All,

I'm new to trapping and getting some new traps, what should i be doing to the traps, treatment wise (paint etc) if anything, before use? They don't look like rust will matter all that much on them, but i wanted to be sure

I'm focused on nuisance beaver at the moment, but also looking at coon and yotes.

I currently have a few of the following:
Conibear 110, 330
MB750 with drowning rigs,
Bridger #2 Dogless
Made my own stakes from 1/2 round

thanks

I power wash at car wash and dip in rustoleum/acetone mix. Spray paint body grip traps and stands. I haven't done the floor wax treatment yet but may. No wax on water traps.

Don’t rust your traps !!! I know why everyone thinks they need to but it’s not necessary to get them to take dye . The rusty trap will get darker but a trap that’s not rusted will still take dye.

have you looked here?... https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/13/1/trap-preparation-archives

For dozens of years I’ve spray painted all bodygrips either flat black or flat brown. For foot holds I wash in Dawn and water, rinse and dry. Then they get the paint treatment and are dipped in full metal jacket. ‘Works for me!

I clean new traps like washing dishes and spray paint body grippers and coil springs. Every thing is done in the spring and hung to dry and air out.

Everything is spray painted. I still catch a few coyotes in them. I don't have the coyote population to catch big numbers. The traps I have that are not being used were all dipped and put away. After a catch they are easy to clean up and respray come spring time.

I would rather dip then spray It's so much more efficient.

If you have deep pockets or know someone I would get my traps powder coated It's the best coating I have ever put on a trap.

I d love to powder coat all my traps but the wife sewed all my pockets shut! I think at this point buying a cheap harbor freight powder coating rig might be my most viable option. I know enough about electrical stuff to make my own oven. Beav does powder coating hold up to coons they seam to be the worst on any kind of trap treatment. I haven't owned any powder coated dps to know! But I think powder coated conis would last a century or more! Prepping to powder coat would be the most tedious part! All mine have been rustoleum dipped and fmj treated for ten years!

The only issue I have with paint or other coatings is that eventually they will need to be re done. Multiple coatings may seem like more protection, but over time I think a build up will cause problems . Wax is easy to remove with a steam Jenny or boiling water.

What say you guys that have been painting or coating for years .

My coyote traps and a few of my 160s are powder coated the other traps are dipped In latex paint. It's fast cheap and holds up pretty good. And you can dip tonight and set tomorrow If needed.
All my rat traps are dipped In latex paint and have held up for years with one coat. Of coarse rats don't cause much damage to the paint.

The same goes for my 160s one coat has lasted for years because a dead critter doesn't cause any wear on them.
The secret to extend your initial coverage Is to take care of your traps after the season Is over. Make sure your traps are clean and dry and hang them where they won't be subjected to the elements. Tossing then In a tote and putting on the cover doesn't cut It.

On to powder coating.

I have yet to see any weakening on my springs on coil spring traps do to the powder coating process.
Yes they do get scratched up a bit when making catches but It's pretty minor and there Is a touch up coating you can use. I haven't seen much damage to the coating due to coon catches. But Then I'm not catching many coon In them.
The great thing about powder coating Is you can power wash them today and re set them the same day.

If your thinking about powder coating body grips make sure you leave the traps In the sprung position. In my first attempt I left the springs compressed. I figured they would be easier to do that way. WRONG I lost some spring strength In those 160s but they still did the deed on any coon that came along. But If your thinking about doing BGs I would suggest you leave the springs In the relaxed position.
But for the most part painting would be a whole lot cheaper and still get the job done.

But the draw back to powder coating Is your traps need to be CLEAN rust Is a game changer. So I have only done NEW traps.

I'm not sure If there are different types of powder coating. But I'm betting some of these DPs that are on the market aren't really powder coated. Powder coating Is very expensive so I'm betting It's some type of Industrial paint there being dipped In.

Started out dyeing and waxing every year but it got time-prohibitive.

I’ve used Andy Stoe’s Speed dip and was happy with it for years for water and dry sets. It does leave the trap pretty shiny. And it comes off with paint thinner and a little brushing with a stiff paint brush if you have to do it but it held up well. Body grips all got spray painted about every 5 years or unless they’ve gotten rusty.

Then I went to spray painting foot holds and dipping in full metal jacket. I do this with all canine traps. Coon scour everything off regardless, so I re-spray my dog proofs every year if they didn’t arrive powder coated. My experience with Ztraps has been that the powder coat holds up extremely well. I’ve got some 7-8 year old Zs that have gone through a lot and still have a good covering.

thanks everyone, great info..

chris

I have just found a portable dishwasher and it is probably the best trapping buy I have made in a long time.
I run them through at heavy/hot settings, let them dry a bit, and then dip in armor coat which is a rustoleum type of another brand, mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits.
They are strong smelling at first, but I am prepping the traps now, that I will be using next November for cats, so they have time to air out plenty.