How To Make A Crossbow At Home

While the current crossbows on the market are absolutely amazing modern weapons of war, they are not cheap to buy. If you enjoy making things on your own, you can save a fortune by making your very own crossbow at home.

Making A Crossbow Procedure

Step 1. Cut the stock to fit your body

The best length is about 38 inches long. But, cut it to a length that is comfortable. Trim and sand the stock so it is safe to use.

Step 2. Create the trigger hole

Choose where you want the trigger and mark it on the stock. To do this, hold the stock as you normally would if it were a real crossbow. Decide where the trigger would fit naturally for your body and mark it on the stock.

You will need to cut a rectangular hole that measures about four inches by one inch. Then, you will need to use the drill to cut into the stock and a chisel to carve out the hole for the trigger. Smooth it out with sandpaper.

Step 3. Cut a groove for the string and for the bolt/arrow

The string groove should be about ⅙ of an inch deep. Eventually, you will put a nail in to hold the string. The bolt groove will need to be carved deep enough so it can rest on the stock. To make the groove the right length, measure with the bolts you plan to use.

Step 4. Make the grip

Cut a second piece of wood about eight inches in length and glue it to the bottom of the stock. You can wrap grip tape or something else around the grip to make it comfortable to hold.

Step 5. Seal the wood

The stock and grip should be properly sealed with a finish of your choice.

Step 6. Create the bow

The PVC pipe will be the arching bow on the crossbow. The bow should be cut to about 36 inches - the same as the stock. Then, to hold the string, cut little grooves that will each hold wood screws.

Step 7. Attach wood screws and pulleys to the bow

Screw the wood screws into the PVC pipe, then attach the pulleys with wire ties. The screws can be reinforced with glue because the pulleys will add a lot of force to them when the string it pulled tightly.

Step 8. Attach the string and test it

Thread it through the pulleys, then tie the string to the wood screws to create tension. Do not pull the string too tightly, or you will not be able to shoot effectively. But, to be sure that the string is tight enough, pull it gently to see if the PVC pipe will bend like a bow.

If your string is very thin, it is helpful to wrap the string a few times to add extra strength to it.

Step 9. Put the bow end into the stock

The rounded PVC pipe needs to fit into the stock, so it is best to carve out a rounded end for it to fit. Once you have the rounded end bit enough to hold the PVC pipe, use your duct tape to secure it tightly into place. The duct tape should not affect the strings at all.

At this point, it is a good idea to see if the string and the bow all work well. Remember the groove you cut in the rectangle for the string? This is where you should be able to pull the string back. The string should be able to stay there, in the notch you cut.

Step 10. Build the trigger system

You will need a piece of wood about one-inch thick to make the trigger. The wood should be cut into an L-shape so it will fit into the rectangular hole you cut into the stock. Once you have the shape cut, you simply sand it so it is safe to use.

The trigger will need a channel cut into the short end of the L so you can drill a hole that will hold the nail that will fit into the groove that will pop out the string.

Once you have the trigger system built, you should attach it to the stock. Sand everything to make it nice and smooth, so you do not get splinters while shooting.

Step 11. Craft the handle

Using a piece of wood that is about eight-inches long, sand it so it is smooth and comfortable to hold. Use glue to attach the handle right behind the trigger. After the glue dries, use a few nails to really secure the handle to the stock.

Step 12. Add padding

Some people like to attach padding to the butt. Use whatever you consider to be comfortable and secure it into place with duct tape. You can wrap the duct tape all around the material that you use.