Does anyone know how to make a T-bar for a beaver drowner without a welder?

Now I could get a welder, but I would need a mask, I would need to train to use it....I would need supplies, I would need to store it properly, and use it once-per-year. I have too much to do right now.

Has anyone reliably made something out of rebar or whatever with a little "loop" or "stopper" on top?

Yep
Forged a loop at both ends AFTER installing angle iron slide lock, which only took a saw and drill to make.
Have ya considered the bolt on versions available?

.... or are you only asking bout th t-stakes that secures the top of a drowning rod?

Does it have to be a T?
You can find a nut just bigger than rerod and with a bfh beat it on.

just

So If your talking about building a T bar being used as a stake here's what you can do. Cut your re bar to length the slip on a nut. Place the nut about 2 " down on the re bar then smash It In place. Depending on your re bar diameter you will have to use some flat stock to make your T Lets say you are using 1/2" re bar you would need a piece of 3/4 or better yet 1" flat stock. Drill a hole in the flat stock slip It on to the re bar place another nut In place and smash It tight. And now you have a T bar stake with out welding.

What is a beaver t- bar ? I only stake for beaver on terminal end if positive not pull stakes, hard tell, have had big beaver drowned an last time try it, 2- 30 inch long , 1/2 t- bars that were cross staked, driven into sand to hilt in deep water. An then push down more yet , below surface. With a foot an half long 1/2 rerod driven in deep on bank side of drown wire. Had the 2 deep end stakes up on bank with beaver tangle up, big 40-50 lbs beaver, I now use gunny sack with sand fill, in deep end, beaver cant pull up an tangled trap the pin go though coils I think usally up in gunny sack an expired deeper water. I have used 2 cross staked stakes like bfore mention , but not drown setup, an just by bank with long extension chain , like 6 ft heavier chain on 3 coil in non drowning set up, in soft sand, beaver not pull stakes, it just when at drown setup , beaver can wring out to , in front foot, never had this problem if not tangle up, had toenails in trap more once though an no beaver

Use a feed sack ......... rocks .piece of string to tie it shut............. wire ............ done

Don't need much training to do welding on our scales

NYhuntfish...

Given that you are in the US, you should have access to Harbor Freight. At HF, you can purchase an FCAW welder for about $90 on sale. It is the size of a milk crate and comes with everything you need to buzz up some t-bars including a crappy face shield.
You can get an auto darkening face shield on Amazon for around $40 USD

I know not everyone has even $130 in their budget, but you may want to consider it as an option to expand your equipment and skill set.

A couple of youtube videos and you're off to the races.

The poster doesn't want to do the welding thing.
If I could drive a T bar In at each end of my drowning system It would be a cold day In hades when I would go to filling bags for drowning weights. Work smarter not harder.

Thank you all!!!

I think might try smashing the nut. I did not know you could do that. I thought it would be too hard. Thanks!

Thanks. My problem with the welder is my friend who welds a lot told me essentially to waste the money on a stick welder and to wait until I get a mig welder and do it right. That's what I was planning on. I don't know.

No problem nyhuntfish,
Just FYI, the HF welder is a wire feed welder... like a MIG but no gas shielding. It will help you to inexpensively build all the related skill sets for MIG once you have a gas set up.
If you really need a "T" bar, you could try wiring it together with some 14 ga. wire I guess... but the smashed nut is probably easiest

Do those little wire feeds have enough oomph to weld up half inch rebar? I've used them doing body work on sheet metal but thought that was pretty much the limit.

Problem solved.

If schools ever get back to a regular schedule take the rod parts you have (cut to dimension and length) and go to the shop class at the high school. Ask the instructor if they are close to or are headed to the welding sector of shop. Explain what you would like and ask if they could do the welding for you if you make a donation to the class (I get by with 3 extra large pizzas for their Thanksgiving party), You get your rods and they get the experience................ the mike

On my trap stakes I always just heated it wit a torch and flatten it with hammer

Be a cold day in the sahara before I go packing rebar around when a feed sack weighs around 3 ounces , !!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT all sets are next to road or trail............................ Plus rocks are almost every where..............

But you have to carry a shovel LOL

Rocks are almost non-existent around here. I'm getting set up for footholds this year too, and unfortunately the options are scoop loon (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) into a sack or carry rods, or weights.

Carry the rods they don't weight that much. It's not like your going Into a location and setting 20 traps.

