THE HYBIRD COMPOUND CROSSBOW
(Page 2 of 3)
March/April 1987
By the Mother Earth News Editors
The handgrip, cheek plate, and shoulder butt on our crossbow were carved from walnut, but any hardwood that can worked with a file would be suitable.
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Building the compound crossbow really isn't difficult, but it does require a fair amount of handwork with a file. A 1 1/2" rat-tail works best for rounding the trigger and handgrip mounting plates to fit the stock tubes. You'll need a selection of smaller rattails and small flat and triangular files to shape the trigger and release mechanisms. Note that the drawing shows rounded edges on the string latch.
It's easy to adjust the stock's dimensions to suit your draw, stature, and bow configuration. If you're an accomplished archer, you already know what your draw is and should set the string latch release to be that distance from the front of the arrow rest. If you're purchasing a bow to adapt a crossbow stock to, your archery shop should be able to help you figure out your draw. Other dimensions, such as the handgrip position, can be changed after assembly, but it's best not to make repeated adjustments that would wear the parts.
There's a trick to setting the left-handed hex nut in the lower stock tube. First, pound it into the end of the tube with a hammer, and then use the turnbuckle bolt to pry it back out again. Place some high-strength epoxy into the tube end, push the nut back in, and then deform the tube on each side of the nut with a dull tubing cutter.
The threads on the stainless-steel trigger rod are likely to be difficult to form. Choose a die that does little more than score the rod, and use multiple nuts for security.
Sighting in the compound crossbow will be easy, but the procedures are a bit different from those used in normal archery. You can actually get the crossbow's adjustment in the ballpark without shooting an arrow. Start by adjusting the turnbuckle on the lower stock to place the string's nock-point in the center of the string latch. Assuming that the nock was correctly positioned to begin with, you'll be close to right for the crossbow. To make the horizontal adjustment, sight from the string latch forward past the string toward the arrow rest, and move the cheek plate in or out with the four machine screws to place the string latch in line.
