How to make a crossbow at home. Let's make a crossbow. Blueprints. What is needed to make a homemade crossbow?

The crossbow is one of the inventions that changed history. Before its invention, an archer needed to train for many years before becoming an effective warrior. With a crossbow, even the average peasant could be a soldier. In addition, thanks to the use of a cocking mechanism, cross force is no longer a limiting factor.

Here are my instructions on how to make a crossbow from wood with photos and drawings.

Be careful because a crossbow can kill or injure you, your dog, etc.

Step 1: Crossbow Arc

All you need is to decide on the sizes.

The overall length is 125 cm with a width of 6.5 cm in the center, tapering to 1.25 cm at the edges. The thickness is 1.1 cm.

I made the string mount from hardwood pins.

I also covered the arc with denim. I just put a piece of jeans and soaked it in glue, rolling it out with a rolling pin.

Step 2: Crossbow Stock

The stock was modeled in ProE. Essentially, these are two rectangles - one is 7.5 x 50 cm 14 x 37 cm, the other is 14 x 37 cm.

Take the dimensions from the picture and cut two pieces from 2 cm plywood (I used plywood because I had it on hand).

Once the two pieces are ready, they are connected to each other with wood screws because they will need to be taken apart several times.

At this point it will be helpful to use a plane to line up the top edges of the two pieces. If you don't have a plane (I didn't), screw the stock to the board and smooth the edges with a saw. The top edges must be flat and even.

Step 3: Trigger

1. Disassemble the stock into two parts.
2. Work for inside one of the parts.
3. Measure 50 cm from the long part and then go down 5 mm. This will be the center of the circle. Using a compass, draw a circle with a diameter of 4 cm.

Draw a line from the bottom of the circle 6mm long, then lower this line down to the end of the stock. Make an orthogonal line from the end of the line inside the circle to the end of the stock.

Inside this area will be your trigger. You can see in the picture where I sketched out lines to indicate the hole.

The hole is the pivot point for the hook.

Step 4: Continuing the Trigger

Here I used a wood router to cut the wood 6mm deep. I subsequently placed a piece of paper over the cutout and made an outline to transfer the cutout onto the second piece of the stock. At this point it is important to drill a hole in the center of the circle as your marks will be on the inside once assembled.

Step 5: Assembling the Crossbow Stock

Glue and screw the two parts of the stock together, being careful not to get any glue on the trigger mechanism. Attach a 0.5cm piece of hardwood to the top of the stock, I used maple. Once the glue has dried, use a hole saw to make a 4cm hole where the trigger will be.

Then use a sander or sandpaper to remove the burrs.

Step 6: Nut

The nut will hold the bowstring in place when the crossbow is cocked. It must be strong and strong. I made the nut out of red oak plywood and glued the layers together with epoxy glue. Honestly, five coats is not enough and we could do better here.

In any case, once the crossbow stock is dry, you need to insert the nut into the hole.

The width of the nut should be the same as the width of the stock.

The bottom half of the nut is cut off to make the trigger. The top half is cut in half to make the notches that will hold the bowstring. An additional cut is also made so that the arrow can make contact with the bowstring.

The nut will be held in the stock by blocks on both sides.

Step 7: Trigger

You need to take the piece of paper on which you marked the cutout on the stock. This will help determine where the trigger will sit.

The top edge of the trigger should be straight. Just make the hook strong enough and small enough to support the weight of the crossbow and make the nut rotate.

I used a piece of hardwood plywood. This is a bad choice because it crumbles. To fix this, I reinforced the piece with a carpet nail.

Once you have made the trigger just like in the photo, finish drilling the pivot hole and make sure the trigger can rotate.

Step 8: Attaching the Crossbow Bow

To make it easier to attach, I use a bolt that goes through the bow into the stock and secures it with a nut hidden in the cross.

Step 9: String

I made a hemp bowstring with 16 threads, 122 cm long. It's not a very good bowstring, but it will do for the first time.

Step 10: Conclusion

The wooden crossbow made by yourself is ready, what’s left to do?

• Since it's plywood, I'll probably paint the crossbow.
• There are no security mechanisms.
• Front sight to shoot straight.
• Make an arrow holder, if you tilt the crossbow the arrow will fall out.
• The bowstring needs to be made better.
• Various fasteners.
• I measured the kinetic energy. The shot produces 28 J of energy, which is below the recommended minimum of 33 J for hunting, so a stronger crossbow needs to be made.

The crossbow topic is probably never-ending, that is, I mean, there is always something interesting on the Internet. Lovers of homemade weapons spend hours wandering around in virtual reality, trying to find detailed drawings and new design developments to create their own models of weapons, including crossbows.

Modern crossbow making has rather complex mechanics, and not every home-made person can make a crossbow using new technologies. The reasons for this are different: some do not have the appropriate equipment, some cannot find the appropriate material, and some simply do not have the professional skills to work with modern technologies. But don't be upset if you don't have any of the above.

The crossbow masters of the past developed the designs of these magnificent weapons, which were very simple and accessible to any person with straight arms and good judgment. And believe me, a high-quality crossbow made according to ancient drawings is no worse (in terms of its technical and shooting characteristics) than the sophisticated factory “miracle” of our days. Moreover, its production does not require complex equipment and the material can be found easily.

I want to bring to your attention the design of the simplest, in my opinion, crossbow. Its diagram is located in one single picture, but this is quite enough to understand how to make such an old crossbow.

As you can see, almost all of its parts are made of wood, except for a metal cotter pin for connecting the trigger mechanism to the crossbow stock and a steel plate designed to hold the arrow in the crossbow guide when cocking the bowstring. Although, the descent can be made even simpler, for example, as shown in section.

The curvature of the arc can be achieved using clamps and special metal templates. However, it is better to make a bow not from a single piece of wood, but using, for example, multi-layer veneer. You can read how to do it on the page

Now pay attention to the ease of connecting the bow to the crossbow stock. Nothing pretentious or abstruse - ordinary strong twine that firmly holds these parts together. The stock itself can be cut out with an ordinary hacksaw, corrected with a file and sanded with sandpaper.

An electric drill will help us drill four holes. The only difficulty for someone may be the selection of grooves for the boom and release lever. But still, I think that hand-held circular saws are found in almost every home these days. And with such a saw, making any groove will not be difficult.

From the picture above you can see all the required dimensions except thickness. You can determine the thickness yourself, or you can go through the topics dedicated to crossbow construction and choose the option that suits you.

So we spat on modern technologies and reconstructed a crossbow from the Middle Ages. Of course, an optical sight is not available to us, and the arrow’s flight range is much shorter than that of the powerful crossbows of our time, but... we made it ourselves, without having any sophisticated equipment, expensive materials, or detailed drawings at hand. Without which it is impossible to make a modern crossbow, since its manufacture requires high precision in the fit of all parts. You can be quite proud of your creation.

By the way, if applied to our wooden crossbow With a little creative effort, it is quite possible to achieve it being recognized as a “work of art.” Perhaps you are interested in wood carving and will be able to put a unique design on your product that can amaze others with its originality. Good luck, friends, in your creative endeavors.

More about homemade crossbows:

27.06.2019

In this way you can make a bowstring for a crossbow. If your goal is the question of how to make a crossbow, then you should pay attention to the bowstring Special attention. On this site you will find a lot of useful information for you on how to make a crossbow with your own hands.

For a good quality bow, you need a good quality bowstring, which we will now manufacture. But people interested in making a real bow will definitely pay attention to these recommendations, unless, of course, they are planning to buy a bowstring in an online store.

To wind the bowstring we will need nylon, silk or nylon thread. All this can be purchased at fishing, hunting, and hardware stores.

But a bowstring that is too thin will cut your fingers when firing. These are the contradictions that await you when choosing a material for a bowstring.

At the ends of the block we drill holes along the diameter of the sticks at a distance from the length of the future bowstring. If it is thin, then ten, twenty or thirty turns, depending on the thickness, see for yourself, but the bowstring must be at least two millimeters in diameter.

In order for the arrow to immediately fall on the middle of the bowstring when shooting, we put on thick rubber rings opposite the bow shelf between which the arrow will be inserted. Our almost professional bowstring is all ready.

With the help of a bowstring, the tension of the arms and the acceleration of the arrow take place, so the quality of the bowstring affects many of the characteristics of the crossbow. An important requirement for a bowstring is that it does not stretch during use, and the durability of the bowstring will depend on what material it is made of.

It’s not difficult to make a crossbow bowstring yourself; suitable materials include threads such as lavsan, dacron, kevlar, deinema, SVM, fastflight and others made of synthetic fiber. After the machine is made, you can begin making the bowstring.

How to make a crossbow at home

On the middle part of the bowstring you need to make a transverse winding again, because it is most susceptible to wear and tear.

Another step on the path to making a crossbow has been taken, it’s time to move on to the next one. The design of a crossbow consists of three main parts: the stock, the arc and the trigger. If you want to make a crossbow with your own hands, start from a blank for the arc. The parameters of the remaining parts will depend on its size.

How to quickly make a crossbow with your own hands, video and photo

A crossbow is a small weapon. The principle of shooting is similar to archery. Nowadays, crossbow shooting is a fairly popular sport. But the cost of a crossbow starts from several tens of dollars. Therefore, many adherents of the crossbow try to make it with their own hands, at home.

Let's look at what components a crossbow consists of:

• Bed;
• Trigger;
• Bowstring;
• Arrows or bolts.

What do you need to make a crossbow from wood with your own hands?

Minimum set of tools:

• Very sharp knife;
• Drill;
• A grinder with a wood disc or a regular hacksaw;
• Hammer;
• Plane;
• Chisel.

To make a crossbow you need a piece of wood. It is advisable to take a tree:

• hazel,
• ash,
• poplar.

You can also use birch or oak. The wood of these trees is more resistant to moisture, viscous, does not splinter and is beautiful. The wooden blank should have a length of about 900 mm and a thickness of 30 mm. Coniferous wood cannot be used.

To make a crossbow, the wood must be properly prepared. Only from the “correct” wood will a crossbow shoot for a long time with high power. Having cut a tree trunk or branch to the required length and thickness, the cuts must be painted over. This is done so that moisture leaves the wood gradually, and, therefore, the wood will dry more slowly and evenly. The clogged branches will be placed away from sunlight. They stay like that for about a year. After a year, the bark is removed from the blanks, and it dries for another week. And only after all these procedures are completed, the branch is sawed lengthwise and the making of the crossbow begins. Of the two parts of the branch, take the northern one, guided by the annual rings. On this side, the fibers fit closer to each other, which means the material will be stronger.

photo: correctly carved wood for a crossbow

On the board, draw the shape of the future base and cut it out using a grinder or a hacksaw. Make a groove on top for the arrow. A groove is cut on one side to secure the arc. If knots or chips appear during the work, they must be processed with a sharp knife and then with sandpaper.

The second step will be making an arc. For it, take a board with a thickness of 20 mm and a length of at least 750 mm. The board must be smooth and free of knots. The board must be thoroughly dried, left for several days, and only then trimmed. The width of the arc is approximately 40 mm in the middle; towards the edges its width decreases to 15 mm.

photo.string of a homemade crossbow

arc for powerful crossbow can be made from a spring leaf of a UAZ car. Using a grinder, we cut an arc from the spring. Its dimensions are as follows: length 850 mm, width at the ends 15 mm, and in the middle 30 mm. Next, using a sharpening stone, bring the thickness to 8 mm in the center and 4 mm at the periphery. Drill holes for fastening with a Pobedit drill

Preparing the groove for the arc. We make a hole for fastening from a rope, at a distance of 100 mm from the cut groove for the arc. We insert the arc into the groove and secure it with a rope. Or you can make a metal frame that will cover both the stock and the bow. The next step is to attach the bowstring to the ends of the bow, using the cuts made in advance. Stretch the string as you would when shooting. Thus we will find the most distant point. After this, we determine the optimal size of the crossbow, which is equal in length to your forearm.

We will make the bowstring from lavsan or fastfly. You can use a thin cable. Wrap the threads stretched between two nails, and make loops at the ends for putting on.

We wind the threads to a thickness of 5 mm. Then, without removing the threads from the nails, we wrap the threads once so that they are tight to each other. After this, we collect both halves of the bowstring at the first nail, and wrap it tightly again to the second nail. As a result, we got a bowstring with loops at the ends. The middle part of the bowstring must be wrapped very carefully, since a very large friction force acts on this part. The cut threads must be coated well with glue so that all the threads are monolithic. We tighten the bowstring using a stirrup made of wire. Having secured the bowstring, we adjust the degree of its tension. If the bowstring is too thick, the force of the shot will be reduced, and if it is too thin, it will break. Therefore, you need to make a bowstring of medium thickness. You can make a bowstring in the likeness of sports models.

photo: crossbow trigger

An important step necessary to make a homemade powerful crossbow

And so, we come to the most important part of our design. We will make a crossbow trigger mechanism. This will be a pin type lock. To do this, drill a through hole at the point of maximum tension on the bowstring. Make a transverse recess in the upper part of the bed. The next step is to secure the lever at the bottom of the crossbow. We make the axle out of wood and fasten it with wire.

Another type of trigger is called a nut. It consists of a cylinder that rotates freely around its axis. On one side it has hooks for the bowstring, and on the other side there is an L-shaped trigger stop. If the crossbow's power is up to 30 kg, the cylinder can be made of wood, but with a power over 30 kg it must be made of metal. Make the “nut” that will hold the bowstring from a piece of iron without welding to make it stronger.

We fix the stock and the lever with ropes so that the lever moves with minimal friction.

For the boom, the groove should be located from the top hole of the lock to the leading edge. The depth of the gutter is equal to a quarter of the diameter of the boom.

The wooden crossbow is ready. Now let's start processing the details. First, we process all the parts with sandpaper. After this, they can be coated with protein mixed with water. Then check how the lock works. Make sure the mechanism is as strong as possible.

To make the crossbow more beautiful, cover the wooden parts with stain and varnish, and the metal parts with black paint.

Now let's move on to the arrows. You can also make them yourself. To do this, you can make blanks from an ordinary board. Then these blanks need to be carefully planed. It is recommended to choose light wood. When making the tip, you should not drive nails in, as if it hits the target, the arrow may split.

We looked at how to make a regular “medieval” crossbow.

The crossbow can be block. It can also be made at home. It is made of fiberglass, 10 mm thick.

First they are made fiberglass shoulders. To do this, you need to cut from 30 to 40 strips from fiberglass or Kevlar. Glue them together with epoxy glue and place them under a press until completely dry. After 24 hours or more, these structures need to be leveled and thoroughly cleaned.

photo.mounting a homemade crossbow

The bed, as in the previous case, is made of wood.

The blocks are made of aluminum. It is better if they are on bearings. Perfect for these purposes, the middle parts of the wheels for roller skates. The axles for them need to be taken with a diameter of 5 mm. They can also be taken from skates. Fasteners are made of steel or other durable material. If, when making the shoulders, the ends are made thicker, there is no need to make fastenings. The next step will be to install a trigger mechanism with a trigger and an arrow holder on the crossbow. All this is connected using bolts and washers. In block-type crossbows, the bowstring is slightly longer and is tensioned differently. It seems to cross, and the arrow flies with double energy. A thin cable is used as a bowstring, which can withstand sudden pressure when fired.