I reminded myself last night what a gift it was that youtube and this forum existed as I listened to Robby Gilbert on Trap House podcast. He talked about how he had none of this when he got into trapping (as all my friends have also said).

Thank you all for your responses and continued help. I hope I do that for people too.

Sorry to bother you guys with this but I don't know how to smash a nut onto the rebar. The guy at the hardware store told me brass nuts would squish better than steel so I got a bunch of them and now I can't squish them using the vice, or bang them with a sledge hammer. Do I just need to keep banging? I even tried heating them with a torch.

Put the nut on the re bar heat both till red then smash the nut. I don't think your getting the nut hot enough. If your using one of those hand held propane torches It's not going to get the job done.
Fire up your charcoal grill . Place the nuts on the rebar stick both of them In the grill and heat till red then smash on the nut. You can do more then one at a time buy using this method. And It will get the job done.

Ok thanks. I'll try that

Go back and read my edit on that last post.

Ok thanks! Yes all I have is the hand torch.

I don't have a charcoal grill anymore but I have an old timey stove thing. I'll try to heat it up in there. I would assume "charcoal" isn't the catalyst but the fire (from wood), correct? Will that get it hot enough?

Ok I just went out In the shop and placed a 1/2 nut on a 3/8s section of re bar. It was a tight fit so I drilled out the threads. Placed It on the re bar and with 3 or 4 good hits with my 4Lb trap hammer It was smashed Into place. No heating required.
You do need to have a solid steel block to pound against.

If this Isn't working out for you look at my non welding site and just use a cable clamp instead of the nut. Keep It down about 1" and that way you won't damage the clamp when driving the stake. It will also allow you to remove the trap without pulling the stake.

Thanks. These "brass nuts" if that's what they are, on 1/2in rebar aren't squishing. I used an actual sledge hammer with a railroad plate underneath. I'll keep trying. Thanks.

Do you think if I just drilled out the threads like you did the nut would smash easier??

That might be something.

One other thing to think about Is If the nut Is tight on the rebar It has no where to go so It's not going to crush. If It was hot enough It would.
So do this take just the nut and lay It on your tie plate and try to smash It. If It crushes just drill out the threads or get bigger nuts. Or a bigger hammer. LOL

Yes! Thank you for the advice. It just started raining but I'll get back to this tomorrow. I will try to drill out the threads first.

Get a bigger nut.
The threads help hold the nut to the rebar.
You ain't gonna do it with a tap or so.
Just buy the cheapest steel nuts you can find. Farm store Buy in bulk.
Aren't brass nuts expensive?
I use a piece of RR rail and my trapping hammer. Leave a 1/2" above nut so you don't loosen it. and everytime you pound the stake it mushrooms a littl so the nut can't come off.
just

A tie plate wont do. You need something solid that wont move, a chunk of RR track for example......jk

His main problem Is he's not getting the nut hot enough. If that nut was cherry red It would crush with a few taps.
You can beat 2 pieces of metal together if those 2 pieces are hot enough.
Looks like he has the perseverance he'll get It done.

Cut all your rebar to length ....and then cut the 4 inch pieces that you would weld as a “T”. Take all your pieces to a Meineke Muffler shop...or any muffler shop...and ask them ..how much to weld these up..

He doesn't have to get it hot at all.
Just hit the darned thing---HARD several times.
just

But getting It HOT will let the nut form around the re bar for a better fit. But for the most part It's a poor way to build re bar stakes.

Good advise! Or take all that over to your friends place who welds, bring a case of beer with you and ask him to weld it up for you. If your rebar is already cut to length it will take just a few minutes to weld T-stakes.

Drink the beer after the welding Is done.

Your friend has too much money, is a welding snob, and is full of it. There is nothing that a wire feed or any other welder will do that a rod welder does. You are not doing light metal or fine work in re rods. 90 to 100 amps and it will weld. I would get a metal sheet that you did not care about, to scratch your rod on, so that it arcs easier starting out as you are new to this, but I have been welding everything from spring steel on cultivators, cast iron, thin metal, to not rusting for years, that I was told by experts I could not weld, and it all welded and held. Sometimes you have to puddle the metal to get it hot like a blacksmith, but I have done it all on a Lincoln welder which is older than most people here.
I like the rod welders as they are KISS and I do not have a fortune invested in it and I am not going to be welding paper thing metals or getting graded in class.

