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Just ordered a bunch of stuff to make up some wolf fangs with 1/8” cable. Aside from how the finished product looks, is there much of a difference in how you crimp your loop ends? I don’t own a swager but they’re not too expensive on that jungle site. Pros and cons of each method?
Last edited by Andrew N.; 10/20/2401:51 PM.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8241101 10/20/2401:53 PM10/20/2401:53 PM
The engineering behind them calls for swaging. Though I'm sure both work what I do know of from engineering is that for repeatable results EVERY SINGLE TIME you must use repeatable methods and force. I use a swager.
Especially since my only snare usage is 1/16 1x19 for beaver and if anything is going to slip it is that stuff.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8241173 10/20/2404:09 PM10/20/2404:09 PM
I smash mine with a small cross peen hammer. 3 or 4 hits to smash, then flip the hammer to the peen side and two hits on one side of the ferrule, one on the other. Ends up looking similar to loosegoose. I also leave a little, very little maybe 1/16” stick through. And more amd it tends to poke me. But I do think a little bit sticking out is a good idea because it splays a bit which might make it hold a bit better.
I use a bench swagger and I'd never go back to hammering them, but done properly both ways will hold just fine & anyone who says differently is full of it.
I smashed them for years. Thousands of them. 1/8” cable
I’d have loops pull through on 10-15% every year trying to pull them (my puller goes to 7’ with the cheater, you either get stuff back, or wreck something).
Since I went to swaging, I don’t ever recall having a loop come apart. Again, thousands of them. I’ve had the tabs on wolf fangs shear off, I fold a LOT of anchors in half pulling them, but the loops don’t give up!
Both are plenty strong for trapping purposes. But swaging (with the correct ferrules and tool), is stronger.
Last edited by Boone Liane; 10/20/2406:27 PM.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8241347 10/20/2408:45 PM10/20/2408:45 PM
All good info. Side question, how much tag end do you guys leave? Or do you flush them up where they loop back through and exit the furrel?
If you are making drowner cables and will be handling these with rubber gloves on, you do NOT want any wires poking out past the double ferrule. If there are, you will eventually poke a hole in those gloves.
I smashed them for years. Thousands of them. 1/8” cable
I’d have loops pull through on 10-15% every year trying to pull them (my puller goes to 7’ with the cheater, you either get stuff back, or wreck something).
Since I went to swaging, I don’t ever recall having a loop come apart. Again, thousands of them. I’ve had the tabs on wolf fangs shear off, I fold a LOT of anchors in half pulling them, but the loops don’t give up!
Both are plenty strong for trapping purposes. But swaging (with the correct ferrules and tool), is stronger.
Interesting. Cant argue with that. But I would never have known because I have never had a smashed one come apart on a snared animal. I gues there is “strong enough” and then there is “stronger than that”!
All good info. Side question, how much tag end do you guys leave? Or do you flush them up where they loop back through and exit the furrel?
If you are making drowner cables and will be handling these with rubber gloves on, you do NOT want any wires poking out past the double ferrule. If there are, you will eventually poke a hole in those gloves.
Nailed it. That’s originally why I was asking about the tag end. Those suckers hurt!
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8241917 10/21/2407:46 PM10/21/2407:46 PM
Only problem I can see with smashing with be to much smashing and end up breaking the Ferrell, but guess with enough practice one learns how much is to much
The job of a Patriot is not to protect his country but to protect the people from the tryannical government
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8245038 10/25/2411:05 PM10/25/2411:05 PM
Consistency is the biggest pro to swaging. It can’t be wrong. I would say smashing is rarely going to be bad, but not impossible. And there’s no way to know until it fails. But its absolutely false to claim smashing/ punched is stronger. Its not even possible. Sometimes I think some here make things up just to get a rise out of people.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8245048 10/25/2411:12 PM10/25/2411:12 PM
Snared lots of wolves over the years and the only ones that the wolves pulled off were the swaged ones.Never had a wolf pull off a hammered and crosspunched ferrel. So that is straight from on the line use experience. Not bookreading parroting bs.
Last edited by Boco; 10/25/2411:13 PM.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8245547 10/26/2405:50 PM10/26/2405:50 PM
I use 3/32 cable 7x7. I use a hand swagger in a mount on my bench, it’s the same motion as loading bullets in a rock chucker. I leave none sticking out, swage it twice now however when I only pressed it once I never had anything fail. I have held bears and cougars with my setup. I have complete confidence in them. That’s what’s important to me.
Snared lots of wolves over the years and the only ones that the wolves pulled off were the swaged ones.Never had a wolf pull off a hammered and crosspunched ferrel. So that is straight from on the line use experience. Not bookreading parroting bs.
And thats what you consider proof? You should have just said you made it up.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8245787 10/26/2409:54 PM10/26/2409:54 PM
Snared lots of wolves over the years and the only ones that the wolves pulled off were the swaged ones.Never had a wolf pull off a hammered and crosspunched ferrel. So that is straight from on the line use experience. Not bookreading parroting bs.
And thats what you consider proof? You should have just said you made it up.
