How to make a crossbow with your own hands at home. How to make a crossbow: let's have an office battle! How to make a crossbow diagram at home

The crossbow is an ancient throwing weapon that was invented by the Romans. Its characteristics are similar to that of a bow.

Currently, the crossbow is not used in any army in the world; it is sold in weapons stores as an exclusive rarity, the cost of which sometimes exceeds a thousand dollars. Therefore, such products are very often decorations.

However, you can make an imitation of such a weapon with your own hands, which will become excellent equipment for any boy. In addition, a toy crossbow can be made from almost any available materials. Also, do not forget about safety measures, since this product, although not professional, can cause significant injury to a person.

Homemade crossbow made of wood

In order to assemble a crossbow with your own hands, you need to make each of its parts separately:

The final stage in making a crossbow is tensioning the bowstring, which should be optimal. If the tension is weak, then the range of the arrow will be minimal, and if it is too high, there is a risk of deforming or breaking the bows of the crossbow.

Mini-crossbows from other scrap materials

If a wooden crossbow is a more professional product and can be used for sporting purposes by both adults and teenagers, then crossbows made from paper, pencils or Lego are intended for children from seven to twelve years old.

Also, do not forget that products made from seemingly safe materials can also cause harm to health if handled incorrectly.

Therefore, games with such homemade items should be supervised by adults.

Paper throwing weapons

To assemble such a toy with your own hands, you need to ensure that you have the following materials and tools:

• fifteen sheets of paper (A4 format);
• three wooden sticks (you can use ice cream);
• thread for the bowstring, nylon is best;
• pencil;
• stationery knife or scissors;
• scotch.

Step-by-step instructions for making a paper crossbow are as follows:

This crossbow can be equipped with a sight, trigger and arrow guides.

From pencils

To make such a crossbow you will need:

• four pencils;
• seven rubber bands for money;
• one ballpoint pen;
• scotch.

To make such a “pencil” weapon, you must perform the following steps:

1. Tie two pencils tightly together with rubber bands - you get two elements of a crossbow.
2. Next, connect these two elements perpendicularly to each other.
3. Place a pen case on top of the pencils. This will be the guide for the arrow.
4. The same elastic bands are used as bowstrings, which are attached to the sides of the arches and connected to each other with tape or thread.

You can use the shaft of a pen as an arrow.

From the Lego constructor

To make a Lego crossbow, the first thing you need to do is purchase a construction set that is sold in almost any children's goods store. After the designer has been purchased, you can begin assembling it, which is carried out according to the included instructions.

It is worth considering that the kit’s equipment varies, and therefore the assembled crossbows may differ from each other in size and principle of operation.

When the crossbow is assembled, it is necessary to proceed to the manufacture of arrows, which should, first of all, be strong and reliable. To do this, you need to observe the following nuances:

• choose the right material. In this case, it is best to use well-dried pine, birch or spruce wood;
• avoid knots on arrow blanks;
• wood fibers should be located along the length of the future product;
• if the workpiece is uneven, you can try to level it; to do this, you need to first “heat” it over the fire;
• be sure to make fletching that gives the arrow stable and accurate flight;
• for plumage it is recommended to use the wing feathers of a goose, wood grouse, turkey or other large birds;
• it is very important that one arrow has feathers from one wing (right or left);
• You can use a metal plate or a nail as a tip, or you can do without it. But to do this, you need to carefully plan the end of the arrow (like sharpening a pencil);
• to store and transport arrows you need to use a quiver, which you can buy in a specialized store or make yourself;
• Arrows must be stored in an upright position in places with moderate humidity, otherwise the products will be deformed.

What needs to be said in the very first lines of this article: in Russia, the CIS countries and most countries of the world, hunting with a crossbow is illegal, and the crossbows themselves (if their tension exceeds 40 kg) are equated to edged weapons. There is a fine for wearing and using them. Why, then, am I giving recommendations on how to make an objectively dangerous thing that can cause problems for readers? Because the ability to hunt using a wide variety of weapons, including homemade and even illegal ones, may one day be useful to each of us. Few people think about this while store shelves are filled with food products - but we live in too unstable times to say with complete confidence that this will always be the case.

