Crossbows have always fascinated me. As a weapon, they transformed warfare from around 650BCE through to the beginnings of gunpowder-based firearms; as a project, they have all sorts of interesting challenges.
Just because they fascinate me, however, doesn’t mean that I know anything about them, but I’m a designer, so – in the words of Jeremy Clarkson – how hard can it be?
This article will take us from determining the nature and extent of my ignorance on this subject, through some sketches that I’ve drawn up to help me understand it, and finally to a foam-board mock-up of what I would like to achieve.
The next article will be about the design itself, based on what I’m aiming for – pun intended – and what I need to do to accomplish it. The final article will be about the build itself. I’ll be running through costs as I go, and explaining why I spent money where I did, and ultimately we’ll test it.
I have added a sidebar outlining the legal and responsibility issues around the use and abuse of crossbows. I’ve included the seven safety rules for firearms – they apply equally to crossbows or longbows.
For more information, go to firearmssafetyauthority.govt.nz/firearms-safety/7-rules-firearm-safety.
I intend to make as much as possible myself; however, I will buy some parts. Some time back, I bought a trigger mechanism through AliExpress for around $15. My only other cost to date has been $11.95 for a piece of 510x760mm foam board from a local retailer.
The jargon
Like most things, crossbows have their own terminology. It seems that I’m an ‘arbalester’ who makes ‘arbalests’ – crossbows. Arbalests fire
