After being rightly chastised in the comments, I've updated last month's magnet trap post with my solution for setting and disarming the trap.
Posted by bug to Hacks at July 24, 2005 6:19 PM | TrackBackReflecting on the most unfortunate charring and possible damage to the loot in the above option, a second method may be considered.
Board any number of standard issue Intergalactic Freight Haulers. Take with you the halfing, jar, rope and glue. Tie rope to halfling. Glue jar to halfling. Inform halfling that the jar contains ‘oxygen pills’. Put halfling in airlock (trying far end of rope firmly to something). Open airlock then after some time reel in the frosty halfing corpse and examine the shiny undamaged loot.
The beauty of this method is although it does trigger the trap most conventional traps require oxygen to function (eg explosions or poison gas).
Warning: Do not attempt this method if you believe that the loot is small (may float away), fragile (may shatter) or the trap is thermonuclear in nature.
Colin
(If the question is, “Colin shouldn’t you be studying”, then the answer is yes)