Wood Barrel Mole Trap

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

Hello,

 

I wonder if anyone who has got a Wooden Full Barrel Mole Trap in their collection would do me a favour?

I want to make a replica for display/demonstration purposes. I could have a good guess at the measurements but it would take away some of the guess work if someone would be good enough to pass on some measurements to me. I need to know - internal diameter, extenal diameter, overall length and crucially distance from tigger hole to catch loop holes, also any other deatil or measurements you could think of may be helpfull.

I also hope to have a go at a wooden half barrel trap. I am supposing that the measurements will be similar but if anyone knows different I would be pleased of the info.

I have already had a go at making a wooden flat topped mole trap from some general measurements in a book but having made it I think that the catch loops are perhaps too far away from the trigger or 'mumble pin' so yet again I would be pleased if anyone has got an original example, I need the distances between the 5 holes.

If anyone on the site can help I would appreciate it, I have tried contacting a museum that I know has some traps but no result as yet.

 

All the best AF

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

AF; I have examples of both the traps ye require here. I probably have a Half Barrel too. There were Barrel, Half Barrel and Flat ones, see? Most made their own Flat's, but mine was produced with a steel spring and hoops. Only thing is, they're all buried away in some box, somewhere and even when I discover which box, they'll take some pulling out. And right now I'm a bit pressed for time.

 

I'm sure a few of the lads on here have such traps much easier to hand and will be willing to help ye out. Failing that though, if ye haven't got what ye need by 21:00, PM me and remind me. I'll go and start digging. I'll get my camera out too. Ok?

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Here ye go, mate. Got my work done and have dug out two of my traps. I'm afraid I no longer appear to own a Half Barrel. Did do, once. Must have been in my youth? Haven't got it now. Shame because, as I remember, they were quite distinctive from either of what I'll be showing ye here.

 

However, as they're - to this day - the commoner of the three types, I'm sure someone here will have one. If they have a half decent camera and a shred of fellow feeling too, I'm sure they'll soon appear

 

 

For now though, here's my Full Barrel. I'll compose this Post then vanish as I take and prepare the shots for the detailed examination of the 'Flat Barrel', as I'll call it for now.

 

 

FULL BARREL MOLE TRAP

 

 

 

Overall Profile

 

 

 

That spring is factory made from (All measurements in MM / CM and according to my old eyes) 4mm sprung steel. The length from where it goes into the trap body to the start of the coiling is 26cm. There are 3 Coils. Internal diamater of the coil is 27mm. So they'd have wrapped the steel wire round a 27mm bar. Length of the top half of the spring, from where it comes off the coil to where it gets bent back on itself to form a hook on which to tie the string, is 25 1/2 cm.

 

 

 

Frontal View of Barrel - Towards Spring

 

 

 

 

That shot gives ye the body of the trap. The 'Barrel'. It's made of wood and measures as follows: Length, 13 cm. Distance from one end to the first, all round groove, 2 cm. Central Peg hole is, well; Central. 7mm diamater. Depth of wedge shaped cut out is 2 cm. Width of cut out is 7 1/2 cm at its widest point (Hidden beneath the trap in the above shot).

 

 

 

Underneath View

 

 

 

Here's a view of the underside of my trap. Hope it shows ye how they've sawn a wide 'V' out of the body of the barrel.

 

 

 

Top of Barrel

 

 

 

The two Noose Holes, obviously, are spaced according to the grooves cut round the barrel, as explained above. The top Peg Hole is dead central. The Spring enters the barrel exactly 1 cm to the side of the central hole. 5mm or so back from it. How arbitrary that might have been I have no idea.

 

 

 

Moles Eye View

 

 

 

 

This, above, shot shows us what the mole should be seeing - only he'd have the (missing) peg to deal with, of course. Ye'll note there's a channel cut into the internal diamater of the barrel - same at both ends, obviously. These are to hold / hide the wire nooses. The channels would be about 5mm wide, as far as I can tell. Quite surprisingly, about as Deep too. Overall diamater of the Barrel, at its ends, is 6 1/2 cm. Diamater of the hole is 4 1/2 cm + 2mm. Forgive me, but my metric and maths can't figure that out in pure mm!

