Aside from paying an outrageous amount for the black trap wax, you think it would hurt anything if you dumped a bag of logwood dye into your wax and mixed it up really well? I figure it'd turn the wax black at the very least? Just wanting black waxed traps without having to strip and redye each year.

Any input welcome.

I never saw any reason to strip traps, just boil in tannin and wax again. The tannin will react with any rust and neutralize it.
If the "dye" you have is tannin it should not react with the wax or turn it black. Tannin turns rust black because it changes it to ferrous tannate. The "logwood dye" I bought once did not react like tannin and I have no idea what it was.

I would keep the two separate, die your traps, like tjm said, it's not really a dye, but the traps are black when you are done, then wax them and they'll be black.

It doesn't matter what color they are once they are set and covered anyways.

X3

This is worth repeating.

Underwater or under dirt the color isn't obvious as the pink traps have proved. Add to that. animals rarely see color the way we do and if they saw a trap have no idea what it is- as all cats, and coons taken in uncovered traps prove and I believe some fox and coyotes get in those exposed cat sets also.

fwiw, my sumac turns rust blue or green and it only looks black after waxing and when I've used walnut hulls the residue from them turns my wax dark walnut color and gives it a walnut odor, neither the color of the wax or the walnut odor have had any effect on critters getting stuck in them traps..

I agree it doesnt matter what color since they are buried, but that is why I want them black. Makes it easier to see from a distance against our bright red clay dirt if I have a deer snap or a flip. Saves me time and effort of getting too close since I check around my work schedule.

Thanks for the input, I'll give em a good logwood boil and wax over top like my original plan.

I just spray paint flat black and use full metal jacket as a wax finish.

Back when I used to dye with red logwood powder...I would take traps out of dye and go right into wax. The wax would be black after a few traps.

I wax only now, for the past 10 years or so, but been thinking about giving the older traps a dying this summer and then waxing...just to give that extra protection. If I do, I probably wont dye again for a few years.

This is predator foot traps for dirt sets I'm talking about.

I've never did the wax on top of dye water. Two separate containers..

Thanks fellas. I'm sure that after a few bundles, the wax will start to take on the black from the dyed traps and whatever residue might be on there. I'll just go with that.

Again, thanks.

Wax should be thin enough that you can’t tell what color it is anyhow. If you can tell what color your wax is, you probably didn’t let the trap get hot enough before you pulled it out of the wax.

Do yourself a favor and don’t even try the wax floating on top of dye water method. Just a waste of time because the wax doesn’t stick very good.

Funny thing is I did it that way for years and never had a problem with flaking off or other problems that have been stated by others, but nowadays I just paint them simply because it’s faster and easier

A dyed trap with clear wax is still black.
Dumping log wood dye in trap wax defeats the purpose.
If you feel you need to stain the wax black, your mind is playing a trick on you,
It isn't needed

Back 50 years ago I would melt the wax on top of the logwood dye solution and pull the traps thru it thus dying and waxing in one step.
Never had a problem catching all the fur I wanted.

Now I do it in a two part system. Never saw the need for black wax but it can’t hurt anything either.