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Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/23/2009 12:56 PM

Re-fur-bishing my repro' medieval crossbow (275 lb draw weight)...but I just had to try to cock it...whoops. The bending (cocking) lever and D ring flew across the garage.
here's some pics.

Above you can see the broken binding which I knew was badly chaffed. Beneath shows it stripped down.

.
I'll show you how it looks after the refurb.
Del (One of the woolly pom poms has fallen apart).

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#1

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 1:43 PM

I'll never get how a cat can do all this without the aid of opposable thumbs!

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#2

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 2:09 PM

How did my cat get into the plastic tub of lunch meat? - clever little sh*ts

Del, I think I saw somewhere that those inlays are actually your work?

And sorry for the mis-fire

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#3

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 2:19 PM

And not to stir things on such a quiet Saturday, but let me sort something:

Where you live, you can't own anything more dangerous than an air rifle,

And you CAN have a 275 lb crossbow?

Here you can have (as has been beaten to death) anything short of a cannon - but we restrict crossbows like guns.

Am I the onliest one cornfused?

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#4
In reply to #3

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 2:31 PM

Our laws are somewhat confused, fortunately crossbows are not classed as firearms
1. They don't use fire
2. They don't qualify as a 'lethal barrelled weapon'

Of course they are potentially an 'offensive weapon' but so is a glass or a hammer.
They can only be carried in public if covered up.

Yes the Ivory inlay is my work and there's a nice butt plate of horn.
Actually the crossbow isn't that good as a repro', the bow (made from car leaf spring) is far too thin to be authentic, although I made a start on forging an authentic one years ago, but had no facilities to heat treat it...(I still have a big bar of EN8) and the trigger is a bit spindly, but it's not too bad, it needs a good heavy bolt to shoot else it kicks like a mule, it doesn't shoot any further than my longbow, but it can throw a much heavier projectile. It can just penetrate 1/8" steel plate, it puts a huge dent (10mm ish) in it and a small hole.
Del

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 3:13 PM

Ours too, before discussing the law you nearly need to determine, state, county and sometimes town because it varies that much.

Inlay and butt plate - photos?

That is SOME performance!

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#6
In reply to #5

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 4:00 PM

Your wish is my command...the stock is a bit dusty.

See what I mean, that trigger looks a bit under nourished?
Del

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#7
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Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 4:04 PM

Trigger actually (to my unschooled eye) looks about appropriate to the piece

The inlay tho.....my what handsome work

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#12
In reply to #6

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/24/2009 8:43 AM

It is a beautiful piece of hand carved wood. It shows high skilled craftsmanship.Now, may be you can tell us what wood essence have you used, and most importantly, where did you get it. I don't want to imply anything but a fella' (name is Long John Sterling) has booked a complaint with the sheriff about somebody stiling his ...leg.

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#8
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Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 11:12 PM

that's some serious " knockdown power " ..

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#9
In reply to #3

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure.

05/23/2009 11:15 PM

Isn't there a difference between buying a crossbow [or cannon] & building one ?

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#10

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 3:11 AM

You are a silly Cat, you could have ended up blind or worse!!!

You knew that it needed redoing!!!

Does your wife know what a "near miss" you had?

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#14
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Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 9:32 AM

I was standing behind it with it firmly clamped on a bench...I'm not daft.
As I built the darned thing I'm fully aware of the forces and hazards involved, that's why I'm refurbishing it.<slaps furry head with paw>

Del

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#15
In reply to #14

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 9:50 AM

Good to hear that you took precautions, safety goggles too?.....

By the way did you not mean "re-fur-bishing"????

(To go with your "Cat-astrophic"?)

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#16
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Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 10:14 AM

" ... did you not mean "re-fur-bishing"???? ... "

Not only meant it, but said it (see OP).

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#18
In reply to #10

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 10:48 AM

well....9 lives does help.........I think its down to 3 or 4 now though

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#11

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 5:44 AM

Hey! There is a silver lining in every cloud! Now you do not need that mini forge to make bolt heads!

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#13

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 8:55 AM

Beautiful job on the refurb...

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#17
In reply to #13

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 10:41 AM

Oh...no, no, it's not done yet.
That's how it starts out...just you wait until I've finished it...
I've already made an improved 'bolt retaining clip' out of Waterbuffalo horn.

I'll post a re-build blog....there's a cunning bit where a piece fits into a hole which is apparently too small for it, which carries the full force of the bow and yet it's only retained by a dozen strands of thread!
Del

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#19
In reply to #17

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 10:52 AM

wow ,

now , i know , the root of " hair trigger " ..

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#20
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Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 12:17 PM

Talking of triggers, it's got plenty of built in safety, it feels more like squeezing an old fashioned grease gun...then Kathungggg.
I once stood down range behind a brick wall and let a mate of mine shoot it at a old solid wooden fence panel we put up as a target. It sounded like an aproaching steam train and then whack...the whole panel shook.
Del

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#21

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 12:50 PM

Del,

Sounds like an exiting and scary moment. You didn't perhaps -

Wet the floor?

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#22
In reply to #21

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 1:45 PM

No! The piddle errr puddle on the floor is purely coincidence

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#23
In reply to #22

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/24/2009 9:19 PM

Musta knocked your beer off the bench.

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#24
In reply to #23

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/25/2009 2:53 AM

Say, Del, what are the bindings made of ? It looks horribly like some kind of cheap string you found in the potting shed.....Is it some kind of authentic stuff you made yourself ? I've probably missed it in one of your posts, but what kind of flaxy-whatever did they use to make bindings in the olde days? And, does it have to be treated with something to stop fraying (whale blubber or similar)?

I hope you've still got some in the wood

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#25
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Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/25/2009 6:51 AM

It's heavilly waxed hemp twine, sinew was also commonly used.
Bear in mind it's over 20 years old...I think the moths and bugs had been at it....they'd certainly been at my pom-poms. The horn bolt retaining clip also showed signs of insect attack.
I'll think need much smaller weapons to fend off an insect attack!

When I write up the refurb, I'll explain the cunning way the binding is done to exert huge clamping pressure...and many other exciting secrets (of course I'll have to kill you afterwards)
Del

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#26
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Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/25/2009 9:07 AM

<sssspllllurrrrrfffffffffffffff> !

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#27

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/25/2009 6:06 PM

I just attended the Renaissance Festival (Atlanta, GA, USA) and I thought of you as I watched the archers. Will keep an eye-out for the refurb blog.

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#28

Re: Cat-astrophic Crossbow Failure

05/26/2009 9:19 AM

Some interesting replies! Do any of you watch the Deadliest Warrior series on TV? I think a program using a crossbow vs. bow-and-arrow or spears, etc would be interesting. Another possible series of interest would be Time Warp, that uses ultra-slow photography. Different kinds of wood vs. plastic or metal arrows? Compared to a decent bow, kindly rate the relative "reload" cycle time. Foot-pounds of energy at the target vs. a "long bow"? Relative accuracy?

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