A string which is 1/2 in. too long, can always be set right, but a string which is 1/2 in. too short is beyond remedy. The only method in the latter case, is to unwind the skein of which the string is composed and remake it longer.

The crossbow is now completed, with the exception of its windlass. It should appear as in fig. 72, with its woodwork smooth and nicely stained, and its metal fittings hardened and polished. The sharp edges of the stock can all be rounded off slightly, saving, of course, the opening in which the bow and its stirrup are fitted.