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very poor quality workmanship just because you are using hand tools doesn' t mean you can be sloppy, smooth out the surfaces make and use a ruler and gauges just like they use to
@@jamesberry3230 that is kind of the point smoothing surfaces is a slight waste of time Also i dont think there would be lots of ways to smooth wood without risk of making it more rough in the current stage of the reset
Honestly it's impressive how well it works. You also managed to get some decent power with it. I feel like a bit more time tweaking things around and it will work really well.
I think that a lot of the difference here is that he's using single general-purpose rough-made tools with minimal finish work, because he's using stuff he made himself, and wants to finish on a video-production schedule with a functioning prototype. Historically, they'd be using specialized tools made by toolmaking specialists, have people who would do the final sanding and polishing for them, be working from charts and pre-designed specifications that've already been iterated on. So like, things like having a sanded and laquered finish on the moving parts, having thinner walls on the box, more precise dimensions to the bolts they're using. Using different woods or materials for different bits.
you literally have no clue what a machine gun is, thats basically just a crossbow but instead of loading every arrowing your self, you just lift it up in the air until it loads
Btw I think the original chu-ko-nu had a captive "firing pin" of sorts that sat under the cocked string. When the lever was pulled back to full travel, the bow would fall on a protrusion, pushing the "firing pin" up which would push the bowstring off the notch/shelf, firing the bolt. The pin would reset when the lever was moved forward as it lifted off the protrusion. A consistent "trigger" like that would probably improve accuracy and make it easier to score hits at steep angles
@@robertcowley-yamamoto4880 Well arrow heads at the time were not that cheap so more accuracy you get the better, but then again one would mix up the military force with this kind repeaters for volley fire and have few hundred specialists with long bows to take the accurate shots to individual targets. Though i could be wrong on army composition.
@@Hellsong89ancient China was an industrial leader contrary(?) to modern day and volume of fire was much more important. Stationary versions were wall defenses or ship defenses. They were likely much more powerful and accurate than depicted in this video. If they wanted low range power, they would use a scorpion pattern crossbow (existed in China since 400 BC) or a composite bow.
He's been getting better over time, and especially now that he's spent some time to refine his tools, so he's not using just random stones and bits of random wood.
@@alexwang982 Not every Zhuge nu is weak, the korean naval artillery version is not. It's basically use what look like normal bow and long powerstroke.
@@cool06alt however, there is still a definite limit to this design which is in the strength of the user. there are no aids to draw the string available in this design, just leverage from the arm. you can't have 200lb draw weight zhuge nu because no one could draw it.
I would definitely want to add some kind of rail system to prevent the top section from falling off the side when you push it forwards to reload, the channel you have it resting in doesn’t quite seem adequate especially when you try and go quickly. But for a first attempt that is spectacular and I can’t wait to see what other improvements you are able to make in your collaboration with Joerg!
Sir Ralph Payne Galway wrote a book which covered crossbows in detail. It's been 40 years since I read the book but it mentioned the Chinese Repeating Crossbow. It did mention that the crossbow fired light arrows that often had the tips covered with poison.
Wow, you've gotten pretty great at constructing things. I'm sure there might have been more hassles behind the scenes but even though the final version looks a bit prototypy (because it is) it looks really usable and accurate to the source material!
So glad the workshop has finally been built and you've moved on to such big projects! You're a legend for pulling through this challenge and I can't wait to see you evolve in the future!
From the video you can see the blacksmith dude did the metalworking part. This is a work of at least 2 guys. Also, I think the more impressive part isnt the quality. Honestly, theyre not good quality, as you can see in the amount of tweaks needed and how everything is a little bit wonky. Whats impressive is this guy just soldiers on and really put in a lot of work. Just today I accidentally broke a cutting disc, quickly packed the machine to hide my fuckup (so I dont have to replace the disc), then resorted to a regular hacksaw, gave up a quarter of the way, then walked some distance to go get the acetylene torch to cut the thing. If I were tasked with building a machine gun crossbow with historical tools, it would be done in 20 years because I simply wont have the determination to go through all that work.
Great video, in my expeience with making strings for crossbows. you may want to wax your string, so that it glides better along the wood and out of the notch. also i dont know if you did any fletchings on the bolts but most crossbows only had side fletchings. not the typical 3 we have now. i built one with a track down it for the lower arrow fletching to go down and its pretty nice.
yeh. I wouldve suggested him to get a file. Much like how theres this (banter) saying "grinder and paint, makes you the welder you aint". Wouldnt want to say it because that would be such a low blow. But seriously. I super hope to see him get a metal file someday. Why study the ways of the chisel for 20 years to get to a craftsman level when a plain metal file wouldve achieved a relatively good enough surface finish immediately.
as soon as i saw the title of this video, i got excited for a possible collaboration with Joerg! sad i didnt see it in this one, but im glad you mentioned him, cause ive been watching him for a VERY long time.
Very cool! If you forge another bracket similar to the one you already made and attached it inverted to the front of the lower section of the crossbow, it would go around the top part and prevent it from separating. Keep some extra clearance, so it won't hinder reload.
It has been great fun watching your development as a woodworker and smith. The sophistication you have managed with your hand made tools is really impressive.
This is so like Jeorge Sparve! You should do a collaboration! LOL! I just saw the part in the video where you reference Jeorge! That man has a laugh that is so manly it could cause a young child to spontaneously grow a mustache!
I made one of these about 25 years ago following the schematic in The Book of The Crossbow. If I may, I have some suggestions to make yours run smoother. Put a wooden rail on each side of the base where the top slides back and forth. It will make a big difference. Also the surfaces where the top and bottom come into contact will function more efficiently if they are both flat instead of v-shaped. It will also keep the string from getting abraded by the string guide slot.
Gears are a great way to make that automatic. Don't use doctor stones version to change rotary motion to a straight forward one. Instead just take a rod and fix it to any point on the circumference of a circle, then as the circle rotates, the point will change it's position from one side of the diameter to the other. If you fix the other end of the rod that's not attached through a focal point like a ring on some nail, it can be changed from a rotary force to a linear one. Good visual example can be found on or in some trains
Steam locomotives have tat sort of linkage, yep. Also, that's the basic operation principle of a tattoo machine. And almost the direct opposite of how auto engines turn linear piston motion into rotary camshaft output.
I hope that He goes slow and steady with anything involving gun powder and guns. I'd HATE to find out that this cool Dude got blown to smithereens because His home crafted Blunderbuss went "KA-Plooey! " instead of " bang ! " . I lost a Cousin ,God rest His Soul, after He had a home made miniature cannon explode ,sending a chunk of the aft end into His neck just below His chin. He died quickly but horrifically gruesomely . Factory or professional shop made guns are dangerous devices on the best of days ,so homemade guns, cannons and long guns are terribly , potentially catastrophically ,dangerous instruments.
1 thing you could do to do to improve it is the put bars or some sort of side rails at the front to keep it in line. Other than that its cool. Good job!
I got to visit Atapuerca recently and see some of the earliest found tools of humans in Europe and I often thought about how much I’ve learned from this channel alone. Thanks for all the cool history!
Andy, Townsends (17th century and so history + cooking + reenactment etc channel) have their main RU-vid focus which is revisiting and demonstrating historic concepts, tools, food, etc. But, they also have a side thing where they make products the way they'd have been produced in the 17th century or so and sell them. It's kind of a really unique thing. I think you could do the same now that you have all this experience and the real, actual, hand made tools that would be used to produce furniture, tools, etc, from various historical points. It would be really cool to see. I dunno if you already do that, but watching you put the pins in for the stand reminded me of very antique furniture designs.
