Central European Crossbow, just starting

First topic message reminder :







Hi, gang. Here are a few pictures of my latest project. The tiller is being constructed by laminating two 1.5" maple planks together. So far, I have the tiller profile roughly cut out, the nut socket is drilled into each side, the tickler channel is chiseled out, and the nut binding holes and tickler pivot pin hole is drilled. Next step is to laminate the tiller and begin shaping.

I don't expect this project to take nearly as long as the first crossbow I built. I am expecting this to be in shooting form by early, early spring, if not sooner. Maple is one of my favorite hardwoods, and I expect this tiller with all the nice curves of a Central European bow to be easy on the eye. I have a 190# prod set aside for this weapon.

More photos soon enough. Comments are welcome.

"I wish you luck!"

His build, his choices. Don't take it to heart Tinker.

Plus stoneagebowyer is trying to keep it as period as possible - at least for most part. So natural way is the most logical at this point.

Ivo

Tinker, I really value your input, and thank you. That this I don't think will work for me doesn't mean it isn't something for future crossbows. And Ivo is right, I am attempting to keep things "old school" for the most part. This of course is not an authentic repro of a medieval weapon, but the spirit I hope is there.
Dane

Well, the bone dust and white glue trick is pretty decent. It was easy to do. I just mixed standard Elmers white glue with bone dust using a toothpick, got it to be a kind of thick paste consistency, and pressed it in with another toothpick and my fingers. While not prefect, I doubt the messed up areas will be very or at all noticible. I till need to do some more work on these areas, but I feel much better about things now.

Dane

Yesterday and this morning, I worked on the rolling nut. All straightforward, careful but relaxing work. More to do, and the next step is to drill in the hole for the threaded rod sear component. I still need to drill in the binding hole, as well, but will do that before I epoxy in the sear rod.

Dane

I am now down one nut, but up one bone covered tiller

The nailing procedure went without major incident. After doing a lot of sanding and filing and sanding and filing, I was satisfied that it was time to drill holes for and insert the little brass nails. I pre-drilled holes using a 1/16" bit in a drill press, spread some "super glue" on each nail, then tapped each one home.

The sear rod tapping process didnt go so well, however. No problem drilling the 5/16" hole for the 3/8" threaded rod, in this case a Grade 8 hex bolt. I started the tap at a slight angle, however, so by the time I made it to the other side of the nut, it was pretty much game over for the poor little rolling nut.

Luckily, I had extra nut blanks, chose the nicest one, and got out the little 4x10 lathe, faced the nut, polished, and so on. I am actually more pleased with this one, and decided to drill and tap the threaded rod hole before I did more work chiseling the bolt notch in the nut. Later today, I will most likely be making the sear notch and epoxying in the rod. More work has to be done polishing the tickler, but I feel like although not on the home stretch, at least rounding 2nd base and heading toward 3rd. Go LA Dodgers! I can at least pretty confidently say that the weapon will be done sometime in February.

Dane

Moving up very well there stoneagebowyer! Lots of nice detail in this build, especially I thank you for sharing the not-so-successful attempts...a path carved by the hands of today's builder for the future builder's success (and money saved on headache remedies)...two birds, one stone.

So did the bone/glue mix do the trick? You said it kinda did, but on the pictures I couldn't find anything. I did still see epoxy showing through...was that before or after you tried the bone dust stuff?

Ivo

Thanks, Ivo. My pleasure sharing the disasters and mistakes as well as the good stuff. That is how we learn, or at least I learn And it is nice to see others are having what may be the same issues as you on a given project.

The glue / bone mixture did do the trick. Not perfectly, and it doesnt come out will in the photos, so it is not easy to see, but when it all comes together, the gaps will be something probably you can only see if you know exactly where to look and carefully at that. It could have been much worse, wont I think detract from the overall weapon, and so I consider it a small and easy lesson to have learned. I am still concerened about how it will affect the finish (tung oil), but will come to that bridge when I come to it.

Dane