Crossbow Progress

Hopefully I'll have it ready for some testing later today.
I struggled to get the prod strung to even a low brace last night, but managed to draw it a good way. The bow mounting seems secure, the string sat a few mm above the track, but I'll be able to adjust the bow mount to suit.
I've been working on mounting the trigger mechanism. A big gap is sawn into the stock and the side plates fitted to form a pocket for the mechanism. The stock is slightly wider than the mechanism, but I've milled the side plates to protrude into the hole and take up the slack... the pics show what I mean.
Bear in mind this is only a semi rough try out, it was going to be a really quick dirty try out of plywood, but I found the Ash plank, so it's okish standard. The side cheeks would be of something better than ply in a final version.
Note the method of milling the ply is ... VERY dangerous unless you take small cuts, have a strong grip and a lot of confidence/stupidity. Every man is his own safety officer. You have to make sure that when (not "if") it snatches, it will push your fingers away from the mill and not pull then into it. Not something to do if you are tired or hungry. It would be easy enough to construct a holding tool to do it safely if one was doing more than just a quick try out or milling harder wood (I knew the ply would cut off easily... I would be reluctant to try that with Ash!)

I've found the old bastard string clamps wich are needed to string my repro' medieval light sporting crossbow, I'll use them for stringing this one.

These pics are all with it just dry assembled and roughed out.

Update:- Afternoon, I got it braced using the bastard string and clamps, mighty scary, I feel I may have to take some draw weight off the prod.
The good news is that the trigger mechanism held the strain, mind that's not full draw power yet. I'll make up a suitable string (I'd used one off a very short bow which I'd wound through my string adjuster to give me the right length)
Further Update:-
Got it braced, not sure I've got the strength of bottle to cock it!

BUGGER! It smashed when I tried to cock it, but at least I have a try out stock and trigger mechanism for developing a Boo/Yew prod.
Prob didn't help that it was over 40 years old!
Hopefully it will allow me to design a better bow mounting as I can see where the delamination has propagated from the mounting hole.