GTA

All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: norka on April 26, 2011, 04:03:22 PM

Title: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: norka on April 26, 2011, 04:03:22 PM
I thought I would make my own pellet trap, not so much to save money but also for the fun and pleasure of any DIY project. I'm going to experiment with layers of carpet, checking to see how many layers my G1 will pass through. I'm just going to start with a cardboard box to hold the carpet, 18" wide, 12" tall and about four inches deep.

If the carpet proves an effective material at stopping a pellet, I plan on building a simple wooden open fronted enclosure to hold the layers of carpet.

Very soon I plan on getting an F1 Chrony and two new rifles, (Venom Dusk .177and the Trail XL 1100) so a pellet trap will be needed while measuring the rifles.

Good day shooters, update at 11!
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: thekid on April 26, 2011, 04:33:19 PM
use duct seal, you can find at home depot or lowes.

I built a box 12x16 out of 2x4s, I then put the duct seal inside the box, something like 8 packages( $2.99 a pack) then I put a face plate with big square in it on the front of the box made of walnut from flooring. I then screwed a clip board to the box and cut out a big square in the clip board, this allows me to hang my targets and the duct seal holds the pellets. GREAT pellet trap and quiet.Rob
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: RedFeather on April 26, 2011, 05:01:36 PM
Try the carpet stacked on itself rather than back-to-back.  Someone has a trap made with about a foot or so of stacked pieces, compressed with two long threaded bolts and a top/bottom plate.  Claims it will last for thousands of shots.  No worry about finally punching through the layers.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: norka on April 26, 2011, 05:09:53 PM
use duct seal, you can find at home depot or lowes.

I built a box 12x16 out of 2x4s, I then put the duct seal inside the box, something like 8 packages( $2.99 a pack) then I put a face plate with big square in it on the front of the box made of walnut from flooring. I then screwed a clip board to the box and cut out a big square in the clip board, this allows me to hang my targets and the duct seal holds the pellets. GREAT pellet trap and quiet.Rob
I like the clip board idea for holding the target, Rob. I just came up from the basement, shooting at 45' I started with four layers of carpet. I only took two shots, after the first shot I looked at the back of the box, it did not go through. The same with the second shot, When I examined the carpet, both pellets went through three layers and embedded and mostly through the fourth layer.

And there's plenty of room for at least six additional layers, maybe more, in the four inch depth. I'm excited to get my new rifles and see how many layers they go through. Also at closer distance, like when I use the chrony, the G1 might go through more than four layers. I'm going to go check in a minute. And the two pellets I shot, they almost kept their shape intact, the skirts were bent, that was about it! Crosman pointed .177. BRB with the close up shot at four layers of carpet!
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: norka on April 26, 2011, 05:11:59 PM
Try the carpet stacked on itself rather than back-to-back.  Someone has a trap made with about a foot or so of stacked pieces, compressed with two long threaded bolts and a top/bottom plate.  Claims it will last for thousands of shots.  No worry about finally punching through the layers.
Great idea about compressing the layers, thanks RedFeather.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: norka on April 26, 2011, 05:25:19 PM
Sure enough, at about 18 inches away from the box with four layers of carpet inside, the pellet from the G1 past through the box and dented the 3/4 inch plywood backstop about 1/32th of an inch deep, (guestimate).

I think using carpet, compressed especially, will make a very good and long lasting pellet trap. YEAH!
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: OldiesButGoodies on April 26, 2011, 05:46:28 PM
I believe this is the thread Red was talking about:

http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/viewtopic.php?t=234&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 (http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/viewtopic.php?t=234&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0)

I was thinking of making something like that, but I ended up buying a bale of hay. It works pretty good. :)
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: jakerox43 on April 26, 2011, 08:15:02 PM
I used two sides of an old computer case, angled to knock pellets downward.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Daysailer on April 26, 2011, 08:58:03 PM
Things to think about when shoot'n into traps,  'specially indoors.


Noise...duct seal is sometimes referred to as "silent trap"  .... steel plate   >:(

Lead dust created by impacts.   paper, carpet, rags- :(  steel plate  >:(....  duct seal  :)

Repeated impacts in same place target after target... paper, carpet :(....  duct seal ??? clean occasionally  ...steel plate  ???

Pellet recovery for recycling...probably a wash if the trap is designed right.

Easily portable...  over 10K pellets into my duct seal trap.  100% pellets recovered, No lead dust to pollute my home.  Only pellet on paper noise.  Built from scraps around the house and about $20 at local home improvement store.

Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: jefunjsh on April 27, 2011, 01:26:13 AM
The one I made recently for my AM77 is just a box with a piece of wood from an entertainment center stuck into it at an angle, but with a pillow stuck in the dead-space and a piece of carpet pushed up against the back of the target-face by the pillow.  It works great since the wood stops anything that might go through a big hole in the carpet, but the cotton from the pillow keeps all of the ricochets from bouncing out after they've hit the wood.  I've put 1,500 shots into it, and I've got several 1" or bigger holes in the carpet and it's still catching the pellets.  All I've done is stapled on a new piece of cardboard a couple of times.  I probably don't even need the carpet, but it doesn't hurt to have it.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: JMJ in NC on April 27, 2011, 10:12:57 AM
Lots of info about pellet traps on this site. I reviewed many types before building mine, which is essentially an elongated Archer silent trap. I print targets on 8.5 x 11 card stock and they slip right into grooves built into my trap. I used duct seal because I wanted a silent trap. I can also recover the pellets by digging or popping them out of the duct seal if I so choose.

I tried a clipboard at first but after one or two fliers pinging off the metal clamp, I opted for the the groove approach.

The carpet idea sounds interesting. Might try it for a second long-range target build.

JMJ
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: norka on April 27, 2011, 10:41:26 AM
Lots of info about pellet traps on this site. I reviewed many types before building mine, which is essentially an elongated Archer silent trap. I print targets on 8.5 x 11 card stock and they slip right into grooves built into my trap. I used duct seal because I wanted a silent trap. I can also recover the pellets by digging or popping them out of the duct seal if I so choose.

I tried a clipboard at first but after one or two fliers pinging off the metal clamp, I opted for the the groove approach.

The carpet idea sounds interesting. Might try it for a second long-range target build.

JMJ
Yep, thanks to all that posted your own ideas and designs, good stuff! My favorite idea was what redfeather mentioned and the accompanying link that OldiesButGoodies posted. I was surprised in a good way that the stacked and compressed layers didn't need to have much depth to them. When Red first described that design, I thought it would be a big bulky block.

And Oldies, is that a 65 Fairlane in your avatar pic?
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: gene_sc on April 27, 2011, 10:55:25 AM
My home made target traps made by former member of GTA. they work great....
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: RatRacer on April 27, 2011, 11:08:17 AM
And Oldies, is that a 65 Fairlane in your avatar pic?
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u230/Rateracer/chevy.gif)(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u230/Rateracer/GIF/avatar700_11.gif)(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u230/Rateracer/chevy.gif)
Malibu
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: OldiesButGoodies on April 27, 2011, 04:51:38 PM
And Oldies, is that a 65 Fairlane in your avatar pic?
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u230/Rateracer/chevy.gif)(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u230/Rateracer/GIF/avatar700_11.gif)(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u230/Rateracer/chevy.gif)
Malibu

Correct! ;) You got the year right though, Norka.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Random Plinker on April 30, 2011, 11:02:37 AM
This post shows mine, including plans for making it from standard 3/4" plywood with a table saw.
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php/topic,2340.msg36983.html#msg36983 (http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php/topic,2340.msg36983.html#msg36983)

Like Gene's box, 5 1/2" Gamo target cards (or half sheets of standard 8.5"x11" card stock) simply drop in the front slot.  No binder clips or clip boards are required.  Three pounds of duct seal from the electrical connections section of a home improvement store, pressed in over a few loose fit steel plate strips on the back wall gives a two inch duct seal depth.  A front bottom ledge keeps paper punches, dust, pellet peices, etc. from falling out all over the place.  Turn it upside down over the trash and it all falls out nicely.  A matching two inch wide bottom back ledge elevates the steel plate and duct seal so that no more heavy duct seal than required is needed.  Never had a pellet come back at me.  It's been light weight, portable and storable.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: ChickenSlayer671 on May 01, 2011, 02:23:44 AM
I just finished building mine a couple weeks ago. I used 3/4" plywood all around, 4" of plumber's putty (couldn't find duct seal). This sucker is heavy!

