WARNING AND DISCLAIMER
----------------------
This is not a toy. DO NOT under any circumstances shoot this at other people. You could possibly cause serious injury if you hit someone in the wrong area.
Be responsible. I am not liable for any injury or damage that you cause to yourself or others.


Hardware Requirments
--------------------
> M4 Screws (Exact hardware is up to you. The listed numbers are the depth of the holes. YOU WILL NEED TO ADD A LITTLE EXTRA LENGTH, MAYBE 4-5mm, TO THOSE NUMBERS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE NUT ON THE OTHER SIDE!
                You can also split the length and use two shorter screws from either end if you want to. This isn't reccomended for any holes that have rotating components.)

  - 6x 4mm deep plus washers and nuts (For base. I recommend low profile heads or you will feel them. Can also be M3 if you can't fit M4 nuts in the tight space near the front)
  - 4x 21mm deep plus nuts or 8x 10.5 mm deep (For base and magazine)
  - 2x 11mm deep plus nuts (For crossbow arms. I recommend using locknuts for these since they rotate a lot)
  - 1x 17mm deep plus nuts or 2x 8.5mm deep (For magazine lid. recommend locknuts here too)

> 2x Tension Springs (I used the HILLMAN 3/8" x 2" x.035" springs from Lowes and cut the loops on the ends to fit. If you can't find these exact springs the working load is 0.94 lbs or 0.42 KG so find an 
                      equivalent pair or experiment with your own.)

> Wire Cutters (To cut the springs if needed)

> String of your choice (As much as needed. Does affect performance so you may want to experiment with different types)

> Lighter (To melt ends of string. Only for synthetic fibers like nylon)

> Velcro Ribbon (25mm and 12mm wide needed but larger strips can be cut to size. You can use whatever you want to attach to your arm. I used velcro ribbon because I had it)


Assembly Instructions
---------------------

1) Place the base on a table or worksurface. Place a piece of string that is about twice the length of the base in the channel going along the top of the base. Try and keep it straight and centered with the 
   channel. It doesn't matter how much string sticks out on either end.

2) Sandwich the Main Mid, Main Left, and Main Right components together and place them onto the base keeping them in between the tabs. The arms of the left and right part and the taller side of the mid part 
   go towards the side of the base with the thinner mounting bracket. Ensure the holes line up. Carefully thread three 21mm deep or 6 10.5mm deep M4 screws into these holes. The threads should engage into 
   the plastic so don't worry if it gives a little resistance. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN AND STRIP THE THREADS!

3) If the string is correctly placed, it should now freely move underneath the 3 sandwiched pieces. If your string is not moving or is resisting, it may either be pinched or is too wide. Tie the back end of 
   the string to the hole on the trigger part and place the trigger into the cavity on the backside of the Main Mid part. The holes should line up. Don't put a screw into it yet.

4) Take the magazine component and line up the two small tabs on its underside (The ones without holes) with the rough center of rectangular cutouts or rails on the left and right Main components. This may 
   take a little effort but you want to clip those tabs onto the rails. Try flexing the rails slightly inward with your finger. I find it easiest to get one side cliped first and then push the other side 
   down. Once the tabs are on slide the rail as far forward as possible. The lower tabs with holes on them should line up with the hole for the trigger. Now you can thread the final 21mm deep or 2 10.5mm 
   deep M4 screws into this. Make sure the trigger is lined up. Then attach the magazine lid with the 17mm deep M4 screw. It should hinge down and click into place.

5) Attach the two crossbow arms to the left and right main component arms by placing the 11mm deep M4 screws in to the center hole. These holes are slightly oversized to reduce friction so they won't 
   thread. The shorter side of the arm is the front part.

6) The springs that I used which are described in the hardware requirments are closed loop and will need to have a small portion of those loops cut away in order to have them fit. You can attempt to attach
   them to the arms without cutting them but good luck. What you need to do is take wire cutters and snip a small portion of the loop off so that the loop no longer closes. If you do not own wire cutters 
   you can try and bend the loops open. Pictures will be provided on the Thingiverse page of the before and after so you can better undertsand. Once the springs have been modified, attach one end to the 
   crossbow arm and the other to the very small hole in the front of the Main Mid component. I suggest threading it through from the front rather than from the side as I found it easier. This may take a few 
   attempts and you may need to bend the spring a bit to get them attached. Alternatively, you can detach the crossbow arms and attach the spring before reattaching them or loosen the front screw right below the spring attachment point.

