No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers ***NO POLITICS
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter


Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting~The Pen and Quill

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum~ Fermenter's Forum


~~~ Dobbins' Products Catalog ~~~


Minnesota Trapline Products
Please support our sponsor for the Trappers Talk Page - Minnesota Trapline Products


Print Thread
Hop To
Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? #6629100
09/30/19 09:13 AM
09/30/19 09:13 AM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 24
Wisconsin
K
Kingcuda Offline OP
trapper
Kingcuda  Offline OP
trapper
K

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 24
Wisconsin
I have my traps soaking in vinegar trying to get them clean for a fresh dye and wax. They have been sitting over night and it appears all the wax has been removed but still has almost all the dye on it yet from the previous year. I'm wondering if it's absolutely necessary to get all that dye off before dropping them into a new batch of dye or is it OK to dye over dye

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629108
09/30/19 09:19 AM
09/30/19 09:19 AM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 8,763
East of the Mason-Dixon Line
DelawareRob Offline
trapper
DelawareRob  Offline
trapper

Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 8,763
East of the Mason-Dixon Line
You'll be fine, no need to get all the dye off.


Who is John Galt?

You don't rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your training.

Semper Paratus
Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629111
09/30/19 09:23 AM
09/30/19 09:23 AM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 3,842
Pennsylvania
The hammer Offline
trapper
The hammer  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 3,842
Pennsylvania
What kind of dye are you using?

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: The hammer] #6629115
09/30/19 09:25 AM
09/30/19 09:25 AM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 24
Wisconsin
K
Kingcuda Offline OP
trapper
Kingcuda  Offline OP
trapper
K

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 24
Wisconsin
I'll be using the powder logwood dye

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629120
09/30/19 09:30 AM
09/30/19 09:30 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,751
Central, SD
Law Dog Offline
trapper
Law Dog  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,751
Central, SD
I'll power wash mine and get off the dirt and any loose stuff then let them sit a few days and dye them.


Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629134
09/30/19 09:52 AM
09/30/19 09:52 AM
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,579
sometimes PA sometimes ME
E
ebsurveyor Offline
trapper
ebsurveyor  Offline
trapper
E

Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,579
sometimes PA sometimes ME
When I dyed traps all I did was dye them. A good boiling will remove all old wax and re-dye them. I now just run my through a cement mixer & then wax them.

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629151
09/30/19 10:29 AM
09/30/19 10:29 AM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,944
South metro, MN
C
Calvin Offline
trapper
Calvin  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,944
South metro, MN
Overthinking it.

Just wash and wax. No need to ever boil traps. Even new ones just get washed and waxed if planting In the ground. Took me decades to figure that out.

Actually I learned that from someone a lot smarter than I (that Indiana vet). Now I think of all the time I wasted boiling traps over the years.

Vinegar is just used if you have a super rusty trap. It removes rust.

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629173
09/30/19 10:48 AM
09/30/19 10:48 AM
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 5,895
michigan,USA
S
seniortrap Offline
trapper
seniortrap  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: May 2012
Posts: 5,895
michigan,USA
The use of WHITE vinegar and water 40/60 is best. Leave a couple of days if removing rust.
Pull and power wash at the car wash if you don't have a power washer.. Then either dye/wax or just wax.

Lots of choices.


Vietnam--1967 46th. Const./Combat Engineers

"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction."
"After the first shot, all plans go out the window!"
Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Calvin] #6629175
09/30/19 10:51 AM
09/30/19 10:51 AM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,471
West Central MN
20scout Offline
trapper
20scout  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,471
West Central MN
Originally Posted by Calvin
Overthinking it.

Just wash and wax. No need to ever boil traps. Even new ones just get washed and waxed if planting In the ground. Took me decades to figure that out.

Actually I learned that from someone a lot smarter than I (that Indiana vet). Now I think of all the time I wasted boiling traps over the years.

Vinegar is just used if you have a super rusty trap. It removes rust.


x2


Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629185
09/30/19 11:06 AM
09/30/19 11:06 AM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,852
meadowview, Virginia
E
EdP Offline
trapper
EdP  Offline
trapper
E

Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,852
meadowview, Virginia
My thoughts on the boiling and dying of traps for land trapping is that the dye retards rusting. Of course the wax does too, but a catch will take a lot of the wax off. If you want to re-use the trap without re-waxing, the dye provides some protection against rust. During the season I would never bother to boil and dye a trap, but I would wash and re-wax when a trap started to get rusty. I don't disagree with anything Calvin said, but I think a trap would have to be re-waxed more often if it had not been dyed. That makes it a bit of a trade off and perhaps weather conditions where you trap influences what works best for you.

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629220
09/30/19 11:51 AM
09/30/19 11:51 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
B
Bob Offline
trapper
Bob  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
Interesting. I always thought that boiling was necessary to remove smells trapped in old wax and rust spots. Those of you who don’t boil, you haven’t had an issue with canines digging?

I’m curious now, cause if you’re telling me I can skip the boiling step without worrying about scent it’s gonna save me a ton of time....


"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629222
09/30/19 11:54 AM
09/30/19 11:54 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
B
Bob Offline
trapper
Bob  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
I use calcium chloride on my sets so that’s why I wax. I don’t dye at all, always thought that was just for color and I never saw the point to dying a trap that’s buried. Maybe I need to rethink a few things.


