Another newbie question.
I will be purchasing my first traps this summer mb 550. These will be used primarily for Bobcat trapping. I’ve read different ways of going about prepping new traps.

Do you guys boil them off, removing all factory oils? I’ve also read to just dip them in something like “Full metal jacket “. Would that be all I need to do to them, to have them ready to go for the upcoming season this fall/Winter here in Wisconsin?

Not sure if it matters, but I will be trapping in clay rocky ground.

I boil with an added degreaser, dye and wax. I enjoy the process. I set mine up so I can stake with rebar or use the MB Super Stakes.

I dewax then loose stack in an old ice cooler, after that I Place a jelly jar with a couple oz of muratic acid in it and let them sit for a week, when taken out they should have depending on how air tight it was either a deep blue/black color or a nice even coat of rust that when boiled for couple minutes will be that blue/black color

Then I zep wax

What exactly does the wax do? Is it just for protection, or does it help run the trap more free?

I've used a muriatic acid/water solution to speed up the rusting process but I've never heard of or tried your method. Interesting.

It does both. Lubricates everything and protects the trap.

I'd say boil and rust them, then once they are rusted boil them in brown or black trap dye, and give them a wax coating.

Deliberately rusting a new trap is akin to making dents in an new truck with a hammer.
They will rust soon enough. De-grease with car wash, dish soap or hang in weather and use for the first season, wax optional unless using salt/corrosives as antifreeze. On most traps I'd say tune the pan and trigger but those 550 probably don't need that.
After the first season boiling in strong tannin solution will convert and neutralize the rust and then you should wax, imo, to help prevent further rust.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ what he said ! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I do my best to keep them from rusting , wax is my choice but it’s not the only choice !

I used to do that to till I read the method I use now can’t even remember where but it is I have been told the same method used to rust blue guns back in the day

I'll probably be the odd man out here, but if you're primarily going for cats I wouldn't spend much of any time prepping your traps. Spray them off at the car wash to remove the grease, and simply spray paint them with rustoleum to prevent corrosion. If you're running them for cats you don't even need to bury the trap so you don't even have to worry about salts etc. for freeze proofing. Cats will step on bare traps over and over again if you make them. I don't even dye my coyote traps anymore I just spray them and let them sit for a couple weeks. Can't say I see much if any noticeable avoidance once they come to a set and I had plenty of snow to look at last season.

If you have acidic soils and you dont treat your traps in some way you will regret it.

Here in the deep south our soils are very acidic. Untreated trap or trap needing treatment will take on rust overnight.

My feelings as well.

I was new a couple years ago, and frankly I would say go after something more common that will build your confidence on the line. Start with 160s, 1 1/2 coil spring dirt holes and cubbies and Dog proofs for coons. Also maybe try weasel boxes with rat traps. It is no where near as glorious or profitable but it will be more lasting and let you make mistakes on more forgiving critters. Also losing $5 on a $7 skin hurts a lot less than losing $30 on a $50 skin until you get your skinning and processing down. Also just get a jug of Full Metal Jacket to prep your traps. Just a thought.

For what it is worth I will through out a different idea.
You have heard several methods to treat your new traps and I suspect each and every method would be okay for what you want to accomplish.
You state you primarily are going to focus on bobcat trapping. Be prepared for lots of learning and frustration.

If it were I, knowing what I have learned over the years, I would probably just clean and dye my traps.
I would boil the traps in something like Dawn dish soap or even laundry detergent. Then I would rinse the heck out of them. I would not rust them any further cleaning and I would not choose to rust the traps.

I would choose one of two really good dyes that have worked well without waxing for me. Keg Creek sells a dye that I t think they call logwood crystals but cannot remember for sure. There is a guy that sells a product that reminds me of the log wood chips that I used to buy from C.O. Lippert back in the day. Renny something or other. He advertises in The Trappers Post.
Both products mentioned are in my opinion superior to the other red power or black crystal dyes I have used. I think both are superior to using natural barks etc. although you could realistically get by using a good natural dye such as Hemlock bark, sumac berries, alder bark, maple bark etc.

While bobcats are notorious for being non cooperative critters in some parts of the country, they are not known as being highly elusive. Lots and lots of coyotes and fox have been caught with good clean traps that have been treated only a good dye. I suspect you would have not issues trapping bobcats if you simply dyed your traps in a traditional manner.

A down side to this dying method: Well you probably have to clean and dye your traps again before the next season. If you make a skinny million catches you probably would want to re-clean and dye them right directly after the season so they would not rust, but that may not be necessary.
A straight dyed trap will not hold up to various anti freeze methods that involve caustic materials. If you bed and cover traps in dry peat moss, buckwheat hulls, or a cut grass/hay covering this will not be an issue.

Upside to dying the traditional way: If you decide that you do not like to clean and dye traps you can simply boil them clean and move on to another method of treatment.
You can easily clean and dye traps during your season. I personally would like to let them air a day or two in the sun and wind but basically you are good to go after they have cooled from the dye.
The traditional type dyes I mentioned above do a pretty darn good job protecting traps from rust, and to me it is important to protect my equipment, which is an investment.

If you opt to paint, dip in fuel based dip, water based dip or some product like full metal jacket or a floor polish you will no doubt be successful in your pursuit.
If you use any of the dips, paints, floor polish type treatments, and you find that you do not care for the results, you may very well find that removing those products are considerably more difficult to clean back to bare metal.

I have cleaned off fuel based and it is not fun. I have cleaned off water based dips and that is a pain in the rear end. I only paint body grips so have not tried to remove paint but I suspect it would be a process. I have not tried to remove any of the floor polish products so I cannot offer an opinion on that but it is probably not easy.
They claim that the water based dips can be used to treat traps in season, and they can, but you need an indoor area with adequate heat. I think it is out of the question to use fuel based dip in season but that is just me. I do not know about the floor polish stuff but admit it sounds interesting.

Just a different view on the subject. Hope you have success. More importantly I hope you fall in love with the trapping game as it has so much to challenge you with and offers so much fun.
Mac

If you go with dip, make sure to bookmark all the "How do I get this crap off my traps" post's!

Use the traps as is for a year or two then dye by boiling tag alder and creek water in half a 45 gallon drum and then wax after.

Yepper..

I do the same