Havahart "easy-set" mod

[lyle]

Awhile back there was/is a post: Planning for Feral Cats & Rabies Risk from Nora B that (sorry) kind of drifted off subject to the issue of traps. In particular the Havahart "easy-set". It was mentioned that the trap (which was met to be a TNR) might be a good transfer/temp holding cage if it had a door in the back.

I don't claim to be an engineer or design expert, but I am a tinkerer and have an "easy-set" Havahart. I modified the back of the trap, such that it is now has a guillotine a door.

For those interested, you might re-read the post by Nora B and then check out my pics of the modification.
DSCF0061 by clylet, on Flickr

DSCF0064 by clylet, on Flickr

DSCF0066 by clylet, on Flickr

[Whaler]

WOW! i am very impressed lyle.

it is hard to tell exactly how you went about it from the pictures so if you don't mind, would you let me know how you did it? mostly i would be interested in what specific materials you used for the retrofit.

thanks and excellent work.

[lyle]

A quick run-through

1. removed the clips that held the back onto the trap, leaving the clips on one side so the back would act as a "swing-door"
2. cut about an inch or so off the top
3. got some alum "c" channel. cut and notched it so that it would form a (more or less) square track for the door. I already had a door, but normally I'd made a custom fit door from 1/4 inch plywood.
4. set the track into the opening using spacers for a tighter fit. Wouldn't have had to do that if I'd have made a wooden door.
5. bent a piece of thin stock alum around the outside. clamped everything, drilled some holes and riveted the whole works
6. kept the outside swing-door to add strength and give the guillotine door something to attach to (small bunji cord) to secure it

If you can access "flickr" you can see more pics. I'm going to add one of those sliding "dividers" next.

[Whaler]

thanks!

i will try to copy (please don't sue me ) your design soon, probably this coming week.

if you don't mind i may hit you up with a question or two if i run into any problems.

great work!


edit- btw, brilliant idea of keeping the existing door as a swing door.

[lyle]

Thanks Whaler, but nothing I do is very original. At best it's just a small tweak based on someone else's idea.

For example, you got me to thinking about the divider being difficult to construct using metal. I thought: I'll make it using wooden dowels for the dividers and gluing some thin-wall alum tubing over the dowels for rigidity and strength.

Not to mention Nora B without who's post none of this would have likely evolved. In the end we all play off each other which is one of the things that I like most about this forum. I'm sure that someone out there could do a better/cheaper job than me and ain't that good!

[Greenport ferals]

Nicely done, Lyle. I have the standard Hav-a-Hart but when I need extra traps I get them from our local rescue organization. They have a different sort of trap that I prefer to use because one end is the trap door and the other end has a door that slides up and down. It's much more convenient for releasing non-target animals or transfering cats because you don't have to mess around with the mechanism end - which is just awkward.

Really, nice work.

[lyle]

Thanks. I think that Havaheart, whom most people in the US anyway regard as the premier T&R trap maker, kind of missed the boat by not including a guillotine rear door in their "easy-set" model, at least as an option. Maybe they monitor this site?

[Whaler]

Originally Posted by lyle

Thanks Whaler, but nothing I do is very original. At best it's just a small tweak based on someone else's idea.

For example, you got me to thinking about the divider being difficult to construct using metal. I thought: I'll make it using wooden dowels for the dividers and gluing some thin-wall alum tubing over the dowels for rigidity and strength.

Not to mention Nora B without who's post none of this would have likely evolved. In the end we all play off each other which is one of the things that I like most about this forum. I'm sure that someone out there could do a better/cheaper job than me and ain't that good!

don't be modest lyle! where hav-a-hart failed you delivered.

[lyle]

Here are pics of the cage divider. Wooden dowel rods with thin-wall alum tubing epoxied onto them for additional rigidity/durability.

Detail of cage divider by clylet, on Flickr


Cage divider by clylet, on Flickr

[Whaler]

once again, very nice lyle!

a piece of oak for the main part of the rake? that thing will last forever even if it takes a beating every day.

i haven't had time to start the modification of my easy-set but i hope to begin this weekend.