K'nex Chu-ko-nu/Repeating Crossbow

 by bryoda
The Chu-ko-nu was created around 181-234 A.D. by chinese strategist Zhuge Liang. I have recreated his invention out of k'nex. I know that there are other repeating crossbows on this site, but i believe that this is the first instructable for a Chu-ko-nu style repeating crossbow. Here are some basic stats about my weapon:

Range: 30-40 feet. This is moderate range and I know most crossbows can shoot farther than this, but it is pretty good for the type of crossbow i think.

Magazine holds 9 red rods. But it only shoots 8 of them. The last one usually falls out because there is no pressure holding it in, but sometimes you may get lucky.

Power: It is not very powerful, but with a sharpened rod, you can get it to stick in cardboard

Piece count: (To make sure you have all of the pieces) Also if you do not have enough and would like to know other ways, please post on this instructable or pm me, i will be glad to help.

Rods: stock+bow+lever+magazine=total
green: 35 + 2 + 10 + 68 = 115
white: 44 + 58 + 6 + 67 = 175
blue: 44 + 23 + 4 + 16 = 87
yellow: 8 + 68 + 0 + 3 = 79
red: 11 + 0 + 8 + 0 = 19
gray: 0 + 0 + 4 + 0 = 4

Connectors: stock+bow+lever+magazine=total
gray: 36 + 18 + 10 + 26 = 90
light gray: 0 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 8
orange: 9 + 0 + 0 + 37 = 46
red: 8 + 6 + 0 + 5 = 19
green: 8 + 18 + 4 + 30 = 60
yellow: 22 + 54 + 6 + 36 = 118
white: 8 + 20 + 2 + 5 = 35
purple: 40 + 0 + 2 + 8 = 50
blue: 1 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 3

Misc: stock+bow+lever+magazine=total
blue spacers: 4 + 0 + 0 + 16 = 20
small wheels: 0 + 2 + 0 + 2 = 4
rubber bands: (this depends on the size) I used 4
duct tape

Uses a total of 932 pieces. As you can see, the magazine uses lots of small rods, so it will be complicated. Lets start with that to get it out of the way.

 
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Step 1: Magazine(part 1)

100_1025.JPG
100_1026.JPG
100_1027.JPG
I am going to split the magazine into several steps to make it more manageable.
Note that I have the steps on the picture as well. If you find that easier.
Steps:
1. Make 2 of these
2. Add white connectors and blue spacers to one side
3. Connect the other side
4. Make this
5. And this
6. And this
7. Connect the finished product from step three to step 6
8. Put step 4 and 5 on top of the other thing you built, and use white rods to keep the top layer attached. Also add green rods inside the green connectors, they won't stay right now, but they need to be there.
9. Get a strip of duct tape about that long and wide.
10. Wrap the duct tape around the bottom and up onto the green connectors like this
Done with the lower track of the magazine!
1-40 of 43Next »
jackson9882 says: Jan 27, 2013. 4:35 PM
im in the middle of building it and then I ran out of pieces. this sucks :(
jackson9882 says: Jan 17, 2013. 4:20 PM
I have to make that
Snosageman99 says: Oct 16, 2011. 12:36 AM
pic 16 in mag part 3 is so blurry
knexsuperbuilderfreak says: Nov 14, 2009. 12:28 PM
not the first but its the first true chu-ko-nu ive seen
KnexFreek in reply to knexsuperbuilderfreakNov 26, 2010. 9:57 AM
false. i had one out before this but i deleted the slideshow because i wanted theb" post the gun at christmas. ( we all know i delete all my slideshows hahaha) also mine actually works!! lol.
knexsuperbuilderfreak in reply to KnexFreekNov 26, 2010. 4:27 PM
i know but look at the date and this does work to
DJ Radio says: Oct 5, 2009. 1:42 PM
Looks cool! Ima go make a bottom loaded repeating crossbow where all you have to do is pull the string back and fire now. 5*
KnexFreek in reply to DJ RadioNov 26, 2010. 9:59 AM
lol then a year later there are a couple of those haha ^^
Killer~SafeCracker in reply to DJ RadioOct 7, 2009. 4:57 PM
Good luck
bryoda (author) says: Nov 30, 2009. 5:37 PM
 I just started working on a better version. I fixed the first 2 problems in step 10 so they almost never occur. Im currently working on a better mag that wont jam. 
mettaurlover says: Nov 16, 2009. 12:17 PM
DANG.
KnexFreek says: Nov 15, 2009. 5:11 PM
http://www.instructables.com/id/knex-repeating-crossbow-1/

check mine out!!!!!! 
TigerNod says: Nov 10, 2009. 12:14 PM
Very innovative, I like it! 5.0.
slientbob says: Oct 27, 2009. 3:07 AM
Hey bryoda can you put up a video or a picture showing what the crossbow did to that box to show the destruction capacities
AmoTelus says: Oct 20, 2009. 1:42 PM
I like the list of parts (and the design), but there's something missing...