In one of the previous articles, I wrote about hunting: with the help of this seemingly frivolous weapon, it is easy to hunt small fur-bearing animals, birds and reptiles. You can shoot medium-sized game from a crossbow. Of course, we are not talking about toys from legal gun stores: you may have seen these on sale - elegant, light and low-powered. A weak crossbow is intended for sport shooting - you should understand how great the difference is between it and a real combat device. That is why the latter are prohibited. An arrow fired from a powerful combat crossbow pierces a person right through, even if he is wearing a Kevlar body armor.

But until the BP strikes, you and I are peaceful hunters, and we do not think about using lethal weapons against people. Why am I writing now about homemade crossbow for hunting? Why not buy ready-made or order from an experienced craftsman? Because legally they won’t sell you anything worthwhile. And it’s better not to buy illegal weapons at all if you don’t want to get into trouble with the law. Yes, having something killer in your bins and knowing how to use it is useful, but not a single living soul should know that you have it. It’s better not to introduce even your friends and family to this, not to mention complete strangers like sellers and couriers.

How to make a crossbow at home?

So, how to make a crossbow with your own hands? First of all, decide what kind of power you need from the weapon - its design and materials directly depend on this. For hunting ducks and hares, the simplest device with a wooden bow is suitable. Larger animals already need a metal one. There are also so-called composite arches, which are a combination of several materials (traditionally - wood, antler, veins, but now various types of plastic are more often used). Their technical characteristics are excellent, but it is almost impossible for a non-professional to produce such a part “on the knee” with high quality. In order to avoid injury among readers, I will not even give here a description of the assembly of a composite arc.

My opinion: it is advisable to use a metal arc. The power reserve will not be superfluous - besides, wooden parts fail faster, which also poses a risk of injury to the shooter. Since your goal is to make a fairly powerful crossbow, look for springs from Soviet passenger cars among friends or on the secondary market for auto parts. Humanity has not yet come up with anything better for use as an arc. But if you still didn’t manage to get this rarity, take any elastic metal strip 2-3 cm wide and 3-4 mm thick.

The stock is most often made of wood (spruce, aspen), less often of metal. The more powerful the crossbow is planned, the more durable and massive this part should be. The designs of the stock may differ, but there must be a groove for the arrow on it, as well as a butt and fastenings for the trigger mechanism, arc and other functional elements.

A non-elastic rope made of synthetic fibers, a steel cable or a guitar string is used as a bowstring. You may be surprised, but it is the first of the three options that demonstrates the best tensile strength. Durable, cheap and accessible - what else is needed?.. But here's what: beeswax impregnation will extend the life of a synthetic bowstring, protecting it from moisture and friction.

The crossbow mechanism, rollers and fastenings are the most interesting. It is difficult to make them “on your knees” if you do not have the skills to work with metal. Below I provide drawings of a homemade simple crossbow (1) and a powerful combat one (2). All parts that you cannot make yourself, order from the workshop, providing drawings of the parts you are interested in.

Drawing of a simple crossbow (1) *click to enlarge*

Drawings of a combat crossbow(2) *click to enlarge*

How to make arrows for a crossbow?

Bolts - arrows for a crossbow, are easy to make with your own hands. For these purposes, wood is most often used, less often plastic and metal. Why is wood better? A wooden bolt has an optimal weight: a light plastic arrow quickly loses speed, and a piece of steel wire is heavy and will not fly far. The shaft should be planed along the grain for better flexibility, and then dried well. At the end we leave a cut into which the tip will be inserted.

The tip itself must be cut out of a steel sheet (thickness no less than 0.7 mm) with metal scissors and refined with a sharpening stone - smooth and sharpen the edge. We insert the tips into the cut, lubricating it with epoxy. You can also tie it with thread for strength, and apply a layer of epoxy on top.

