I have about five dozen of the lightning springs for #1 longs want to go ahead on beef up some traps with. I have removed the swivel and moved chain to other end of trap. Can I insert them and just do a quick tack inside on the end of the helper spring without hurting it? It’d be a lot easier and quicker than drilling and pop riveting in. I’ve had them several years and they’re useless in a box in the shed. I’m not a welder but I have one I play around with.

Make your tack away from the bend In the spring and you should be Ok. And you could also wrap a wet rag around the bend to keep It cool.

Thanks Beav. I’ve seen people mash the chain clevis but I have already cut it off. Don’t look very solid when done to me anyway. I have a couple of old ones someone wire wrapped years ago. Yes, I was planning on tacking the small end away from the bend. I have all kinds of stuff in my shed that I’ve kept for someday projects. I’m at the point where I better be doing the some days or some other person will be getting the stuff someday. 😉

If you sand the little area shiny so you get it to tack with minimal heat you'll be just fine. I've seen where some were welded in and it weakened the original spring at the weld and it bent there, not in the bend but half way down the spring.

Have also seen and used #1 long spring traps that had extra spring riveted in place....never had a problem.

I have a few dozen slightly weak 3N’s when I got them with a cut off long spring riveted in the spring. They’re pretty stout. Had to bend that round heavy PIT dog down a bit. I don’t want to go through all that drilling. I’ll take ya’lls advice and give it a try. If I get them in the traps I don’t have to keep up with them loose anymore. I’m about too old to be saving anything.

Might consider selling the lightning helpers and purchasing new #1 springs. I've done it all 3 options (welded, pop rivetted, and new springs) and am more satisfied with the new springs. Clevis can be replaced with a large split ring and universal swivel which makes it a lot better swivel system for me. But it all boils back to costs over the lifetime you will be owning/using the tool.................. the mike

Honestly though. I have had a lot of long springs with the helpers in them that were not attached mechanically, and they never seem to come out. I think they actually rust in place a little almost as soon as you put them in.

adc is correct,,they seem to seat themselves into the old spring. the exception is the older b&l traps with the more rounded spring ends.

Same here. Caught lots of Coon on victor 1 longs with helpers. Never attached them. Only had one pop out that I remember out of hundreds of Coon over the years. A tight chain keeps them in place. Mean holding traps with helpers!

Those old B and L rounded spring longs are the stoutest springs I ever saw. They don’t need helpers! I have a bunch. Great Coon traps.

caught my first mink in a #2 B&L double long back in '69. an old local used the #1 longs for red fox back then too, with trash pile sets. best traps of their time, aside from a newhouse.

Very cool

Will the lightning springs work in victor #3 dls

At one time I had several dozen of my 1 stoploss traps with helper springs placed them. I just set them in and over time many come out so I ditched them. Now I put the trap in a vice, put a pipe near the bend in the spring and hit the spring with a good sized hammer 2-3 times.

Bryce

the old lightning springs were advertised as being for #'s 1, 1 1/2, and 2. they fit the victors better than the B&L's, as the blakes had the more rounded spring end.

Another way to go is to zip tie the springs together at the bend.

A few wraps around the spring and the lighting spring with some 14 gauge copper wire. Then add a bit of flux and solder In place. Quick easy fix.

No, you can get replacement long springs for #3 traps online. Nos. I forgot where, but they are affordable. I’ll try and find them again.

Found it

https://sterlingfur.com/spring-long-spring-victor-trap-parts/