In Progress Medieval-style Crossbow

[gstoneberg]

I'd never heard the term "gong farming" before, had to look it up.   Not my choice for a career path either...yikes.

The things I learn on this forum.

George

[Dane]

Thanks, Bigcountry.

No way the holly will be nearly as slick as bone. But Karate Kid taught me....wax on, wax off. That will help a bit in speeding the bolt downrange.

[Dane]

It wasn’t the greatest job, but on the bright side, the gong farmer got to keep any treasures he found when, well, tilling his soil (night soil, I guess you’d call it). I can image the dinnertime conversations he had with his family, too, about how his day went.

They dont tell you this kind of stuff at those medieval themed dinner theater places, do they?

Dane

I'd never heard the term "gong farming" before, had to look it up.   Not my choice for a career path either...yikes.

The things I learn on this forum.

George

[JoergS]

No way the holly will be nearly as slick as bone.

Now maybe you want to avoid modern stuff, but I use polyurethane varnish originally for wooden boats. You can apply it in very thin layers, and you can polish it to a high sheen. It is very smooth, like glass. And totally watertight. Clear, too.

You use 400 grit sandpaper, then apply three layers of the varnish, sand in between. For the last layer, you use very fine grit sandpaper (1200 or so) and finally car chrome polish.

[Dane]

Joerg,

Great tip! Thank you. I will follow your recommendations for the table part of the weapon. It is medieval-inspired, not a replica weapon, after all, so modern finishes are fair. The high sheen would look appropriate to simulate bone, as well. I was really pleased at how close in color the holly is to the bone quarrel rest as illustrated in the last posted photo. I am not worried that it won’t be an exact match., as well.

I do plan on using boiled linseed oil and tung oil for the rest of the finish for the tiller. That ought to look nice and period.

Tonight or tomorrow, since there is forecast for up to 10” of snow, I plan on drilling and tapping the rolling nut and fashioning a sear out of a 3/8” threaded rod. That should go smoothly, and then, after making the plug I’ve mentioned before, I am kind of stuck in limbo until I get the prod (bow) and tickler. The tickler is more important at this stage, as I have to have it to determine the channel I will chisel out for the tickler, locate and pin the tickler, and fit the tickler pressure spring.

When those steps are completed, essentially the tiller is then complete mechanically. Then it is a matter of gluing down the holly table facing, making the prod socket, drilling and chiseling the front binding hole, doing all the fine sanding and finishing, then binding on the prod and stirrup and creating the bow string and perhaps even a simple medieval-style peep sight than can fold down.

I’m not yet sure what kind of cosmetic additions I want to make, such as inlaying the tiller with wood or bone or metal, etc. I’d hate to do all this work and do a shoddy inlay or carving job on this little monster, so I may keep the tiller’s main attraction just the color and grain of the cherry wood. My personal deadline for this weapon is early June, but I should be done well before then.

I do also plan to make a belt claw, belt and leather quiver for the short quarrels, and a variety of quarrels with bodkin and target points, so I don’t have to remain totally dormant on this project.

Dane

[Dane]

Missed this question. No pin is necessary. I'll bind the rolling nut into the socket with sinew, through the nut and then under the bottomside of the tiller. The only reason that is necessary is to keep the nut from popping out of the socket after you shoot it.

Dane

Ok, I see, so there will be metal pin for the roller to roll on? 

Coming along nice.  Think the holly will be slick as bone?

[gstoneberg]

I've never been to a medieval themed dinner place.  It would seem I should visit one with this new found knowledge.  Somehow I suspect they'll be confused when I ask who does their gong farming??

George

[Dane]

You know, George, one of those indoor arena places with fake knights jousting, and buxom wenches serving you and calling you "me lord." Just google Medieval Times (registered) and behold a feast for all the senses. Guys and gals get complimentary paper crowns at these things. And turkey wings to do the Henry the 8th thing.

I just did some more work on the nut. My wordworking shop is a mini machine shop now. I decided to try drilling and tapping a piece of antler to make sure I didn't wreck my hard-won rolling nut. I clamped the antler in a drill press vice and drilled a hole all the way through with a 5/8" drill. Then, I clamped it in my machinist's vice which I can bolt to my bench through the dog holes, and using a 3/8" NC tap, I tapped the hole. A 3/8" bolt fit perfectly, and it felt really good tapping my first hole ever.

