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Crossbows - Everything about Building, Modding, and Using your Crossbow Gear

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5 posters

    Little rabbit hunter

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    Post by Ivo Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:14 pm

    To pump some fresh blood into this forum I will begin with my little creative process. For some time now I have been working on my little brothers crossbow that he intends to take with him on his first rabbit hunt. Why not just buy a crossbow and go hunting the next day? Well that is a question I can not answer without looking in the eye of the asking with regret of another mind lost to consumer sickness...but really why build your own? I'll try to answer this question some other time, if ever at all, but for now...Lets begin!

    ~Little Rabbit Hunter~

    by Ivo

    When building a crossbow it is best to envision the design and the process before even moving a finger. I will do my best to help everyone with this first step by filling the Technology section of our forum with all kinds of use full info.

    First Things First

    The idea. Most people design their stocks first and it is a common mistake of a beginner. I know this, because I made that mistake once by starting with the stock and not the bow.

    I based my design on what was readily available in the nearby hardware store and bought some parts from E-bay and Amazon.The best way to design is really up to you, it can be done on paper or in a CAD program...check out Technology>CAD Wink

    Little rabbit hunter Th_antonscrossbow

    When designing and building a crossbow we ironically start by making or in any other way acquiring a bow or as it is called in crossbow speak - prod (prodd). Bow came before the crossbow and it has it's respect in that sense, but it isn't the only reason why we begin with the bow and not the stock/tiller...the primary reasons is everything that comes after the bow must match it's draw length and draw weight. Every bow has a maximum draw length that it can not and should not exceed and the stock/rail/and trigger should be built to handle the draw weight of the bow. To make things simple I will begin with a regular fiberglass prod that has a 14" draw lenght and 150lb draw weight. Such a prod is also found on many Chinese/Taiwanese made crossbows and is easily purchased separate. If you can not find this type of prod I will be posting measurements in the design section as well as a way of making one in "Composites" section of Technology.

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    Last edited by Ivo on Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:29 pm; edited 5 times in total
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    Post by Ivo Tue Dec 01, 2009 8:03 pm

    Now that I have the the bow covered and have finished designing, moving on to tools and materials.

    Tools and Materials


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    Plywood 3/4" and 1cm. to be *sandwiched together.

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    *When it comes to ply - You get what you pay for, even the "good stuff" has voids and should be picked out with great care
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    Post by Ivo Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:01 am

    Rail construction



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    Ever use a router to mill aluminum...not something I would recommend doing in order to gain a few FPS.

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    Post by Ivo Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:19 am

    Trigger Part 1

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    And make little sink holes

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    Little bit of fitting and polishing...and first test run.

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    Post by Ivo Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:54 am

    Trigger Part 2

    I didn't have an assistant this time and only have 1.95 hands as one of my pinkies is paralyzed from a kitchen related accident. cyclops

    Ok, so I basically mapped out, drilled a few holes, countersunk them, and tapped a thread...also mapped out and made a window for a safety switch(drilled two holes and evened everything out in between them with a dremmel)

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    Also wanted to share a little fun thing I did with the safety...hole/tapped thread/screwed in a cut off bolt and matched up an aluminum housing(forgot the name, will edit when remember) tongue

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    Next drilled and tapped holes for mounting the scope rail.

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    Now the next step is even cooler, I did it so that the trigger mechanisms can be adjusted to the left or right which would allow me to adjust the scope rail and arrow track alignment. l did it by mounting the mech with four screws, two on each side. pirat

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    I will be changing the trigger part(the ugly straight nail) to a more interesting one. I carved it out of wax and cast it using a centrifugal casting machine, the type of metal is surgical steel mainly used by dental labs for casting. pirat

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    The trigger is still missing couple of little parts at the moment...like the spring that pulls the nut down into release position(present in the video).


    Last edited by Ivo on Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:37 am; edited 2 times in total
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    Post by Ivo Sun Jul 25, 2010 1:15 am

    Hello again...I didn't do much work as I was a little disappointed with the trigger mech...mainly because it had a single tooth latch and didn't allow me to securely mount the scope rail...that really bothered me.

    Little rabbit hunter Dsc00010

    Now that I've added a few more pieces equipment to my arsenal...I'm finally out of the ditch with some fresh ideas.

    What I decided to do first is cut off a few unnecessary areas like the top of the trigger housing where scope rail was meant to be attached.

    Little rabbit hunter Th_DSC00996Little rabbit hunter Th_DSC00995
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    Post by Ivo Sun Jul 25, 2010 1:29 am

    Next I plan to remove the walls on the sides of the string latch to make room for a double toothed latch...then I plan to make a set of side plates to be welded on. Now the scope rail mount (red component) will be a composite part, since this part is a bit on the complex side and I don't own a mill yet...I'll be making a matrix and casting this part in Fiberglass reinforced resin....if all goes well...bow riser will be made using the same technology. Little rabbit hunter Icon_smile

    Little rabbit hunter Triggerfixarranged
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    Post by MPDVM Fri Nov 26, 2010 11:04 pm

    Hi, I like the trigger/ latch assembly. Are there drawings available for this? Ron
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    Post by Ivo Sun Nov 28, 2010 2:59 am

    Hello MPDVM,

    Yes, if you go up and find the "4th" post, it's right there.

    I'm actually back to working on this project, so I'll be posting the progress soon. Gas welding/brazing, finished trigger hook casting, making a matrix and composite parts, making the stock, painting it "carbon fiber", ...quite a few developments, just need to sort through the infinite number of photos...damn digital cameras...it's so easy to get carried away. Little rabbit hunter 196707
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    Post by Lightly Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:56 pm

    Wow, Ivo, this is amazing! I looked at it before, but forgot to reply... it is so completely different from what we do, and so intricate! I am really looking forward to seeing more...

    best!
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    Post by tnetcenter Tue Sep 03, 2013 12:06 am

    Hey Ivo,

    This looks like a great project!  I especially liked the trigger assembly.

    Did you ever finish the mods you were working on??

    I might want to do something similar and it would help to see the rest of the process!

    Thanks!

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    Post by chaz Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:24 am

    Ivo,

       Never disappointed and always interested when you have something to share !

    Chaz

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