Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Dye and Wax Day

bigdave

Junior Member
Well the time has come to get the mess cleaned up and dye and wax all last years used traps. Had help from my 2 sons 16 & 11 and a nephew who is 12. We got a pretty good rhythm going and 4 hours after we started we were done with close to 8 dozen traps.

The cleaning process


The dye pot


My wax pot will hold 3 MB 550's at once or 1 #5 Bridger


Traps hanging to cool and dry


I have found using a 3 trap rotation in my wax pot works best. It allows the traps to reach temp and just pick up the perfect amount of wax. I just keep taking them out in the order I put them in.
 

badger

*Supporting Member*
Dyeing and waxing helps to preserve the traps. The dye darkens them and the wax seals the metal keeping out moisture and keeping rust from forming. The wax also helps them not freeze and allows the traps to fire faster.

Waxing also keeps animals from smelling the traps. The thing about getting dye to stick, is you actually have to have a light coat of rust on them first. So you are starting the rust process yourself. There's a lot of trappers that start with new traps and forgo the dye. Traps come from the factory with a light coat of oil that gets boiled off, and then straight into the wax.