Greetings to the guild! New member here from New Mexico. I'm a blacksmith and toolmaker with an interest in 'olde-tyme' tools and methods. I'm also a longtime bowyer and archer, and have recently become interested in building myself a crossbow. Thanks in a large part to your fine forum here, I've gleaned enough info make a few successful attempts now. Crossbows are turning out to be a whole lot of fun...
This is my second crossbow, which I call the "little devil"...quite a small little thing, with a bow only 15" end to end. The bow is cut out of a leaf spring, and pulls what seems like about 150# with a 2" brace and 3" power stroke. It was my first time making a steel bow, I was just happy it didn't blow up! The stock is Ipe wood; the nut is aluminum with a steel sear, and the other parts are also hand forged steel. I have a small charcoal forge, which was terribly handy for shaping parts like the trigger guard, etc.
I also build a 'wippe' spanning lever, and a set of extremely heavy purpleheart bolts for it...these fly none too fast, but hit with a lot of power. Strangely a lighter bolt doesn't seem to go any faster; the heavy steel limbs can only move so quick, I suppose? In any case it seems like it might have "oomph" enough for small game hunting; my next build attempt, though, will be (what else ) bigger and more powerful.
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Lots of fun to shoot...it does kick fairly heavily, which I expected from a small bow shooting a heavy projectile. I still need to make proper prod wedges, as well as sanding and finishing the stock; I don't really enjoy finish work that much so I'm giving it a really long 'test session' shooting it in beforehand .
Thanks for checking it out folks! Cheers,
-Orien
This is my second crossbow, which I call the "little devil"...quite a small little thing, with a bow only 15" end to end. The bow is cut out of a leaf spring, and pulls what seems like about 150# with a 2" brace and 3" power stroke. It was my first time making a steel bow, I was just happy it didn't blow up! The stock is Ipe wood; the nut is aluminum with a steel sear, and the other parts are also hand forged steel. I have a small charcoal forge, which was terribly handy for shaping parts like the trigger guard, etc.
I also build a 'wippe' spanning lever, and a set of extremely heavy purpleheart bolts for it...these fly none too fast, but hit with a lot of power. Strangely a lighter bolt doesn't seem to go any faster; the heavy steel limbs can only move so quick, I suppose? In any case it seems like it might have "oomph" enough for small game hunting; my next build attempt, though, will be (what else ) bigger and more powerful.
" />
" />
Lots of fun to shoot...it does kick fairly heavily, which I expected from a small bow shooting a heavy projectile. I still need to make proper prod wedges, as well as sanding and finishing the stock; I don't really enjoy finish work that much so I'm giving it a really long 'test session' shooting it in beforehand .
Thanks for checking it out folks! Cheers,
-Orien