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Owning the kills initiative: October challenge
- Thread starter RescueRiley
- Start date
Hi there, Mike here.
After reading this thread about figure four deadfalls, and having seen them in various survival type shows, I wanted to have a go.
This is my first attempt ever at making one of these.
Sorry if I'm a bit early, but I'm on holiday now and am back at work in October.
I know that trapping is illegal in many places. This is simply testing my skill to make one of these for survival situations. I would never use it otherwise. If you ever have to use them, check them regularly and dispatch any caught critters quick and humanly to minimise suffering.
Setting: in my garden, with three young kids around. Sorry for the not so bushcrafty setting
As instructions I only googled "figure 4 deadfall" once and looked at one pictorial (this here).
As wood I took an old, dry peace of bamboo (I think) and as tool my Gerber Gator. The serrations on the knife came in handy to make the sawing type cuts easier.
1. Grab a stick
2. Grab a knife (not at the sharp end)
3. Cut three pieces, short, medium, and long
4. Now lay the pieces as a figure four on the ground and mark the spots where you will make the notches. Watch out for where the notches exactly are (on the side, front or back, and which side). (sorry no pic)
5. Grab the medium stick and cut a square notch at the marked position at the side and sharpen the top. The medium stick will be the vertical stick, with the pointy end pointing upwards.
6. Grab the short stick and sharpen one end to a point and make a v type groove near the other end. This will be the sloping stick, with the pointy end pointing downwards.
7. Grab the long stick and make a square notch at the marker and make sure it fits the notch of the medium stick notch. Make a v type groove near the other end. This will be the horizontal stick with the bait on it that triggers the deadfall.
8. Assemble under something heavy. Watch your fingers!
9. Action!
YouTube - DSC 5619
The whole thing took me about half an hour to assemble, including taking the pictures.
What I learned:
- My deadfall was to solid. I think I overengineered it (I am German after all)
- It is too big! It would have taken a monster squirrel to trigger it. Or the pesky neighbour dog. Hmmmm...
- I will use different knives and different woods (native woods) to increase the speed and trigger mechanism.
- It was fun!
I will not be able to do them through the course of October, as I work in a big city and live in a downtown hotel, but I will try to make a few more, whenever I have some time.
I will now head over to create an introduction post, after being a lurker for too long
Hope you like it!
Mike
PS I cannot seem to embed the youtube vid, can anyone help me?
After reading this thread about figure four deadfalls, and having seen them in various survival type shows, I wanted to have a go.
This is my first attempt ever at making one of these.
Sorry if I'm a bit early, but I'm on holiday now and am back at work in October.
I know that trapping is illegal in many places. This is simply testing my skill to make one of these for survival situations. I would never use it otherwise. If you ever have to use them, check them regularly and dispatch any caught critters quick and humanly to minimise suffering.
Setting: in my garden, with three young kids around. Sorry for the not so bushcrafty setting
As instructions I only googled "figure 4 deadfall" once and looked at one pictorial (this here).
As wood I took an old, dry peace of bamboo (I think) and as tool my Gerber Gator. The serrations on the knife came in handy to make the sawing type cuts easier.
1. Grab a stick
2. Grab a knife (not at the sharp end)
3. Cut three pieces, short, medium, and long
4. Now lay the pieces as a figure four on the ground and mark the spots where you will make the notches. Watch out for where the notches exactly are (on the side, front or back, and which side). (sorry no pic)
5. Grab the medium stick and cut a square notch at the marked position at the side and sharpen the top. The medium stick will be the vertical stick, with the pointy end pointing upwards.
6. Grab the short stick and sharpen one end to a point and make a v type groove near the other end. This will be the sloping stick, with the pointy end pointing downwards.
7. Grab the long stick and make a square notch at the marker and make sure it fits the notch of the medium stick notch. Make a v type groove near the other end. This will be the horizontal stick with the bait on it that triggers the deadfall.
8. Assemble under something heavy. Watch your fingers!
9. Action!
YouTube - DSC 5619
The whole thing took me about half an hour to assemble, including taking the pictures.
What I learned:
- My deadfall was to solid. I think I overengineered it (I am German after all
)- It is too big! It would have taken a monster squirrel to trigger it. Or the pesky neighbour dog. Hmmmm...
- I will use different knives and different woods (native woods) to increase the speed and trigger mechanism.
- It was fun!
I will not be able to do them through the course of October, as I work in a big city and live in a downtown hotel, but I will try to make a few more, whenever I have some time.
I will now head over to create an introduction post, after being a lurker for too long
Hope you like it!