This is the first of your videos I've seen. At first I thought that's a pretty interesting idea, and it's cool that it's actually a historic weapon, but I didn't expect that you'd use historical tools that you made yourself! That's dedication.
I've followed your channel for many years and you have progressed a ton. Maybe a fun suggestion - do you think forcing yourself to rely on tools you made could be slowing down production? You're talented, but for each project you're having to rely on tools you made while learning. Even back then people would rarely make their own pieces and used professionally made tools. You could still purchase tools and try to keep it reasonably accurate to the time period. Would save alot of headache, hours, and wouldn't take anything away in my eyes. It just seems you're putting yourself through alot of unneeded stress. May be able to put out more videos without that restriction. Just throwing out random ideas. Keep up the good work, love it as usual!
Hi, I'm currently working in the area of archaeological conservation in China and I know a large number of archeologists, if you need help creating projects like this, feel free to ask me for help. The traditional Zhu Ge Lian Nu uses a very heavy bow at the front, compensating for the relatively short travel distance of the string. The lever of these larger versions of Zhu Ge Lian Nu is also constructed differently, usually with one arm much longer than the other, making it significantly easier to use. The magazine box also needs to be much more precisely fitted so that only a single row of arrows can fit in it without wobbling. There are also two pieces of wood on either side at the front of the Zhu Ge Lian Nu to keep the magazine from moving sideways. The arrowheads of the Zhu Ge Lian Nu are usually a bit bigger than the one you used. Zhu Ge Lian Nu is usually used in a defensive manner as they are bulkier compared to traditional bows, and nearly impossible to refill on a battlefield when used in an offensive manner. Hope this helps, Cheers!
I actually need to make a replica of this weapon for a school project. Did you need to do some exact measurements for the ammo box and the bow to get is to fire?
I had started watching this series when you went from sticks and stones now you are to this great technological advancement great work keep it going love the videos
Protip with bamboo: when you gently heat bamboo, the sap comes out and it becomes almost as flexible as rubber. Then if you cool it in water and rub the sap in, you can shape it to any shape you want! Do this to easily make a circle of bamboo or bend it in a recurve shape. Almost like steel. Remember when you do this to NEVER put the bamboo inside the flames. Put it above the flames, with the green side facing down, and bend it as it’s being heated. This also hardens the bamboo; you should use it in a recurve bow
A few suggestions. 1) Weld a shovel handle onto the end of that iron handle you have now. At a slightly downward angle. That will give you move leverage for the rearming motion. 2) The shims only need to be a bit taller than the hole the bolts fire thru. basically if you dish the bottom of the magazine to a point just one bolt wide it should feed better but still hold a tone of ammo. 3) Sliding hinges to attach the body to the magazine. 4) This is just a thought but if you could add counter springs to the magazine, to help with the reload, you might be able to improve the draw strength maybe into the 80lbs range making it closer in power to a bow. it would probably need to be some form of coil spring to give it enough travel to work with the motion of the machine... but its worth a thought.
A pair of vertical guides at the very tip could help to prevent the 'barrel' from falling to the side, I think. With some pacers between them and the body, eliminating the possibility of friction.
The bottom of the cartridge is V-shaped but it doesn't look like there is a corresponding V-shaped groove in the piece below it in the final clip at 15:00. That would improve it's function since it kept sliding out of place. It is nice though.
Suggestions: add a flywheel to maintain continuous power, handcranked like older machineguns, convert the rotary motion of the flywheel into back and forth linear motion, and switch to a system where the bowstring is caught by a smaller internal catch in a rail on both sides of the arrow/bolt (moving the whole "magazine" is an inefficient use of energy), with a small ramp in the back that lifts the string out of the catch. If you want a trigger-type system, something like have the trigger engage a clutch between the flywheel and the rotary->linear system.
