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.