# dyeing traps



## hunterhugg (Jun 27, 2007)

When it says let simmer for 1 hour does that mean let simmer in the dye for one hour?


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## smitty223 (Mar 31, 2006)

Yes, that's correct. If they're new (shiny) traps, you'll have to put a coat of rust on them to accept the dye.

Also, if you have any walnut trees nearby, they also make good dye, and they're free.

Smitty


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## hunterhugg (Jun 27, 2007)

ok thanks what does wxing traps do?

And do you have to dye conibears?


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## hunterhugg (Jun 27, 2007)

come on people keep talking dont let this forum die


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## smitty223 (Mar 31, 2006)

Wax helps protect the metal of the trap from rust, which is even more important if you use caustic antifreeze in your sets. It (wax) also helps to speed a trap up, which is one of the reasons I prefer it over dip.

I dye my conibears, and paint some. It depends on the surrounding area there goint to be set in, as far as color.

lol, don't worry, this forum's a long way from dying :wink:

Smitty


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## younghunter (Dec 17, 2006)

Smitty when you say walnut trees are good for dying you mean actually cuting the tree down and geting all the oils and stuff out as much as possible..


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## smitty223 (Mar 31, 2006)

No not the tree, the walnuts themselves. Pick them up after they drop & the hulls turn dark. I throw the whole thing in, some guys remove the nut, but I can't see any benefit in it, other than wasting time.

Some guys also place them in onion sacks to help contain them, but I just throw 'em in the pot. Just shake the traps off good to remove any pieces of hull that may have clung to them.

Biol traps the same as you would using commercial dye.

Smitty


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## younghunter (Dec 17, 2006)

O kool ive never heard of using walnuts.....

But they got the acid inside the trees when you cut walnut in summer time.. that burns your arm so that what i thought you were talking about but there probably that same stuff in the nuts and shells....

Way kool learned something today got to try this this year..


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## ND trapper (Nov 14, 2006)

hunterhugg said:


> And do you have to dye conibears?


I spray paint mine brown. A black dyed 220 in a **** trail can stick out at times. Some of mine are spray painted white for use in the snow.

P.S. Dont ever wax your bodygrips. If you do make sure to get all of the wax out of the dog notches and trigger area.


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## hunterhugg (Jun 27, 2007)

thanks nd


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## AKTrapper_2 (Aug 9, 2007)

For new traps I like to wait for the wife to go to town then jam them in the dishwasher and run them through a heavy cycle including the heated dry or even the sanitize feature. This degreases and usually pre-rusts the steel nicely. Rusted traps take the logwood dye much better.

I use a 24 gallon wash basin on a large burner to dye my traps. I use logwood dye for new traps, but lately I have just been using spruce needles/limbs and some leaf litter from the woods for pre-season prep of older traps. You don't get the color but it scents the traps well. I store all of my traps outside hanging in the woods away from sources of contamination. Once dyed, I use great care with my canid traps to handle them with clean gloves and I hang them immediately. For cats, marten, mink, otter etc I am not as cautious with the traps as they don't care what it smells like anyway.

I don't use wax because I want some rust and, in the cold, wax speeds the traps up enough to be a pain, almost hard to set.

I am far from an expert trapper, more of a beginner, but that's my process and it seems to be successful and it is definitely easy and even fun.

AK


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