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I've got a pile of about eight dozen or so smashed 1.75 Northwoods (my "go to" fox trap) and # 2 Bridgers that were run over by farm equipment over the years. I finally started working on them last week. I have found that they can be repaired no matter how badly smashed as long as the jaws aren't too badly damaged. I haven't tried any jaw repair yet but I will.
This one is fairly typical although there are quite a few much worse. One lever badly bent, the frame twisted and the spring pin bent:
I usually disassemble completely. I start by popping the springs off the levers with a screwdriver:
Then pull the spring pin out of the holes in the levers and frame and over the dog:
Next I compress the jaws with a quick clamp and pull them out of the frame:
With the jaws out the levers will slide off the ends of the frame. I take the pan off too.
Now its over to the cheap anvil I bought just for this purpose and the frame is hammered back into shape:
Next that badly bent lever is bent back into shape with pliers and hammered flat at the anvil:
Back over to the anvil to straighten out that bent spring pin:
Now that everything is straightened out, put it back together:
Taa-daa!
The chain assembly for this trap still staked with a Bridger # 2 attached to it. It's easier for me to swap at the J-hook next to the frame than it is to pull stakes. I'll swap them back next time out.
I believe you should not be using a claw hammer to pound on an anvil. That is what a ball peen hammer is made for. Claw hammers can chip when hitting hard surfaces. Claw hammers are made for driving nails into soft wood. I have only seem a claw hammer chip once, but it did break a pretty good chunk off the head of the claw hammer. You should do some research on difference between ball peen and claw hammers.
I believe you should not be using a claw hammer to pound on an anvil. That is what a ball peen hammer is made for. Claw hammers can chip when hitting hard surfaces. Claw hammers are made for driving nails into soft wood. I have only seem a claw hammer chip once, but it did break a pretty good chunk off the head of the claw hammer. You should do some research on difference between ball peen and claw hammers.
You have 8 dozen traps that have been ran over? That is more traps than i run altogether lol. I would repair them though just like you and thank you for putting t together. IT is not hard to do and a lot of folks pitch good equipment.
I had to fix a couple number 3 Bridget's, #3 Northwoods, and 1-75 Northwoods, vice and pliers, vice grips, big hammer. If your traps are 1/4" round rod laminated, base plated the will hold up a lot better if run over, worse thing is a liquid manure wagon, many tons of weight, some tractor, fertilizer spreaders ran over my modified #3's and traps we're not damaged
You have 8 dozen traps that have been ran over? That is more traps than i run altogether lol. I would repair them though just like you and thank you for putting t together. IT is not hard to do and a lot of folks pitch good equipment.
It took a lot of years to build that collection of smashed traps. LOL
I trap mostly two-track tractor lanes around home. We all know fox travel right down those tracks. So I crowd the edge with a dirt-hole set as close as I can without the trap being directly on the track. Obviously, sometimes I get a little too close.
I used to repair them right away but got lazy and just started tossing the damaged traps in a pile in the fur shed. After about fifteen years the smashed pile got bigger than the working pile. I actually ran out of Northwoods this season and had to switch to Bridgers. I just put laminations on all my Bridgers last year but they need new springs and I haven't gotten around to doing that yet (I told ya, I'm lazy).
I already had one red pop out of one of them as I was walking up to it. That made me get my arse in gear and get busy repairing traps!
X3. A picture is worth a thousand words. I like your jaw removal trick. Is there anything to look out for when re-installing the jaws?
I've found that the soft jaws of the Quick-Grips hold the jaws a lot better than other types of clamps. I tried the bench vise, some C-clamps and some regular Pony bar clamps but the jaws kept slipping out.
I just squeeze them enough to clear the frame. Keep them oriented the same way the came out, they are not reversible.