 

 

 

So, there ye go then, AF. That's about as thorough a Blue Print as I can give ye from holding a Full Barrel in one hand and a Stanley tape in the other. Mine came to me without any pegs or wires. Never mind that as the next one I intend to show ye will explain the bulk of it.

 

Only, having mamaged to keep to my 'promise' to present ye with something on time tonight, please forgive me if I now take a rest from all this. It's taken me an hour to prepare this Post and I've had enough for now. I have the other trap to hand and shall go through the same process tomorrow. Then I'll show ye a rare and rather special 'Flat Topped ~ Factory Made' Mole Trap.

 

Mheanwhile, any questions about the above one? Just ask and I'll do my best for ye

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

Wow!!!!!!!

 

What a very detailed and comprehensive reply. Far more than I expected and very gratefully recieved, it has cleared up a lot of unknown detail for me. I have seen these traps before but not to examine them in close detail so this is extremely useful.

I mentioned that I am hoping to build a replica and with the information I have now got I should be able to do this. I will post details when I manage to get it done.

Thanks a lot for the info and pics Ditch. Thanks to Snareman too who has put me in touch with a very knowledgeable old mole trapper who has helped me with a lot of detail too.

 

All the best AF

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

Well here is my first effort at a flat top trap. I have made the hoops, the trigger or 'Mumble pin' and the pegs to hold it in the ground but I have not got round to putting in the catching loops yet and the 'spring' which is a length of willow is not shown.

I took the measurements from a rough description in a book I have but now it is made I think the distance between the catching hoops and the trigger is too long so I am going to have another go making one about 1 inch shorter overall.

I am in the process of trying to source a piece of Elm to have a go at the barrel trap. Elm would seem the obvious choice as the wood is going in the ground but one chap told me to use Ash as there is less smell to deter the moles from the trap?

Thanks for the help so far and any constructive comments welcome.

 

All the best

 

AF

[john b 38]

Well here is my first effort at a flat top trap. I have made the hoops, the trigger or 'Mumble pin' and the pegs to hold it in the ground but I have not got round to putting in the catching loops yet and the 'spring' which is a length of willow is not shown.

I took the measurements from a rough description in a book I have but now it is made I think the distance between the catching hoops and the trigger is too long so I am going to have another go making one about 1 inch shorter overall.

I am in the process of trying to source a piece of Elm to have a go at the barrel trap. Elm would seem the obvious choice as the wood is going in the ground but one chap told me to use Ash as there is less smell to deter the moles from the trap?

Thanks for the help so far and any constructive comments welcome.

 

All the best

 

AF

 

I have a relatively modern one of these somewhere - metal spring, wire loops etc. Would any info on that help ?

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

Well here is my first effort at a flat top trap. I have made the hoops, the trigger or 'Mumble pin' and the pegs to hold it in the ground but I have not got round to putting in the catching loops yet and the 'spring' which is a length of willow is not shown.

I took the measurements from a rough description in a book I have but now it is made I think the distance between the catching hoops and the trigger is too long so I am going to have another go making one about 1 inch shorter overall.

I am in the process of trying to source a piece of Elm to have a go at the barrel trap. Elm would seem the obvious choice as the wood is going in the ground but one chap told me to use Ash as there is less smell to deter the moles from the trap?

Thanks for the help so far and any constructive comments welcome.

 

All the best

 

AF

 

I have a relatively modern one of these somewhere - metal spring, wire loops etc. Would any info on that help ?

Yes it could well be. I am unsure about the distance between holes in the top plate. They are probably similar to the full barrel that Ditch posted above but if the trap an a tape measure are close to hand I would be grateful for the confirmation before I spoil some more wood.

