Author Topic: setting 330s? (Read 555 times)

fishdaddy · « **on:** February 25, 2004, 06:47:45 AM »

i read somewhere that you could set 330s with a rope but i dont remember how. could someone tell me how?
thanks .
fish.

Bvtrap · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2004, 07:13:50 AM »

Take a piece of rope approximately 6 feet long, and tie or braid a loop in one end big enough to fit over your boot.
1/ Pull the end without the loop up through the eyes of a spring.
2/ Go back down the outside the spring with the rope.
3/ Bring the end of the rope up through the eyes of the spring again.
4/ Put your foot in the loop and pull up on the other end. Compressing the spring.
5/ While keeping a good hold with one hand, and your foot in the loop, reach down with the other hand and set the safety hook.
6/ Repeat with other spring.

Practice this and get used to doing it, because when you can do it with one hand it's a good way to get out if you ever get your hand in a 330. I always carry a safety rope in my pack basket for this reason.

jim-NE · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2004, 02:33:17 PM »

In an emergency, and if you don't happen to have the gift of foresight to carry a nice piece of rope for getting your arm out of a #330, you can substitute a strong bootlace, length of wire, or even use a snare cable. Use your feet and pull upward in an emergency situation, if possible. This way you still have a free hand to put the safety catches on with.
An old-timer taught me early-on never to stake a #330 or wire it off until the set was finished. Otherwise you may not only have to deal with getting your arm out of the #330 but also getting the attachment undone so that you have enough room to work the springs back open.
He used dog leash snaps on the end of his #330 chains so he could unsnap them with one hand.
He also had a spring compression tool he made from a caulking gun. He cut the caulking tube support off so that all that was left was the plunger, ratcheting handle, etc. He bent the end of the ratchet rod on the end so that it could hook onto one spring eye. Then he had an "S" hook attached to the casing near the top of the handle, and the other spring eye was hooked in this. By squeezing the ratchet handle, you could compress a spring literally with one free hand. The ratchet would also then "lock" in the spring in this compressed state so you could replace the safety hook with that same free hand. Release the spring tension by simply twisting the ratchet rod on the caulking gun. I think a lot about his little tool he made, and bet this would be a slick setting tool just as much as it was a safety tool.
Jim-NE

Bvtrap · « **Reply #3 on:** February 26, 2004, 12:56:15 AM »

The fore sight to carry a piece of rope is no problem. Keep a piece coiled in your coat pocket for remakes. (and emergencies)

mntrapper28 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2004, 03:46:48 AM »

i just started working out more, it dosent's seem to help when you have brand new 330's, i saw an illustration of the rope trick on another trapping site, not sure, it was more of a kids trappign site i believe

RdFx · « **Reply #5 on:** February 27, 2004, 06:33:04 AM »

The rope system to set 330s works good if you have it roped properly thru spring eye and doubled twice thru both spring eyes to give you lever advantage. I teach it in my trappers ed class and helps anyone set 330s if they dont carry a setting tongs.

Bvtrap · « **Reply #6 on:** February 27, 2004, 09:18:02 AM »

The only problem I ever run into using this method was if the rope was too small in thickness, it will slip out of any gap made by the spring eye not being closed tight enough. :cry:

CoOnKiD88 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2004, 09:25:51 AM »

i really like the safety grippers.. well worth 5 dollars when im trapping alone, i dont take that thing off until it is set and already in the water.

jim-NE · « **Reply #8 on:** March 25, 2004, 12:38:07 AM »

those safety grippers are nice.
I tried to make one of the spring compression tools from an old caulking gun (like I mentioned in my earlier post here) and it actually works pretty slick. Squeeze the handle on the caulking gun, and the ratching effect does a pretty decent job of mashing a spring closed, and I was able to work it down far enough to get a safety hook on that spring, too. I had to do some machining to beef up the lip area on top to accept the large S ring and to keep the hole strong there, but this thing works just like the one I remember my older friend carried with him for "emergencies". You truly could use just one hand to get yourself out of a #330 with this thing. I wouldn't use it for a setting tool, or your hand will get real tired squeezing that trigger so many times to make sets...but if my left arm is in the middle of a #330 I'd love to have this thing hanging off my waist to where I could get to it with my right arm to use it. let me know if anyone is interested in some instructions to make one of these.
Jim-NE

fishdaddy · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2004, 04:08:38 AM »

jim i would like to no how to make them.
thanks.
fish.