I've experimented with using Mark's set with a little different twist. I trap almost exclusively in big woods mostly logging roads . I did some testing using my deep freeze before I started using it with success.
I found that foam shelf lining will not absorb water. When I put it in water it felt wet but remained pliable even after hours in the deep freeze. Anywhere the trap touches dirt there is a layer of foam. Using Mark's technique of digging the bed so only the levers touch the dirt I found I can lay the free jaw on dirt with the foam liner. I tested both the foam shelf liner and black screen as the actual pan cover and find I prefer the foam shelf liner. Grass, hay, etc. just doesn't look natural on the forest floor so I use a very thin layer of leaves. (beech are the thinnest leaves in the woods) . I then spray the whole set soaking wet to make the leaves lay flat and look natural. Left the whole thing in the deep freeze for 24 hours so that every thing was frozen solid. I rested the handle of a 3 lb. hammer and the trap snapped perfectly.

These are pictures from the original testing with a container of dirt and using the freeze.




This is the set trap in the freezer.

wow!

I’m curious to see if you get any pullouts. Looks like you put the foam on top of the jaws and the foam will be between the jaws and the animals foot. I would try the foam inside the jaws, or just barely tucked under the jaws to prevent debris in the trap jaws. Just my 2 cents.
Looks like the trap fired flawlessly though. Way to think outside the box.

Pretty cool!

Test that theory. If the cover extends only about 1/4" over the jaws and there is weight on the pan the jaws should clear the cover when the trap fires.

That might be true, but it looks like there’s an awful lot of pan cover in those jaws. I run MB550s and KOs. Both have a low pan so screen under the jaws is no problem. I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Looks like there’s about 1-2” sticking out of that left jaw.

I made up 2 more this afternoon with smaller screens as suggested . Both black aluminum screen and foam shelf liner. Set them up in dirt and and a layer of leaves on the screens and put them in the freezer. I'll snap them off in the morning. My freezer runs at zero degrees. When it's that cold at night around here there will always be snow on the ground that will act as an insulator. What I am trying to deal with right now is rain-freeze-thaw-rain freeze... it's been that way almost constantly this year.

I would suggest cutting the cover back slightly at the jaw hinges.

Will do that.

I can't quite tell from the picture but is the dirt under the trap wet as well? That would be the true test. Have wet dirt under trap and then place foam down, next trap on top of foam, and finally top off with foam or screen and wet leaves. Then put in the freezer. This may be what you have done but I cant tell from picture.

This looks like something I need to try!

Thanks for all the opinions... And THANK YOU Archeryguy!!

If it’s a Pipe Dream Set then there’s no dirt touching under the set other than under the levers. I dig my holes about 4-6” deep under the bottom of the trap. About the only dirt touching is the outside of the jaws. I guess the screen could freeze to the pan, but that would only be a good thing...one huge stepping point.

The dirt was very wet as I had bought it in from outside where everything is saturated from constant rain. Normally only the levers would touch but with the foam, I was able to let the loose jaw touch. The foam under both the levers and the loose jaw protected the steel from freezing into the dirt.

It worked flawlessly. The dirt was frozen as hard as a rock. It took slightly over 3 lbs. to fire the trap. Even though the dirt was wet and I also sprayed it down with water, the foam prevented the trap from freezing to the wet dirt. Going to set a line tomorrow. Weather is expected to be wet with rain and snow all week and nights below freezing.

If you look at the pattern on the outside of the loose jaw that was made by the foam it shows how well the steel seperated from the foam.

So have you made any "control" sets to see if the trap will even freeze to the soil without the liner? Just to make sure it's not a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

I am impressed by your effort and interested in your experiment.

Is there enough space that you expect the trap will get a bite on the paw and hold? The Zagman cautions about the taco effect.

Do you by chance have a leg / paw to use? Or 3-4 volunteer fingers?

Good luck with your traps set in the real life mud. Please keep us informed. Lots of pictures please.

Hern - those camo pan covers are fancy! How did they work? Are you going into production? If you make them snug to the inside of an mb550, I’ll buy some to try.

[quote=Willy Firewood]Been - those camo pan covers are fancy! How did they work? Are you going into production? If you make them snug to the inside of an mb550, I’ll buy some to try. [/quote

They are pretty easy to make, Willy. You can even hot glue them together if you prefer instead of stapling them. Just go get a roll of steel screen from Lowe’s and cut it to fit your traps. The easiest way to cut it if ur doing a bunch is with an old style guillotine paper cutter. Cut it into 6” long rolls while still rolled up and then just cut to size as you unroll it or cut into 6” squares so you can trim to fit. Pretty easy to set the trap and turn it upside down and trace inside the jaws like Hern did for a paper pattern.

The Right(loose jaw) looks fine, but the left jaw I would be worried about,as the steel screen is between the jaw & pipe in picture, or if set on your line, it would be between jaw & the animals foot. You need to cut the wire screen or liner to fit inside the jaws, NOT over the jaws.

Like someone else said, if your making Marks Pipe Dream set the correct way, there is NO DIRT touching the trap except the leavers & outside edge of jaws.

The left jaw wasn’t touching dirt. I’ll take your suggestion and cut the screen down so it fits inside the jaw. The aluminum screen is pretty flexible, that’s why I let it sit on the jaws.