There are also many options for making bolt feathers, but the best, in my opinion, is bird feathers. Ideally, goose, but even from the tail of a pigeon, which is much easier for a city dweller to find - they lie underfoot. We split the feather in two, cut each half in half and glue it to the arrow. For strength, we wrap it with threads.

Here's what we ended up with:

It is important that all the bolts are the same in weight and length - this will make it easier to shoot your homemade crossbow. But you definitely need to shoot him: the hunt can wait, first you need to master the new weapon well, get a feel for it. Even if you have experience shooting a crossbow, this one will be a little different, more “yours” - like any thing made with your own hands.

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A crossbow is a throwing weapon that is an improved design of a bow. Its advantage is the ability to aim without unnecessary effort. The technical characteristics of the gun increase the destructive power and shooting accuracy. In our country, the use of this type of throwing weapon is unpopular, since it is difficult to find the necessary design. There is very little inventory, but user interest is quite high. Crossbows are quite expensive. However, the design of the weapon is quite simple, so you can easily make it yourself.

What is a crossbow used for?

First of all, it is worth noting that the use of throwing weapons with a tension force of more than 43 kgf is illegal, whether it is homemade or purchased from official manufacturers. Today, the main uses of the crossbow are sports competitions and outdoor activities.

The device itself was first created two and a half thousand years ago in China. In Europe, the weapon gained popularity only at the beginning of the twelfth century and was used exclusively for military purposes. Later, homemade crossbows were used for hunting. However, only rich people could afford expensive mechanisms and special arrows.

Arrows for this type of weapon are much heavier and are more often called bolts. Their use is necessary since the tension force of the bowstring is much higher and requires the use of heavy projectiles. They, in turn, provide increased power upon impact. Now, the ban on hunting with throwing weapons in Russia and the CIS countries does not allow the use of a crossbow to catch game. Throwing weapons are used exclusively for sporting purposes.

Differences and adaptations

A bow and a crossbow have several obvious differences that must be taken into account when creating a weapon with your own hands. The main differences are:

Tension force. Since the design of the crossbow allows the bowstring to be pulled with greater force, a reliable mechanism is required that does not fail. When purchasing it, you should not skimp, because it guarantees not only safety, but also durability. It is also convenient to use a device for tensioning the bowstring.

Use of bolts. By adding a spring to hold the projectile, the gun can be used at any desired angle. Aim. Installing additional equipment will ensure accuracy and make it easier to shoot from the shoulder, similar to a firearm.

In addition, when creating a throwing weapon with your own hands, you should pay special attention to the method of tensioning the bowstring. There are several of them. The most reliable and popular are:

Leg or hand braces. A very popular type of tension. However, its use is only available for crossbows with low power. Strap and hook. This method allows you to fix the machine tool with your feet, similar to the first example. When bent, the hook clings to the bowstring, and restoring the position is done by tightening and fixing it. An improved type of the second method is a rope using rollers. The mount is also installed on the belt. The use of two curved arms placed on pins is called a goat leg. The pins protrude on both sides of the stock. The owner pulls the opposite side towards himself, thereby exerting tension. Release lever. The essence of the method is to connect the hook and bracket to the front of the stock. Thus, the bowstring is pressed back. Using rack and pinion gates. A very ancient technology that appeared in the fifteenth century in Germany. The tension is carried out by a collar, which allows the method to be used for very powerful crossbows. Very suitable for hunting because it has killing power.

There are also many other ways to tension the bowstring for certain types of weapons. However, they are used much less frequently and have been used in ancient times. Their safety is significantly lower, which does not guarantee the correct use of weapons. To create a crossbow with your own hands, it is recommended to use one of the above methods.

How to create a throwing weapon

When creating a crossbow with your own hands, it is important to understand that the design must be strong and reliable. Making homemade throwing weapons is not difficult, but it requires a very responsible approach to the work.

First you need to decide on the purpose of using the tool. If it is used for hunting, then special emphasis should be placed on the tension mechanism and stock. If you make the design correctly, then the shooting technique will be much easier to cope with.