"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629235
09/30/19 12:18 PM
09/30/19 12:18 PM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 3,842
Pennsylvania
The hammer Offline
trapper
The hammer  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 3,842
Pennsylvania
If your just ganna dye in log wood no need to use vinegar to get the wax off. Vinegar is used to derust a trap. Just get your water to a boil throw the traps in. The boiling water with the log wood dye will take the old wax off. Once your done boiling them just let it sit for a couple hours to cool off and all the old wax will be floating on top you can either skim it off before pulling your traps out, or flood your pot with cold water till all wax and oils are no longer floating on top. Then just pull the traps out and re wax.

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629241
09/30/19 12:23 PM
09/30/19 12:23 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4,482
PA
P
PAskinner Offline
trapper
PAskinner  Offline
trapper
P

Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4,482
PA
I boil in some kind of tannic acid, leaves, sumac berries or bark, then wax. But, you can just paint them. I think a good paint job then wax would hold up pretty darn good.


Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.
Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629286
09/30/19 01:16 PM
09/30/19 01:16 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,132
SWMo.
T
tjm Offline
trapper
tjm  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,132
SWMo.
Random stuff I think I've learned.
>Dye is a misnomer for treating rust with tannin, because tannin was once used to dye cloth, steel can not be dyed, at all, period.
>Vinegar removes rust but not wax, tannin won't do anything to a trap that is not rusty, so once it has been in vinegar a trap can not be "dyed". Oh, the vinegar also takes the zinc out of brass so any brass parts might want looking at.
>Tannin converts rust to another compound, ferrous tannate. Somewhat inhibits new rust, a fully rusted trap can be coated completely with this and not rust further.
>Wax coats the trap with oil, protects from rust by keeping oxygen away from steel and speeds up the action of the trap by lubrication.
>Boiling water melts wax and the wax floats off the traps, wax removed. Not much else accomplished. Can be the vehicle for tannin treatment and this is the traditional reason for boiling.
>Power washing removes dirt, debris, old meat or fat and any scale rust, but, gives no protection. If using hot water it may remove old wax.
>Paint gives the trap any color you want but does little to inhibit rust; my truck was completely clean steel and rust free in a controlled environment when painted by professionals with highest quality paints and rust has grown and spread under that fine paint.
>Lye turns fat or oil into soap and we used to use it to clean traps of blood, hair etc. often we used wood ashes as the lye source; won't clean rust or hurt the steel, used with boiling water it will remove the old wax
>Old wax doesn't hurt any thing or absorb odors that weren't introduced while the wax was molten. If rewaxed the old wax will melt into the pot and be "new" wax.
>A solid coating or patina of rust will prohibit or inhibit further rusting as in weathering steel used in bridges and buildings, it does this by excluding air from contact with bare steel.
>Animals don't dig up rusty steel, my fence posts are still buried. Animals don't avoid rusty steel either they cross my fences every day.
>Color of trap does not matter either under dirt or under water.

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: PAskinner] #6629304
09/30/19 01:48 PM
09/30/19 01:48 PM
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 3,488
Southern Illinois
F
Foxpaw Offline
trapper
Foxpaw  Offline
trapper
F

Joined: May 2016
Posts: 3,488
Southern Illinois
Originally Posted by PAskinner
I boil in some kind of tannic acid, leaves, sumac berries or bark, then wax. But, you can just paint them. I think a good paint job then wax would hold up pretty darn good.


I got lazy and used some primer that I bought several gals cheap at a sale. It was kinda rust or dirt color and really worked great. How ever when I was a kid it was something to kill time til trapping season came in to boil walnut hulls and or leaves and would rob my moms canning wax for a wax job. It was almost as much fun getting ready to trap as trapping itself, I said almost.

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629430
09/30/19 04:41 PM
09/30/19 04:41 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,738
Iowa
C
coydog2 Offline
trapper
coydog2  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,738
Iowa
All I do is clean the footholds of dirt and wire brush the ones that have build up of dirt and then boil in dye then dry and wax the traps for both land and water sets so I been doing this for years.It always works Conbears I just wire brush them and then dip in a mix of rubber and gas. I got the rubber mix many years ago from my fur buyer at the time he sold .


Life member of DAV,NTA,NRA,ITA.Also member of FTA,CBA
Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629696
09/30/19 09:41 PM
09/30/19 09:41 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 7,630
Virginia
5
52Carl Offline
trapper
52Carl  Offline
trapper
5

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 7,630
Virginia
Logwood crystals converts iron oxide into an inert coating, just like a commercial rust converter product. Wax protects this inert coating, just as paint protects the commercial rust converter product..
Removing wax after the end of the season enables you to convert the new rust to the inert coating with more "dye".
Old "dye" is hard to remove because it is part of the steel now.

Re: Cleaning traps. Must I remove all dye? [Re: Kingcuda] #6629738
09/30/19 10:08 PM
09/30/19 10:08 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,944
South metro, MN
C
Calvin Offline
trapper
Calvin  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,944
South metro, MN
Nah.... Just another theory in trapping that has turned into truth on some peoples heads. dye your traps and toss them in the grass overnight. They start to rust by morning. Waste of time. Again I dyed for decades. I see no more rust now than when I used dye.

I've found wax is a far more protective coating than the dye. If you really don't want any rust (or to camouflage new traps), I'd go with a pray paint, then wax. I sure wouldn't bother with the dye anymore. And wish I hadn't for years and years and years.

BUT nothing blends like a light coat of rust covered with wax.

Bob...since scraping dying and just waxing I definitely haven't noticed any ill effects or refusals (other than my wax isn't turned black from the dye). That said, no wax is "odorless" as stated in the adds. Always let fresh waxed traps air a bit. Is there anyone here that can't smell a wax pot from 30 feet away?

Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread