How to make a crossbow ?
Shooting with ancient weapons is exciting. The crossbow falls into this category, but when you look around, you realise that this weapon, which is associated with medieval times, has become a technological juggernaut. The alternative to recapturing the original spirit of the crossbow is to make it yourself. Here is what you need and how to go about it.
The tools
To build a crossbow, you need to be a handyman. However, a crossbow is just a bow, a string, a stock and a trigger, and a bolt, which is the name of the arrow you shoot with.
To make your own crossbow, you will need a knife and a measuring tape. You will also need a saw and a drill to cut and drill the different parts. A chisel for precision cuts, a sheet of sandpaper for polishing, a wood rasp, wood glue for assembly, and screws.
With these tools, you are ready. All you have to do now is gather the materials that will become the different parts of your crossbow.
The materials
You will not be able to afford a fibreglass or metal crossbow. For the stock you will have to make do with wood. The bow will be made of PVC, the frame of wood as well. To finish the bow, you will need feathers. To finish the bow, you will need a string. Not too thick, flexible, but strong.
Armed with your tools and materials, you are ready to proceed with the assembly itself.
Manufacturing steps
• Take your PVC pipe and measure a length of about 96 centimetres. Your tube should have a diameter of 2.5 centimetres. Drill a hole with your drill 2.5 centimetres from each end of your tube. These two holes will allow you to attach the rope.
• The next step is to make the stock. To do this, you need a piece of wood 5 centimetres wide, 5 centimetres high and 96 centimetres long. It is up to you to use the saw to obtain these dimensions. Take your board in your hands, as if you were holding a crossbow, and mark the spot where a trigger would be ideal. Using your wood rasp and drill, cut a rectangle 7.5 centimetres long and 2 centimetres wide at the previously marked location. Locate the exact centre of your stock and cut a 1 centimetre groove between the place where you cut your rectangle and the end of the stock. Make sure this groove is wide enough to accommodate a tile, without the risk of it being slowed down when you shoot. Then drill a hole 2.5 centimetres from the end of the stock and check that the bow you have made from your PVC tube fits over it, with equal dimensions on both sides.
• To create the trigger : Use your saw to cut an L-shaped piece of wood 2.5 centimetres wide, no more than 2 centimetres thick and no more than 7 centimetres high. Make a groove along the width of your trigger and then drill a hole just below the corner of your trigger. This is where you will place a screw to secure your trigger.
• To make your checkers : You need to cut and polish pieces of wood a little longer than the distance between your trigger and the front of your stock. Sharpen one end to a point, make a notch in the other end. Glue feathers into the notch. All you have to do is assemble the parts.
• Attach the PVC bow to the hole in your stock and check that each end of the bow is equidistant from the centre of the stock. Attach the string to each end of the bow. Once the string is attached, the bow should bend slightly. Place the trigger in its rectangular slot and secure it to the stock with a screw. Make sure that the trigger has a smooth movement. Pull the string and attach it to the trigger at the end of the groove you have made. Place a bolt in the groove. Your crossbow is ready for use !
At the Jean Pierre Fusil gun shop we offer several crossbows for recreational shooting. They are already manufactured and can be used immediately !