Hello,
I'm looking for a source for brass snare wire. I know of one internet source, but I want to avoid yet another shipping fee. Does anyone here know of a hardware chain or other popular store in the US where this is available?
Thanks,
Run

I do not know of sources for brass wire, but may I ask why you prefer brass over copper? Is it for strength?

The reason I ask is because I recently read a book about trapping, and the author, an accomplished trapper, often used strands taken from a copper appliance wire for his snares.

I have some uninsulated copper wire that is similar to extension cord wire. I will test the strength of single and multiple strands and let you know what I find out. It could save us both some money.

Both the big box stores--Home Depot and Lowes out here carry brass wire is a few different sizes. Ace Hardware also had it and even Sears did last time I looked. Look in the picture hanging section in addition to the chain, wire sections.

You just reminded me of an incedent a while ago.

I carry stainless-steel 'trace wire' in kits for snares. It is the stuff that is used for fishing. I had some 60 lb strength wire with me soon after we discovered that is was our dog that kept setting off the burgler alarm by literally OPENING the window, and squeexing through the burgler bars.

Instead of putting a new latch on the window, my Dad decided to keep the window open, and keep the dog out at the same. He threaded the 60 lb wire through the burgler bars, so that the Dog (a pavement special about the size of a large jack russel) couldn't get through.

The alarm was fine for a few days, but then, again went off while we were out. After inspecting the SAME window with the SAME 60 lb wire, we realised (after much swearing) that our dog had chewed right through several seperate pieces of wire!

If I had to set snares in the wild, the most I would hope to catch is a porcupine sized critter, but I am now having doubts about the quality and strength of the materials that I am using. I can't get hold of 'snare wire', so I guess i'll just have to make a plan.

mid-weight steel guitar strings or piano wires are about equivalent to single snares. I'm not a guitar player so I don't know which string is the right wieght but they are essentially steel cable so I'd imagine that if you got the medium diameter steel strings then you'd probably have something rather strong.

The great part is that these are available everywhere!

Not from what i've seen. My next door neighbour and good friend plays the guitar (badly) and gets through strings like anything. They seem to snap very easily. Piano strings on the other hand are apparently the strongest............ something, I can't remember what. Something like natural material or something <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />.

I used to play the guitar (badly <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />), and the strings I used were nylon-type. I seemed to go through them fairly quickly, but they were bottom of the range strings (Now THAT must be the reason for the strange sounds that I heard whenever I played <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />). Electric guitars use steel strings. well, that is what they are called, but they might not be made of real 'steel'. Perhaps they are the better option for snares.

I'll have a look at piano wire aswell(I can play piano relativly well <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />, so the strings MUST be of a better quality!). If I get do get hold of some, I'll let you know what it is like.

stainless steel guitar strings and rated tensions That site also contains a link to "loop end banjo strings" which could be used to make a snare with since the loop is integrated into the end of the string for closing the snare. with tensions of approximately 25 - 30 pounds should be sufficient to snare most varmint size critters. The snapped strings experienced during playing must be due to having the string under 25# of tuning tension and then plucking them in such a way as to exceed their tensile strength. Then again a reasonably excited teenage guitar player could easily exert more than 100 pounds strain on the string (much more than a squirrel or even a beaver)

piano wire can be ordered here These folks make metal carbon steel piano wire in various diameters

Thanks. I'm glad you put me right. Thanks for the links.

I promised in my last post that I would test the strength of the strands of extension cord wire. I just finished the tests. My testing was crude, but probably close enough.

The wire was about 1/16 in diameter, and was quite flexible. It was made of about a dozen smaller strands, each one being slightly thicker than a human hair. I suspended the wire from a hook and unwravelled it so that I could test individual strands. I found that an individual strand breaks at a shade under 5 pounds.

Depending on type of snare used, the number of strands used in the wire, the animal being snared, and how much the critter thrashed around when snared, this might make a good snare wire.

Personally, I wouldn't mind using it for birds and small mammals, but I think that if I was wanting to snare something weighing 30 pounds or more, I'd try to use something stronger.

it is also possible to use CAT-5 cabling. This is the wire used in putting together ethernet networks. Each cable is jacketed with 4 pairs of twisted wires inside. You can strip off the outer jacket and have 8 wires, each coated in plastic and color coded too! <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />. Individually they are pretty strong and fairly thin....

If you check around at used computer part stores you can usually find a decent length cable for a dollar or two. Less if you can find it without the rj-45 jacks on the ends.

I bought mine in bulk since I do a lot of network stuff... (1000 feet of it) <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Not sure how the plastic coating might affect things though... you would have to give it a try....

I found brass wire at an arts and crafts store slash hobby shop.

Don't forget the wire found in vehicles and aircraft as well as the windings in small motors, etc.

I remember reading about a plane that went down. Happily the survivors were rescued some time later. They were asked why they didn't snare the rabbits that were seen hopping around. They said they didn't have any wire. It was pointed out to them that there was a LOT of wire in the downed plane. They never thought of this.
Think outside the box!