Starting in 3....2.....1........

Now!!!!!!!
Ok, here I am, cutting wood after drawing the shape that I designed for my first crossbow.....
Ok, there are some pictures.....
Ok, I´m listening....comments....anything.....
One of the pictures shows my first problem.....a knot in the wood.....(don´t worry John, you can do it..... !!!!!!!)
BTW, I´m very happy for my start, but I don´t know where I´m comming to..... !!!!!
Greetings for all of you!!!!!!!!

Good start man.

Tell us a bit more about this project, from the pictures I can only tell the shape of the stock and that you are planning on using bow irons.

I don't think the nut should be a problem, but might be a little tough to drill/bore out the trigger slot ... and my guess you are having some trouble with picking the trigger? (you have both the roll-nut trigger and pin/notch trigger sketched)

Great job so far...Keep us posted.

Ivo

PS: When posting pictures, post the Second code ("Image" code)


or First code ("Thumbnail" code)...this one loads faster and keeps the posts smaller. What ever is more comfortable for you.

Nice! I am planning a first crossbow of my own. You are ahead of me as I haven't even chosen wood for the stock. Nice looking wood you have there. What type of wood is it, if I may ask? RE. the knot, you could bore it out with a forstner bit and then glue in a plug using the same wood as the stock. I use Titebond III for all my wood work and it is stronger than the wood itself once dry. That might work but I am sure some of the folks who've done this before might have some other suggestions. Keep up the good work and keep us apprised of your progress.

Thanks Ivo for both, reply and correcting images!!!!!
As you can see, I´m working in a carpentry in project and design department, but in my free time, I went down were the machines are!!!!
This, my first stock, are made in "anchico" wood, which is, by the gods, very hard, almost like "quebracho", this means Axe-breaker in Argentina....
Anchico is more workable whit hand tools.
That sketch on which you can see the bow irons, is one of many that I do before start cutting wood....they came from hours and hours of reserching on books and finally on this web site, thanks for exist!!!!!
I already have a piece of steel for the prod.....notice that I´m using correctly the terminology .......
And about the trigger and nut stuff, I was doing the drawings, (I´ll post it ASAP) but I´m not sure of what kind of release method to use, roll nut usually system, or pin up (or push up pin, or whatever you call it)

I know that this is my first work, and I know that there will be a lot of proves and errors on it, but still I´m very happy and enthusiast about my "JUAN the Second", that´s what i call this model.....

Ok fellows, return to walk, appreciate thy help....!!!!!!
And Ivo, thanks again...!!!!!

Drive8!!! Thanks friend!!!!!!!
I did not see you while I was writing my answer....
There you can see, that is ANCHICO the wood that I´m using for the stock....a South American tree from the north of Argentina and South of Brazil and Paraguay...
I tell you when i reach that knot.....
Greetings for all of you!!!

I was thinking if you were to drill out the knot and cover the patch with a contrasting inlay like nickel silver /German silver, ivory substitute, bone, brass in an interesting shape you could make a flaw into a work of art. Try a black powder catalog for some ideas, materials, pre-shaped inlays.
I just finished ruining my first try at a stock so I know how hard it can be. Nice work

Hi 8fingers....you give to me an excelent idea!!!!
Also i was thinking about adding some inlay of another wood or material.....i can do this on the knot too!!!!!!!
I just realize that anchico is so much hard to work, specially because the humidity in the inside, but nothing can stop me now!!!!!!
Wath is the Black Powder Catalogue that you mention?? Can you give me a link to it??

Gods be with all of you!!!

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Index.aspx

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?osCsid=8464a35e8f8c3652dbadbaa986727f23

These are the only ones I've dealt with, and there are probably others.
I wonder how these super hard woods would do for nuts and nut sockets? ANCHICO and quebracho"

Good Idea.......lets pull the trigger and find out.....

Well, i´m back with some flashes, after find some free time for work, let´s hear the pictures talking....













This weekend here, in Argentina, is a large weekend, for Pascuas Christians celebration. So, i hope i can put some more time on it!!!

Looking good man.

That wood looks as tough has a brick. I've actually seen amateur gunsmith shape a stock that looked to be of similar "brick wood" with a metal file. Crazy, I know, but he said it's the only way, since the rasps dulled too quickly and the belt sander was too hard to control. Also a strip cut from a sander belt about an inch wide can be used to smooth the stock, kinda like polishing a shoe.