Read how:

To conduct targeted shooting from a crossbow made by yourself at home, you need to adjust the stock. It needs to be adjusted taking into account the flight path of the arrow. The bed should be at an angle of 5-6 degrees. It’s even better to decide on the shooting distance and zero the crossbow you’ve made, after each series of shots, changing the angle of the stock.

photo: homemade wooden crossbow

The trigger mechanism can be anything, as long as it does not fire prematurely, under the force of the bowstring. The string should, after the shot, return close to the stock, but without strong friction.

If you don’t want to buy an expensive crossbow (and prices sometimes exceed $1000), you can make a crossbow with your own hands. It's not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The design of the crossbow is quite simple. A crossbow can be made from what is at hand, replacing missing materials with similar ones. A homemade crossbow is quite suitable for target shooting.

General view of a crossbow that you can make with your own hands according to drawings

The design of this crossbow uses the developments of manufacturers in the field of weapons. The drawings show a crossbow of a block design. If you follow the directions and take all measurements, you will be able to make a quality and good crossbow with your own hands, even at home

General diagram of a homemade crossbow assembly:

To begin with, it is advisable to carefully study the drawings of the crossbow and begin assembling it yourself. Making a crossbow with your own hands is not an easy task. But this increases interest in work! After all, a homemade crossbow can bring great joy and respect to the performer.

Crossbow structure: stock, shoulders, butt, trigger mechanism, sighting devices, block system. To make the stock, natural wood, solid or laminated timber, mainly hardwood, is used. The exact dimensions of the crossbow can be seen in the drawings. You choose the shape of the crossbow yourself, guided by the convenience and ergonomics of the stock and the desired image. When choosing, you must also consider whether you can make such a form correctly.

Crossbow shoulders and deck drawing:

Use of stock from small arms, allows you to significantly reduce labor costs for making a crossbow. The main thing is to choose the right size. The trace of the trunk left in such a stock must be hammered in with wooden blocks, firmly seated with epoxy glue. The butt and under-barrel pad of a crossbow can also be made of wood. The stock will be attached to the guide and serve as the basis for the trigger mechanism.

Butt drawing:

Offered for DIY assembly, the crossbow has a block design. This allows you to compensate for the load when cocking the bowstring and maintain power. Compound crossbows are the most popular among hunters because... You can carry a crossbow in a cocked state for quite a long time. Horton actively uses this design in the production of its crossbows.

Drawing of block assembly parts:

Pay special attention to the processing of the arrow guides and bowstring. The clarity of their finish greatly influences shooting accuracy. The guide lines must be perfectly straight and smooth. The best choice would be grinding on a milling machine and subsequent processing with fine-grain sandpaper. Next comes polishing the guides. You can see the dimensions of the boom guide groove in the drawings. The crosspiece, with the shoulders attached to it, is installed at the end of the stock. It is usually made from an aluminum billet. Wood can also serve as a suitable material.

A crossbow sight must consist of a rear sight and a front sight. You can also install an optical sight on the crossbow, providing a mount for the aiming bar. Vertical adjustments are made entirely, mounted on the cover of the trigger mechanism, and horizontal ones - with a front sight mounted on the bracket of the elastic element.

There can be many design options for sights and sighting devices for a crossbow, depending on the possibility of manufacturing and the availability of ready-made sights from conventional weapons ( air rifles) and so on.

It should be borne in mind that the flight path of a crossbow arrow (crossbow bolt) is quite high, so the rear sight must be installed significantly higher than the front sight. The angle of elevation of the aiming line depends on the weight of the arrow, the tension of the string, the shooting distance, etc. In our crossbow at a distance of 50 m it is approximately 6°.

Convenient are the designs of the rear sight, which allow it to be removed or folded during transportation. It will also be convenient if the rear sight can be adjusted manually by raising or lowering the bar. Thus, you will be able to shoot the crossbow under different conditions(distance to target, arrow weight).

The crossbow, the manufacture of which is described above, is designed for shooting bolts with a diameter of 8 mm and a length of 450-470 mm. You can easily make them yourself from a duralumin tube with a wall thickness of 0.5 mm. The tip and liner are attached to the bolt in front, and the feathering is attached to the back, just as they do for archery. It should be borne in mind that the shank of a bolt for a crossbow, unlike an arrow for a bow, should not have a cutout for the bowstring; it should be flat. It can be carved from wood in the form of a cork and inserted into the end of the tube, having previously been lubricated with glue.

Would be a great gift for a child. With it you can organize a small shooting range. The power of the crossbow is not great, since it uses an elastic band as a bowstring. Such a crossbow shoots almost anything; the author, as an option, uses small arrows made from the shaft of a ballpoint pen and a tip in the form of a syringe needle. The crossbow is assembled quickly and easily; it requires a minimum of materials.

Materials and tools for homemade work:
- steel strip;
- wooden plank;
- an ordinary wooden clothespin;
- handle from ski pole;
- a thin spring or elastic band;
- a piece of steel wire;
- trigger from a children's toy gun;
- sheet iron or elements from a mechanical designer.

Tools you will need: drill, hacksaw, pliers, fastening tool and file.

How to assemble a mini crossbow:

Step one. Crossbow shoulders and stock
How the shoulders and stock of the crossbow are made and attached can be seen in the photo. The stock is very easy to assemble; you will need three boards. They are connected to each other with ordinary nails.

Step two. Device trigger
The trigger mechanism for a crossbow is also very simple to make. For these purposes you will need a regular wooden clothespin. You need to cut off one gripping part from it. You can see exactly how in the photo.

Below in the video you can see how the most powerful crossbow in the world works. An experiment was conducted to see if a crossbow could penetrate armor...

Initially, a self-made crossbow weapon was called a crossbow. Another meaning of this word is in the name of a homemade weapon that operates without human intervention. This is a hunting item designed to be installed on deserted trails in deep forests. But it is not advisable to use this crossbow, since there is a high risk of injuring another person. Any crossbow, like any weapon, can cause significant harm to health if it is used incorrectly or left to children unattended. To know how to make a crossbow at home, you should listen to some of the recommendations listed below.

Do-it-yourself homemade crossbow

A crossbow-type self-propelled weapon for hunting is a kind of special type of trap with a guard. This weapon has been used for a long time in Rus', installed near animal trails. An animal passing by could touch the guard or grab the bait, which would trigger a simple weapon that would hit the target. Such a crossbow was installed at a distance from several tens of centimeters to several meters.

The simplest hunting crossbow consists of the following parts:

• The basis
• bow string
• Cord or rope for attaching the gatehouse to the base
• Gatehouse
• Alert thread
• Arrow

A loop of guard thread is installed on the long end of the guard. When she pulls it off, the guard turns under the action of the bowstring, it is released, and a shot is fired. The longer the guard, the easier it is to shoot from a guarded wooden crossbow.

A homemade hunting crossbow can be installed not only on the trail, when you can catch prey in front, behind or from the side, but also on tree branches. An animal that has climbed a tree must touch the warning thread of the crossbow. Self-propelled weapons are mounted on branches for hunting small animals. It is also mounted suspended on trees for hunting wolverines, wolves or wild dogs. Stones, shortened arrows (so-called bolts), peg arrows, etc. are used as a throwing projectile.

Homemade crossbow

Firearms are rarely made for hunting because, like any weapon loaded with bullets, they are very dangerous. As a rule, such traps are installed near an animal trail, near which signal signs are placed warning a person about the presence of a crossbow nearby. The simplest option for making a self-propelled weapon is to use a ten-gauge metal tube 20-25 cm long, with one end welded and the other ending with a brace. The starting device is equipped with a capsule. The made crossbow is loaded with two bullets, a suitable tree is found near the animal trail, screwed into the trunk, and a tripwire is made onto the trail. The weapon is aimed at the trail, the hunter is located near the hunting site. You can use this method of hunting, but crossbows are a much safer type of self-propelled weapon.

