making a reproduction of a 15th century cranequin

hello all
I have made a cranequin, you can check it out here:
http://www.companie-of-st-george.ch/cms/?q=en/making-reproduction-late-15th-century-cranequin

best wishes
Jokum

Very beautiful!  VERY well done... Thank you for sharing, it is good to see the 'inside' and the process. Can't wait to see it working on a Maximilian...

Best!
Lightly

Very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing. Would you be willing to list your research sources? Here in Canada it is very difficult to come by accurate information on material like this.

thanks Lightly
I have since learned that this kind of Cranequin was used for central european crossbows, and not for western european crossbows (as the maximillian, which would have been spanned by a Spanish cranequin or an English windlass) so I am now making a maximillian type crossbow with an English windlass, and in time a central europaen crossbow for the cranequin...

And Jason, I have send you a personal message.
Jokum

Hey there!

This is a very nice cranequin, you can be proud of your work!!

I intended to answer much earlier when I saw it the first time, but I was busy.


I hope you do not mind some critics, more questions concerning the design:
Your main cogwheel seems a bit small, if you had a bigger diameter you would have a better gear transmission ratio. Besides the housing would not look that small.
Think I am used to bigger cranc-housings, never mind, if everything works fine with your crossbow transition should be good.

The handle completely of metal seems to me a bit over enthusiastic, on the one hand it looks quite impressive but on the other hand it is a lot of useless weight to carry around compared to a wooden/horn knob. Chancel that last point, just recognised it is not massive ^^


Perhaps I am just a little bit cnfused but what again was the difference between a spanish and a normal cranequin??

Greetings Rizzar

Hi Rizzar.
Thanks, I am proud:-).
the reason for the cogwheel and subsequently the housebeing small is that I have made a copy of a late 15th century Cranequin, at this period the houses are quite small, and probaply intented for lighter bows, as the development progresses into the 16th century the houses (casings) grow wider to have room for a bogger main cogwheel. Also the wooden handle is introduced around 1500, before that the handles were hollow ironplate.
The spanish Cranequin looks and works pretty much the same as the central european, only the handle is twisted 90 degrees to the crankshaft, so that you turn the handle down along the side of the tiller of the crossbow, instead of in a circle on top. the crankshaft thus have the grooves on top instead of on the sides.. I can recommend you Jens Sensfelders book on crossbows in the royal nederlands army museum, there you have both styles explained and which crossbows they were made for.
/ Jokum

And i didn't spell check before posting I see now...

Ahh, thanks a lot!

Luckily I own the book (purchased it on amazon used books in mint condition for 12€).

In fact I did never realise the vertical lever allignment was characteristic for a spanish cranc, although I read the whole book in my and the authors native language.

My bad, perhaps it is because I like the german style cranequin a lot more so I missed it.

Again, nice work, wish I would break my inner barriers and build one this year.

Rizzar

I say go Rizzar

Ahh, too many other projects this year!

1 and a half crossbows in the next weeks,
Knifemaking (with hamon on list),
building a hardening oven(first propane powered, later electrical),
building a goats foot lever,
fire welding damascus steele,
building a big gelt grinder,
making an anvil socket from wood planks,
building a heavy yew-warbow,
forging bolt arrowheads,
finishing a self forged tanto
...
catch up doing my qualification for university entrance after 10 years of army
(I guess I have other things with higher priority than building stuff ^^ )

Damn it!

You got me on the hook!

I really want to build one now!!!

4 a.m. and I cannot sleep anymore because I make thoughts about cranequins.


So, did you solder (hot) the parts together or hard-solder (really hot with different filler) ???

Did u use a cnc-mill?

I am still thinking about attaching the eye into the bottom plate than screwing and soldering, but much more efford. Do you have concerns about the powers splitting the solder joints at any point? 

Greetings Rizzar

HA HA, Sorry to keep you awake.
I soldered everything, originally it would have been soldered in the fire, baked in clay, I did make some tests, but I need to be more experienced.. so a copper solder is the second most original, and i used an ordenary milling machine for the grooves in the crankshaft and in the big cogwheel, the cogwheel is originally chiselled out, but I saved that for next time as well. And the quite a few things are rivited together as well.
For now I am pretty confident that it will hold..

Simply a work of art

A testament to your craftsmanship and patience Jokum,beautifully done.Shame about the use of a milling machine,although having spent more than a few hours pushing a file,I can understand why you did.
     Hermit.

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