One thing that worries me in this build is the midsection of the stock, a bit thin there...so careful no to remove too much wood while giving it the "curves". Other than that, all looks very promising. Will be interesting to see how this build turns out...definitely going for unique here.

Good Luck and Happy Holidays,

Ivo

Ivo, it´s a hard wood, but rasps go very well, at least the ones i own!! Before finish it, it will have a moment alone with my hands and chisels, I want a carving work on the stock, with a Normand Mitology style. Let´s see how it works.....I´m newbi on it too!!!!!
See, one of the pieces that I take away by saw, had as much 5mm thick, and I swear I can´t break it by hand (I´m a 265 pounds and 5.7 feet tall guy), so, I don´t said that is steel, but I think it´s Ok...!!!
And now, I want to show to all of you, my sketch of the "trigger", and see if you are to kind to tell me if this is ok.......
This weekend I´ll work on the prod, next week post some picts about it.

Your sketch looks good to me!
Todd

Thanks Todd!!! I was waiting fotr you!!!!!
See ya!!!! Good weekend!!!!!

There is a bit of a problem with the trigger axel position. It should be inline with the sear to prevent roll back.



Look at Lightly's crossbow build for a better example.

https://thearbalistguild.forumotion.com/t43-photo-essay-of-one-of-my-first-crossbows

As well as Basileus's site.

http://users.utu.fi/sjsepp/paja/designing_crossbows/designing_crossbows.html#NutAndTrigger

Also it's worth mentioning that you should try to not over complicate the trigger because you might have trouble inletting the space for it.

Ivo

Ivo!!! Good morning!!!

Thanks for your advice, i tell you that I´m having troubles already, because I give some shapes to the stock, maybe I would do it after the carving and inleting work......but that´s wath I got for being anxious.....jajajjajaja!!!!!

I´m getting a lot of experience here, about things that i think that already know.....

Do you think that a spring is necesary?? I don´t know how does it work, the after shoot (to call it in some way)...

BTW, Ivo, are you Ok?? I read you strange....bad mood.....i´m wright?? Sorry for ask, i don´t mean to be meddler or curious...

Juan,

Ivo is right about the trigger geometry. Spend an hour or so moving the trigger pivot point around on your sketches. Use a compass to see the path of the "nose" of the trigger. Do this until you understand the implications of different pivot locations. In an ideal situation, the nut will not move at all until the nose of the trigger leaves the notch.

This will be time well spent.

Mac

Mac!!! You're wright!!! I just doit, and both of you were on the true....the nut rolls back, a few mm, but it does!!!
I change the position of the nose and align with the pivot center. Also, i was thinking that is so hard to make the holes exactly like the Autocad drawing..... Maybe a little tolerance is admitted....a mm or two...
So, I will try it like Ivo show me, in the Basilisk pictures web site....!!!
Thanks Mac!!!!!!!

Yes I missed that critical part, sorry about that. In fact I line mine up like Ivo shows. In other words the center of nut, and the point where the tickler and sear meet and the pivot point of the tickler should be a 90 degree angle.

Todd

Don't be sorry Todd!!!!!!! None of us are robots!!!!!!
That degrees TIP is fine, i can design over that parameter....!!!!!!!
Thanks!!!!!

BTW, Ivo, are you Ok?? I read you strange....bad mood.....i´m wright?? Sorry for ask, i don´t mean to be meddler or curious...

Thanks for asking...women are driving me nuts, so there goes my mood.... It has nothing to do with the forum though, just occasionally I'm an Admin here and I still haven't got a good grip on how to "put it softly", so I might sound a bit harsh - My apologies guys, without you this forum wouldn't exist.

Now with that trigger...I was working on my trigger last night and saw a great similarity between your design and the one I got off of a factory crossbow. Look at where the axle is ...



...Still that trigger isn't balanced and the housing had to have a little stop support to allow this axle placement.

Take Mac's advise and get everything working on paper first.(I love what he called it "CAD - Cardboard Aided Design ) ...make a few paper cutouts, pin them to a board and simulate the action - experimenting with various axle placement and making necessary adjustments on paper by trimming the sear/edge angle.

BTW...I noticed a slight improvement in your English ...do you have an Englidh spelling checker in your browser/ on the computer? That should take you a step further. Keep up the good work!

Ivo