What is recognized as the most durable roller nut material? What do you use and why? Thanks!

The traditional crossbow nut material of choice is bone or antler. I have found American moose-horn to be superior to any other. European moose are a slightly different breed, a bit closer to elk, so may not be as useful... I wouldn't know. Large American elk-horns are nearly useless... much too pithy, even at the very base. The base and stem of American moose is wonderfully hard stuff with almost no pith at all. Parts of the palm of the moose-horn (around the edges) are also very hard and make good reinforces for the nut socket. If you're building traditional medieval bows, I can't recommend moose too highly. Others, like Axis stag are also very hard, but it's much harder to get large pieces. Geezer

Like certain types of Delrin?

Oh, I thought you were asking about the Best material. I use Delrin alla time in my less expensive bows. Have also used Hydex. They work great, at least up to the limits I build to... which is @ 200 lb. Geezer

So there are acceptable materials that could easily handle 180 lb draw crossbows?

Thanks

Yes, see above. Geezer

Roll-nut material is a cool topic, we've actually talked about this a little while back...it ranged from wood - to composites - to metals and their alloys...in fact I've actually cast one in soda can Aluminum for this fat little German I'm working on.

Enjoy the read.

http://thearbalistguild.forumotion.com/design-discussion-construction-help-f12/roller-nut-material-t92.htm

Were rollernuts ever commonly made from antler?
I'm sure that if you were a medieval arbalist and had access to moose antler, or ivory , you would use it.
But....
I have begun to think that the use of antler for the roller nut may be a misunderstanding on our part.
Let me explain...
The largest common deer in for most of Europe was and is the red deer. I have never found a red deer antler that was not pithy all the way to the coronet and unsuitable for a solid nut. (and I have cut up some laaarrrge antlers in an effort to extract a usable nut.)
Instead I think that arbalists may have used the bone protrusion from the skull from which the antler grow. I have used it. It is incredibly dense and hard; much stronger than average bone. Infact, with handtools, it is harder to work than antler! Also the skull of an average red stag will yeild two nuts with an outside diameter of at least 1.25" x 1.4" wide. Usually larger.
So, I think that maybe rollernuts were not commonly made from antler, but rather the skull directly below the antler.
Your thoughts appreciated.

James

Hi Paulius
I know what I am saying goes against the accepted dogma and maybe the antler stem was commonly used for roller nuts, but I am not so convinced.
In all my library and all my internet searches I have yet to see an image of a old nut that shows the pithy centre that you find in a deer antler. All the nuts I have seen are solid; so I conclude that they are either made from ivory (which was expensive) the base of moose antler (which was probably rare) or maybe bone?
I dont think finding miltary numbers of deer skulls would be too difficult. For example the English Royal household killed hundreds of deer every year for meat in organised drives in the New Forest. 500 hundred average stags would give you appox 1000 nuts.
Nor do I think that you would go to all the trouble of making a crossbow, maybe with a horn composite prod, and then install an inferior nut. Using such a nut in battle could be suicide, and on the hunt embarassing.

Regards
JAmes

Kiwijim mentions making roller nuts from the very hard bone at the base of the antler. I have seen at least one source that agrees on this point... no I don't remember who said that... maybe Payne-Gallwey? Josef Alm?
So yes, I think that's a possibility. I also wonder if the hard knob-end of legbones from horses or cattle... might be large and hard enough. It has to bear a lot of load. Guess I'll just have to find such a bone and cut it up for looksee. I've got some elk-legs curing under sand in the back yard. Maybe they'll tell me something.
As far as antler is concerned, some antlers are pithier than others, but I can't recall ever seeing a real medieval/renaissance crossbow with a pithy roller. If have made a few by drilling out the pith and replacing it with a piece of hardwood dowel, but wouldn't do that on a strong bow. Geezer.

man made material for roller nuts and also a drop in housing similar to tinkers. I won't be able to do much until January because I can't stay out of the woods during hunting season. I intend on building a practical hunting medieval similar in size and shape as the Maximilian I know have. I will be in touch with several plastics manufacturers.

"In days of old when men were bold and plastics weren't invented. They made their nuts from antler bone and went to war contented."

Just thought I'd let you guys know about the huge deer that once ranged throughout Britain and part of Europe. If you don't believe me then I suggest you take a look at the ones which the Natural History Museum have on display at their branch museum in a town called Tring in Hertfordhire. Those antlers are well over six feet across and make an elk's (wapiti) look small. Perhaps Tod knows of them; he's not too far from there.

Pavise

If only I were Tinker's grandfather eh. Wow!

If only I were Tinker's grandfather eh. Wow!

No Kidding; My Grandpa used to tell me of how the Woolly mammoth tusks were laying around outside his cave thicker'n fleas on his dog's back