How to make a crossbow

[Ryu_Soma]

Can anyone help me with this?
Im looking for another in a long list of projects that are about to be complete.

im going to be at the easter camp so if there is anyone who can give me a hands on lesson (or close to) as I learn by doing mostly

Thanks in advance

[crite40]

Well over the years I've made 4.
First using car springs, which were NOT very good even when cut and ground to a better shape.
So the ones I have now were made with cutdown fibreglass recurved bows.
It's surprising how often you can pick one up very cheap at garage sales etc.
They have a draw of only about 60 pounds, but then they aren't designed as
long range weapons.
There are quite a lot of "tricks of the trade", like the angle between the "prod"
(the bow) and the tiller, or butt section which can be critical for best results.
Also the release can be tricky and takes a a bit of adjustment as there is a lot of load on it when the bow is cocked. I've experimented with 3 different release mechanisms, so far the "rolling block" type is best but hard to adjust under load.
Do a Google search tho there is quite a lot of info on the web if you look around.

[pmel018]

Hi there
get a hold of The Book of the Crossbow (Paperback), by Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, ISBN-10: 0486287203
It has all the information you might need. There are bit of it all over the internet too, but books are always good.
Fiberglass sail battens work well as prods(the bow part) and there are several different release mechanisims to work with, the simplest being the lifting pin type. Crite 40 is quite right about tuning being critical to top perfomance. Have fun try a low poundage one first, you can always fit more power. Be careful too, a powerful crossbow can tear off your thumb if you aren't careful on release See the picture of mine posted a few weeks ago, 250-275 lbs draw.
The late Seve Hodgeson made some for AS&S all at about 10-20 lbs, I was hit by a bolt from one at about 15m, through a mail shirt and thin gambeson it still hurt(blunt head of course)

Edit: have a look in the Archery sub forum. there is a thread called"Crossbow Bolts" Lezle made a cracking bow from the book described above and there are some pictures of mine
Phil

[Carl]

post deleted

[BigMac]

TTFN

[Lezle]

Gidday.

Yes, as the others have said: buy the book! It has everything you wish to know.

Here it the thread mentioned above, "Crossbow Bolts":

http://www.gatheringdarkness.co.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16081#16081

I have just posted my finished crossbow.

-Lezle

[Carl]

your right Mike upon reading it again there was no real purpose for it so I have removed it