After determining the required characteristics, you need to make drawings of the future weapon or find ready-made ones on the Internet. They will not only facilitate the creation process, but also organize the workflow. It is best to use carefully designed drawings with dimensions..

Devices and materials

Before making a throwing weapon for hunting with a small pulling force, you need to organize your workplace and prepare the necessary materials. Here are the main items you will need:

two meter-long blocks of coniferous wood; a thin strip 6x1 cm; a polyurethane tube with a diameter of 3 cm; nylon fishing line; wheels with a groove in the middle of the edge; screws and nails 5 centimeters long; glue; wooden dowels (6 pieces); tape and foam; vice and rasp; hammer, chisel, saw and drill; pen or pencil.

Also, during the work process, additional materials may be needed to give the tool an aesthetic appearance. However, you can do this at your own discretion. When using a crossbow for hunting, appearance is not so important. However, it can be polished and decorated as desired.

The working process

First of all, you need to make a gun bed. This is the main part to which the rest of the structure is attached. Take one of the prepared bars and apply it to your shoulder to determine a comfortable length. Make a mark with a pencil and saw off the unnecessary part. With your other hand, mark a comfortable position for the trigger. When creating a weapon with your own hands, it is worth considering that the power depends on the length of the stock. The longer the length, the stronger the tension force. For hunting, it is better to use a longer bar. At the location of the trigger, use a chisel and rasp to cut a rectangle measuring 10x2.5 cm. Across the resulting hole, cut a strip in which the bowstring will be located.

Now you need to cut a groove for the arrow along the beam. Since the work is done with your own hands, it is extremely important to approach this stage responsibly. The accuracy of shooting depends on the correct position. Using a drill and hammer, knock out a 5mm deep groove exactly in the center and sand it.

Cut another block to a length of 60 cm and glue it to the main part of the crossbow. Let the glue dry. After complete fixation, if desired, you can polish the parts. You can do it with your own hands or with special polishing devices.

Now that the main part of the structure is ready, we need to make the shoulders. To do this, use two polymer pipes, each 90 cm long. Make cuts at the ends of one side into which the bowstring will be placed. Their width should correspond to the prepared screws. Insert them into the cuts you made and attach the wheels with the groove.

Take a nylon fishing line. Secure it to one of the screws, then wrap it around each wheel, going from one side to the other. After wrapping it around the wheels, secure the line to another screw with tension. The result should be a curved structure with three rows of strings. When tensioned, the pipes should bend; if this does not happen, repeat the procedure again.

After completing the stage, it is necessary to secure the resulting structure to the main part of the crossbow. To do this, cut a hole at the end of the beam into which the arc will be attached. Insert the pipe into the hollow and wrap it securely with tape. Keep in mind that one string (more taut) should be on top, and the other two on the bottom.

Now you can move on to the trigger mechanism. Take the prepared strip and cut out the letter “L” from it. At the base of the bend, cut a groove so that it is centered and has a width equal to one-third of the full base. Now you need to cut out the part so that it coincides with the hole in the stock. On the side of the bend, drill a hole the thickness of the nail. Place the piece in the hole of the stock and drive a nail into it so that it goes through the drilled hole in the piece.

All that remains is to focus. It will be a sawn-off 20-centimeter block, which must be sanded for convenience. It can be attached to the main part using nails or glue. Wrap the stop with foam and secure with tape.

This completes the creation of a crossbow for hunting. All that remains is to make the arrows. They can be easily made from wooden dowels and trims to the required length. On one side a cut is made for the bowstring, on the other the end is sharpened.

The main thing is not to use the weapon in public places and near places of residence and objects where people may be present. By following safety rules, you can have a great time not only hunting, but also engaging in active recreation.

A very popular weapon now is the crossbow. Despite its complexity, a crossbow can be made at home. In past ancient times it was used as a formidable weapon. Nowadays the crossbow is used in shooting range sports at short and medium distances. Nowadays you can buy everything, including a crossbow. But it’s much more interesting to do it yourself. For those who are skilled in craftsmanship and know how to use machines and tools, this will not be difficult.

