How to Restore an Old Crossbow

Inspect your crossbow, using a soft-bristled brush to clean any dirt or grime from the wooden or metal surfaces before proceeding any further with repairs. Use a cleaning cloth with a mild detergent and warm water to clean off water-soluble grime, dirt or dust that has become encrusted on your crossbow. Use a separate cloth to dry any wooden parts.

Apply mineral spirits to a cloth, cleaning and buffing the wooden parts of the crossbow so you are able to inspect it more thoroughly for restoration and other needed repairs. Metal parts should be cleaned with brass or steel cleaner. Most crossbows with metal parts use steel, which was predominantly used in European crossbows after the 1400s.

Inspect your newly cleaned crossbow for cracks in wooden parts. If you want to use your crossbow, you may need to replace some of the parts with new parts made by a woodturning specialist. Take any metal parts that need replacing to a metalworker for replacement parts.

Use a socket wrench to bolt on a new crossbow prod string, if applicable. Custom prod strings can be cut to a specific length and ordered from crossbow restoration specialists.

Use a fine grade of sandpaper to smooth out any rough areas of the stock or other wooden parts of the crossbow and finish it with garnet paper. Apply grain filler with a cloth to help restore damaged wooden parts.