This is a crossbow I've just built. Stock is pine, skeleton shoulder stock and stirup are steel and the remainder aluminium. String is weed eater cord. Slack stringed at the moment as cocking is a little hard. Once I've built a stringer, the string will be under tension and hence more powerful. That said, it's still quite powerful.
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Crossbow build
- Thread starter th62
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2016
- Messages
- 1,133
When you put the limbs under stress you will be putting a tremendous amount of strain on that line which i believe will be to flexible and break on you in a short time period. Actual bow string replacement can be had for less then $10 delivered and would be a huge improvement over that weed wacker line.
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2015
- Messages
- 11,318
String release cam looks rather sharp where it holds the line- consider smoothing edges
Nice design- what did you use for bow? Automotive spring?
Mark
Nice design- what did you use for bow? Automotive spring?
Mark
Nope, a great, big oopsie on the guard location, didn't leave room for the string to engage so I made another. The string release mechanism has rounded edges and is polished now so no chance of it damaging the string. The limb is a blank fibreglass bow limb I bought on ebay for $7, only short at 500mm but it has plenty of oomph. The weed eater string will more than likely break, as you say, with use but, I can't imagine me ever using it aside from trying it out to be honest. It was just one of those things I've always wanted to make. Next project, a rifle slingshot. Again no use for it but one of those things I've always wanted to build. That's one good thing about being old and retired, I have the time to make all manner of useless things. Nothing else Good about getting old though, it sucks. Painted it today and polished the alloy, should make a nice, wall ornament in my workshop.
