The Arbalist Guild

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

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

Latest topics

» 12th Century Chinese Crossbow Chronographed
by stuckinthemud1 Fri Nov 24, 2023 3:50 pm

» Crossbow Stock
by kenh Tue Oct 31, 2023 6:19 am

» Colletiere a Charavines continuing experiment
by stuckinthemud1 Sat Oct 07, 2023 5:36 am

» Cocking - how
by stuckinthemud1 Thu Aug 03, 2023 4:24 am

» Questions around heavy crossbow lath buildin
by stuckinthemud1 Wed Apr 26, 2023 1:10 am

» Arab Crossbow
by stuckinthemud1 Tue Apr 25, 2023 7:57 am

» prod angle, and lever trigger for sale anyone?
by stuckinthemud1 Mon Mar 20, 2023 5:54 am

» flexible string
by jasper1978 Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:25 am

» [solved]Skane/Lillohus crossbow thread
by stuckinthemud1 Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:44 am

» jens sensfelder
by jasper1978 Wed Mar 08, 2023 11:58 pm

» 400lb Windlass crossbow bolts weight and accuracy shooting high.
by stuckinthemud1 Sun Mar 05, 2023 2:53 pm

» Codex Löffelholz crossbow
by stuckinthemud1 Tue Jan 24, 2023 4:14 pm

» Digitar prodsc
by stuckinthemud1 Sun Jan 15, 2023 2:42 pm

» Troubleshooting
by Andy. Fri Jan 06, 2023 12:29 pm

» Wood Prods
by stuckinthemud1 Fri Dec 30, 2022 12:47 pm

» Colletiere a Charavines crossbow
by stuckinthemud1 Fri Dec 30, 2022 8:54 am

» Simplified Löffelhotz speedloader
by stuckinthemud1 Fri Dec 09, 2022 4:05 pm

» Fiberglass H-bows
by c sitas Sat Nov 12, 2022 8:44 am

» Bad Antler
by drawknife Sat Nov 12, 2022 3:48 am

» Anyone make their own bolts?
by Juniper Mon Oct 17, 2022 8:20 am

» Josef alm in English
by Juniper Sat Oct 15, 2022 4:22 am

» Qin/Han lock drawings
by kenh Fri Sep 23, 2022 8:16 pm

» stirrup dimensions?
by stuckinthemud1 Thu Sep 01, 2022 1:49 pm

» Skane/Lillohus lockbow information needed
by stuckinthemud1 Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:23 am

» need help contacting le musee Dauphinois Grenoble
by stuckinthemud1 Sat Aug 13, 2022 3:22 pm


4 posters

    Slot for bolt rest?

    avatar
    Stonedog
    Tinkerer

    If there is a will, there is a way.


    TinkererIf there is a will, there  is a way.


    Posts : 108
    Join date : 2012-07-04

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by Stonedog Mon Aug 25, 2014 4:52 pm

    I'm getting very close to completing my first crossbow! Since I want to be able to adjust for windage (this is a hunting bow) I want to go with a bolt rest instead of the groove.

    Do I really need to cut a dovetail slot or can it just be a straight slot? What would you suggest and why?

    I ain't gonna lie... Hand cutting or machine cutting a dove tail scares the shite outta me after all this hard work!!
    kenh
    kenh
    Crossbow Junkie

    I live here!


    Crossbow JunkieI live here!


    Posts : 883
    Join date : 2012-08-03
    Age : 75
    Location : Living Aboard a Sailboat in Fort Myers, FL

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by kenh Mon Aug 25, 2014 7:04 pm

    A square slot will not allow a simple screw to lock the wedge in place.
    avatar
    Itegorm
    Fresh Blood

    Doesn't mean
    I'm new to crossbows


    Fresh Blood Doesn't meanI'm new to crossbows


    Posts : 7
    Join date : 2014-07-06
    Age : 48
    Location : Boyne Falls, MI

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by Itegorm Tue Aug 26, 2014 8:23 pm

    Cutting a dovetail isn't too hard to do. Make a couple of practice pieces first. What I have always done when working on black powderguns Iis to rough out your slot with a saw and finish it up with a triangular file. The triangular file that I use has the teeth groundoff on one face so tthat you can finish up the angled sides of the slot without deepening the bottom of the slot or by turning the file you can true up the bottom without cutting further into the angle.
    avatar
    Stonedog
    Tinkerer

    If there is a will, there is a way.


    TinkererIf there is a will, there  is a way.


    Posts : 108
    Join date : 2012-07-04

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by Stonedog Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:49 am

    A HA!  Now I feel a bit more confident!

    So, as this is just a rest, how deep into the wood should I cut? 1/4", 3/8", 1/2"?????

    It isn't going to be bearing any stress to really speak of...other than the weight of the bolt....and will be as close to the tiller as possible and still have enough room for bolt clearance...
    Geezer
    Geezer
    Master Crossbowyer
    Master Crossbowyer


    Posts : 1194
    Join date : 2010-01-12
    Age : 76
    Location : Austin, Texas, USA

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by Geezer Wed Aug 27, 2014 11:29 am

    Yes, it's just a rest, and theoretically it should not be highly stressed: even so, you wanna put your rest as far ahead of the string as you can get it.  If you put the rest too close to string-stop point (brace point) eventually you'll knock the rest right off  the table.  If you look at enough period bows of this type, you'll discover lots of them have missing rests.... I wonder why....
    Geezer-learned the hard way.
    avatar
    Stonedog
    Tinkerer

    If there is a will, there is a way.


    TinkererIf there is a will, there  is a way.


    Posts : 108
    Join date : 2012-07-04

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by Stonedog Wed Aug 27, 2014 1:05 pm

    How deep into the tiller should I cut the dovetail?
    kenh
    kenh
    Crossbow Junkie

    I live here!


    Crossbow JunkieI live here!


    Posts : 883
    Join date : 2012-08-03
    Age : 75
    Location : Living Aboard a Sailboat in Fort Myers, FL

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by kenh Wed Aug 27, 2014 1:12 pm

    Shouldn't need more than 3/16" or 1/4" deep.  Dovetails I've cut in steel aren't more than 1/8" max
    avatar
    Stonedog
    Tinkerer

    If there is a will, there is a way.


    TinkererIf there is a will, there  is a way.


    Posts : 108
    Join date : 2012-07-04

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by Stonedog Wed Aug 27, 2014 3:56 pm

    Geezer-

    How far from the end would you recommend? The mortise for the prod is 1/2" deep from the front tip of the prod...
    Geezer
    Geezer
    Master Crossbowyer
    Master Crossbowyer


    Posts : 1194
    Join date : 2010-01-12
    Age : 76
    Location : Austin, Texas, USA

    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by Geezer Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:45 pm

    How far from the end?  Well, you'll need enough material around the rest and its dovetail so it doesn't just break off, so within those limits, put it As Far Forward as Possible.  Okay?  Even with the best design, eventually you'll end up hitting the rest with the bowstring (perhaps with a misfire, or when the string gets stretched or breaks) and you'll send the rest flying, and then you can repair it in some clever fashion.
    Lots of medieval bows used a permanent rest, carved in the bone top AT THE VERY FRONT-right over the prod. Such rests aren't moveable, but they're almost impossible to break off.... note I did say Almost. In crossbows, nothing is unbreakable, given an ingenious idiot. I used to have a klutzy apprentice who did all our bow-testing. If he couldn't break it, I figured nobody would.
    Geezer.

    Sponsored content


    Slot for bolt rest? Empty Re: Slot for bolt rest?

    Post by Sponsored content


      Current date/time is Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:17 pm