Waxing Drowners

I will be using cable slide drowners for beaver and coon for the first time this season. I know it's not necessary, but would waxing them help, maybe help them slide better? Or would it clog the lock or allow it to slip back the wrong way? Also should I dye them?

You don't need to but, I think it makes them faster, harder to see and last longer. I use a liquid floor wax (or full metal jacket) and dip them in it. soaks between the strands.

Formula One Brown

I will be using traditional dye and wax. I'll see how it works. Thanks for the info!

No need. And sometimes that added coating can gum up the works.

When waxing cable make sure the wax is hotter than 212f.
it will drive(boils out-you will see the wax sizzle) any moisture from between the strands and replaces it with a very thin coating of wax.This slightly stiffens 7x7 cable(a good thing for snares),and protects them from rotting from the inside out-which is common for unwaxed cable after time and substantial use.
The hot wax(above 212f leaves an un-noticably thin coating.Waxing at lower temps leaves thick wax which is no good for cable but ok for traps.

Thanks Boco, I'll give it a try. How hot can I get the wax without burning?

I dont know but I get it so it just starts to smoke.
Not sure what the flashpoint is,quite a bit higher than 212 I believe.
You can google it.

Do it outside and keep a lid handy for the wax bucket.

Flash point for parrafin wax is 250f.

Dont drop any water in hot wax over 212 it will explode.Moisture between the strands is no problem.It will just sizzle for 30 seconds or so until all gone

But If not done right your just asking for trouble. And I don't see any reason to do It In the first place.

I use wire, not cable for drowners. No need to wax or dye that. I do dye and wax the drowning locks, Not necessary, although it will keep them from rusting. But they are attached to the the trap and it is easier to dye and wax it all than trying to keep the drowning lock out of the liquid, and it certainly doesn't hurt anything. If you end up with some wax in the slide hole on the lock and are worried about it a punch or screwdriver would remove it in a few seconds. Personally I would just use the end of the wire that I am sliding through it anyways when setting the trap. If you leave your traps in long enough for them to be good and hot you won't have thick wax plugging stuff anyways, I have had that a time or two because I hook several traps together with wire and lower them into the pot together, then hang a bend of the wire over the side of the pot to grab and lift them back out by. That wire is run through the chain and while I am careful to make sure the traps are well and completely submerged I am not always so careful about the chain and there have been occasions when the drowning lock was on the surface or above it and got just dipped into the wax as I went to pull the traps out. No big deal, push the wax out of the hole with the drowner wire and kind of run the tip of the wire around the edges of the hole to scrap wax off, when you go to set the trap. Good to go in 5-10 seconds.