oowee Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Refurbishing an old clay trap which has been lying in my store dismantled. How do i extend the spring to drop over the tension pin at the front of the picture? I am assuming there is some technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad1 Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Bit like the ones on a trampoline...use a long sturdy screwdriver put through the hoop and using the pin as a fulcrum pry it over mind your eyes and fingers !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modafinale Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Mmmmm looks like finger removal is on the cards 😩 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted April 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 oh 😞 might wait till nhs is back on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 hello, screw it to a heavy piece of wood put some thin rope in loop and pull till it reaches past the pin and drop in slot, but dont give yourself a hernia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Please, do, please, be careful. Old springs are not nice and if they break under extension can hurt. My advice is bolt the trap down. Put a rope and link over the free end and AT A DISTANCE pull it over the pin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 hello, that spring is not likely to break by just opening under tension, it only needs to go about 1.5 inches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Tie the trap to a BIG tree and pull the spring (with the Land Rover!). Get someone else to guide the spring over the pin and direct you when to back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted April 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 I think bolting it down and pulling with a wire / string is the way to go. I have to clean up and paint the rest of it first but I did try a lever and it feels almost solid. Thanks for the tips chaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Slow but sure is safer. Restrain the trap - sturdy securely mounted vice was my method. With another secure point make a loop with a length of suitable cord or rope sufficiently long to go between this point and the spring bend. Using a length of whatever in the rope loop rotate it so the loop twists and starts to reduce in length so that you can eventually slip the bend over the trap tang with no effort. The controlled effort has never been more than that necessary to achieve the objective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Or pull with a little Tirfor/Jockey Winch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 The trap looks like an old Bowman and they are still in business. Working from memory (and it is a test !) I think you may find it easier with the arm fitted, this should then give you the leverage to set the spring. Try searching Bowman traps, they may have the Instructions on their website, failing that You Tube could help. As already stated, be VERY careful, I have seen some horrific injuries over the years, with clay traps. Broken bones, 16 stitch cuts and even 1 trapper launched out of a trap house. It may sound obvious but NEVER try to move a cocked trap and always keep the clay box to the right of the trap when operating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Just checked the Bowman website, they are shut down at present BUT are available for advice. It shows your trap in the list of products and you can see just how the spring should fit. Fit the arm and it will not need ropes or anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) I'm always reminded of this chap when it comes to doing stuff with putting items under tension. Any death is a sadness. Check with Bowman. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/ARCHERY+CHAMP+IS+KILLED+BY+OWN+BOW%3B+Douglas%2C+58%2C+shoots+himself+in...-a095835294 Edited April 17, 2020 by enfieldspares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Best bloke for the job is team tractor he’s got his own coat hook in A&E 🤭😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSpredder Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 14 hours ago, wymberley said: Slow but sure is safer. Restrain the trap - sturdy securely mounted vice was my method. With another secure point make a loop with a length of suitable cord or rope sufficiently long to go between this point and the spring bend. Using a length of whatever in the rope loop rotate it so the loop twists and starts to reduce in length so that you can eventually slip the bend over the trap tang with no effort. The controlled effort has never been more than that necessary to achieve the objective. Often called a “Spanish windlass”, this method allows you to increase the tension very gradually and gently. Make the loop from several turns of baler twine rather than a single rope (you can spread them out to avoid restricting the hook opening), and cut them away when the job is finished (much easier and safer than trying to release anything made from metal). I have used this arrangement countless times on all sorts of jobs, though never actually to attach a clay trap spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 27 minutes ago, McSpredder said: Often called a “Spanish windlass”, this method allows you to increase the tension very gradually and gently. Make the loop from several turns of baler twine rather than a single rope (you can spread them out to avoid restricting the hook opening), and cut them away when the job is finished (much easier and safer than trying to release anything made from metal). I have used this arrangement countless times on all sorts of jobs, though never actually to attach a clay trap spring. Nice one! Cheers. didn't know that. Provided there was a pylon fitted this was very handy - along with a piece ofv 4x4 of a precise length and the ground-lock - for securing a main undercarriage on a Hunter aircraft which had failed in the down position in order to recover it. I think that trap model was called either the single or double rise. I had quite a few to maintain and fortunately had two vices side by side and a couple of feet apart on the same bench which made life easier. I would hazard a guess that this difficulty was the reason for the re-design and the introduction of the pre-tensioner in later models Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.C Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Packing the coils with washers? Or is this not feasible with a spring this size? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy H Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 As above bend the spring in one direction opening the spring coils and fit as many washers in the gaps as you can ,Then bend in the other opposite direction and fill that side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Old boy who showed me had a concrete mount with bolts set in it bolt down the trap. A cable attached to the spring end then to a heavy pole mounted in the floor. He then winlasses the spring into position, never saw it fail but was told it was never safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 (edited) hello, that is an interesting solution with the washers Edited April 18, 2020 by oldypigeonpopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.C Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 (edited) Can vouch for the fact it works very well with evil center stand springs of the British motorcycle variety. Use the stand then spring is tensioned and the all fall out. Edited April 18, 2020 by Mr.C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbasher Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 spent every weekend of my youth behind one of these things. when we had to fit a new spring we had a bag full of small narrow wooden wedges that we would tap in between the coils from alternating sides. it increases the length of the spring enough to fit and then you just tap the wedges back out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted April 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 I managed to extend a fit the spring after some thought about how best to do it. Tapped a screwdriver in first to give a gap in the coils to slot in some metal plates. Then used some nuts and bolts to push the plates apart extending the spring. The picture shows the spring installed over the pin with the spring extenders in place. It only needs extending about a cm but it's a very strong spring. Never having used a trap before, how far back should you pull the lever to launch the clay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 (edited) Hi. They are called 'over centre' traps as a generic term. So you pull the arm clockwise from 12 o' clock back clockwise until it passes over centre. It will then stay there until a slight push on what is now (with the arm at 6 o'clock) its left hand edge disturbs that position and the spring does the rest of the work. Edited April 19, 2020 by enfieldspares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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