Previously we described how to do it, if you are interested, take a look.

For a crossbow we need a wooden blank and iron.

These dimensions are the basis for our work on making a crossbow at home.

Now it has become fashionable to hunt with a bow and crossbow. Although this is prohibited in our country, you can still shoot at targets by practicing this difficult task. You can make a crossbow with your own hands at home for training. After all, good models from well-known companies are very expensive. Or it can be made “for yourself”. It is worth remembering that if the weapon has a tension of more than 20 kg, then it is considered a cold weapon. Therefore, when creating a crossbow, it is worth considering this important nuance.

There are classic models, they look like ancient ones, and their design is simple. There are also modern crossbows, they are called "block" crossbows. Such weapons have a more complex design due to blocks and other innovations that enhance their power. It will be much more difficult to make such a crossbow at home, but the description of this process and the drawings, which will be detailed in the article, will help you with this.

The crossbow has many components:

trigger mechanism;

• some modern models have blocks at the ends of the bow.

What to make a crossbow from

The main material from which a crossbow is made is wood. The stock and bow are made from it. The trigger mechanism in powerful samples is machined from iron. And those in which the tension force is less than 20 kg can be made of hard wood, it will withstand it quite well. Spring metal and various composites are also used for bows.

Regular crossbow made of wood

First, let's look at how easy it is to make a crossbow with your own hands, and let's start with its simple shape. This is a standard design for ancient weapons, and it can be used not only for shooting, but also as a spectacular piece of furniture when hung on the wall.

What wood to use

To create a crossbow you need to choose:

All of these rocks are dense enough to withstand the enormous stress that will be placed on the bow and crossbow stock.

Preparation of material

In order for a weapon to fire long and powerfully, its material must be properly dried for a year. Having cut the required trunk or branch, both cuts must be painted over. To do this, you can use any glue, paint or varnish. If you close the cuts in this way, moisture will not be able to quickly leave the workpiece, so the wood will dry more slowly and evenly. This way, internal cracks do not form in the material, and a crossbow made with your own hands at home will serve for a very long time.

After this, the log is placed in a dry place where the sun's rays will not fall on it. It should remain like this for a year. After time, the bark is removed from the workpiece, so it dries for another week. The log is then sawn in half. It sits like that for another week, only after that you can start creating a crossbow.

Tools for making a crossbow

• Sandpaper of different grits.

  Carpenter's cutter.

  Chisel.

Making a bow

On the workpiece, choose the side in which the annual rings of the tree are thinner. This is the north side, the fibers on it are denser than in other parts. This is what we will use when creating a crossbow with our own hands at home. From this part you need to make a bow.

Mark the middle, put about two centimeters on both sides of it, marking the part that will be clamped in the crossbow stock. This will be the thickest part of the onion. They begin to cut the material from it, gradually moving towards the edges. They chip the workpiece gradually on both sides, checking until it begins to bend at least a little.

After this, you need to take a strong rope and make loops at its ends. This will be a test string. It is necessary to check the bow tension. It is very important that his shoulders bend evenly. By putting on an improvised bowstring and drawing the bow, you can see where to remove the material. They are marked and carefully cut with a knife. This must be continued until the product begins to bend evenly on both sides.

Knot processing

Very often there are knots on the material: some are visible immediately, others can open during the processing of the material. What makes them dangerous is that they can cause chips. Therefore, you need to treat such places with a well-sharpened knife. If you don't have confidence or experience, it's better to tinker a little longer and sand them down with sandpaper. You can also use a file for this purpose.

Bed

When the bow is ready, put it aside and begin making the stock. To begin with, they choose where there will be a groove through which the arrow will fly out, and make this place perfectly level. It will depend on him how accurately the crossbow will shoot. To understand everything, it is better to look at the drawing of the crossbow. How to make its stock is shown in detail here. After this, the gutter is cut to the required length. Usually it is about 30 cm. Then a recess is made for the bow and trigger mechanism. They are convenient to cut with a chisel and a carpenter's knife.