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

All the best

 

AF

[john b 38]

Here you go. My camera has packed up so have had to use my daughter's which isn't that bril

 

 

[Rolfe 2]

Here you go. My camera has packed up so have had to use my daughter's which isn't that bril

 

 

Have a look at the modern home made version..........gas pipe does come in useful sometimes. This one was made by a good friend of mine and catches just as well as the more modern systems.

 

Rolfe.

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

Thanks John B,

Looks to me as if the top plate is about 3 inches by 5 and a half inches which confirms things. Thanks for the trouble.

 

Rolfe,

Snareman put me in touch with a chap from Cumbria called Bob who makes traps out of gas pipe like the one you show, is that your mate? He is a grand bloke and very knowledgable too. I have had a cople of chats with him on the phone, seems he is a champion molecatcher.

Thanks to all for the help I will put some more photos up when I have sourced some wood and had a go at the barrel trap.

 

All the best

 

AF

[OldTrapCollector 377]

I like the look of the homemade gas pipe mole trap - that is a really good idea!

 

OTC

[Rolfe 2]

Thanks John B,

Looks to me as if the top plate is about 3 inches by 5 and a half inches which confirms things. Thanks for the trouble.

 

Rolfe,

Snareman put me in touch with a chap from Cumbria called Bob who makes traps out of gas pipe like the one you show, is that your mate? He is a grand bloke and very knowledgable too. I have had a cople of chats with him on the phone, seems he is a champion molecatcher.

Thanks to all for the help I will put some more photos up when I have sourced some wood and had a go at the barrel trap.

 

All the best

 

AF

Thats my mate............the very same Bob...........great bloke and we regularly swap mole catching tips with each other.

 

Rolfe.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Ok! Now we're cooking! I can see this one becoming known as " The Mole Trap Thread "

 

 

AF; Cheers for the PM, mate. I'd not forgotten my promise to show and describe ye my Flat Back. Only I got up a few days ago. Skinned up. Took a drag. Coughed. That's all she wrote! My damn back went out and I've been limited in my movements since Just never had the heart to dig through the boxes again to get the measurements for the photo's I'd already taken. Getting better now, so here we go.

 

This is a trap once marketed by a west country firm. They'd have put them together themselves from the springs they'd have bought in. It was sold as the " Enterprise " Mole Trap and I strongly suspect JB's there is a later model, else a copy produced by someone else. This one likely stems from around the earliest 1900's anyway. Here it is:

 

 

 

The " Enterpise " (Flat Backed) Mole Trap

 

 

 

Top of Board

 

 

 

Length of the board is 12 1/2 cm + 2 mm. Width is 6 1/2 cm. It's 1 1/2 cm Thick. Noose holes are centred at 1 cm + 3 mm in from the ends. 2 1/2 cm in from either edge. They used a 5mm bit, then counter sunk them on top. Peg hole is 1 cm + 2 mm across and centred on the board.

 

 

 

Profile, Beneath

 

 

 

Those Loops are made out of plain, round, mild steel rod. Best my eyes can make it is 2 1/2 - 3 mm. The distance to the lower side of the loop is 6 cm. 5 1/2 cm at their widest point. Narrow to 3 1/2 cm at the tops, where they enter the wood.

 

Not much point in showing ye the attatchment points of the usual strings and wires as we don't have the power of the spring. I really have no way of measuring that. But the above should give a fair idea of how this trap was

 

Wonder what we'll get next?

[OldTrapCollector 377]

Nice old trap Ditch, Sam certainly knew how to make those didn't he?

 

Mine is missing its spring but surprisingly the wood, albeit worm eaten, is still in one piece.

 

 

To be honest I have not given much thought to this type of trap over the years so it is very interesting to see the variations on a common theme appearing.

 

OTC

Edited February 22, 2008 by OldTrapCollector

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

Thanks for the replies folks and hope the back gets better soon Ditch (my brother slipped a disc once turning over on the settee but he is a lazy git).

I know that some people are still using what I will now call 'The gas pipe barrel trap' but I was wondering if anyone has used a flat top type in recent years? I know they are a bit fiddly to set but how do they compare catching wise to the Duffus type?

 

All the best

 

AF