Handheld bamboo skewer pistol crossbow

Step 5 Constructing the trigger system.

Here you will learn how to construct the trigger system that will allow you to keep the bow cocked until you want to fire it.

1. First, test your bow to see how far you can bend it back. Pull from the middle of the bowstring as far back on the stock as you can without the bow breaking in half. The way I tell how far the bow can be bent is by bending it back until the bow starts to crack, any further and it will fail.
2. Mark this spot with a marker.
3. Cut a piece of bamboo skewer off about as big as the piece pictured. (Warning: be extremely careful when cutting the skewers. The first time I did this I slipped and cut my hand very seriously. The best method is to score the skewer with your blade and then break the rest of it off, rather than trying to cut all the way through it.) This will be the trigger.
4. Push the trigger through the stock and position it at the place you marked earlier.
5. Take a piece of string and start wrapping it around the stock directly in front of the trigger. This string should be tied as tightly as you can get it. Wrap it around about ten times and then about 5 times directly behind the trigger.
6. Tie the string off at the back end of the stock. Make sure it will not come loose.
7. Take the rubber band and stretch it from the bottom of the trigger to the front of the stock.
8. Cock your crossbow once to make sure it will hold. If it doesn't hold, try tying the string tighter or positioning the bow and trigger closer together.