Impressive build quality. I couldn't help but think of your neighbor and what I would think of this video if I knew you were shooting these giant darts towards my house with nothing keeping the darts from going over the fence and hitting anything on my side of the fence. LOL! good times.
wow it worked so well! i think the only other tweak i would make would be some wood blocks attached to the wood beam the bow is inside of to prevent the arrow chamber from misaligning
For the handheld versions of this crossbow the lack of power was combated with poison and they were also used more to allow foot soldiers to advance close enough to use melee weapons. Lines of soldiers would have these and advance while firing to force enemies to hunker behind their shields until they could be engaged with more standard weapons.
Yes! I was wondering if you were going to involve the Slingshot channel! I think that you need some metal guides at te front of the unit to act as guides for the bolt carrier so it doesn't slip off the track.
I would also find the idea interesting to use the whole thing like an english longbow. That is, in a tight formation of several devices with a fixed angle and then fire in volleys at an enemy arm. You would get around the problem of inaccuracy by focusing on distance, speed and volleys. The length of the bolt and weight could easily be made like that of an arrow for longbows. The draw weight comes in right in the range of English longbows at about 100 pounds. With longer levers, a higher draw weight would not be a problem. However, it would be lighter and faster than a ballista and could replace experienced archers with less experienced farmers. At least in fixed positions like castles.
You need guide shims all the way forward to keep the box in place. Model 2 rework the box bottom with triangular shims fore, mid and aft to slowly feed the shafts.
Great for a modern toy. Looks pretty cumbersome to use in period on the battlefield, which is probably why it didn't get much use. I'm wondering if a rotary action would give a better compromise between draw strength, reload speed and practicality than this linear reciprical one?
I was gonna suggest barrier blocks at the front of "stock" to keep bolt case from jumping track, but looking at the historical drawing u can see they did this but with the blocks on the case itself so that it remained on track no matter where it was
A machine gun crossbow would be quite the achievement! My best thought would be to utilize gears and a notched chain with stacked crossbows. If you can get the links tight around a helix or figure 8 shape it may work. Bssically the idea is to have 2 or more crossbows firing one at a time in sequence to reduce the odds of catastrophic failiure of the bow or string from over tension, kind of like a rotary gun. In fact if you can get a fully functional feed box for bolts (i would suggest non-fletched flush tipped bolts to reduce jamming, and notched chain to allow timing the bolts with the further mechanisms to prevent overloading each bow) maybe a rotary style assembly of nested crossbows could be possible as after cocking the bolt only needs to be added just prior to firing. Maybe utilize a drive shaft to rotate smaller cocking assemblies with the shaft also functioning as a rotator. Each bow would need to be positioned to avoid overlapping, so the feed mechanism would probably have to be on the bow itself to direct the bolts with the bolt box above and offset to allow a modicum of accuracy. It wouldn't be very accurate, but if you want accuracy you grab a sniper not a machine gun. Also I'm not a bow maker so take my ideas with a grain of salt
In one of your videos you do soon, you should go after making gears and you can arrange into a sort of form of a transmission system, allowing you to trade torque for horsepower or horsepower for torque. Can arrange them by hand if you can't figure out a simple clutch design that allows you to release from one gear set to another. Extremely versatile and necessary for lots of engineering applications. The mind is practically the limit shit gets crazy. I'm almost convinced someone could create a type of life if you had intricate enough gear work
@@stevexracer4309 I'm going to assume you meant gears because I made no mention of God. However to answer I'd have to say, the drug called science. You likely don't fathom or understand the complexities or mechanics of even a watch. So I suppose I shouldn't think it's odd you may not be able to scale the intricacies up in your mind to have something mechanical be able to receive or give out and input from the outside world and function in a very similar way that mimics all the mechanical functions of your own body and mind
@@stevexracer4309 is your head up your ass for the warmth, or something else? Actually keep your answers to yourself please, I find low IQ inputs to a high IQ brain can dilute intellect so it's best to keep those things separate if you understand
Imagine you're just minding your own business, maybe tending to your garden, and your neighbor accidentally nails you in the side with his homemade tripod mounted crossbow
