Does a person have to be careful not to heat the metal too much?

If the springs themselves are heated up too much they will get softer and have less tension. So baseplating can become an issue if you go hardcore with a welder. There is a video of someone affiliated with Papio Creek welding and baseplating Duke #3's where they are working the trap partially submerged in water to keep the springs cool from the welder heat. Just what i have found in research on different ways.

I'm a welder and as far as I can tell you you can't get the springs to hot by just welding on base plates. A few tacs on that base plate and your good to go. There won't be enough heat transfer to the springs to do any harm.
What you need Is a positive a ground so there Is no arching between your welding surface and your trap.If that happens you will blow the springs right out of your trap.

I have an appointment at a welding shop. I've never had local welding done before for trapping stuff.
This heat topic crossed my mind today.
The guy I'm hiring is a meticulous pro. He's been welding & fabricating for 3 decades for a large construction company. I doubt he's welded traps or j hooks. A lot of you have welded traps & chain, so I was just hoping to reach a comfort level with what I all plan on having done. Some of the misc stuff I intend to have done is, for example, install keeper plates from redneck trappers Fur Shed Fabrication welded on the spring pins on my Bridger coil spring traps. Maybe some lamination or base plating or center swivels and j hooks too. Thanks.

Don't worry about It It's not an Issue.

AJE, I would not weld those "keeper" plates on . At some point you will need to replace springs on those traps. You are better off bolting those plates on with small 10x32 bolts, similar in size to your pan bolts. I' ve done this to all of my bridget k-9 traps, and have had to change out springs on many over the years of use. As far as having springs "blown" out out of a trap from a faulty grounding while welding on them, I've never had it heard of it happenig. I've always removed coil springs when doing modifications on those types of traps, on long spring traps there is a little bit different procedure. I hope this project turns out the way you want it to.Gary

I like your thinking but am not 100% sure how to do the 10x32 bolts. So do I just buy some nuts?

The keepers are supposed to be welded to the cross frame.

Yea, nuts and bolts (screws). Use stainless steel hardware so they doesn't rust.

I forgot about that, redneck. I can't visualize where a bolt would go. I'll probably weld them like Fur Shed Fabrication's picture.

There are two holes in that cross frame, just below where you see that weld. Drill through one or both holes and insert you bolts there! If there is no clearance to through drill, then mark and remove plate as then drill your hole/holes.Gary

Ah, now I got you. That makes sense. Good idea.

And now after looking at the way that rednecktrapper has that plate on his trap, mine are placed on the inside of that bent lip on the cross frame. There will be less chance of the chain or something else catching the ends of the plate and bending out from the end of the spring pin.

That would be bad, very bad. The wrong guy welding could probably do some serious damage

I just remove the springs before doing any welding. Removes all doubt.

Are traps & their components usually always made of soft steel (i.e. not hardened steel)?

Yes, likely cold rolled steel and some type of spring steel for jaws unless cast.

X2

If I had my way this is how every trap would look and hooked up of mine ,,,But now made illegal in montana.
When I could run traps that way sure made it nice to make sets.
Nice work Josh

You should put your d-ring in the middle so when an animal pulls on it it will pull straight on the leg off to the side pulls sideways on the leg more chance to have a broken leg.