Cold soak

Anyone ever what I call, “cold soak” traps in walnut hulls? Just curious. If so how long. And by cold soak I mean just dump cleaned traps in a bucket or pool of walnut hulls filled with water. Water was dark enough you couldn’t see anything in the bucket.

Takes longer but it does work

Did that back when I was a kid --it works but I don't remember how long I left them in----several days I think

I’ve done it. Seems to work in a pinch but in my experience, boiling them gives the traps a better coat.

i tried it once. complete waste of time.

Fitting oak logs on a house one time, chunks of wood and stubs of rebar went into a wash tub so no one tripped on them.
It started raining like it was beginning of trapping season.
We worked a different job for a week.
On return the tub was half full.
Wood and bar were blue on black.

Without the heat it is just a coating that comes off with a good rain.

The heat from boiling is a catalyst that causes the acid (tannin) to work faster on the oxidized metal. Found in logwood, sumac, walnut hulls, oak and maple bark etc., it causes the color chemical change to the oxidized metal. L. (Swede) Israelson mentioned putting traps in cold logwood solutions in his mink book in '68 for months before the season. I have done it with any rusty ones and it works fine but if left for over 6 months, and the logwood is strong, it will actually clean them better than the vinegar treatment that all the impatient guys recommend now-a-days. Much less harsh on the metal than vinegar but with the same bare steel look. I have a 15 gallon HD plastic tote in the heated shop I use and put a few dozen in the logwood mix in the spring time and pull them out now, rinse, neutralize the tannic acid and have a dark ready for any more treatment you want on the trap. Its the time thing guys can't wait for, so they fire up the boiler which has a certain reminiscing feeling about it that is traditional to trap prep. I use it too so not degrading that process. Just my experience with cold logwood. ...................................................... the mike

Tried it with Logwood dye this year. Sorta worked but won't be doing it again

Next year I'll use maple bark from my trees.

Guss, maple leaves in a old pillowcase works just as good and maybe easier.