My Medieval Arbalist project

First topic message reminder :

It's pretty quiet around here. Time to throw some fat in the fire. Some of these are basic but it would have been helpful to have seen some like this when I first started 'lurking'...

With all of the junk and tools I have I do not own a propane torch, so I made this little 'quickie' mini-forge that utilizes charcoal briquets and injected air from my compressor... worked fine to form the tickler!



Here is where I am with it as of now. The string groove is not going to be made in the nut until I receive the string to see what the diameter is first. Going to have to do the carving on the tiller before binding the prod to it. ...Thinking now on maybe carving a dragon.







[EDIT] Discussion on fabricating a roll-nut block assembly >>> Link











Noticed the photo of the nut block sitting on the tiller is "bas-ackwards"

Tinker

You can actually order all kinds of archery tools, building materials, shafts, etc. all in one place online >>> http://www.3riversarchery.com/

BTW, There is a good read on Thecrossbowmanden.com that touches the subject of shaft vs. track vs. string >>> TheCrossbowmansDen: Track Dimensions

The bright light from the flash really makes the hair (tiger-stripe) on it's back really stand up...


Tinker

I'd be interested to learn how the nock end of your wooden bolt stands up Tinker. And are you going to put a bolt clip on that crossbow or just rely on a snug fit between the nut claws?

Pavise

Pavise wrote:I'd be interested to learn how the nock end of your wooden bolt stands up Tinker. And are you going to put a bolt clip on that crossbow or just rely on a snug fit between the nut claws?

Pavise

At this point, I think a bolt clip would be an annoyance. My intention was to 'flat sides' the 23/64" shafts as I allowed the groove in the nut claw to be narrower for that purpose. Figure I will fabricate some sort of jig to make both sides uniform and consistent bolt to bolt. As far as to how the wooden bolt butt will stand up, "I have no idea". (I do know however that a drop of 'Hot Stuff' cyanoacrilate will permeate end grain and make it tuff-as-hell. That was what the maple fins had been soaked with that shot through the backstop with no damage)
The hickory shaft I made the bolt I was shooting from does not seem to show any butt-battering and it was uncoated, but of course it isn't cedar. I am going to get an order off for 'bolt-makins' as soon as I get confirmation on the Grayling fletching jigs abilities. [Grayling GOP160]

Tinker

I have a whole bunch of Port Orford cedar 11/32" select shafts that I bought years ago for my longbow arrows and I intend to make some more crossbow bolts/arrows/quarrels from them. I have previously hardened the ends by scorching and have made fletchings from wooden craft sticks cut accordingly, and from thin chrome tanned leather splits or horse-hide. These are glued into shallow grooves cut to exact length and depth in my milling machine jig. The latter can also be done with the aid of a Dremel tool rig made for the job.

I've also been thinking about pressure treating wooden shafts with resin etc., in order to make them more rigid and suitable for heavier weight prods. A lot of the wood and lumber we get these days has not lived long enough or under harsh enough conditions to provide what was available to the "bolters" and arrowsmiths of old. The late Robin Allen used to make some beautiful wooden bolts that were tapered and then fletched with leather and fitted with his cast bronze bodkins. But then he used to make a lot of beautiful things in that Den of his.

Pavise

The vanes were thru-installed by cutting through the shaft with a slitting saw, then 'Hot-glued' with cyanoacrilate. I'm sure that is why the bloody thing shot through the backboard with no damage. (I have a small Palmgren milling attachment I can use on my lathe for limited milling operations)
A trick of the muzzle-loaders is to fill a tube with coal oil (kerosene) and soak the rod, submerged, for a couple months. Doing so makes the rod more tenacious. Might be an idea with a bolt, except it would most probably prevent any kind of a glue bond being made on it. Might make one hell of a fire arrow...

How's the crossbow project going?

Moon wrote:How's the crossbow project going?

....Morphed into an Excalibur Matrix 355