I recently found the "Arbalist Guild" forum, a meeting place for crossbow builders.
They started a new subforum for slingshot crossbows. I decided to contribute to that forum.
It seemed appropriate to share my experiences regarding rubber in general. Pros and cons! I think it came out pretty good. See for yourself.
Read the post at the Arbalist forum
That's a well made posting, but you forgot one important pro: making a slingshot is much more fun than buying a crossbow. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, the arbalist guild is for crossbow makers, not users... making a crossbow is fun, too.
ReplyDeleteSo does this mean you'll be making more slingshot crossbows?
ReplyDeleteVery informative post.. I began to make a crossbow with my friend. We finnished making wooden stock (need paint job, looks like Dragunov style stock, but custom), and cuted two piece prod from some old fiat 500 spring leaf. Currently i am stuck with trigger mechanism, i have an idea, but must find someone with tools for metal cutting. And whole cross is gonna be collapsible (with severas screws) for easier packing and carrying around. Lot fun making it!
ReplyDeletewow very in-depth, nice post :)
ReplyDeleteAre you also planning to make it fit for shooting arrows? It must be possible, maybe not this one because it's probably to short. But you got to have future plans :)
ReplyDeleteIt will be quite interesting to compare it with regular crossbows. Especially now a crossbow forum is watching. And you may even wipe out the reputation-con
Andreas, sure, I can easily convert it to shoot arrows. Requires a rolling nut, of course. Nothing I haven't done before.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is certainly not too short - almost 24 inches of "power stroke" is a lot more than most commercial, high end crossbows have. Most crossbow bolts are only 22" long.
Wait I'll take my words back, well not everything, but about being probably too short. When taking a short look I saw the arrows aren't that long. And the bow is even shorter.
ReplyDeleteAnd again I have to take my words back. :) We were typing at the same time.
ReplyDeleteWell written post and it very informative. I have learned most of what you posted by listening to your videos over the years and I think this knowledge will be benificial to your fellow builders. Carry on Joerg; you are one man who is changing the world and I salute you.
ReplyDeleteRubber is Boss, no way around it.
ReplyDeleteRubber is a good power source for any weapon.
ReplyDeleteIs that even a question!?
ReplyDeleteJust found out about you and your efforts today. And wanted to thank you for sharing your ideas and the fun you have doing them. Fo
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teenager (in the '80s), a friend of mine had a crossbow that used very thick "slingshot" tubing. He told me that it was so strong that it broke the nocks of every bolt that was shot.
ReplyDeleteHi Joerg,
ReplyDeleteIvo from The Arbalist Guild - Crossbow Building Community joining the conversation. :)
Rubber for energy storage...
Indeed, after researching the topic(not that you haven't proven it enough in your countless builds) I have to say that on the consistency scale - rubber is not as unpredictable-a-material as some claim it to be. In fact it is plenty consistent and reliable power source under a variety of weather conditions.
Though the modern materials used in the fabrication of crossbow limbs have much more consistent energy storing properties than that of rubber and durability under conditions thought to be hazardous even for firearms, the knowledge/tools/effort/time/costs/hazards associated with the design and fabrication of such a weapon, greatly supersedes those of an "equally or even more powerful" rubber powered weapon built for "fraction of the cost" and in "much less time". :)
Joerg, all I can say is I enjoy being a witness to the progress you are making in this field and the respect that rubber is gaining as a result. Thank you for your efforts and I'm looking forward to contributing what knowledge my forum can present in regards to crossbow building to aid you and many others in your quest, regardless what energy storing material you may choose. :D
Regards,
Ivo
Here Here! Another person enjoying the power of rubber! It really is a great alternative especially for weapons since guns and bows are so expensive, you can get all the power of a crossbow and then some for a fraction of the cost. And for people who need to hunt, its such a great tool.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post :), crossbows with rubber is very cool, and u showed us :)!
ReplyDeletegreat web site lot of info love it!
ReplyDeletewhat do you mean by it needs a rolling nut to shoot arrows?
ReplyDelete@Titan
ReplyDeletehttp://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy260/teagus_bucket/bptiller/nut01_2.jpg
isnt rubber good because you can change the rubber if it gets ruined
ReplyDeletehello, can somebody send me a link to buy a very good rubber? i'm combatfear4 from youtube, one of the biggest funs of the slingshot channel!!!
ReplyDeletei love slingshots!
I prefer rubber powered Crossbow instead.I made my own and it could shoot 15 m.this is much better than slingshots...
ReplyDeleteWe will talk about the importance of crossbow size later in the article. For now, just remember that the size and weighr of you crossbow is important and can vary significantly between bows. Ravin R10 crossbow
ReplyDelete