I like buying old Northwoods 1.75's and restoring them to good working condition. I always put new springs on them and I put the chain attachment point back to the frame. Those square links Northwoods used for that are hard to find. It's surprising how many guys cut them off and attach the chain to the corner of the frame with a J-hook.

I like to use the original shock springs on the chains but change out the ring for a double stake swivel and add another in-chain swivel.

They are my go to fox trap.

Forgot to add that I night-latch all my land traps.

I have tried a bunch of different trap styles. Different mods. Very few I just don't like. I can catch a FEW more critters with coil springs vs longsprings dirt trapping. In water if using a foot trap I use longsprings. Speed is not as important and they are easier to bed. I like longsprings in rock for the same reason. I dont live market but do use a lot of laminated jaw traps. I 4 coil for the extra speed. For cats especially speed is important. Quick reflexes and I dont like missing them. My longsprings all have pit pans. A little pan tension gets them to put some weight on that foot before it pops. I just use my thumb. Takes a split second longer that way for the animal to shift its weight and pick the foot up. They are base plated. I never liked the chain attached to a spring though it works pretty good.

Making my own stretcher boards, from tree to finished product, is another trapping-related thing I enjoy doing.

I currently have a big stack of linden (basswood) that I cut and had milled into 4/4 rough-cut boards. They've been air-drying for several years and will soon be turned into fox and coyote boards in my shop.

LL 1st thought was post new to area.
But we've ALL seen that "theory"
go both ways.

A good future topic.

I like cutting in night latches. Something very satisfying about it.

I love to tinker with all my traps, new or old, to make em how I want. Standard is base plating and laminating everything, then started putting paws-i-trip pans on everything. I've also converted old Longsprings and jump traps to dogless design, and also take old #2 square jaw victors and convert them to more modern 1.75 or #2 round jaw. Pretty much anything to be able to tinker on traps