I have saved a bunch of un-burnt chunks of oak (coals) from the ash cleanout in my fireplace.

Would these work as dye, in place of logwood crystals?

How about some of the ashes?

No, most dyes are acid, ashes are alkaline. They will actually clean stuff off you traps, not put it on.

Have any walnut trees around? If so find some some that are black already and put them in water with your traps. They will eventually get dyed

Yep, they drop every other year. This past fall I bagged up a bunch of hulls, and will use them next trap prep session.

Just being a cheap skate, and seeing if there is any use for the coals...instead of just tossing them. Thanks!

Yes the ash's to clean the traps
Use the bark to dye them
Slow boil 20 min let cool over night and reheat next day and remove.
Red oak works better than white jmo

If available sumac also works. imo.

I use a mixture of sumac bark and walnut hulls. Put them in an old pillowcase and steep it like a tea bag. This will keep the walnut hulls and bark out of your trap springs and what not.

Another trick is to put the sumac, hulls, bark, etc...in a woman's nylon stocking. Just tie the end shut.

Put the ashes in your garden, I put the larger unburnt stuff back in the wood burner for the next fire.

I do the same as dfabs