Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Frame the Trap
Measure 72 inches of 9-gauge wire and cut this piece from the roll of wire. Mark the cut wire piece every 18 inches. You will be using this to form the base frame of the trap.
Secure the wire into a vice at the first 18-inch mark. Hammer the wire into a 45 degree angle or "L" shape. Slide the wire down to the second 18-inch mark and repeat. Repeat again for the third and fourth 18-inch marks.
Insert one loose end of the wire square you formed into the hyd tubing on one end. Insert the other wire into the other end and use the vice or a crimping tool to crimp the tubing to the wire.
Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to create the top square of the trap.
Cut a 74-inch length of the 9-gauge wire and cut into four 18-1/2 sections. Secure a rod into the vice with the 1/2-inch piece exposed. Use a hammer to bend this into a small hook shape. Repeat for the other end of the wire and then for each of the four pieces.
Place one 18-1/2-inch wire on each corner of the "bottom" square and crimp the hook up over the corner. Place the "top" square and set it into the hooks you made on the other end of the 18-1/2-inch piece. Crimp these hooks so that the frame resembles a box shape.
Building Side Walls
Cut five pieces of galvanized steel fencing into 18-by-18-inch squares using a wire cutter and cut as close to the sides as you can, leaving straight edges. Clip the sharp points off of the roll that were left sticking out. Save each of the pieces you remove to be used for hinges on the trap. This will also help prevent injury from these points when you move the roll of fencing.
Set one square of the galvanized fencing flat against the bottom of the square framed trap. Use two or three of the pieces you removed from the fencing as hinges. Use pliers to bend these pieces around a 5/16-inch rod. This will make the hinges the right size for the trap.
Crimp the hinge rings you made to the bottom of the fence square and around the bottom of the trap frame rod. Repeat this for each side of the trap. The trap should resemble a box with the side walls lying flat.
Measure the trap from bottom corner to the opposite diagonal corner and cut two pieces of 9-gauge wire that will reach from one corner to the other. Use the clipped pieces and crimp them in the form of an "X" to the inside of the bottom frame. You will need to cut some more of these pieces as you will need one for each square the "X" is covering.
Place the bait station into the center of the bottom square. The bait station can be constructed using a storm door spring on top of a small 2-by-6-inch base of 1/2-inch-by-1/2-inch wire mesh. Secure the bait station to the bottom in the center of the "X" and clip each end of the storm door spring to the station. When you are ready to use the trap, place the bait under the spring to hold it in place.
Finishing Touches
Cut two pieces of 54-inch nylon line. Tie one end of one line to the top center row of the north wall. Make a loop in the string over the center of the trap. Insert the other piece of nylon line into the loop and lay it across the east and west walls. Tie the other end to the top center row of the south wall on the opposite end.
Tie one end of the line that has been inserted into the loop to the top center of the east wall and the opposite end to the west wall.
Secure one end of 1/4-inch nylon rope to the loop in the center of the trap. Tie a strong knot and use electrical tape to strengthen the connection between the rope and line. The rope should be long enough to reach the ocean floor.
Tie a float to the end of the nylon rope. You can use empty milk jugs to accomplish this purpose. If using milk jugs run one end of the rope through the jug handle and tie a knot large enough so that it doesn't slip off.