-60 feet. It can go a lot further, but as I say, my lawn isn't that big.

Thanks.

-Lezle

[Lezle]

Righto.

Here is the final product; I finished it a few weeks ago.

I made a few alterations to the way the bolt rests: less friction. Made a new string, blued the metal and made the pom poms for decoration.

Jolly good.

-Lezle

[Lezle]

What-ho!

Quiver and my neighbours cat, Smokey, helping. Took about seven and a half hours to make.

C&C welcome.

LP

[NigelT]

Very nice work. Is the quiver based on a find specifically? I like the bold spacers - good idea.

[Lezle]

Gidday,

Thanks, glad you like it.

No, not really a specific find; I look'd at a large variety of paintings and did a bit of reading for inspiration and then just did what I thought would work best. And it works very well.

The spacers work really well. You can fit two bolts in each space at a pinch, but you have to be careful with the bolt feathers. They tend to catch on the rods when you are inserting them. I haven't seen any others with this sort of arrangement - I thought it was a good idea too.

Lezle

[NigelT]

Certainly there are documented cases where arrow quivers used arrow spacers (I'm thinking the Mary Rose finds), so it stands to reason they would do something similar for crossbows.

[Lezle]

Ah, yes of course! I have seen those. Where though had been nagging at me. Always good to know one isn't re-inventing the wheel.

LP

[pmel018]

Wow, that cat made a really nice quiver What happened to the tail
Seriously though.....nice work
Phil

[Lezle]

What-ho!

I've been getting a lot of emails of late inquiring as to what I've been building these past couple of months... and I have to say, with-out sounding pompous or anything like that, that I've been quite surpris'd at how many people are taking an interest in my happy projects. So, jolly good and thanks very much!

Here is my latest project:

English Windlass!

Questions are most welcome if anyone has any.

Lezle

[Black Jack]

Very nice Lez. You'll need it when you fit your truck spring bow!


JohnDoes it work OK with one handle? I thought they usually had two. Or was that just the de luxe models?!

[Lezle]

Thanks John.

Yes, they do normally seem to have two; like a bicycle mov'd by hand.

Because I can't cast anything and I didn't know if I could actually make one in the first place, I thought the easiest method would be the best. I tried for about three weeks almost everyday to make a two handled one that wouldn't require welding at any point... as you can see I fail'd. However! I completely abandon'd the idea when I stumbl'd upon this picture:

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/images/crossbow-and-halberd.jpg

One handed!


Thanks.

Lezle

[Lezle]

Gidday,

Below is my new crossbow I have made; I finish'd it a couple of weeks ago. I have been tweeking it ever since. I am now happy enough with it to share it with you all.

It has a 420lb bow; due to the "perfect length" of the tiller (stock), I can pull it by hand with a bit of effort... well actually a lot of effort.

The tiller is made of ash. The rope binding is Tarred Marlin, the worlds most repulsive rope.

At a 45 degree trajectory it can propel a light weight bolt (one and a quarter ounce) just over the length of a rugby field.

Unlike the first crossbow I made I managed to complete the weapon, excluding the five days staining and danish oiling, in just over three weeks! The fiddling has taken a couple as I mentioned above.

Thanks to John (Black Jack) for letting me use his band saw.

Comments and all tha jazz welcome.

Lezle


Behold!