7) Now it is time to put the drawstring on. Take a decently long piece of string and tie it to one of the arms. I used a triple knot to ensure it wouldn't come undone. Once tied, cut off the excess string 
   and use a lighter to melt the end to prevent it from fraying.This only works with some strings such as nylon. Don't do this for yarn or other flammable strings because it wont work. Once this side is 
   secure, thread the string inbetween the rails on the Main left and right components. Then thread the string into the hole on the other arm but do not tie it yet. The bow arms must be pre-tensioned slightly
   before tying. To do this I recommend placing the crossbow on its side on your lap or on a table. Press downwards, extending one of the springs, and then tie a single knot. Grasp the knot and let go. Look 
   at the springs and make sure they are only slightly pre-tensioned. The coils on the spring should only be slightly seperated. If they are tensioned too much then you won't be able to draw the drawstring 
   back and lock it into the trigger and if they arent tensioned enough you will lose some power in the crossbow. You may need to do this multiple times until you get it right. When you think the tension is 
   right, finish the triple knot and use the lighter to melt the end again. To test the tension, draw the string back and lock it into the trigger. If the tension is about right, it should just barely make 
   it to the trigger. Without the drawstring pull it will be somewhat difficult to draw the string back.
   BEFORE PROCEEDING PULL THE TRIGGER DOWN TO RELEASE THE STRING!

8) Cut some velcro strips (leave them longer than you need) and line them up with the brackets on the bottom of the base component. I suggest having about an inch overlapping on the side that faces toward you
   body. For example, if you are going to use this crossbow on your right arm, the one inch overlap will be on the left side of the base so that you can take it off easier. You will need to puncture some holes
   into the velcro so that the screws can go through. I used a drill press but any sharp object should do. The less jagged the better. Thread the 4mm deep M4 or M3 screws with washers from the bottom up
   through the velcro and into the base component. Repeat this for each of the straps. Now you can attach the crossbow to your arm. The thin strap goes inbetween your thumb and pointer finger and the other two
   are behind your wrist. Adjust the straps to your liking before cutting the extra length off. If you can feel the heads of the screw on your arm I suggest cutting a few small strips of velcro and covering
   them to try and make it more comfortable. Oh and I think it goes without saying to use the soft side of the velcro on the inside :)

9) Now we need to attach the finger ring. Loosly tie it to the end of the string that we placed in step 1 and place the ring on your finger of choice. I prefer my thumb. With the trigger pushed all the way up,
   adjust the length to whatever feels most comfortable to you. Tie this in the same manner as the drawstring. If the velcro is catching the string try using a different string or put a piece of tape or shrink
   wrap around that part of the string.

10) Finally, we need to attach the drawstring pull. Simply flex it slightly and stick the tabs into the rail on the Main left and right components. The tabs should be infront of the string and behind the tabs 
    of the magazine. Once this is finished you have completed the crossbow. To test it, pull the drawstring pull back as far as possible until you hear a click. that click should be the string locking into the
    trigger. Push the drawstring pull all the way forward. To fire, pull the finger ring slightly. If it works congrats, if it doesn't then something may need to be changed. Most likely the string. 

    If you have read this far, thank you for trying to follow my horrible attempt at instructions.

Troubleshooting
---------------

> The first shot from the crossbow at full capactiy isn't very powerful
  - The printed spring on the inside of the magazine lid is too tight. Try applying a bit of heat with a lighter and bend it very slightly.
    Adjust it this way until it applies the right amount of force to the ammo to prevent it from falling out, but also so that it doesnt affect how hard it fires.

> The crossbow doesnt shoot very far
  - make sure the drawstring pull is pushed all the way back forward before firing. The slanted tab right in front of where you put your fingers should slide up underneath where the trigger is.

> The string doesnt latch into the trigger when pulled back all the way
  - Make sure you aren't accidentally pulling the triger down when pulling back (I did this while prototyping)
  - More than likely the string is too wide in diameter and needs to be swapped with something else

> There is too much friction between the drawstring pull and the rail
  - There should be plenty of clearance but you can try and sand the tabs of the drawstring pull to ensure it doesn't catch anything

> The finger ring doesnt fit properly or hurts after a little bit of use
  - Try padding the ring with a bit of electrical tape. if the ring doesnt fit perfectly it might cause slight discomfort after continued use.

> The nuts on the arms are falling off after being fired a few times
  - Make sure to use locknuts. Normal nuts arent designed to rotate and will likely fall off after a while.

> The printed ammo keeps breaking
  - Make sure you printed the ammo so that the layer lines are along its length. Do not print them vertically or you risk the tips fracturing on impact.