# of purple connectors?
bryoda (author) in reply to AmoTelusOct 20, 2009. 5:51 PM
 Oops, i accidentaly put those as brown connectors, ill change that
Killer~SafeCracker says: Oct 5, 2009. 11:30 AM
This is great!! A knex first.
KnexFreek in reply to Killer~SafeCrackerOct 15, 2009. 4:22 PM

NO its not. Check out my slideshow called some of my new guns. And look at the post date

Killer~SafeCracker in reply to KnexFreekOct 15, 2009. 4:40 PM
But this one looks and works like a real one.
KnexFreek in reply to Killer~SafeCrackerOct 15, 2009. 6:08 PM

so does my NEW one on my new slideshow (some of my new guns) Check it out.

bryoda (author) in reply to Killer~SafeCrackerOct 5, 2009. 12:28 PM
Thanks! my one friend gave me the idea, he heard that i build k'nex guns and he mentioned this to me. I looked it up and thought it would be great to make from k'nex. Before too long i think there will be a flawless version of this
Oblivitus in reply to bryodaOct 9, 2009. 7:02 PM
Will you be working on this more? I'll build it if you make it flawless.
Oblivitus in reply to OblivitusOct 15, 2009. 5:33 PM
I changed my mind, I won't be building.
Killer~SafeCracker in reply to OblivitusOct 15, 2009. 4:41 PM
No gun is flawless.
Oblivitus in reply to Killer~SafeCrackerOct 15, 2009. 5:33 PM
*Work extremely smoothly.
Killer~SafeCracker in reply to OblivitusOct 15, 2009. 5:37 PM
Thats better.
bryoda (author) in reply to OblivitusOct 11, 2009. 10:33 AM
 I've been working on it for a bit, and i cant get the magazine to work flawlessly, i've fixed all the other problems, but the magazine still gets jammed about once every 10 shots. So i've sort of given up on it for now
Oblivitus in reply to bryodaOct 11, 2009. 1:49 PM
Have you identified the cause of the jamming?
tubanator-2.0 says: Oct 7, 2009. 6:00 PM
hey is there any way i could replace the wheels? Because the only ones i have are slightly to big

bryoda (author) in reply to tubanator-2.0Oct 7, 2009. 6:40 PM
 On the magazine, you probably could replace those with white connectors, i haven't tried it, but i think it would work. On the bow, you can just remove the wheels and wrap the rubber bands around the blue rods.
ferrari484 says: Oct 6, 2009. 10:53 AM
Looks cool just like a Chinese crossbow.
Killer~SafeCracker in reply to ferrari484Oct 7, 2009. 4:57 PM
Um.....That's what it is.
RMConstruction in reply to ferrari484Oct 7, 2009. 10:16 AM
Duh, it IS a chinese crossbow.
Mr. Muggle says: Oct 7, 2009. 1:02 PM
btw 5 stars
Mr. Muggle says: Oct 7, 2009. 1:02 PM
THAT THING LOOKS AWESOME,  i'm going to build it right after my current project.
Oblivitus says: Oct 5, 2009. 7:44 PM
Excellent work, 4.5 stars, if you can get it to work smoothly consistently, then I'll give it a 5.
RMConstruction in reply to OblivitusOct 6, 2009. 10:34 AM
I would say the misfires were due to human error, that he (prbably) didnt push the lever all the way forward, making it not load correctly.
RMConstruction says: Oct 6, 2009. 10:28 AM
Looks promising!
StyleCore says: Oct 5, 2009. 2:27 PM
Yes, innovation over power any day.
I_am_Canadian says: Oct 5, 2009. 10:47 AM
You know what you need? A video. Looks great. A video would really help though. Nice work!
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