So, I measured exactly where I wanted to the hole to be in the nut for the threaded rod, drilled and then tapped the hole. The next step is to cut the threaded rod flush at both ends, file in the sear, and epoxy the rod permenantly into the nut. That will happend tomorrow during the snowstorm we are about to get whollped with.


Dane

[gstoneberg]

Looks really good, nice work.  That next job of making and inletting the tickler looks like a real challenge to me.  I would enjoy the welding and bending, though I'd be slow, but the inletting looks really tough. 

I just love projects that result in new tools for the shop.  Mine isn't a machine shop in any stretch yet.    Keep the pictures coming.

George

[JoergS]

I recommend soaking the threaded hole in epoxy glue, then oil the screw, put it in and let the glue set.

Antler is very hard on the surface, but the marrow is soft, almost sponge like. It adds much strength to stabilize the marrow with glue. Did that in my "Neanderthal" slingshot!

Before stabilization:



Afterwards (note the nice polish on the marrow):

[Dane]

Joerg, that is a really cool slingshot. It is a shame they are illegal where I live.  Good advice about antler in general. Moose is very dense, but if I made the nut out of stag or another type of horn, that kind of stabilization would come in handy, and for future projects, I will keep that in mind.

George, my shop is hardly a full blown machine shop, but enough for my needs. I have the 7"x10" lathe, a bench grinder, drill press, machinist vice and press vice, a milling vice that goes on the drill press table, and soon, Im going to bite the bullet and get a verticle mill in the next few months for making catapult parts. I'm all set for when I make metal rolling nuts for future bows, and an espringal engine is in my future, as well as a 1000+ lb. seige crossbow and that gastrophetes I've mentioned. Hmmmm...kind of like a mini arms race all my myself, lol. Maybe I should call my shop "Skunk Works." And I agree, I love being to get new tools. I do always try to justify them with multiple purposes if I can.

I'm not too worried about inletting the tickler channel. I could and maybe should have inletted the channel before I glued up the two pieces of cherry, and should I make another bow that way, I will. But, it will be great experience for future tillers made out of solid wood, too. Pre-drilling will be in order.

Thanks for your kind words about my work. It is appreciated.

Dane

[Dane]

The sear is coming along nicely. The photos illustrate the process, which was polishing one end of a 3/8" threaded rod, measuring and cutting to lenght the rod to fit the length of the rolling nut, filing and then polishing the other end of the rod, cutting lengthwise to create a step in one end of the rod, and then cutting a slot a bit further into the sear rod so I can screw it in the nut during the epoxying.

Hopefully, the last photo shows the sear farily clearly. I can't pick up some epoxy today because the storm, but will tomorrow hoperfully. After the glue sets, I will be chiseling out a slot that leads to the sear. If this still doesnt make sense, it should once I do the chisel work. Then I can polish the entire rolling nut and it will be ready to go.

Dane

[bigcountry]

I guess this is the tricky part.  Especially the sear angle on the bottom.  Kinda sucks if it slips off all the time and the bow go off when you don't want it too.!!!

I am not exactly sure of your sear engagement so maybe you got something else in mind.  Can't wait to see. 

[Dane]

Right, that is a concern, but I am not terribly worried about this. This trigger system is about as simple as you can possibly imagine it to be. The end of the tickler engages the sear, and will be polished with a slight convext (spelling?) on it's surface. The string pulls against the ears when the weapon is cocked / spanned, and presses the nut sear against the tickler, and so it is kind of self regulating in my mind. As long as I make sure I get the pivot in the right place for the tickler, it should be fine for a clean release and no issues with missfires.

Dane

[Holten101]

Hi Dane
This is one thread I look forwards to update every morning:-). I like your meticoulous work....too bad crossbows are illigal (slingshots as well) were I live.

I do have some experience with the mechanical parts of different firing mechanisms. I fear that the metal of the bolt you have used as the sear is on the soft side (if you plan to shoot it alot)...depending on your targeted drawweight ofc. The trigger/sear contact is were many crossbows give up first, as a result of wear.

Cheers