How to make a crossbow at home

Making a crossbow at home

Making a crossbow with your own hands is quite simple. To do this, you first need to leave a drawing of each part. The weapon consists of a bowstring with shoulders, a stock and a trigger mechanism. Steps on how to make a crossbow with your own hands at home:

1. The stock is made of wood: for this you need to find a suitable board, draw a sketch of the stock, then cut it out with a jigsaw and a hacksaw.
2. A homemade crossbow must have a hole for a finger - it is made using a suitable drill.
3. A needle file is used to make a groove for the arrow, the location of which is previously marked with a marker or pencil.

You can use ordinary wooden clothespins to secure the arrow. To do this, a hole with a diameter equal to the thickness of the arrow is drilled in one of them, after which two clothespins are glued to the top and bottom of the crossbow stock, and the one in which the hole is made is placed on top of the back part. It is this that will hold the arrow and be attached to the top ones.

Homemade crossbow

Crossbow arms can be made from car springs or elastic plastic. They are secured with a block or welded metal fastener. To tension the bowstring, block elements are used for fastening at the ends of the crossbow arcs. The bowstring is made of steel cable or nylon thread, for example, lavsan.

When making a crossbow, an important part is the trigger mechanism. For this you will need:

• Stainless steel sheet 2-3 mm thick, size 10x15 cm.
• Two small springs
• Three 10mm bolts with six nuts and two 8mm bolts with two nuts.

On paper you need to draw a diagram of the trigger mechanism, or more precisely, the trigger and hook for the bowstring. The drawing is transferred from paper to a sheet of metal, cut out with a hacksaw, and processed with a file. After this, a drawing of the parts of the crossbow trigger housing is made from wood, transferred to a metal plate, and cut out with a hacksaw. The holes for the trigger mechanism must first be made on a piece of plywood; if it works properly, then transfer the holes to a metal plate. Bolts with a diameter of 08 mm secure the trigger and hook for the bowstring, and the springs are also attached. The side parts of the plates are fastened with bolts with a diameter of 10 mm, and after that the homemade trigger mechanism for the crossbow is ready.

In this article we will consider the question of how to make a crossbow, using the constructive knowledge of crossbow construction.

To make a reliable crossbow yourself, great hard work and desire are not enough. It is also necessary to have a small knowledge base, material and technical. Of course, you can take a piece of wood and a car spring, and with the tenacity of a maniac, start sharpening, planing, drilling, sawing, focusing approximately on the found images of the crossbow design. But the result may be that the crossbow will be too heavy, inconvenient, and in general the result may not be what you dreamed of and what you wanted.

What to do? First of all, you should determine exactly what kind of crossbow you need to make. After all, the types of this throwing weapons a large number and each has its own unusual technical features, which determine completely different techniques for making and using crossbows in practice.

Further, you need to accurately assess your capabilities in terms of equipment, with which you will make crossbow parts with your own hands. And, finally, think carefully about where and what material you need to take to create this or that structure.

Well, let's start by replenishing the knowledge base about crossbows and their types, because without this it is simply impossible to move forward. First, let's look at the general structure of this weapon.

In most cases, any crossbow has the following mechanisms and parts:

• Crossbow guides and stock;
• Shoulders and bow;
• Trigger;
• Tension device;
• Arrows (bolts);
• Bowstring.

Now we need to touch a little on the classification of crossbows. All of them are classified according to certain criteria.

Classification according to shoulder tension level:

• Tension level up to 20 kg. Such crossbows are often used for entertainment and recreation; of course, they are not suitable for any serious testing. The targeted shooting range is not very long (approximately 15-20 meters);
• Tension level 20-55 kg. Such crossbows allow the trigger mechanism to be cocked using muscular force, without any devices. Sighting range theirs is approximately 60-80 m;
• Tension level is more than 55 kg. Such crossbows are serious weapons that require special cocking devices to tension the bowstring.

Classification according to the type of onion used:

• Monolook. It can be homogeneous, made of steel or fiberglass, or composite using specific types of wood;
• Shoulders + pad. To secure the arms of the bow in this case, a block is used - an intermediate device. Such a crossbow is quite convenient for transportation, because easily understood.

Classification according to the type of shoulders used:

• Block - with the use of rollers and eccentrics, as well as having a main and 2 additional bowstrings;
• Straight - the shoulders in a non-bent position form a straight segment;
• Traditional - S-shaped beam type of bend.

Classification according to the crossbow stock used:

• A traditional screw-type stock with a solid butt, neck and fore-end;
• Stocks of the old type, which are made following the example of medieval crossbows;
• Sports stock with a slot in the butt and a pistol grip.

Classification by tension method:

• Muscular type of tension - has a system of levers, a stirrup, a special hook;
• A goat leg is a single-arm lever;
• Gate - the device has a worm gear and a rack;
• Block tension with multiple rollers.

Now that you have some understanding of how crossbows work, it's time to decide which design is right for you based on your technical capabilities. In other words, make sure you have the ability to use wood and metalworking machines. It is worth believing that with only a drill, a plane and a hacksaw, you are unlikely to be able to make a high-quality crossbow with your own hands. Many parts can only be made by an experienced turner. Even if you have detailed drawings of a crossbow on hand, you will have to use maximum creativity, effort and ingenuity to do everything technically competent and beautiful.

How to make a crossbow for your physical. options

Let's start making a crossbow with our own hands from the stock. First, let's take suitable wood. We need a type of wood that will not chip or warp, and will be sufficiently tough. The following species fully meet these parameters: walnut, birch, ash, beech. Undoubtedly, such a tree can be found in any hardware store in our country, so no problems arise.

For a stock, a board 30 cm thick is quite suitable as a starting material (it is not recommended to take more than that - there is simply no need for it). Now you need to decide on the size of the bed. The figure below shows how to choose its size to suit your own physical parameters.

Where:
A– these are your basic physical dimensions:
L– Distance from the bend of the elbow to the end of the index finger;
B2- width chest;
H3– distance from the pupil to the collarbone.
B– bed dimensions:
Lп– the length of the stock, which is measured from the front segment of the trigger to the heel of the butt (about 5-15 mm longer than half the back of the butt);
Lps– length from half the back of the butt to the trigger (distance L);
Lн– the length is false from the toe of the butt to the trigger (+/- 15 mm shorter or longer than the distance to half the back of the butt);
A– the distance in front of the butt from the bend of the stock to the bottom;
O– the distance from the heel of the butt to the bend of the stock to the bottom (dimensions “a” and “o” are made depending on the H3 indicators).
IN– retraction of the bed and change to the side, which depends on the width of the chest (B2):
Op– the distance from the heel of the butt to the outlet of the stock;
He– the distance from the toe part of the butt to the outlet of the stock.

The stock must be measured from the beginning of the trigger to various points that are located on the back of the butt. To adjust the bed to the size of your body, you need to use the picture above. But the average sizes are:

From the heel to the beginning of the trigger – 36-36.5 cm;
From the hook to the butt toe the distance is 36.8-37.2 cm;
To the midpoint, which is located on the occipital plane – 35.6-36 cm, “a” – 4-4.5 cm, “b” – 5.5-6 cm.

By taking measurements of your body, focusing on this table, you can choose the optimal sizes for your bed, which will suit you almost perfectly. Difficult? It’s not scary, as they say - “It’s hard to learn, it’s easy to fight.”

After which you can proceed directly to making the bed itself. To begin with, it is recommended to cut out a template from paper. On it we draw a bed according to the dimensions that were measured and determined using a table. Sketches of different crossbow stocks are available on the Internet.

We will tell you how to make a crossbow stock, shoulders and trigger mechanism step by step in other articles. In this case, our task is to determine the dimensions of the crossbow parts we need and the materials from which they will be made.

Now let's see where to start creating the crossbow's shoulders. And we start, as usual, by choosing the material from which the shoulders will be made. It seems to me that many people immediately determine what kind of crossbow will be made: with a monobow or with a compound bow.

