i just got my new traps in which are #1 1/2 duke coils and #3 bridger coils what do i need to do to these traps before i use this and im planning on using speed dip and i will be water trapping using a drowner lilshoooter1100@aol.com

To prepare your traps for dipping.Clean as much of the lubricants left over from manufacturing off.If your not doing to many,You can wash it off with a strong detergent solution and a brush or cloth.Place a small spacer between the jaws and let the traps dry for a day or so.A rusty surface is not necessary for most dips.Dip your traps and let them dry.Adjusting the pan tension is the last step.Now count the days till your season opens

I'm not familar enough with Bridgers to tell you what to do with them, but am very familar with Duke 1.5. Here are a few modifications to do before dipping. 1)Cut off about 1/3 to 1/2 of the chain including the ring on the end of the chain. Replace with a universal closed ended swivel. This will also be your drowning lock.
2) put night latches on the traps. To do this- file the notch on the pan until it is about 1/16" of an inch long- and straight cut. File the end of the dog so that it also is st. cut and square. Now by bending where the dog is fastened, make sure that the pan lies flat at or below jaw level. Now the pan should drop with no creep. You can also do other modifications such as laminating the jaws and adding pan stops- but for water this is nor needed......trappnman

Trappnman and I may have a different notion of what a night latch is. When I night latch, I leave the long, factory notch in the pan shank, then file the short notch out near the end of the long notch. To set the trap, you put the dog deeply into the long notch, then pull down on the pan until you hear it "click" into place. That's why it's called a night latch -- you could set the trap in the dark just by listening for the click. Here's a picture: -- Hal

Night Latch

Nope- That's basicly what I was trying to say- a picture is indeed worth a 1000 words. But a problem I always have is that the small latch always seems to disappear after a few coon/yote catches- so I have gotten into the habit of using my dremel to just cut one notch as small as I can- then carry a good small flat file to touch them up as needed. Do you find that to keep the true night latch (the double notch system), you have to keep touching them up, or indeed even redoing them? trappnman

where can i get a night latch ive lookedaround and must be underthe wrong category :rolleyes:

never mind i see what it is

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