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I have a couple dozen traps on order, night latching a large amount of traps at one time seems, tedious. Any tricks to speed it up? Or quit my whining and break out the file?
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6955034 08/05/2012:14 PM08/05/2012:14 PM
I'm sure it's a very unpopular opinion, but I'm not a huge fan of the pit pans. I don't like having to mess with the dog to get the pan tension I want. With these traps I'll be sticking with the standard pans.
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6955061 08/05/2012:35 PM08/05/2012:35 PM
Take your file and shorten the dog notch to about half of what It is. Then use your file to square up the notch and remove any burs. Then squeeze the dog loop closed to eliminate dog movement. Just enough so the dog will still move up without binding up. Then bend the dog post one way or the other to level the pan. The other thing that Is even more important Is to add a washer or 2 between the pan post and the pan shank. Normally when you add pan tension your tightening the nut and bolt. But when you do this your bending In only the tops of the posts and that will give a false pan drop. So the washers will give you even pressure on the entire surface of the pan shank when you set your pan tension.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: The Beav]
#6955071 08/05/2012:51 PM08/05/2012:51 PM
Take your file and shorten the dog notch to about half of what It is. Then use your file to square up the notch and remove any burs. Then squeeze the dog loop closed to eliminate dog movement. Just enough so the dog will still move up without binding up. Then bend the dog post one way or the other to level the pan. The other thing that Is even more important Is to add a washer or 2 between the pan post and the pan shank. Normally when you add pan tension your tightening the nut and bolt. But when you do this your bending In only the tops of the posts and that will give a false pan drop. So the washers will give you even pressure on the entire surface of the pan shank when you set your pan tension.
So I shorten the dog notch in the pan, Am i bottoming the dog in the notch then? I have read about adding a washer, I will do that also. Thanks!
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6955156 08/05/2002:18 PM08/05/2002:18 PM
Take your file and shorten the dog notch to about half of what It is. Then use your file to square up the notch and remove any burs. Then squeeze the dog loop closed to eliminate dog movement. Just enough so the dog will still move up without binding up. Then bend the dog post one way or the other to level the pan. The other thing that Is even more important Is to add a washer or 2 between the pan post and the pan shank. Normally when you add pan tension your tightening the nut and bolt. But when you do this your bending In only the tops of the posts and that will give a false pan drop. So the washers will give you even pressure on the entire surface of the pan shank when you set your pan tension.
Nightlatching is not a waste of time IMO.
Act like a blank, get treated like a blank. Insert your own blank!
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6955820 08/06/2001:10 AM08/06/2001:10 AM
What does a night latch do that a short pan notch doesn't do? Both give you a crisp let off with a minimum of pan drop before the trap fires. But filing notches In the dog seems a lot more difficult than making a few swipes with a file to shorten the dog notch. And of coarse most night latches have a step type notch In the dog notch. So you start out with a full dog notch then you move the pan to the next notch. And you get that neat sounding click. The short notch does the same thing as the 2 step so called night latch. The thing about shortening the dog notch you can do a little at a time to get what you want.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: Yukon John]
#6955842 08/06/2004:58 AM08/06/2004:58 AM
Take your file and shorten the dog notch to about half of what It is. Then use your file to square up the notch and remove any burs. Then squeeze the dog loop closed to eliminate dog movement. Just enough so the dog will still move up without binding up. Then bend the dog post one way or the other to level the pan. The other thing that Is even more important Is to add a washer or 2 between the pan post and the pan shank. Normally when you add pan tension your tightening the nut and bolt. But when you do this your bending In only the tops of the posts and that will give a false pan drop. So the washers will give you even pressure on the entire surface of the pan shank when you set your pan tension.
Nightlatching is not a waste of time IMO.
You have to remember If Beav don't do it, it's a waste of time And know one should do it Because Beav don't do it
It needed said so I said
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6955844 08/06/2005:21 AM08/06/2005:21 AM
both work. some people just like the extra effort of both making and setting a nite latch vs short latch. then there are those who just eyeball it when they set it. pulling the pan down so its close to popping. they all work. i just like setting the trap and its done. no eyeballing or trying to find that second notch.
100% preference
Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6956014 08/06/2010:01 AM08/06/2010:01 AM
Wetdog I don't see where you added anything to this thread. I stated my thoughts on the night latching thread and the reader can make his or her choice on what to do. That's why we have this forum.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6956025 08/06/2010:21 AM08/06/2010:21 AM
I night latch mine, I suppose I just like having it set the same place every time. To make the night latch the first time, take the pan off the trap, file the dog notch square to start, and then get out a Dremel and make a rough night latch notch. I never could get the night latch notch started with a file, it took too much effort, but it's easy to start it with h a Dremel. Once you have it roughed out with the Dremel, you can hit it with a couple strokes of the file to smooth it out, and you're done. After that, you can always touch it up with the file if needed. I can take pics tonight if needed.
Last edited by loosegoose; 08/06/2010:23 AM.
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6956034 08/06/2010:48 AM08/06/2010:48 AM
One reason I like to nite latch is that when I put the dog in the first notch its easier for me with cold wet or gloved hands. The pan is higher and gives your fingers more leeway. Then it is a simple matter to nite latch it. I've had problems with setting a short latched trap with the pan having only one low position.
NYSTA, NTA, FTA, life member Erie county trappers assn.,life member Catt.county trappers
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6956123 08/06/2012:54 PM08/06/2012:54 PM
You could also just buy the PIT dogs that are the right length, and not the pans. It'll still click into position, you'll still have to level and adjust tension like Beav mentioned.
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6956142 08/06/2001:12 PM08/06/2001:12 PM
When I was setting and checking in the darkness i night latched with a Dremel tool, that I have been using for years and I’m very familiar with. I notched the pan post, not the dog. Once I’ve changed to setting during daylight I just eyeball it on the new traps After beveling the dog end and squaring up the Pan post, and did not night latch newer traps.
www.sevenoakstrappingsupplies.com for trap mods and gear The 10 Commandments are not suggestions. Buy a soldiers meal EVERY chance you can.
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
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#6956184 08/06/2002:08 PM08/06/2002:08 PM
Nightlatching gets you a cool little click. That is its only benefit over just squaring up the dog and notch and looking at the engagement point when lowering the pan into the position you want. I'd never grind down a pan to a short notch. It forces you to replace pan bolts to eliminate pan slop and get consistent pan tension.
An old video I made on it...
Re: Night latching tips/tricks?
[Re: ]
#6956232 08/06/2003:12 PM08/06/2003:12 PM
I also think it is good for a person to experiment some with their traps to find out what works for them and what dosen't. That's how we learn. The better you know your equipment the better off you are. With that said I wouldn't change every trap i own until i know for sure it works the way i want it to.
Life member, NRA, NTA, RMEF, Pheasants Forever. WTA,TTA,FTA,SA,GOA, member
