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4 posters

    Slot for bolt rest?

    Stonedog
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    • Post n°1

    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!!
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    kenh
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    • Post n°2

    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.
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    • Post n°3

    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.
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    • Post n°4

    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...
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    • Post n°5

    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.
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    • Post n°6

    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?
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    • Post n°7

    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
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    • Post n°8

    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...
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    • Post n°9

    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.
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    • Post n°10

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

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