Part 2
to draw the bow’s ears back to the cocked position so the real string can be looped in place. When that’s done, both strings can be released with the trigger and the bastard re- moved. This is the only situation in which the crossbow should be “‘dry fired,” since that practice can split the prod. It should be quite obvious that your fin- ished project has a lethal potential and should be handled with the same caution that you’d give to any longbow or firearm. Don’t load it until you’re ready to fire it, and don’t fire it without an adequate field behind your tar- get to safely absorb any overshots. Too, if you’re interested in exploring the crossbow’s capabilities for hunting, check your state’s game laws before you build . . . it could save a lot of disappointment later. Meanwhile, you might want to look over the sidebar ac- companying this article to see what kind of results you could expect from your modern- day arbalest! EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’re interested in making the crosbow featured here (or the smaller takedown version) bur would prefer detailed, step-by-step instructions, a set of building plans—complete with full-size cutting templates —is available at a cost of $10 plus $1.00 for shipping and handling from Mother's Plans, Crossbows, P.O. Box A, East Flat Rock, NC 28726. 95 ann PFA TT TT tt P| | ii it Ee eee eo ee ee ee? MT Pee eT a pit tt tT TT TT TT Pit eer eT TT Peer | Pia TN TTT GEN TER al (continued from preceding page) we tried! But the laminated fiberglass prods we laid up just didn’t have adequate draw strength or the resiliency to stand up to re- peated use, possibly because we weren’t able to duplicate the heat-and-pressure curing process used by commercial manufacturers. At any rate, we were pleased to learn that Barnett International (1967 Gunn Hwy., P.O. Box 934, Odessa, FL 33556) will sell prods, strings, bolts, and other accessories to any- one who orders the company’s $2.00 postpaid catalog. To ease construction, we’ve outlined the crossbow’s major parts and drilling points within a grid, which will allow you to make up-scaled templates for the metal pieces. But play it safe by matching the templates per- fectly before taping them to the metal and scribing theif outline .. . and be even more careful when actually cutting the aluminum stock, since [1] the pieces must join closely, or you'll be spending a lot of time with the - file, and [2] the center spine’s weak spot— athe trigger guard—should not be any thinner Phark 7/32". .. The'hgst way to trim the parts accurately, by the way, is to use a band saw equipped 1 | ae Pt tT | | | | eer ASP ace stan tater pomonens) 7c Pine eee eee Pee Ait Tr re IN Tae ea CCE EAT PSE 4 | PIN; | TT VN TI | || | | a uw I a | [| || || | | || : || || | | |_| 5 Pi tT tT TTI Pt tT Ty vr eA ST POCO CECE Ce Be [iI er ee PRA re ERTL Nolet oks [1 PTT Ty ee helestaks | Pitt TTT Pe ee ry FLANKS TI TTT TP NL LIN With that done, use No. 6 X 3/4” machine screws as temporary locating pins for the two bored components, and clamp the second flank piece in place. When you're satisfied that all three parts are evenly mated, drill the final member. Since the post screws are re- cessed, you’ll need to countersink the exteri- or openings with larger bits according to the design of the screws and nuts you’ve chosen. The steel trigger components have to be thinned by 1/64” in order to allow them free- dom of movement within the stock. Once this is done, those parts can be drilled where in- dicated with a 1/8” bit, and the 1/8” X 3/4” expansion pin pivots can be pressed in and centered. The pivot pins ride in 9/64" sock- ets drilled into the right and left flank pieces; to be on the safe side, you might want to use the trigger-housing template cutout to posi- tion those openings accurately. As we mentioned before, you can install a trigger safety mechanism according to our de- tail. Both the trigger and the safety catch are returned by small compression springs set in- to slots cut through the central spine. Before assembling the stock for good, you’ll want to bevel the inner surfaces of the bar- rel, and round the entire frame’s outer edges. B a 7 a 7 7 a a Cec a | RRR 4A SRR RES S008 Ree sees eee eee To PRE PCRS RACE Ltt ttt ye PP PP Lisouareduebed | TTT TE Perr Pe ee ET Pi sbunte sroihon TT TTT TT the template as a guide, then rounded with a sander and bolted or glued to the aluminum spine prior to being finished with varnish or tung oil.) The front sight is a piece of 1/16" X 5/8" X 6-1/2" strap aluminum bent into an open frame configuration so the bolt can pass through it. It’s fastened to the top of the fore- stock with two No. 6 X 1/4” machine screws, and a short cap screw locked through its crown serves as a bead. Though we used a machined ring at the rear (to provide a hous- ing for an experimental scope sight), you can make an excellent sighting post by simply drilling and tapping a hole at the top of the receiver to accept a 6-32 socket-head cap screw about 1-1/2” in length. This can then be adjusted up or down for sighting. We ordered a prod with a draw strength of 175 pounds . . . but even if you choose a lighter bow to lengthen string life, you'll probably need a cocking lever to pull it into position. You can make one by bending four sections of 1/8" X 1" flat metal to create a two-armed, bolt-together yoke that uses mechanical advantage to ease cocking (see il- lustration). A pair of slots in the stationary part of the lever hook into a 5/16" X 3” steel is] FLT TAT TTT SERRE eee 1-3/4" cap screw threaded into a tapped hole at the nose of the stock. Once the prod’s installed, you’ll have the pleasure of stringing it. Unless you’re extraor- dinarily muscular, we'd suggest you purchase what’s called a bascard string along with the regular Dacron cable. This set of strands is longer than the service string and thus can be slipped onto the prod more easily. It’s then used to draw the bow’s ears back to the cocked position so the real string can be looped in place. When that’s done, both strings can be released with the trigger and the bastard re- moved. This is the ony situation in which the crossbow should be “dry fired,” since that practice can split the prod. It should be quite obvious that your fin- ished project has a lethal potential and should be handled with the same caution that you’d give to any longbow or firearm. Don’t load it until you’re ready to fire it, and don’t fire it without an adequate field behind your tar- get to safely absorb any overshots. Too, if you're interested in exploring the crossbow’s capabilities for hunting, check your state’s game laws before you build . .”. it could save a lot of disappointment later. Meanwhile, you might want to look over the sidebar ac-