Horn crossbow?

[Selfbowman]

Thinking of making a water buffalo cross bow. Suggestions and pics of some good ones please. Arvin

[BowEd]

Sounds like a worth while adventure.Short draw/lots of early draw weight,but that might be the achillese heel as horn bows shine brighter with more extended draw.
All horn and sinew??? or to keep it more stable a thick core of wood but with enough composite material to handle the stress?

[Selfbowman]

All about 30” in length.  I was thinking all Horn but I know nothing about it. Arvin

[stuckinthemud]

Need a bit more info. really, are you thinking of an asian style composite bow sized to fit cross-bow dimensions, or, were you thinking of going all medieval composite bow? Can't really beat the work a A.Bichler on Historia Vivens 1300.  Wish I could, keep on trying but he's so much better than I am, will get there one day...............

[dylanholderman]

Seems to me that medieval ones used both types of construction and many pieces of horn to build up the thickness needed.
Look up medieval horn crossbows and see what you find

[Selfbowman]

Hey now that I have a new Phone I can post pics!!!! Here is some I have built as of late. Arvin

[Selfbowman]

Guys I don’t know what those look like . Maybe the limbs would be all horn mounted on to a deflexed wood cross and rail. Show the country boy some options.  Arvin

[stuckinthemud]

OK, so, medieval crossbows were all about raw power and never mind the efficiency, they used a brick-wall type structure of very narrow horn slats laid flat and built up as a wall thereby avoiding the horn delaminating - a 10mm thick strip of horn will de-laminate very quickly if you try and bend it very far.  A 10mm thick horn structure with a 10mm thick layer of sinew is good for 250lb but cutting all those horn strips, straightening them, grooving them, gluing them together and then shredding all that sinew and laying it on and then leaving it for 12 to 24 months to cure is a lot of work.  Trust me I know.

[Selfbowman]

Golly Stuck why don’t you blow my bubble a bit faster next time. You must know my patience limits!😳
Can you just use the thickness of the horn? Arvin

[stuckinthemud]

Send me all that horn and I'll build it for you 

This is one by Andreas Bichler, the bow tiller is lovely and simple, all wood construction, push-pin firing mechanism. Sweet.  I can't think of a reason an Asian style crossbow wouldn't work, just because no-pne ever did it, doesn't mean it wouldn't work.  Efficiency instead of power, 150 lbs wouldn't be an unreasonable draw weight. Would be a fun project

[stuckinthemud]

As far as using the thickness of the horn, I don't think so.  Buffalo horn de-laminates really easily, I've taken to splitting mine down to size instead of sawing it.  Big-horn sheep hprns make good bpws, there's a few in the horn-bows section.  It may be that my horns are weaker than many and someone can chime in with a more definitive answer but I think you run a big risk of pulling a buffalo horn bow to brace and having it pull itself apart.  Never made one that way, never seen one made that way, but that doesn't mean it can't be done, I just haven't come across one yet.

[Selfbowman]

Here is what I was thinking. I hope the project would turn out better than I draw!  Arvin

[BowEd]

Pretty innovative design Arvin.That could very possibly work quite well.Don't know exactly how high of poundage a person could get.A half inch thick limb would be quite a bit IMO though.I'd be leaning to use gemsbok horn possibly.

[stuckinthemud]

I think I would reflex it rather than deflex to get the sinew working (you are planning on using sinew?)

[bownarra]

Horn by itself will shoot...but not very well!
I don't know why you think buffalo horn delaminates? Sure you can get pieces with checks in that go further than you can see but solid, well dried material is absolutely bombproof.