(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00789.jpg)


I put two sheets (layered) of 16ga stainless steel as a backing (I want this trap to last long).
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00791.jpg)
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00793.jpg)


I also built a drawer for easy clean up.
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00794.jpg)
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00795.jpg)


I then screwed everything together before I painted it to check for fit or last minute changes. The two angle irons on the sides hold the clip board in place and also protect the sides from strays.
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00796.jpg)
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00799.jpg)
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00797.jpg)
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00798.jpg)


The finished project.
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00805.jpg)
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00800.jpg)
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00804.jpg)
(http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab151/buddah671/Guns/DSC00803.jpg)
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: One Shot One Beer on May 01, 2011, 08:32:45 AM
Just beautiful.
I'm no craftsman but that inspires me to at least give it a try with some materials I have lying around the house.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Muppit on May 01, 2011, 11:23:29 AM
i made a quick trap last fall out of a cardboard box and carpet padding. cut the padding to the size of the box and the just put it in the box put the lid back on and shot away all winter. had to get a new box the target area got to shot up to hold the target but the padding held up fairly well and only penitrated about six inches carpet workes better because its more dense but i had none
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: clip on May 02, 2011, 04:07:58 AM
 I made my outdoor trap using a 10x14 inch electrical junction box. I placed a double layer of Duct Seal in the back and it stays outside ready to go. My indoor trap is larger..it's 22 inches long by 12 inches wide and 5 inches deep with a 2 inch depth of Duct seal. I place it on its side so I can attach 2 targets side by side. It's made of 1/2 inch plywood sides and back with steel reinforcement plates over the outside back just in case a pellet goes through the seal and plywood. That's never happened but I'd rather be safe.
  Larry
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: R.J.9 on May 02, 2011, 08:08:04 PM
That is a great homemade trap. I never need one though because I don't shoot inside.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: xxlbreed on July 24, 2011, 02:06:10 AM
I was looking to make one of these diy traps because my gamo pellet trap had a large hole in the back :) uupppss..
well i didnt want to fuss around with school and all that .. plus money .. always an issue ;)
so just picked up 3 sticks of duct seal for 1.98 a piece at home depot and squeezed them into the old ruined gamo trap...
well now its like new i guess .. works a charm!
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Daysailer on July 24, 2011, 11:33:08 AM
I was looking at the trap pictures of Chickenslayer, Beautiful work and ideas....
But...

One thing concerns me about his design... the angle iron on the edges to
protect the wood from strays....

If there are strays I would rather dent the wood frame than have a pellet
"returned to sender"  by the iron  :o   
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: airgunandy on July 24, 2011, 05:24:23 PM
Man, those are WAY TOOOOO SMALL!

There's no room for bottles and cans and spinners in those little boxes!   ;D
(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j147/airgunandy/target2.jpg)
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: xxlbreed on July 24, 2011, 07:15:21 PM
hhahaha wow
you make that yourself out of an old cabinet? looks fantastic!
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: DeluxeSupreme on July 26, 2011, 01:36:50 AM
Here is my back stop (not the phonebook).  It probably has seen over 1500 pellets so far and still stopping them.  It is a cardboard box that has pillow stuffing packed very very tightly in it.  Wrapped it around with some gorilla tape to hold the structure and integrity of it all.  Pretty quiet and is used primarily indoors, between 21 to 41 feet.  I only have Gamo springers that shoot .177 pellets at a 1000 fps (advertised) so it has been taking a beating especially at close quarters.

(http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm175/deluxesupreme/009-2.jpg)
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Smaug on July 26, 2011, 09:45:42 PM
To those of you who speak of recovering pellets from duct seal, why?

The pellets are deformed, so they can't be re-used. You sit there and dig the pellets out so the duct seal lasts forever? Is that the idea?
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: xxlbreed on July 27, 2011, 05:21:08 AM
It lasts longer if you leave the pellets in there .. it acts like sand in sandbags ... leave em in there .. whats a new tin of pellets?? 10 bucks for 500 c'mon! dont ruin your guns ..
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: airgunandy on July 27, 2011, 07:51:00 AM
To those of you who speak of recovering pellets from duct seal, why?

The pellets are deformed, so they can't be re-used. You sit there and dig the pellets out so the duct seal lasts forever? Is that the idea?

I think that's it. Don't re-shoot them. A lot of guys reclaim the lead and melt it down. Some cast bullets or round ball for muzzle loaders. Probably could sell it for scrap to help buy more pellets.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: JMJ in NC on July 27, 2011, 09:47:30 AM
+1 for recovering the pellets for recycling the lead. Also for hollow-points, it will give you some idea of how (or even if) the pellet expands upon impact.

I dig out the ones I can see and leave them in the bottom of the trap until I've got a decent amount. A friend of mine casts custom fishing sinkers, so I just give the lead to him. I'd never shoot them again - yikes!

As for the pellets I can't see, I leave them and push the duct seal over top.

