Fellow Trappers,
Greenhorn here. Couple questions for you all. To wax or not to wax? Thoughts and experience?

Trap dye.. Logwood etc? Also interested in tee bark fir bows and the like for a trap dye instead of logwood and the likes. I really like the idea of tree bow and bark type dye processes. (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) i got a great big walnut tree out back.
I appreciate all, respect all and thank you all for help.

I'm truly Blessed to be american, from Idaho and especially all trapping opportunity

Step by step tutorials?

Thanks all

Hooker.

I use logwood dye crystals for a few years now with good results. I stopped waxing my traps about 4 years ago. I don’t see the need for it, you hear stories of wax getting contaminated. I guess it’s just one thing I don’t have to worry about.

Walnut husks work well. I like to use soft maple bark and it doesn’t take much. A 5-6” diameter tree, maybe 4-5’ of the tree, just scrape it off and toss it in the boil pot, put the traps in, fill with water and boil for a half hour. Overflow the water to get the floating crud out of the way and pull the traps. Put the next batch in and repeat. .

I like to have my wax hot. As the hot traps dry quickly from the boil pot, I get them in the wax after most of the water dries off. If you start with traps that are already warm it doesn’t take them as long to heat up in the wax. You got to wait until they quit bubbling in the wax and then when you pull them out they will have a very thin coating.

Waxing speeds up traps and offers some protection from rust. If you don’t wax, you should paint or dip for the mentioned reasons. Rust is terrible for springs. I never rust traps on purpose. Dye reacts with the rust and slows it way down or even stops it. It won’t hurt to dye brand new traps but it’s not necessary. I usually just wax new traps after a quick boil lye water and a clean rinse to degrease. Have fun.

I have spray painted my traps for quite a few years.

Logwood and wax here, without wax the soil will rust the traps after a while.

I have used sumac to boil traps. Cost is right. $0.00

X2 on the Logwood and wax. Like the protection and love the look! Can be time consuming, but I enjoy doing it.

Logwood dye and wax. It protects and speeds up your traps, do it every year especially if you use antifreeze.

I've used maple leaves. Just rip em off the branches and stuff them in an old pillow case, then soak the whole works in a barrel of water for a few days. After a while you will notice the water starting to darken and get that good tannic color. Then boil your traps just as you would with logwood crystals.

Logwood works fine, gives them kind of a powdery finish. I always used alder bark growing up and liked it, now it is easier for me to get walnut hulls than alder bark and gives a similar dye, I prefer it to the logwood dye look but don't think there is a real advantage. I like waxing my traps, protects them but it really speeds them up. Don't wax conibears, I've had issues with waxed conibears not wanting to stay set, even with the trigger and dog scraped.

plenty of opinions in the Archives here https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/13/1/trap-preparation-archives

Watch this video.Probably the best video I have ever watched about trap prep.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duPnlP9md4M

Logwood crystals work better than the powder dye. I have used sumac and walnut hulls also. All work.

I try to do the dye and wax procedure on a very hot day, pull traps out of dye tub, hang in the sun to dry and then wax.

bhugo is correct, a warm/hot trap waxes quicker. And wax will give protection from antifreeze and make the trap faster.

There is an antifreeze on the market that contains a rust inhibitor and is advertised to work to -30 F. I have used it for 2 years, and although it will eventually cause rust it is better than calcium chloride by far.

That is very interesting. I never heard of that type antifreeze. Thanks for posting it.