Certainly is proof,cant get any more solid proof than real world experience. Now go back to parroting from utubee.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8245900 10/27/2406:59 AM10/27/2406:59 AM
Properly swaged cable sleeves have a 90% breaking strength of the cable. 3/32 7x7 is just over 900# breaking strength. Working load limit is about half that. so id question the swaging
I’m a big hammer, four or five lite licks guy. I pulled a girls car that was over a road bank back up in the road once with one of my 1/8 inch extension cables but it was shot and about to fail. I have started using double ferrules on the bottoms of my cabled wolf fang anchors as some of the ground I trap, old strip pits, is so hard I think it was sucking the cable out of the ferrule just from driving. Haven’t tried them yet but 8-10 cents more is worth my peace of mind. Anyone else ever experienced this?
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8246358 10/27/2406:51 PM10/27/2406:51 PM
Well since I had to try it, I bought a $30 swager on Amazon and made up a bunch of cables wolf fangs. With info from both crowds, I’m still not completely sure which is best. Guess I’ll give this a go.
I’d say if there’s a failure with the crimped cables, I’ll switch to hammering. Unfortunately a “failure” means lost trap and animal.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8246578 10/27/2410:44 PM10/27/2410:44 PM
Well since I had to try it, I bought a $30 swager on Amazon and made up a bunch of cables wolf fangs. With info from both crowds, I’m still not completely sure which is best. Guess I’ll give this a go.
I’d say if there’s a failure with the crimped cables, I’ll switch to hammering. Unfortunately a “failure” means lost trap and animal.
Well since I had to try it, I bought a $30 swager on Amazon and made up a bunch of cables wolf fangs. With info from both crowds, I’m still not completely sure which is best. Guess I’ll give this a go.
I’d say if there’s a failure with the crimped cables, I’ll switch to hammering. Unfortunately a “failure” means lost trap and animal.
Which one did you buy, specifically?
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8246776 10/28/2409:25 AM10/28/2409:25 AM
Those should work. Not near as handy as a bench swager but, if you're not doing many hundreds of cable stakes or snares, should be just fine. How many crimps are you doing? I crimp stops twice , that covers the entire length of them, and I crimp double ferrules three times, once towards each end and then once in the middle, and that covers the entire length of them. I leave about 1/16" of the cable beyond the stop or ferrule. It opens up slightly and would make it a lot harder for them to slip, yet is short enough that it will not poke your gloves or fingers.
Those should work. Not near as handy as a bench swager but, if you're not doing many hundreds of cable stakes or snares, should be just fine. How many crimps are you doing? I crimp stops twice , that covers the entire length of them, and I crimp double ferrules three times, once towards each end and then once in the middle, and that covers the entire length of them. I leave about 1/16" of the cable beyond the stop or ferrule. It opens up slightly and would make it a lot harder for them to slip, yet is short enough that it will not poke your gloves or fingers.
That's how i did mine, 3 crimps. just made up 4 dozen. we shall see how it goes. Thanks!
Those should work. Not near as handy as a bench swager but, if you're not doing many hundreds of cable stakes or snares, should be just fine. How many crimps are you doing? I crimp stops twice , that covers the entire length of them, and I crimp double ferrules three times, once towards each end and then once in the middle, and that covers the entire length of them. I leave about 1/16" of the cable beyond the stop or ferrule. It opens up slightly and would make it a lot harder for them to slip, yet is short enough that it will not poke your gloves or fingers.
Some wolf snaremen would put a bead of weld at the end of the cable where it stuck thru the ferrel to prevent it pulling off from a big wolf or bear.it also prevented sticking and fur damage from the frayed wire.Myself,I no longer use end stops.
Last edited by Boco; 10/28/2412:10 PM.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8246991 10/28/2402:38 PM10/28/2402:38 PM
You might check out how Newt uses a double ferrule as an end stop. I believe he claims it is stronger than the breaking strength of the cable. I have never had a snare fail at a stop though, so not sure it matters for my uses. If you are pulling earth anchors with levers and such, maybe there will be a noticeable difference.
You might check out how Newt uses a double ferrule as an end stop. I believe he claims it is stronger than the breaking strength of the cable. I have never had a snare fail at a stop though, so not sure it matters for my uses. If you are pulling earth anchors with levers and such, maybe there will be a noticeable difference.
I used the double end stop for 40 years on wolf snares.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8255037 11/05/2410:26 PM11/05/2410:26 PM
A swager is a smasher. It just makes a neater smash. I do know this. When I smash them, I know when it is adequately smashed. I have a bench swager that I use to mass produce a bunch of cables. You have to make sure that you keep it adjusted to produce a secure smash. There are a lot of moving parts which wear over time, requiring you to tighten up the adjuster from time to time.
Re: Aluminum ferrules: smash or swage
[Re: Andrew N.]
#8255629 11/06/2411:15 AM11/06/2411:15 AM
Was watching I think it was wiebe trapline adventures the other day on trapping some coyotes and bobcats down south west. Anyway, seen the fellas staking system was a Berkshire stake with a home made slide hammer. His cables were run through the stake with just a stop. No loop and ferrel just a cable stop. Thought that was an interesting system.