The material for creating the shoulders should be as follows:

• If you have a sports bow at your disposal, you can use the shoulders from it. You can go to some sports section, where you can get decommissioned bows completely free - they will still be thrown away. They, however, can be used for weak crossbows, with a tension of up to 20 kg;
• Fiberglass or textolite is sold in regular construction stores. The tension force is also low - up to 20 kg. Typically used to create crossbows for recreational purposes;
• Car spring - look in your garage, in your neighbor's and in a junkyard. In principle, finding her would not be a problem - if only there was a desire;
• Carbon fiber, fiberglass, various composite materials - again, we go to construction stores.

Any store has similar materials, and at fairly affordable prices.

The highest quality crossbow arms are made from composite materials and fiberglass. Below is a drawing showing the dimensions of their fiberglass arms with a tensile force of up to 40 kg.

To create a monobow, you can use a car spring. The string is attached to it using wheels or pulled onto a trident.

Size chart for monobow drawings.

With your permission, now it’s time to finish the review of the sizes that you can use to create a crossbow with your own hands. In the following articles we will look in detail at what triggers can be used for a crossbow. We will also look at the drawings of trigger mechanisms that are common in crossbow manufacturing today.

Based on materials from the site: sekach.ru

It was told how to make a crossbow with your own hands from scrap materials. A shot in such a crossbow is carried out due to the elasticity of the bow. Moreover, the crossbow bow itself can be made from almost any elastic materials. You can, as in the article, use spring strips from an old mattress, you can pick up a grinder and make a crossbow from a spring. Today, composite materials are often used - fiberglass, carbon fiber and epoxy adhesives to make elastic arms for homemade crossbows.

But the other day I came across an old bed, or rather a mesh with springs.

I immediately thought that the crossbow uses elasticity, but not only the plates from which the bow is made have it, the springs also have a large reserve of elasticity. The simplest example of using springs to launch a striking element is air guns. This means that a crossbow can be made on springs!

I went online and saw - yes, spring crossbows have existed for a long time and are made by craftsmen!

Here is a photo of a spring crossbow with one spring.

And this crossbow has two springs - each on its own shoulder.

Here is a shot from a spring crossbow on video.

But most of all I liked the design in which the spring is located in the crossbow stock.

With this arrangement of the spring, the dimensions of the crossbow become minimal and it can be used in the forest and is quite easy to carry.

Shooting from a spring crossbow is carried out in the same way as from a regular one.

For normal hunting, a crossbow string tension of 35-40 kg is enough. I didn’t come up with this, these are data from a standard hunting crossbow of the Middle Ages.

But if desired, it is easy to increase the tension force by installing a more powerful spring or adding a couple more to the existing springs. Fortunately, there are 14 of them on one discarded bed.

By the way, it is not necessary to use tension springs; you can also use the opposite effect - storing energy when the spring is compressed. Fortunately, today there are a whole bunch of different shock absorbers. You can use a spring from the shock absorber of the front wheel of a bicycle; on inexpensive models they are very stiff; only a big guy weighing 130 kilograms can push through them.

Also, springs can be used not only on crossbows. Here's an example of using spring tension on a homemade bow.

It seems to me that making such a homemade crossbow on springs is not a problem. The design is no more complicated than usual, but there is no the most important problem - finding good elastic steel for the shoulders of the crossbow bow.

The second advantage of a spring crossbow is that the design can provide for changing the tension force of the bowstring by increasing the number of springs. As a result, it turns out that from the same crossbow you can shoot both light wooden bolts for hunting and heavy “armor-piercing” pieces of reinforcement. I really can’t imagine a situation in which such all-crushing bolts would be needed; in ancient times, solid bolts were used to defeat a knight in heavy armor, and today’s body armor without titanium inserts (with titanium this is the “anti-Kalash” class) can easily be pierced with a knife.

But the very possibility of shooting right through a brick wall is interesting :)

Also about making crossbows:

Hunting crossbow - enough effective weapon, which, if necessary, can serve as a worthy replacement for a rifle. The main advantage of the weapon is its silent shooting. Therefore, when using it, it is quite difficult to scare the animal.

Design features

What does a hunting crossbow consist of? The photos presented in this material allow us to see that the following components can be distinguished in it:

1. The body is the main power unit, which bears the load when lowering the bowstring. Serves as a basis for installing functional parts.
2. Blocks are part of the structure for installing bowstring tension arcs.
3. The stock is the part of the crossbow that is used to place the arrow.
4. The bowstring is a functional part that serves to propel the projectiles used.
5. The shoulders are an elastic structural element that releases energy when the bowstring is pulled.
6. A stirrup is a part that makes loading a crossbow easier.
7. The trigger mechanism is a device due to which the lock opens and the bowstring is released when fired.
8. Sight - mounted on the crossbow to facilitate aiming at the target.

Hunting crossbow with wooden shoulders

It is the simplest design. As follows from the definition, the shoulders here are made of wood. Such a crossbow cannot be called a model of reliability. Products in this category are frankly short-lived and therefore are not in very high demand. Most often, such a hunting crossbow is used as a collectible, decorative weapon.

Crossbow with metal arcs

An extremely common option. Hunters pay attention to such crossbows because they demonstrate high power when shooting. Hunting bows and crossbows with metal arches are suitable not only for training, but also for use in the field when tracking down prey. For manufacturing, both solid arcs and composite structures are used, which are assembled from several symmetrical parts.

Recurve crossbow

Classic version with curved shoulders. Such a hunting crossbow is an extremely easy-to-handle and convenient device to use. It has small dimensions and improved characteristics. Easily disassembled and transported.

Recurve crossbows contain reinforced arms, the tension force of which can reach about 50 kg. This, in turn, opens up the possibility of hunting small and large animals.

Compound crossbow

The design includes a whole system of eccentrics, thanks to which the process of loading the weapon is facilitated and the acceleration of the arrow is ensured. Compared to recurve models, a compound hunting crossbow is more compact. The power figures here are also excellent.

Small dimensions are ensured by installing short arcs. The use of this solution makes it easier for the weapon owner to overcome areas covered with thickets and bushes.

The characteristics of a block-type hunting crossbow provide simple cocking of the bowstring and insignificant recoil, which is achieved due to the rational distribution of the force vector.

type

• due to their reduced dimensions, they are extremely convenient for transportation;
• have high power and allow you to hit targets at both medium and long distances;
• have lower destructive power compared to block systems, but throw arrows at a higher speed;
• in addition to arrows, they can fire darts, harpoons, and metal balls.

Sights

The main feature of crossbow shooting is a significant shift in the aiming line. In other words, after firing the shot, the fired projectile begins to gravitate towards the ground quite quickly. Therefore, it is advisable to install optics with a special crossbow reticle on such weapons. To effectively target a target, it is enough to equip crossbows with optical sights with 4x zoom.

Some hunters prefer collimator systems, which also prove to be quite effective. Moreover, this option makes it possible to hunt both during the day and evening time days. Collimator sights are extremely convenient to use when aiming at moving targets.

DIY hunting crossbow

Having decided on the necessary parameters and characteristics of the future weapon, it is worth moving on to developing the appropriate drawing. You can use a ready-made diagram as a sample or create one yourself. Be that as it may, a home-made hunting crossbow will ultimately have to be customized to suit you.

When preparing a drawing, you should focus not only on personal wishes, but also take into account accessibility necessary materials, based on their cost and processing complexity.

How to make a hunting crossbow with your own hands? Usually, to begin with, a stock is prepared, onto which the shoulders, stirrup, guide, and trigger are subsequently attached. Difficult for self-made the elements are arcs. Therefore, in some cases it is better to purchase them ready-made.

They will help you make hunting drawings, examples of which are shown in the photos below.

Frame

The base on which the stock and shoulders of the product are fixed is the body. It is advisable to cut it from a metal blank with a thickness of about 2.5-3 mm.

