Author Topic: Walnut hulls.... (Read 988 times)

Tim B · « **on:** August 06, 2003, 06:45:06 AM »

I was just wondering how many guys still use walnut hulls to dye their traps....
surely Im not the only one watin for the walnuts to start droppin'
Tim B

Dan Mich Trapper · « **Reply #1 on:** August 06, 2003, 08:07:04 AM »

No , your not alone . You ever try oak bark or sumac berries . I havent but never heard how well they work.

Mallard · « **Reply #2 on:** August 06, 2003, 09:00:39 AM »

I use last years wallnuts, and will collect this year for next. Problem is, I allready used up last years, so I'll join you in the waiting game. I'm convinced the wallnuts are the best as far as natural dyes go. Rumor has it they started dropping last week, but still WAITING on Dan to get permission from his day care lady. LOL

Tim B · « **Reply #3 on:** August 06, 2003, 09:25:59 AM »

Yeah, there are a few droping but not nearly enough...I am going to collect enough this year for next year as well. Then I can be ahead of the game.

I havent tried bark or berries. I heard almost any bark will work, but unless you run it through a shredder it would take up too much space in my dye barell. I like the walnut hulls cause they break up well, dye well, and I keep with tradition.
Tim B

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #4 on:** August 06, 2003, 01:19:27 PM »

Walnuts are few and far apart here in the U.P. I generally used tagalder bark because it is an abundant scrub tree that grows everywhere in low lying areas. Ace

TraplineMusher · « **Reply #5 on:** August 06, 2003, 03:40:38 PM »

Alders or sumac bark here--seems to be growing everywheres...John

foxtrac · « **Reply #6 on:** August 18, 2003, 11:46:28 AM »

i have used walnut hulls for years. all i use. they get messy but hard to beat. jack

RdFx · « **Reply #7 on:** August 18, 2003, 12:33:26 PM »

The red sumac berries you see now will dye yr traps jet black . Put approximately half a five gallon pail in gunny sack and put in yr boil pot. After it boils for awhile you can take sack out and put yr traps in and bring to a boil and then turn off and let cool over nite and in morning they will be jet black. If you are using for canines make sure you hose or rinse them off before \waxing to get the excess blackening off. Also yr traps should have a light coat of rust. any questions ask> Happy trap boiling

mattjones298 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 18, 2003, 05:38:36 PM »

my whole family as far back as i can remember, used wallnut hulls to dye traps in. somewhere in the 50`s they started melting wax in the water and slowly pulled the traps back out as it cooled off. this was always done the last week or so of october. it sure would get a young trapper fired up for the season.

i`m a city trapper now, my dye comes UPS....matt

foxtail · « **Reply #9 on:** August 18, 2003, 05:51:08 PM »

One time, notice that I said ONE time, yes that is only ONCE, we used walnut hulls mixed with sumac berries with the wax floating on top. In the house no less. God awefull stench! Traps looked like they had been dipped in tar. With just the dye and no wax, they looked pretty good.
Never again will I boil walnut in the house. Never, never neverever again.

mattjones298 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2003, 06:43:38 PM »

dang foxtail, sounds like you got scarred for life on that one. from what i can remember, the traps pulled through the wax water turned out pretty good. i have`nt used that technique scence i was a teen ager....matt

Tim B · « **Reply #11 on:** August 19, 2003, 09:35:18 AM »

Yeah, the walnut hulls work great for me.....I just hate waitin for them to start dropping. THIS YEAR I will stock-pile enough for several years....
Tim B

JeffG · « **Reply #12 on:** August 19, 2003, 04:49:21 PM »

Ya, and one year the hound was chasing the cat,and turned over a whole pot of walnut on the deck...you guessed it, we wound up doing the whole deck with it to get it to match...thank God it wasn't on the concrete.

T-Rex · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2003, 05:43:15 AM »

I'm confused! What is a walnut hull anyway? I have used what I call walnut HUSKS, the soft green outer coating of the walnut. Are you guys using the hard brown shell? If you are using the soft outer coating, how do you store them for a year without them drying out?
T-Rex

mattjones298 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2003, 10:17:52 AM »

we call the outer part the hull around here, why try and save them? getting them is 1/2 the fun

Dan Mich Trapper · « **Reply #15 on:** August 23, 2003, 12:22:52 PM »

T-rex , even after they dry the work when you boil them . Try it . Get as many as you can just in case next year there are none .