JMJ
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: xxlbreed on July 27, 2011, 04:57:03 PM
Ohh good call didnt think of that.. but im still not going to dig em out  ::)
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: only1harry on July 28, 2011, 12:56:29 AM
I am all for the silent traps.  Build the size box/enclosure you want (should be at least 8x10") and fill it with duct seal.  The impact is completely silent and it's 99.9% lead dust free.  If you don't want to build anything, just get an 8x10" electrical junction box from Home Depot, remove the front panel, throw in a few bricks of duct seal, scotch-tape your favorite target and you are good to go for thousands of shots.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: xxlbreed on July 28, 2011, 03:38:29 AM
THOUSANDS!
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: HolidaySHRIMP on July 28, 2011, 06:22:09 AM
+9000 to the junction box and duct seal!!!!  ;D
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Smaug on July 28, 2011, 11:43:44 AM
The junction box is a good idea. How much does it cost?

Shame I didn't read that before building one yesterday. I could've been plinking that whole time...

A couple more questions:

- Why the obsession with silent traps? Airguns make quite a racket when they discharge, so it isn't like you're going to shoot unnoticed anyway.

- I think we're over-reacting with the lead dust thing too. Maybe I just haven't shot a powerful enough airgun yet, but I've not seen pellets turn to dust. They flatten out, and little pieces come out, but nothing small enough to be inhaled.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Smaug on July 28, 2011, 04:25:12 PM
I just built my pellet trap yesterday, using duct sealant to catch pellets.

It seems pretty loose, like it would flow if I stood it up vertically.

Reading the instructions on the pail, is said to wait 48-72 hours for it to set before pressure testing.

Did you guys wait 48-72 hours to use your traps, or were you able to stand them up vertically right away without it running down due to gravity.

BTW - I bought the sealant in a 1/2 gallon pail, and it was $12. Seems like a good deal.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: JMJ in NC on July 28, 2011, 05:18:12 PM
http://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-DS110-Duct-Seal/dp/B000BO8XD6 (http://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-DS110-Duct-Seal/dp/B000BO8XD6)
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: ZzyzxJoshua on July 29, 2011, 09:54:02 AM
Any idea how the blue or pink 3 inch thick blocks of compressed insulation would work? Would they come apart too quickly?

I ask as they can be cut to fit and just slide in a groove made for them, then slid out and changed easily. Enough construction around here that the stuff in partial sheets is easy to get at no cost. That backed by a couple pieces of carpet or a truck rubber mud flat might work pretty well.

Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Smaug on July 29, 2011, 10:55:49 AM
JMJ - Unless that is something special, the price is not too good. $6 for 16 oz. The half gallon I got for $12 was 64 oz. (1/2 gal.) So Amazon's price is double, plus you have to await shipping. The duct sealant I got was a light gray though. I'm not sure it is the same stuff.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: JMJ in NC on July 29, 2011, 11:24:41 AM
Not the same stuff at all. Duct seal from Gardner Bender does not dry or harden, goes for about $2/lb at Home Depot or Lowes if you can find it (electrical aisle). What you bought - duct sealant in a bucket - I think will harden and may pulverize with time and pellet impact. Might be okay - time will tell.

The gold standard for silent traps is the Gardner Bender Duct Seal.

JMJ
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Onebaddj on July 29, 2011, 03:16:46 PM
My favorite trap is my ammo can. I put a flak jacket insert in it and when i want it quiet i put a peice of 6 in thick heavy foam i found at work. The flak jacket insert is impossible to penetrate with a pellet rifle. Mine has probably 8-10k rounds in it. Its a little warn but not even worried about it failing. The ammo can makes a great target and you can load all your shooting stuff in it to carry or store nice and neat.

I have used plumbers putty. I bought the big buckets. About 10 in across and 6 deep. Make great targets and none of my guns have made it through.

I highly recommend recovering the lead. I make fishing weights out of my old pellets.
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: Smaug on July 29, 2011, 05:25:21 PM
Thanks JMJ. I guess you're right, time will tell. If it does crumble and fall apart, then at least some other poor sap will be warned away from it by this thread. :D
Title: Re: Home Made Pellet Traps
Post by: 7-ring on August 10, 2011, 11:08:16 PM
Hey all!  My basement trap is a 5 gal. bucket, with lid, filled with medium sized rubber mulch.  Fill it 90 percent full, put lid on and lay on its side with lid facing you.  Tape target to center of lid.   

Of course the size of the lid and bucket limits you to just a few bulls, and (for me) that's OK for basement shooting.  Also, I haven't had a shoot through (Rainstorm .22) in over 300 shots.  It seems the mulch redistributes after every shot. 

Needs a little tape now and then to keep the mulch in.

If you want to retrieve your lead just give the bucket a vigorous shake for a few and the lead settles to the bottom.

Hope this helps, It's been working for me! 

Really nice forum yinz have here!!!