The crossbow stock is fixed in the central part of the body and at the end using bolts. The use of such a solution facilitates the rapid assembly of weapons to bring them into combat condition and disassembly during transportation.

A stirrup is welded to the body at the bottom. The latter makes it possible to hold the crossbow with your foot when the bowstring is pulled. It is recommended to use wire with a diameter of 6 to 8 mm as the material for making stirrups.

Shoulders

The material for manufacturing the structural element can be a car spring. In such metal arms, semicircular recesses are made for bolts, with the help of which the part will be screwed to the body.

There is a widespread opinion that the use of metal springs as the basis for making shoulders is a rather dangerous decision. And in fact, when using a homemade crossbow in conditions of low ambient temperature, the likelihood of the part breaking increases, especially at the fastening points. Such cases are accompanied by the release of small fragments. Therefore, you should apply the idea at your own peril and risk.

Blocks

Ready-made drawings of a hunting crossbow often include block devices. The latter ease the tension and give an advantage in strength. It is easier to put such a crossbow into combat condition than by simply connecting the ends of the bowstring to the ends of the arms. Moreover, during the descent, the starting speed of the arrow increases, which is reflected in the increase in the range of the weapon. The main disadvantage of installing a block system is the complexity of manufacturing and the increase in the overall weight of the crossbow.

Bowstring

As a bowstring, you can use a metal cable with a diameter of about 2-3 mm. A thicker string will be more difficult to attach to a weapon, and a thin one will begin to stretch as the product is used.

To fix the bowstring at the ends of the arms, it is enough to make a regular loop. It is better to place pieces of leather or any other dense material under the cable fastenings. This solution allows you to avoid chafing of the bowstring when in contact with metal shoulders.

Lodge

To make the part, you can use an easily processed wooden blank in the form of a board about 30 mm thick. It is worth noting that, despite high performance strength, oak is not very suitable for these purposes due to its significant weight. As for spruce and pine, the latter are not sufficiently resistant to mechanical damage and warp when in contact with moisture. Therefore, the type of wood should be selected depending on the goals and conditions of future use of the crossbow.

How to make a hunting crossbow truly practical? During manufacturing, special attention should be paid to the guide in the form of a groove for the arrow, which you should try to make as even, smooth and polished as possible. The condition of the groove largely affects the accuracy of shooting. It is advisable that the width of the stock be equal to the diameter of the arrows used. You can cut it using a circular saw.

It is rational to use a spring as a means of holding the arrow, which will press the projectile to the stock and will not allow the latter to slip out of the groove before firing.

Trigger

The material used to manufacture the part will be sheet iron. It is desirable that its thickness be at least 6-7 mm. The mechanism drawing is presented in the following diagram:

All parts are placed directly into the stock. Here a special nest is cut out, through holes are made under the axes of the mechanism, onto which the trigger elements are subsequently installed. An example of setting the trigger is shown in the figure below.

Sighting optics

As a crossbow sight, you can use factory optics from firearms. A fairly practical solution is to use a front and rear sight. Using the latter, you can make vertical corrections. It is convenient to make horizontal adjustments using a front sight mounted at the intersection of the shoulders and the stock.

To ensure ease of transportation of the crossbow, it is worth making the sighting device removable. To do this, you can install a so-called Picatinny rail on the weapon, which makes it possible to mount individual factory-assembled sights.

Finally

Making and operating a hunting crossbow with your own hands is a rather radical solution. Often, in the absence of experience in this type of activity, the quality and reliability of a homemade device leaves much to be desired. In reality, even crossbows of the budget category, factory-made, the cost of which is about 3000-4000 rubles, turn out to be much more effective, convenient and practical compared to the creations of your own hands.

As you can see, making a hunting crossbow is quite possible. However, by purchasing a weapon in a specialized store, the user receives guarantees of its safety and reliability of assembly. When using a homemade crossbow, you can only rely on yourself.

This article describes how to make a crossbow bow from rigid steel wire; this is a slightly more complex design than from springs, however, if you have the right tool, you can make such a crossbow with your own hands in a couple of evenings.

Modern technologies provide a wide selection of materials for making bows. There are various alloys of steel, aluminum and titanium, as well as composite materials of glass and carbon fiber. But for many tinkering enthusiasts, most often, the above materials are not readily available, and therefore they have to adapt car springs, skis, PCB or just wood for these purposes.

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The bow consists of two arms made of spring wire, which are installed in a bracket, and hooks at the ends of the arms.

They are fastened with locking screws, which securely fix them in the sockets.

This is a front view, which clearly shows how the arms are installed in the bracket sockets.

And here is shown the end of the bow shoulder, where the hook for attaching the bowstring also serves as an earring that fastens the structure with a locking screw.

This is a view of the end of the shoulder from the other side.

This figure shows an element of the shoulder, the design of which should be discussed in more detail:

Firstly: - the bow shoulder has a rather unusual shape, but the author considers this bow shape to be the most optimal, since thanks to the compensatory bend, the load is more evenly distributed over the entire shoulder and the bow itself does not shrink during operation (established experimentally), as well as the fastening elements in the bracket sockets due to this shape are much more reliable than any other connections.

Secondly: - special attention should be paid to the quality of the recesses located near both ends of the element, since the quality of assembly of the entire bow will depend on this.

And here is a diagram of the assembly of the tip of the shoulder, which is carried out in the following sequence:

1. The hook earring is assembled with the shoulder elements, and the surface of the radius grooves should be aligned with the surface of the earring hole.

2. The locking screw is inserted into the hole of the earring and screwed into a threaded hole coaxial with it. Due to the contact of the surfaces of the hole, recess and locking screw, a reliable connection of all parts is achieved.

Below are pictures of devices that will help you make a quality bow.

For correct execution To make the recesses, you need to make a jig, which is shown in the previous figure.

It is a steel prism in which two parallel holes are drilled into which a wire or rod will then be inserted. A through hole with a diameter equal to the diameter of the locking screw is drilled strictly perpendicularly and at the same distance from the axes of these holes. To ensure that the workpieces are securely held in the sockets during drilling, holes are drilled at both ends of the prism and threads are cut through which the workpieces are fastened with screws.

Using this device, a compensatory bend is made. Blanks with pre-made recesses are inserted in pairs into holes corresponding to the diameter of the rod being bent and through a hole corresponding to the radii of the recesses they are fixed in the fixture with a pin. Then the bending point is heated by an autogenous burner and bends around the topography of the mandrel. Of course, it is quite difficult to make a mandrel such as it is shown in the figure, and therefore it is better to make it prefabricated. Then you should bend the remaining part of the shoulder approximately as shown in the picture of the shoulder element. In order for the shoulders to be the same, it is advisable to make a template and perform this operation according to it. When the shoulder is bent, you need to align the ends of the elements to the same size and use a jig to process the recesses.

After the bow elements are bent and fitted to the mating parts, they should be hardened to a hardness of 42-44 HRC.

To the above, I would like to add that the author came to a similar decision as a result of a series of experiments with certain materials, and a bow made of spring wire proved to be best side. Quite light, compact, easy to manufacture, reliable, made from affordable material - these are the main advantages of such a bow. Even if one of the elements breaks, the second element of the arm will not allow debris to fly away, since they are rigidly connected to each other. One more thing good quality– not afraid of blank shots. I fired at least 1000 blank shots (to check the reliability of the design) and did not notice any deformation or damage. As for the power of the bow, it depends only on the diameter of the wire (rod).

