Cliff Stamp
BANNED
- Joined
- Oct 5, 1998
- Messages
- 17,562
Two pin toggle trigger.
This is one of the easiest to construct and put to use, usually for a strange snare. It takes about five minutes to prepare the two pieces, and about the same time to set the snare in action.
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/images/two_pin_toggle_trigger.jpg
The pointed end goes into the ground and serves to anchor the top piece which is tied to a bent branch using the notches near the tip for retention. The top piece has tied to a snare and it also notched for security. When an animal hits the snare the two pieces are separated. While the trigger is very stable under vertical forces, sideways pulls will easily knock it apart. Once the trigger is fired the branch pulls the snare tight and lifts the animal clear of the ground completing the trap.
To cut the point essentially any sharp knife will do. To cut the notches, the best knife has a slim and narrow blade with a very fine and acute edge. If a saw is on hand using it to make the straight cuts speeds up the process significantly, thus a decent SAK is a great knife. A decent chopping tool is also of benefit in making the cuts, but care is needed not to break the wood. A decent bowie is much better than a hatchet for this work.
If a saw isn't on hand to make the straight cuts, start off by just making a v-notch, this is much easier than trying to cut right down into the grain. Once the v-notch is of the right depth then straight one the correct side to make the required shape. Don't try to do it with one cut, again cutting against the grain is difficult so make little chips.
Ojibwa Bird Snare
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/images/ojibwa_bird_snare.jpg
This is also very quick to make, easily five minutes of carving (with the correct tools). Putting it to use is even easier than with the toggle trigger. You just stake it in the ground and bait the end of the stick. As a bird lands on the stick to get the bait, the stick will fall, once the stick comes out of the hole drilled in the stake, the weight will fall tightening the noose which is on the bait stick.
There are a couple of complications. First off all is cutting the hole in the tip of the stake for the bait stick and noose. This is difficult without an awk (SAK), or knife with a really thin point. Critically, cut the hole before the point is shaped. The extra wood will reduce the chance of splitting. Go slow, the more force that is used the more likely the stick is to split.
The second complication is actually getting it together. There is a knot at the end of the noose which is used to plug the hole, the stick must be wedged in the hole just enough under the knot so that there is enough tension to keep the weight suspended. When the stick is knocked loose (if it cracks off it is no good), the weight must be heavy enough to quickly snap the noose tight. This is one of the more complicated settings to deal with in such traps.
Regarding drills, with a decent knife bone drills can be made without much difficultly, with an extended pommell, or even a decent rock hammer, drills can also be shaped from various bits of metal such as nails.
With all such traps, carving models is best done in very soft wood. It is easy to work and thus speeds up the learning curve. However in practice soft woods can't be used to make functional traps because they are too easily broken. Thus once the shape is down and the assembly is well known, get some actual felled wood, branches as well as small sticks and do the work with harder and stronger woods.
Ideally put the traps to use if legal to make sure everything is working as it should. If this isn't possible at least trigger them yourself in various ways to check the functionality.
-Cliff
This is one of the easiest to construct and put to use, usually for a strange snare. It takes about five minutes to prepare the two pieces, and about the same time to set the snare in action.
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/images/two_pin_toggle_trigger.jpg
The pointed end goes into the ground and serves to anchor the top piece which is tied to a bent branch using the notches near the tip for retention. The top piece has tied to a snare and it also notched for security. When an animal hits the snare the two pieces are separated. While the trigger is very stable under vertical forces, sideways pulls will easily knock it apart. Once the trigger is fired the branch pulls the snare tight and lifts the animal clear of the ground completing the trap.
To cut the point essentially any sharp knife will do. To cut the notches, the best knife has a slim and narrow blade with a very fine and acute edge. If a saw is on hand using it to make the straight cuts speeds up the process significantly, thus a decent SAK is a great knife. A decent chopping tool is also of benefit in making the cuts, but care is needed not to break the wood. A decent bowie is much better than a hatchet for this work.
If a saw isn't on hand to make the straight cuts, start off by just making a v-notch, this is much easier than trying to cut right down into the grain. Once the v-notch is of the right depth then straight one the correct side to make the required shape. Don't try to do it with one cut, again cutting against the grain is difficult so make little chips.
Ojibwa Bird Snare
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/images/ojibwa_bird_snare.jpg
This is also very quick to make, easily five minutes of carving (with the correct tools). Putting it to use is even easier than with the toggle trigger. You just stake it in the ground and bait the end of the stick. As a bird lands on the stick to get the bait, the stick will fall, once the stick comes out of the hole drilled in the stake, the weight will fall tightening the noose which is on the bait stick.
There are a couple of complications. First off all is cutting the hole in the tip of the stake for the bait stick and noose. This is difficult without an awk (SAK), or knife with a really thin point. Critically, cut the hole before the point is shaped. The extra wood will reduce the chance of splitting. Go slow, the more force that is used the more likely the stick is to split.
The second complication is actually getting it together. There is a knot at the end of the noose which is used to plug the hole, the stick must be wedged in the hole just enough under the knot so that there is enough tension to keep the weight suspended. When the stick is knocked loose (if it cracks off it is no good), the weight must be heavy enough to quickly snap the noose tight. This is one of the more complicated settings to deal with in such traps.
Regarding drills, with a decent knife bone drills can be made without much difficultly, with an extended pommell, or even a decent rock hammer, drills can also be shaped from various bits of metal such as nails.
With all such traps, carving models is best done in very soft wood. It is easy to work and thus speeds up the learning curve. However in practice soft woods can't be used to make functional traps because they are too easily broken. Thus once the shape is down and the assembly is well known, get some actual felled wood, branches as well as small sticks and do the work with harder and stronger woods.
Ideally put the traps to use if legal to make sure everything is working as it should. If this isn't possible at least trigger them yourself in various ways to check the functionality.
-Cliff
