I collected a bunch of walnuts to boil to dye my traps. My question is, is it ok to use a galvanized bucket for this? Thanks

i would check the seams to see how its put together i had a nightmare using a new galvinized small garbage can with wax but had alot of luck with the old wash type tubs

Some of those buckets and trash cans with the rolled seam edges can leak when heated. It has happened to me before. I would suggest buying a new aluminum or a Stainless pot or a turkey fry size pot at Walmart or another retail outlet. It will last forever if not abused. Money well invested. Sometimes they can be found at yard sales.

ok thanks, I didn’t even think about the seams, I was worried that maybe the zinc would do something to the dye. I think I’ll just did a different bucket

I used a zinc washtub, worked just fine. I prefer a 20 gallon barrel though....

Dollar stores carry large canning pots that work great, for bigger, get 1/2 of a 55 gal barrel.

The best trap boiling pots I’ve ever found have been the old style pressure tanks. The ones without a bladder. They’re thick enough you be lucky to live long enough to wear one out. I got all mine free from well and pump businesses. They’re thick enough tanks are disappearing but in many rural areas there are still a few in use. Some pump guys have them out in their junk pile unless they haul them off to recycle places.

I use a skill saw and steel demon blade to cut them down to the size I need. I have them for my dye, a small one for wax, one I use as a double boiler with the wax pot and it does double duty for lye when I need to clean traps. Then I have one I use for vinegar when I need to derust some traps.

The trap pots. The small holes one in front is the wax pot. The next one I’m boiling some traps in lye. When not in use for that it serves as the double boiler for the wax. The one barely visible behind the black metal is my logwood pot. The last one I use to soak rusty traps in white vinegar. They are all old pressure tanks.

Husband has been using galvanized tubs for 38 years, after a while they will leak but usually work just fine for years.

For smaller containers a 3 gallon kitchen pot is as leakproof as you will find (old pressure cooker). For large batches, cut a 55 gal barrel in 1/2 (more or less as desired). If dirty/greasy, then dawn soap and water boil to clean for a test run. Get a flat piece of junk aluminum or steel as a cover. Drain at the end of the season or bring inside. Since many of these barrels hold "Hazardous Waste" (as defined by the EPA) of petroleum, antifreeze etc., They are built pretty solid as nobody wants to be responsible for a faulty container and a spill. Have used my current one for 5+ years with no leaks. A stainless steel Turkey Fryer tub is mid sized and works but is limited on trap numbers so you have more expense (if bought new) and batches to deal with. I do a fair amount of cold logwood/walnut dye in the shop in a plastic barrel over winter or outside in the summer - depends on the time factor. My experience........ the mike

If a person were to gather say enough walnuts to make 10 gals of dye can that dye be stored in containers for future use being as everything to be used this year is already prepped for use? Thinking say 2 5 gal plastic water jugs. Walnuts would be boiled and liquid strained as filling the jugs
Thinking ahead as trap prep done before walnuts are available in fall.

I've saved the hulls, but never the actual "dye" from walnuts, but would assume you could. I only tried walnut hulls a couple years, found I far preferred alder bark for dyeing traps personally, and it is readily available, if a bit more of a pain to get off tag alders than the big, full sized alders I used to get it off of where I grew up. I remember as a kid simply covering the barrel I boiled and dyed traps in, with the water still in it and tossing traps in it to soak as I pulled them for the year. Of course I was a kid, but from memory I don't recall any problems and I think the dye stored fine (that would have been alder bark, but should be the same principle with walnut hulls).

Bearcat2 thanks for the reply, unfortunately here in the PNW ( at where I live at least) we have Doug Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Tamarack and Aspen. The Walnuts are usually in folks yards and they are happy to have someone pick em up.

Dyed traps Friday as I’ve done for nearly 50 years. Bottom 24” of a gas water heater set over a wood fire. It has a 3” flue thru the center that helps to heat the water. About 1/3 5 gallon pail of sumac berries makes a strong tea that turns the traps black. Well, deep purple if you inspect closely.

I use a 55gallon drum. 2 propane burners. Works well.

Good design, that will help reduce the water evaporating considerably.

Thanks Bob

I do mine the same way well I use wood fire but water comes to a boil much faster then just having a barrel up right above the fire. Also easier to pull traps out of for they ain’t all piled on top of each other can just layer them across the bottom. I like your door mine I place a board over but will be putting a door on now haha!

Well, I give you the credit for this one Gary. It works well, and agree with how much easier it is to pull traps out.

I use to use walnuts when I was a kid, had 2 walnut trees on the farm.

Now I use sage and trap dye, boiling pot Is a cut off propane tank (20#er)
For foot hold traps, and a cut off 100 #er propane tank for 660 and 330 coni-bears.

And have the same thing for a wax pot.

If traps have been previously painted for rust protection, could I dye them once the paint begins to wear due to catches? Or should the paint be removed and then dyed?