Waxing&dying

[Noyotes]

Ok fokes I have receive 7 out of 25 traps an I should have them all by the end of the week after degreasing them all can I wax an dye traps at the same time or is it best to dye first an then get new water in then wax thanks for the help

[RdFx]

Boil,  Dye, Wax , seperate procedures.

[Noyotes]

Thank you that's all I needed to hear

[Macthediver]

New traps I treat as RdFx stated starting first with boiling to remove factory oil. I find it's best when you first boil them if you can actually let them boil over some or after boiling filling the container till it runs over. Obviously you can't do this on the kitchen stove it makes a big mess. But running the pot over gets the oil that should be sitting on top the water out of the way. If you have enough water over the traps when your done first boiling them you can carefully pour off the oil too. I cook traps outside so for me it's always worked to just run the pot over with a hose, or tipped the whole pot over after the traps have cooled. If you have enough lead time you can then let your traps sit for a few days till they take on a light rust. This helps hold the dye on the steel. I dye with logwood dye I get from trap supply dealers. But in the past I've used walnut hulls, sumac tops or tree bark. I wax my traps in a pot full of nothing but wax after bring them right out of the hot dye water. After I hook a trap out of the hot dye water I hold it out till the water steams off. I then go right in my hot wax with the trap. If you have things working at the right tempertature the trap will sizzle like a french fry when you put it in the wax. After a couple secounds I pull it out and set them on clean card board. One thing is working with hot wax and open flames is very dangerous. Hot wax explodes like gasoline when it hits a flame. So it's best to heat wax in a double boiler and have your dye pot and wax pot either solid next to each other or a few feet apart. I do all my dying waxing in an area where making a mess is not a big deal. There is also nothing close by that can catch fire and my wax pot is secured so it can't be tipped over. I've been dying and waxing traps for around 40 years now. Had a few close calls mostly with the wax when I was younger. It's not rocket science but it does involve 2 hot liquids and one is a flamable liquid. So you do need to be careful how and where you set up so you don't get burned.
 
Mac
 

[Noyotes]

I only have one trap so after I dye I was thinking just to empty the pot an add water or could I just add wax to the dye water thanks for the help I can use all the help I can get thank you again

[Bogmaster]

 Wax melted on your dye water, does not do the best of waxing jobs.
 For best results a seperate wax container is used,and nothing but wax is in it.
  But with so few traps, melt some on your dye water.
 When you aquire more traps, dye and wax in two seperate prcedures.
 Remember--wax is very flammable.
 Tom

[cotton jonas]

Wax melted on your dye water, does not do the best of waxing jobs.
 For best results a seperate wax container is used,and nothing but wax is in it.
  But with so few traps, melt some on your dye water.
 When you aquire more traps, dye and wax in two seperate prcedures.
 Remember--wax is very flammable.
 Tom

yepper tom is right on this one big time.
back when i still dyed and waxed i tried it and got a clumpy mess of wax on most of my traps. now i just speed dip em and done