DIY Fish Trap 6 1/2" x 8"

[ezhoops]

Ever buy a fish that is supposed to be reef safe and turns out not to be, well I have the solution. A fish trap you can build yourself. enjoy

Materials needed
1/4 " Acrylic sheet 18"x36"
Weld on # 4
Plasticator applicator
2 Large Suction cups
1" diamater 20" long Rigid tubing
Fishing line
Split Ring

Where I purchased materials
Acrylic 18� x 36� x ¼� thickness $4.00 purchased from Warren Pipe (586)758-6260
Can of Weld on #4 $ 4.00 purchased from Acrylic Specialties (248) 588-4390
Plasticator weld on applicator $7.00 purchased from Acrylic Specialties (248) 588-4390
1� rigid tubing available at any LFS
Suction cups purchased from any hardware store $0.79 each

Tools Needed
Table Saw with acrylic cutting blade (100 teeth or more) or a router/router table with straight cut bit
7/8" Drill bit
7/16� Drill bit
¼� Drill bit
Bar Clamps / Rubber Bands

Safety:
Use proper eye protection, ear protection and gloves when performing this project.


Step 1
Set up Router / Table saw fence at 8�. Be sure that your fence is square, use a speed square to double check for square.
Run entire sheet through so you end of with strips of acrylic measuring 8� x 36�


Step 2
Set up fence to 6 ½�. Run 1 strip of the acrylic you just cut through width wise. Repeat this cut until you end up with 4 pieces of acrylic 6 ½� x 8�

Step 3
Set the fence to 7 ½� take one of the pieces of acrylic you just cut (6 ½� x 8�) and run it through so it measures 6 1/2� x 7 ½�

Step 4
Set the fence to ½�, set router bit / saw blade to 1/8� cutting depth. Run 2 pieces of 6 ½� x 8� acrylic thru several times. You are cutting a slot and should not be cutting completely thru the acrylic. This is the slot for the trap door.
.

Step 5
Mark your pieces, floor 6 ½� x 8�, top 6 ½� x 7 ½�, sides left and right 6 ½� x 8� with 1/8� slots.

Step 6
Set the fence at 6� and run another already cut piece of 6 ½� x 8� so that it measures 6� x 6 ½�. This will be the back of the trap.
Now set the fence to aprox. 6 ¼�. Using a different piece of already cut 6 ½� x 8� acrylic run it through so it measures 6 ¼� x 8�. This will be your trap door

Step 7
Prepare for Gluing:
Dry fit all pieces together using clamps or rubber bands. Keep in mind that top should be short enough to allow for trap door to fall without obstruction from the top. The door should slide right into the slots you cut into the sides in step 4.


Step 8
Glue left side to floor. Apply a thin bead of Weld On (using the plasticator applicator) to both edges to be joined. Clamp together and wait about 20 min before handling.


Step 9
Same as step 8 but now join the right side to the floor. Be sure slots are on the same side and aligned properly. Wait 20 min before handling.


Step 10
Glue top to the sides, be sure the top doesn’t interfere with the slots for the trap door. At this point you have an open end rectangle. Wait about 20 min and then handle carefully.

Step 11
Glue back onto the proper end of the rectangle. Slots should be at opposite end of the back. Wait another 20 min for things to tighten up a little more. It will take about 24 hrs before things are completely bonded. You can continue to work with the acrylic just be careful.

Step 12
Drill 2 holes using a drill bit that matches the size of your lip on your suction cups in one side of the trap. Drill holes on either the left or right side. Drill a hole 3� down from the top and 2� in from the front and back. Once drilled place suction cups into the holes. Drill these holes slowly and carefully otherwise you chance cracking your acrylic.



Step 13
Drill 2 holes in your Door piece. Using the ¼� drill bit drill 2 holes centered on the door. One hole should be ½� up from the bottom and the second hole should be drilled ½� above the hole you just drilled. Also drill another ¼� hole ½� down from the top. This is where you will connect the string that controls the trap door. What you are accomplishing here is making a hole to hold door open and to prevent it from slipping out of the slots. I use a small piece of airline tubing to slip into these holes.








Step 14
Drill a hole using a 7/8� drill bit centered in the top rear portion of the top of the fish trap. You want to put this hole near the back wall of the trap. This is where you will drop the food into the trap. The closer it is to the rear wall the better, forcing the fish to enter the trap completely. The rigid tubing will be slightly larger than the hole you drilled so you have to use slight force to fit it into the hole; this makes it removable for easy storage.


Step 15
Attach a piece of fishing line to the top hole of the trap door. I connect the other end to a split ring and wind the line around the suction cups when not in use.


Step 16
How to use the fish trap
Place the fish trap in your tank a few days before you actually need to capture the desired fish. The fish will need a few days to acclimate to the trap but in a few days the will be entering if you feed them only using the fish trap. Suction cup the fish trap to the side of your tank, prop the door in the open position. Feed the fish through the 1� rigid tubing and wait for the desired fish to enter trap, once it does remove the tubing that holds the door open and have the string for the trap door ready to release. Happy fishing!

Additional Tips / Hints
•Drill acrylic slowly otherwise it might crack, a sharp bit also helps
•If using a router to perform your cuts keep the acrylic moving a decent speed otherwise the router bit will begin to melt the acrylic.
•Brush or vacuum off the table between every cut, a little chip of acrylic can throw off your cuts as much as ¼�
•Use gloves when you glue everything together, this glue is strong stuff.
•Have plenty of clamps, rubber bands and scrap wood handy.
•Rinse out plasticator applicator after each use with warm water. This way you’ll be able to use it again on a later project.
•Be Sure your Fence is square

[ezhoops]

OK, I actually have some great pics but the file is too big to attach so I don't know what to do.

if you have questions just ask.