What kind of steel is it made from. Do I need to heat it to bend it? I am making my own.

See if any mole trappers are in your area that has extra victor out of sight setters(we have tons of em).

I use a flat blade screwdriver and bend the tip about a 1/4" up 90°. Use a torch to heat it. Then you hook it under the spring pin and over the top of the spring to set it.

Plain old 3/8” cold rolled. 1018 I think. I mill a slot to hook on the cross pin and epoxy a golf ball for a handle.

Same here, I made a bent tip screwdriver setter for my two sons when they were younger and it made setting DPs a lot easier for them. As they got older they dont use the setter now just squeeze the spring arms down by hand.
Jim

I'm the opposite. I'm getting older. I want the set tool. LOL. stinks getting old sometimes.

YEP, arthritis here and use the golf ball setter.

I seen them at nta. I was going to buy one when I came back thru. But he was gone. 10.00 for them at the nta.

I have a few Z-Traps, I use the setter at home and place a Z Cap to hold the trap pre-set. It only requires a easy, slight squeeze to set the trigger on the line.





The Setting Tool only $1.91 ???
https://www.ruralking.com/trap-sett...vYOpLDxu44dKI57kgb2iKHaZJuRoCpEUQAvD_BwE

I paint mine white and tie a piece of yellow flagging tape to it. That has saved my tool many times. I cut a short piece of 1" EMT conduit or 3/4" schedule 40/80 PVC and put in each trap as a pre-set mode which also prevents the spring loop from deforming when not in use.

I have 3 or 4 of these. 3/16 cold roll with a nut welded on top. I add 2’ of light weight rope with a snap on it. Hook it to a belt loop and I never have to worry about leaving it.

I seen them at nta. I was going to buy one when I came back thru. But he was gone. 10.00 for them at the nta.[/quote]



Sorry we weren’t there. But we sold out of everything Friday afternoon.

ordered one from cedarcreek Rob's great on customer service That's for sure

I use an unmodified screwdriver, and it comes in handy on the line too, such as holding Quick Links to tighten/loosen with a wrench.

Screwdriver with a small slot ground in the blade.

I just push spring down on top of trap stake or corner of bumper of truck. Fast and easy. I'm sure i'd lose trap setter the first day.

If you anchor with t bar stakes as I do, you can slide the trap on the T, pull up on bottom of trap and compress the spring. I use mostly 30 " stake so there is enough above the ground to be able to do this without having to pull it up. That being said the above ground thing sometimes causes issues as coon get to jumping around, and drop the trap over the stake.

Even if you don't anchor with T bars, one could carry a shorter version in your set bucket just for that purpose.

A seat bracket from a ten speed bike might work.
I use a screwdriver.

I have always been a pretty proud stubborn guy. I also have carpal tunnel issues so it gets hard to be stubborn. I have always set them by hand for the most part. When a wire dog proof got to be hard to set i tried the freedom brand FB1. I liked it easy to set but i did have troubles keeping them set right after a few catches. I switched to the Bridger dog proofs and loved them. They have metal built onto the spring for a better grip and are easier to set. Really great all around trap. In my infinite wisdom though i sold all of my traps when i moved to Washington thinking I was going to live there forever and be a cage trapper. Neither worked out lol. So now i got wolf creek diablos. I like them seem like a good trap and are cheap. but however being just wire and my hands being worse i am looking into contraptions for a setter. Pride will likely have to go along the wayside this year as i know when it gets cold i wont be setting them by hand. I like all of the different ideas folks are throwing out. I am going to likely make a flat screwdriver work as i have 10,000 of them from buying screwdriver sets everytime i lose all of my Phillips head screwdrivers. They are like the 10mm socket of the screwdriver world for me.

Macthediver makes a great setter maybe he will post a picture.

I just tie a slip knot in the leather strap of my purse. When I do that, I need to make sure that I don't wear my good blouse so as not to get it all rusty when I put my purse back over my shoulder.
Us real trappers know how to adapt, improvise, overcome...

I always have a Quick Grip bar clamp in my trapping gear so if my hands are hurting and swollen from carpal tunnel and arthritis I use the quick grip to close the spring. Also I can use the quick grip to set body grips also. If I have two they work to set overly heavy spring leg traps.

Quick grip??

made some setters bought the cedar creek just to support a fellow trapper but a long flat blade screw driver is my go to tool.

I'm trying to DYI and save money. I can get a Duke setter for three bucks.

I understand I'm a cheapskate too. lol but these setters are far easier to set the traps with for those who would like the best available.