I probably made my first ones like that 10 years ago.
Still using them.
Got anything to say about that?
just

Sure If It worked for you that's great. But we all know It's better to have It welded on. Right?

That's right.
FWIW I own a mig and stick welder.
The guy is apparently new to trapping or he would have made Tbar stakes already. The pounding the nut on a is simple and effective way to make rebar stakes. It works is tuff and cheaper than any other stake except maybe wood Y stakes.
It don't have to cost an arm and leg to trap.
KISS.
just

He could just screw the brass nut down on the re bar then drill a hole all the way through both and put a roll pin in it. No heat or welding required.or you could Eaven use a nail if didn't want to go get roll pins. Just flatten the ends with a hammer after you get it through

Hey Ark
Maybe drill 2 holes for keys and put a washer in between.
It would probably be a pain drilling . Especially without a drill press.
Also broken bits.
just

The cable clamp Is even easier. No pounding no drilling no welding no nuts.

I bet they work good. Was just throwing that out there to try and help a little. All mine are welded. That's what I do for a living. Se you boys got some redneck in ya. A redneck will allways find a way to make something work with what he has lol.

Yeah $6.50 each for 1/2" at ebay.
just

Almost all my stakes are 1/2 rebar with a 5/8 nut smashed on it .after you drive it the first time the top of the rebar is swelled and the nut cant come off . I cant think of any reason why welding would be any better or worse . Just another process .

I found them on line for $2.69. I'm betting I can get them cheaper and Menrards.

Still too much for a trap stake
Yes they are cheaper at Menards.
BTW a hex nut is 53 cents at Menards but much cheaper by the pound at a farm store.
btwx2 $2.69X6 =$16.14. Cumberlands sells 1/2" T stakes 6 for $9.00
just

I'm only throwing out Ideas for those who CAN'T weld or just don't have the skills or tools to make them the tried and true ways.

I'm telling them that a nut hammered on rerod works and is cheap.
just

nyhuntfish Is have problems with that system I'm giving him the easy way out.

What is a cable clamp? Thanks.

It worked!!!

Thank you for your advice.

Question.... Do you smash it on all sides or just one? It seems like if I smashed it on all sides (because after smashing on one side it leaves air space on the other two sides) it might loosen up but maybe not.

I put the brass nuts on the rebar, put the rebar in a regular fire (not a forge), waited for 10-15 minutes, took it out and banged on it with a sledge hammer onto a railroad steel plate I had sitting on a log (although as you mentioned I'm sure a trap hammer would have worked as well). It took a few bangs but it worked. I also think drilling out the threads (which I did on some but not all) worked better since I made more room for it to crush.

Update: Note: The nuts won't necessarily look "red hot" but they will be. Take them into a dark room and you'll see them glowing red but the brass (or whatever coating is on them) I think shields that possibly. About 10-15 minutes in the fire you can bang on them. Use vice grips to position the nut, wear safety glasses, and hold on to the bottom of the rebar as it should be cool but wear gloves in case it bounces up or you trip (also why to wear goggles).

A couple of the nuts are still loose after smashing which is why I asked if I should smash on all sides of that could loosen it up? I'll try more this weekend to tighten it up.

Thank you for all your help everyone and The Beav!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good for you. Keep on keeping on.

Just one side Or maybe flip it over.
I'm thinking several sides would loosen it.
.
Try it again with steel nuts. You'll have to hit it several times.

I still feel that a larger nut is better. the threads grip the rerod.
just

What do you all think? Do you think they'll work?

30" long, 1/2" thick rebar, two fender washers on top (2" diameter), and ranger bands (aka cut-up bicycle tires made into rubber bands) on the bottom.

Ttt

You can buy welders, rods, masks, aprons and all the other equipment for not much over free at many estate auctions.

Keith

A welder is a worthy investment. Just get the nicest one you can. For what you're doing it doesn't have to be pretty, and the more rod you burn (or wire) the better you'll get. There is something to be said for the really nice machines though..I tried getting some rod to weld aluminum and it looked like bird poo (and I'm a pretty good stick welder), I took my project to my neighbor who builds and repairs aluminum boats for a living and he let me use his tig setup which I have never done a minute in my life. Everything came out super clean and pretty, due mostly to the machine because that's what $30,000 buys. My Lincoln ranger 250 has never let me down, and it doubles as a back up generator that can run pretty much anything you want (my whole cabin and then some) but it definitely wasn't that spendy.