I bought 11 #1 round pan stoploss traps for $10. They all need springs and some pans and a couple need chains. I have almost all the parts I need. What I need advice for is the following. several of the traps have pretty deep rust and I am seeking advice on what are some good methods to remove the rust. I am thinking chemically if possible. If other methods are better I will consider those as well. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

Bryce

Economically a strong vinegar / water mix will clean most anything steel. Just make sure that you rinse them well and also neutralize the vinegar acid by soaking the traps well in baking soda water solution once you have removed the desired rust. That is what I have done for years. They have other water soluble chemicals that work also.

Thank you Bob. That sounds like something I will try .

Bryce

Don’t remove the rust, just logwood crystals ,then wax the traps

Like trapper les, I am not a fan of acetic acid (vinegar) to remove rust from traps. IF monitored it is ok but I like phosphoric acid or a tannic acid (any logwood dye - oak leaves, maple bark, walnut hulls, sumac berries etc.) to do the rust removal w/o damaging the steel and it will dye them at the same time. Drawback: it takes more time if just submerged in a dye solution at room temp (maybe 2-3 months) or energy (boiling as a catalyse) to speed it up. If not in a hurry I will purchase rusty traps at conventions/get togethers, toss a couple of bundles of traps in a 15-30 gallon barrel of H2O with any logwood dye in a corner of the shop and dunk/stir the solution with them ever so often for 2-4 months. I am too busy (and more forgetful) to remember to rescue any traps in a vinegar solution after a day or two here. PLUS i forget what I submerged and get to pull up a batch of traps from BLACK GOO in the summer to see what traps I have forgotten about w/o any damage to the existing steel. Kind of like Christmas or checking traps to an "old man" like me LOL. If you are in a hurry and want to use vinegar it will work so consider a short term soak and then immediate neutralization of the acid on the trap with a buffer,,,, lime or soda solution - rinse and do it twice as the trap surface will begin to rust again almost immediately. Both methods will work for removing rust for whatever fits your timeframe. My experience. .........................the mike

I will try the vinegar and the baking soda. I will wait until I have the time to stay with the couple of days I need to follow through with. Right now we have 900-1,000 taps out and I don't need other "urgent" activities at this time.

Bryce

Do the vineger thing Bryce it's a no brainer.

Electrolysis works very well also

Watch the bail spring as they may.....well surely they will break on the first snap....when rust has set in
Soak in some old diesel for a couple weeks then power wash.

[quote= Right now we have 900-1,000 taps out and I don't need other "urgent" activities at this time.

Bryce[/quote]

Wow what a string of traps layed out, good job

You can get some 30% vinegar at Walmart which will go further with your dilution and do a faster job. Just keep an eye on them and neutralize them and rinse. I would dye them if you have the time or wax which ever you prefer as your method of trap prep. This will seal the steel nicely until next use.

Wow what a string of traps layed out, good job[/quote]


Taps not traps. He's taping maple trees. And selling the sap.

Yes taps! Traps have been in the totes since mid November this year. We collected 1269 gallons of 3.0 sap Thursday. Best first collection we have ever had. Too warm now and we have to go out and collect to keep it fresh, even with a small amount. Rain today, tonight, and later next week. We use 4-wheelers with tanks and trailers and this will be a mud bath early in the season. We have about 500 5 and 6 gallon buckets so we carry a lot of sap. We have two younger guys and two older guys that help us. I call this season SPRINTER as it is the transition season from winter to spring when one can't do to much else.

Bryce