Trigger

As mentioned above, it can be made of dense wood or, if the crossbow is powerful, of metal. The most is the so-called “nut”. It consists of a cylinder, where on one side there is a hook for the bowstring, and on the other there is a stop for the trigger. In high-power crossbows, the trigger is more refined for an easier trigger pull when loaded.

We looked at it in detail, the Master class with drawings, we hope, will help you understand all the intricacies.

This is a common medieval model. Now we’ll find out how to make the same weapon, only a modern model.

Compound crossbow

Such a device is much more difficult to make; it will require many more tools than a regular one. So, we create a crossbow with our own hands at home from fiberglass. This material is ideal for making bows because it is tough and yet lightweight. It can be cut from a single piece of fiberglass 1 cm thick or you can make it yourself. If you’re not too lazy to tinker, it’s better to make it yourself.

Making fiberglass shoulders for a crossbow

You need to take fiberglass or Kevlar and cut it into strips. You need from 30 to 40 of them. In general, it is better to try everything experimentally. These strips are glued with epoxy resin so that everything becomes monolithic when it hardens. You also need to think about how to put this entire “sandwich” under the press. It is best to use boards, place the shoulders between them, and clamp everything with clamps.

There should be less thickener than usual, ranging from 8 to 10%. Everything hardens within 24 hours, but if the room is cold, the time may increase. When everything has hardened, the shoulders are finalized by cutting off the protruding edges with a knife and sanding with sandpaper.

Now we will look in detail at how to make a crossbow with your own hands at home and what additional elements of its design need to be made.

Making a figured bed

To do this, you need to take a board at least 4 cm thick. Mark where the butt, handle, trigger mechanism and mounts for the arms of the bow will be. In general, everything is according to the drawings. After this, you need to drill all the necessary holes and cut them out.

Blocks

They can be made from aluminum. It would be better if they were on bearings. The middle parts of roller skate wheels are perfect. They are strong enough to withstand heavy loads and are the perfect size. The axles for them need to be 5 mm thick. You can take them from rollers or make them yourself.

The fasteners are made of sheet steel or similar durable material. You can also make the ends of the bow arms thicker before pouring epoxy resin to install the blocks, in which case fastenings will not be needed.

After this, you need to install a trigger mechanism with a trigger and an arrow holder on the crossbow you made yourself at home. In general, all parts are connected with bolts; washers are always used. They will allow you to twist everything more tightly without damaging the material.

In compound crossbows, the bowstring is longer and is tensioned differently. It seems to cross, and when drawn, this system allows the arrow to give twice as much energy to flight as in the case of a conventional crossbow with the same bow.

In powerful block models, the bowstring is the only one capable of withstanding the enormous sharp pressure of a shot. In crossbows whose power is no more than 40-50 kg, it can be woven from nylon threads.

Making a bowstring for a crossbow

Using the described method, you can make a bowstring for both a recurve and a classic crossbow. It’s just that their length will be different due to the design features of both models.

They take a board the length of the planned bowstring, drive in two pegs, on which they are wound in a circle. When the thickness of this long oval becomes 5 mm, it is wound, making a gap of 2-3 mm between the turns. Near the pegs you need to braid without gaps, because there will be loops for hooking.

Regarding the bowstring, one can also say that if you make it too thick, the strength of the crossbow is reduced. However, thin ones can tear. So in this case you need to choose an intermediate thickness. It is better to study similar sports models with the same tension and make a bowstring of their thickness. When this is done, the two halves are joined and wrapped together. Again, special care is needed near the hinges. Then they wrap the middle where the string will catch and push the arrow. This place is also done carefully, because it will be subject to a tremendous frictional force. All cut edges of the threads must be coated with glue. This will make them denser and more monolithic.

This article presents drawings and a description of how to make a real crossbow at home. It's not that difficult, especially if you're making wooden weapons. If the product is manufactured for hunting in order to achieve enormous power, then you should choose a block model. Its design is a little more complicated; you may need a machine to make some parts.