© Artemyev V.A. 2003
Novosibirsk 2003

Artem comments:

The topic is just crazy! I wonder - with such a crossbow you can only go after ducks or can you also go after a wolf?

why111 11-03-2013 13:16

Hello ladies and gentlemen.
I’m turning to professionals (we ourselves are not local) with this question. There is a desire to think about a spring arrow thrower, and it is planned to use a coiled spring, like in an air rifle.
One option is the “Rustler” bow, but I want to do without a bowstring. How theoretically realistic is this? There are two options for now.
1. The spring directly accelerates a heavy arrow at a low speed, but due to its mass, the projectile has high penetration ability, albeit at a distance of up to 25 meters. By the way, I once made this in the form of a toy, it shot with electrodes (5mm cross-section), it flew up only 20 meters, but up to five meters it seemed to be powerful.
2. Use of speed-increasing blocks, for example, a pulley. Those. a short spring is compressed by a block of five “wheels”, and there are five counter-wheels; a cable passes through them, which accelerates the projectile.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

nixxx 11-03-2013 15:08

Can I guess... For self-defense?

why111 11-03-2013 16:39

Fear God! Self-defense with homemade cold steel throwing weapons - yes, it’s better to immediately turn yourself in. For self-defense, there are gas cans and, at worst, household penknives. everyday life appointments.
No, of course, it’s just for the soul.

Juris 11-03-2013 17:01

Yes, if such a shooting mechanism had been invented, it would have been produced industrially and sold in gun stores. At the moment there are compact crossbows that are quite powerful. Here you will have to shovel the hansa and look for archers with crossbows on the forum. You can find some interesting designs with springs and chain hoists. Even on our forum we had proposals with diagrams and drawings. You need to search and read, maybe you will find something interesting.

why111 11-03-2013 17:08

Those. impossible? Honestly, I seem to have skimmed the forum diagonally, but unfortunately I won’t be able to read it for two weeks. I thought maybe someone’s inquisitive mind had already thought about this topic.

Juris 11-03-2013 17:11

Or watch the video of our catapult generalissimo Joerg Sprave. He has a lot of videos with various firing mechanisms. Maybe it will give you the right idea.

Juris 11-03-2013 17:17

Everything is possible, the main thing is to want to know your goal.

why111 11-03-2013 17:22

Thank you, I saw his video, the head works well, although it’s not ours)

why111 11-03-2013 17:55

There was an idea somewhere about this, only simpler, of course.

I was thinking about one spring, a more compact type (not a rifle type, but perhaps a pistol type), and a spring in a case and for compression, not tension.

9_Gram 11-03-2013 19:38

Do you understand, dear Why, all these systems are not effective (excuse my clumsy Russian) The springs themselves are slow, plus they also have to drag their own weight. Also, all these blocks and pulleys are also heavy and bulky. At the moment, of all the throwing devices (not driven by hot gases), a slingshot with good latex is probably the most productive thing. If you consider the energy and cost put into it and calculate the result obtained from this. Well, maybe some slingshot will still argue with her. ( Nice bow inferior in size, price and cost per shot. And of course, the energy invested in the shot must be truly pulled)

Well, I’ll give you an example, in this video you see the “Raptor” blocker set in motion by strong tires. (Springs were not taken, since their efficiency is worse than that of rubber)

This device has a tensile force of up to 80 lbs (approximately 36-38 kg) and accelerates a 10 mm ball at a speed of 140-150 m/s

Wow, that seems pretty good. But let's consider the energy expenditure in this thing. Firstly, to stretch 36 kg you need good health (I was visiting Jorg and also shot with this thing, I’ll tell you to pull oh oh how it should)
Then the dimensions, and finally the cost of this thing (I don’t know exactly, but it’ll probably cost $800.
If you try to do such a thing yourself, it is impossible. Or you need to have an excellent lathe at home. Or shell out a lot of money to the industry. Then where to shoot? In the garden? How to hang around with him? With this size and weight, it is not a very comfortable thing for walking.

Well, now we make a slingshot at home from hazel and purchased fitness tape.

Price? A penny, anyone can afford it.
Dimensions? Fits easily in your pocket, you can clutch it in your fist.
Where to shoot? Anywhere, the thing is not heavy. You can take it and drag it anywhere. It’s not conspicuous, no one will look at you idiotically. In extreme cases, it quickly gets out of sight.

How much energy do we spend when firing? With a tensile force ten kilograms with good latex in Albatross we will accelerate the same 10 mm ball well
at 110 m/s, maybe more if you try. How many shots will we make with a 10 kg drawstring (even a teenager can pull it)?
How many shots will we fire with a 36 kg Raptor?
After 10 shots, Jörg is already breathing with his tongue hanging out and blowing off steam like a steam locomotive. And he is a really strong man. But another one won’t pull it even once.

Well, about the same thing will happen with your gun on springs. You will struggle to do it. It will turn out to be a heavy, large-sized thing. And if it shoots at least a few meters per second better than a slingshot, then respect to you.
This is usually the case with all these homemade guns, if you look closely, there is already something more effective and cheaper than what you invest in your brainchild. It's just not worth the candle.

why111 11-03-2013 19:50

Thank you very much for your detailed answer. Of course you are right. It’s just that I’m itching to get my hands on something, but I’ve been thinking about this topic for a long time. And the spring is still more durable than plastic.
By the way, after studying the forums a little, I saw that a lot of archers and crossbowmen periodically think about this. Only a few are producing good, working models. Okay, let's see, maybe we can come up with something.

9_Gram 11-03-2013 20:08

Well, if it’s just for handjobs, then you can do whatever you want and in the end throw it away without regret if nothing good comes of it. If you fix anything, don’t be shy to show it.

ZlH 12-03-2013 14:47

2 why111
I really advocate for a gas spring with an ultra-light rod.

why111 12-03-2013 15:01

Well, gas is for the pros, I’m still thinking about a more budget-friendly and simpler one, just to see what can come of it.

ZlH 12-03-2013 15:47

2 why111
Yes, there is nothing complicated there - but the usual twisted one in itself is quite heavy and inert.
+ how to cock?

why111 12-03-2013 16:47

Well, the simplest option is like the picture above. It cocks like a typical crossbow. A long time ago I made one that was cocked with an arrow; it had to be rested on something.

why111 12-03-2013 17:48

Well, that means the principle still works, the main thing is to design it. True, there is no machine park to make products like those in the link.

Juris 13-03-2013 15:57

In general, yes, the topic is interesting. But it’s a little difficult to do it at home. Again, you can only look at Yorga systems made of wood, which can actually be done. Or look on the Internet for something like a pit bull crossbow and all its components. This requires a lot of testing and money. It’s easier for now. make a good slingshot or upgrade a compact Izhik fracture.

delete 13-03-2013 23:55

Yes, indeed, many people think about compact mechanical crossbows

Well, many are stopped by the very first factor, where and how to do all this

and is it necessary, since it is very difficult to force it to produce normal parameters

the design turns out to be bulky and heavy, since it turns out that the spring must be set to a compression force of at least 100 kg.

You can, of course, first start with mock-ups made of wood or something else, on which you can pre-work out the diagram, select the optimal shape of the block if the spring is meant to be weaker

but again this is not for everyone

For example, for me it will not be difficult and generally not very annoying if my next project in terms of spring mechanical bows or crossbows in the form of a model is checked and tested for professional suitability within six months, or even a year

I'm ready to wait, but find the best option

so maybe it’s better to actually make a slingshot for now

and the spring pushing the projectile directly will have very, very weak parameters

Well, and in addition, a video of a foreign Kulibin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXwTZLrtsRA

9_Gram 14-03-2013 02:05

delete 14-03-2013 07:56

but he tested his theory

first, a spring in such a design will not give the arrow normal speed

second, cocking with a screw and nut is very good way

why111 14-03-2013 13:02

quote: second, cocking with a screw and nut is a very good way

9_Gram 14-03-2013 17:49

The screw and nut cock well, yes. But don't forget cocking time! After five shots you'll have to go home, it's night outside

To make a homemade crossbow you will need:
*A block of non-resinous wood, size 700x10x40 mm.
*The second leaf of the spring of the Moskvich car.
*Profile pipe 50x50x2 mm. 10 cm long.
*Profile pipe 15x15x1.5 mm.
*A small piece of 2mm sheet metal.
*Stainless steel metal 4 mm thick. and 0.5-1 mm. (for the descender).
*Steel corner 50x50x4 mm. 35 cm long.
*Rod D=8 mm. 40 cm long.
*Bolts with nuts D=8
*Stainless steel molding from VAZ-2106 door 2 pcs.
*Metal rollers 2 pcs., glass lifting mechanism from the door of a VAZ car.
*Cable D=3 mm. 3 m long, two terminal loops.
*Epoxy resin, wood stain, wood varnish for exterior use.
*Two small springs (working in tension).
*A dozen nails for roofing felt, one two hundred nail, tube D=6 mm, small washers.