Mike
PS I cannot seem to embed the youtube vid, can anyone help me?
Gaurdian_A1
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2009
- Messages
- 856
i'm totally in. good idea riley, i hope this thread lasts a long long time.
Codger_64
Moderator
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
- 62,324
You're welcome Mike! You did a good job on your trap. And incidentally illustrated the OP's point about refinement thru repetition. Making a trap too hard to trigger is one mistake that is common. Another is making the trigger too sensitive so that it is too hard to set or pops with a slight breeze. This is where the repetitive practice helps. At the same time you are refining your figure 4 trap making, you are also learning how to make traps that trigger for different sized animals. You wouldn't want to catch a mouse or sparrow when you set your trap for a feral pig or goat. Nor would you want to catch a dog in a trap you set for squirrels.
By the way, if you hit the "quote" button on my post of your video, you will see how I structured the URL to post the video.
:thumbup:
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,944
Nice Job Melente, Hell of a first run...
skab here's a vid of me talking too much while demonstraiting a deadfall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv-cSBWgmXk
skab here's a vid of me talking too much while demonstraiting a deadfall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv-cSBWgmXk
Since seeing this thread I said,"Ok I know I need the practice." I went right outside in my back yard grabbed my NWA knife, some sticks, and began making my figure 4. My son was watch me and soaking up. LOL he practically loved every moment of me making this trap. Between the questions, showing how to, and answering for my son. It took me at least 20-25 minutes. it was worth it to see the expression on my sons face when I tripped it. LOL
I know its a bit early, but like I said I need the practice. So here it is. lol
Here it is holding up a big beach chair all folded up. I have to tell you that chair has some weight. Maybe even enough to get dinner. lol
Up close knife shot.
Hope you guys like it. I do have to say that my son wanted me to leave it out to catch a squirrel or a rabbit we have running around here.lmao
I know its a bit early, but like I said I need the practice. So here it is. lol
Here it is holding up a big beach chair all folded up. I have to tell you that chair has some weight. Maybe even enough to get dinner. lol
Up close knife shot.
Hope you guys like it. I do have to say that my son wanted me to leave it out to catch a squirrel or a rabbit we have running around here.lmao
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2008
- Messages
- 977
ok after being a procrastinator for most of these challenges i really wanna givethis a shot! thanks for the push RR!
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,944
Here's another one on fine tuning the deadfall... Sorry about the sound quality on my vids.. One day I'll get a real camera...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgyaWypdLMM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgyaWypdLMM
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2007
- Messages
- 934
And that's what happens when you don't read every post on a thread! Sorry John. Thanks for the videos.
Paul
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2008
- Messages
- 977
just wanted to bump this thread since i think its a great start!
i have also completed my first fig 4 deadfall.....it sucks pretty bad and looks hideous but works...it took me about 30mins with a SAK OHT. having used the SAK as a primary cutting tool i greatly appreciated a thicker fixed blade knife. chest lever cuts almost seemed to flex the SAK. also minor detailing of notches seemed a bit more difficult.
the wood i was using was guava as it grows like a weed here...it is fairly soft and straight. i looked at a hoods video for instruction and found a good one but had difficulties on my bait stick to vertical stick notch...they dont seem to want to line up...anyways i hope more people join our pursuit of perfection!
PS tonight ill be usig a mora triflex
i have also completed my first fig 4 deadfall.....it sucks pretty bad and looks hideous but works...it took me about 30mins with a SAK OHT. having used the SAK as a primary cutting tool i greatly appreciated a thicker fixed blade knife. chest lever cuts almost seemed to flex the SAK. also minor detailing of notches seemed a bit more difficult.
the wood i was using was guava as it grows like a weed here...it is fairly soft and straight. i looked at a hoods video for instruction and found a good one but had difficulties on my bait stick to vertical stick notch...they dont seem to want to line up...anyways i hope more people join our pursuit of perfection!
PS tonight ill be usig a mora triflex
Lol I think we are jumping the gun a little to early. He he. But at least we are trying to do it instead just thinking and reading about it.
I'm going to try to use a different knife each time just so I can try to familiarize myself each ones characteristics. I don't have many, so it will seem repetitious.
I'm going to try to use a different knife each time just so I can try to familiarize myself each ones characteristics. I don't have many, so it will seem repetitious.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,944
BUmpity Bump.....it's getting closer boys...Friday is day 1
THese are osome pics of oler fig. 4's I've made to help keep the thread moving
THese are osome pics of oler fig. 4's I've made to help keep the thread moving
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