We will use the following tools:
*Welding machine.
*Hand-held circular saw.
*Electric drill with speed control, carbide drills for metal D=3, 5, 8, 10 mm.
*Bulgarian, cutting discs for metal, grinding discs for wood.
*Keys, pliers, screwdriver, vice, narrow chisel, knife.
*File, sandpaper.
*Safety glasses.

Point 1. Making a stock.

Let's take a well-dried wooden block, mine was made of birch, and sketch out a sketch of the bed on it. We customize the size of the butt for each individual (according to your height), and the stock depending on the length of the arrows you will use. I use 440 mm arrows, but I had to save money on the stock, I left only 300 mm, so the total length turned out to be 740 mm, I didn’t dare to do more.

Let's draw a marking for the guide sample, for the arrow fletching, width 5 mm, depth 10 mm.

Using a circular saw, we cut out the groove the entire length, to the end of the trigger (lock).

It should look something like this.

Using a drill D=12 mm. We select a cavity for the trigger, level the ledges with a chisel and knife. We drill a hole for the trigger, bore it with a chisel and knife.

Point 2. Making a lock or trigger device.

Let's take the "walnut" type as the basis for the lock. To prevent anything from rusting, we will use stainless steel, take a sheet 4-5 mm thick, if you can’t find one, make it a composite of several sheets glued together and taken with rivets. Draw the shape of the parts on the metal.

Using a cutting disc and a grinder, we cut out the workpiece according to the markings.

In the center of the “nut” we drill a hole for the axis of rotation, D = 6 mm.

We process all sides with a file.

We sand with sandpaper, achieving a completely smooth surface.

It should look something like this.

We grind out the remaining elements of the lock, the sear.

I lengthen the trigger with two thin sheets of stainless steel and secure it with homemade rivets.

Using a sharpening machine we achieve the desired shape of the workpieces.

We make the housing of the trigger mechanism from a thin sheet of metal.

We drill three holes D = 2.5 mm in the body of the sear, one for the fastening axis and two for fastening the springs.

Let's attach the trigger spring into place.

Let's see on the table how the parts become in the cocked state.

And like after the shot.

Let's place one side of the case on the inside of the mechanism and drill holes in place for all the axes.

From a two hundred nail, 6 mm in diameter, we will make an axis for the “nut”.

Saw off the sharp end of the nail.

We measure the length of the future axis and saw it off.

Using thin nails for roofing felt, we will make the remaining rivet axles. Use a grinder to remove the shimmer on the nail heads.

Now they will fit well to the body.

Let's install the sear on the axle in the body, use intermediate washers.

We saw off the excess length of the nail, leaving 1 mm. on both sides for rolling.

Using an anvil, hammer the end of the axle.

We drill a hole for the axle with a spacer to attach the sear spring.

From a suitable tube we cut off a spacer sleeve for this axis.

We move one side of the body to the side.

We install the axle, bushing and engage the spring.

We assemble the body halves together.

We saw off the excess length, leaving a protrusion of 1 mm. under the hammer.

Let's roll it.

Now you can install the largest rivet axle of the lock. Aligning the holes.

Let’s take the previously measured and sawed-off axis D=6 mm and immediately tap it a little with a hammer on one side.

We install it in place.

And we’ll also roll it, the main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to jam the moving mechanism inside.

Point 3. Installation of the lock mechanism in the stock.

If something prevents the lock from sitting well in place, we modify it with a chisel or knife. After installation, check how the trigger moves.

If everything is fine, you can drill holes for the mounting screws and screw them into place.

Now we need decorations from the door of the VAZ-2006, they are also made of stainless steel, which is very good. To give them additional rigidity, epoxy resin was poured inside.

After complete hardening, in a day, we will drill four holes D = 3 mm in each for fastening screws.

Using a large drill, we will make hidden places for the heads of the screws so that the bowstring cable does not get caught when it slides along it.

We polish the hole exits with fine sandpaper to remove all burrs that damage the cable.

We install the finished guides on the bed.

We make sure that the screws do not go through in thin places.

We check that the lock moves without snagging on the guides.

Point 5. Making an arc or shoulders.

From the same donor doors, using a grinder, we extract the rollers of the glass lifting mechanism.

From these we will make blocks for the shoulders, and the arch itself from the second leaf of a spring from an old Moskvich car.

We will make pads to attach the spring to the stock.
To do this, from a 50x50 mm corner. Let's cut out the component elements to assemble them using welding, like this mount (block).

We will process the welds with a grinder. Let's drill mounting holes D=10 mm. under the bolts.

By finished sample and the dimensions of the resulting block, we make grooves for fastening in the stock. We try on the fit, achieve a tight fit and fastening. According to the calculated position of the future bowstring, we outline and make a through groove in the sidewall of the stock, 70 mm long. 10 mm wide, the lower bowstrings will go here.

We bend and weld the leg bracket (stirrup).

Ears for blocks.
From a 50x50 profile pipe we will make eyes for attaching the roller blocks to the arc (spring).

The most difficult thing in making the arc itself from a spring at home is drilling holes in it. It is necessary to drill with a drill at low speeds so that the drill does not burn, and constantly use water. If possible, drill with drills of different diameters, from thin to thick in increments of 0.5-1 mm, and constantly sharpen the tool.

We fasten the brackets with short M8 bolts and grind off the caps.

We attach the spring to the block with two M8 bolts, followed by a small weld along the edge of the fastening.

Now you need to open the bed with varnish and dry it.
We install the block with an arc on the stock, hammer down the metal-wood for a tight fit.

Insert and tighten the M8 bolts.

From long M10 bolts we will make axle bolts reduced in length with a short thread for blocks.

Let's take a tube from the anchor and use it to make spacer bushings for the block axes.

Let's drill holes D=10 mm in the ears. to install blocks. We install rigid loop ends on the cable.

We install a block with a cable on one side of the shoulder. Do not tighten the nut too much, so as not to jam the rotation of the roller.

Drill a hole in the nut and bolt for the stud.

We install the stud and press it with the nut in the direction of unscrewing.

We push the cable through the hole in the stock and do the same with installing the roller on the other side of the shoulder.

Point 6. Top part castle

From a profile pipe 15x15 mm. saw off two 120 mm sections. Using a grinder, we cut out two (L) shaped blanks from sheet metal, one rectangular plate (on the top) and a triangle (on the back).

We connect all the parts together by welding, and clean the welding seams with a grinding disc to make it look like a solid part.

From an old folding steel meter, we make an elastic boom holder.

The photo shows the mounting bolts for the rack for the optical sight.

The same thing, only the bolts also clamp the boom holder.

The sight rail itself (dovetail) is made of the same 2 mm sheet metal, with the sides ground off for mounting optics.

A square pad is visible along the optic rail to raise back and thereby tilt the sight down for correct aiming at a target further than 25 m.

We install the lock bracket on the stock and drill holes for fastening, self-tapping screws and an M6 bolt.

We tighten the small screws so that they do not go into the arrow feather channel.

We tighten the back screw.

Additionally, we drill a hole and install the last bolt.

We install an optical sight.