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Post by trapper92256 on May 31, 2004 19:19:36 GMT -6
HOw many of you dye and wax your traps? Is dying really neccasary? Since the trap is going to be under ground and you cant see it anyways. I see with water traps thats the trap is sometimes exposed. I think it was Helfrich that just boiled and waxed your traps and did not dye them. Im getting ready to treat my traps for the first time so i want to do it right. THANKS
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Post by Clefus on May 31, 2004 19:41:26 GMT -6
I prefer to dye and wax ....tried speed dips in the past and was not happy with the results...worked ok on water traps....on dirty ones during the season I usually just boil and rewax... I'm gonna even wax some dirt this year too...
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Post by Hern on May 31, 2004 19:46:18 GMT -6
I boil in Lye Boil in Dye then Wax. Never used dips...never had any trouble with my method or reason to change.
Helfich isn't the only person to just wax traps, I know some top canine trappers that just boil in Lye to clean and then Wax. Hern
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Post by woody on May 31, 2004 19:55:47 GMT -6
Iffin your dealling with new traps, I would boil them to get the oil off and then wax them. after they are used this season, they will be rusted and ready for dye Thats what I did last season and it worked fine. in the past I spent to much time waiting for them to rust I got this method from a well know trapper. ;D woody
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Post by thebeav2 on May 31, 2004 20:00:35 GMT -6
I have dyed and waxed my canine traps for years. but for the last few years I have just cleaned them and waxed them and I see no difference In my catch. I can realy see no reason to dye your traps. In fact dye just adds another odor to your traps and leeches into your wax.
Beav
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Post by Bubber on May 31, 2004 20:18:44 GMT -6
We dye and wax. We generally only dye them once, when we first get them. I do not want them to shine if they get uncovered. I want a dull, molted color to them. But that is just a personal opinion. It is probably not that important.
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Post by dj88ryr on May 31, 2004 20:45:10 GMT -6
I still dye and wax, and am thinking it has more to do with tradition than anything else, I may just wax some of my new Montanas to see if there is a difference in catch.
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Post by trappnman on Jun 1, 2004 5:53:39 GMT -6
I've come full circle with trap preparation.
I started out with dye/wax, and while I never had any problems with it, I was looking for an easier way.
I then went to dye and then waxing with acrylic wax (like Future floor wax) as read about in Gary Armstrongs book on coon. Worked pretty well on coon when that was my primary quarry.
I continued to wax my canine traps the old fashioned way..
Then I read about the "new" speed dips, and started trying those. Thought that was the way to go- and in fact, did my best ever on the coyote line WITH speed dips.
But this was also the era when I started noticing I was getting digups and refusals. My first thought was, since I was taking a good number of coyotes, that it was my set presentation and my guidng. And part of it was.
I became obsessed with "misses" and was determined that I was going to master flat sets, etc and make no mechanical mistakes when setting up.
As my skill grew, the number of misses went down. I began to truly understand coyotes (BEGIN to ...LOL) became pretty good at guiding.
But I was still getting digging at the trap, side diggings and refusals- for what to me looked like no reason...except...the trap.
So went to F-1. and really liked it the first couple of years I used it- very dry years.
Two years ago, it was an abnormally wet year, and my missses, digging, etc went up.
I've recounted my experiments with traps, dip, etc- so won't get into it here- but suffice to say I islated the trap as the problem.
I went back to dye and wax- and am 100% satisfied and will never change again- no matter how whizzy, timesaving or innovative the new system might be.... ;D I continue to use F-1 on my water and coon traps.
Regarding dye-necessary-? but I don't think it hurts- I've never noticed and substained pattern of digging at dyed traps-
and in my opinion some good. As long as you are boiling anyways, what not dye? I believe the dye, through the boiling process, gets into the crooks and crevaces better than just wax. I also believe it to a degree deodorizes traps-
So with the dye, you have a second layer of protection.
PS- I haven't used lye or a lye type product for years. All I do is spray the general crud of the traps, then soak overnight in a good bleach solution and water. Deoderizes and provides a good cleaning action- really removes the remaining rust and crud. Then boil and simmer in the dye- right to the wax pot.
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Post by a1foxhopper on Jun 1, 2004 7:19:32 GMT -6
Sometimes in the early season I will set dyed unwaxed trap, but when things get wet and nasty I like the protection of the wax mainly because I still use some pottasium chloride for anti freeze.
I dye more so to deoderize than to color. Never had anything but bad luck with dips.
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Post by chub618 on Jun 1, 2004 16:55:05 GMT -6
this will be the first time i have ever used dye on traps! before that i just slightly rusted them and then waxed them... and if i was not going to use them foor coon in the creeks i probably would not have even slightly rusted them
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Post by BrandonH on Jun 1, 2004 18:33:32 GMT -6
Canine Traps-> Clean traps with pressure washer, and then wax. Conis-> speed dip
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Post by woody on Jun 1, 2004 20:27:46 GMT -6
Hey Chub, what dye are you going to use Logwood or the cheap walnut dye ;D I like the walnut dye, it seems to give the trap a camo look. ;D
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Post by dj88ryr on Jun 1, 2004 20:37:45 GMT -6
I am partial to logwood crystals.
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Post by Maineman on Jun 2, 2004 10:47:18 GMT -6
I dye and wax all of my leg hold traps and my 110"s...(I know many say don't wax coni's but I'm not alone in this...)
I usually just paint my 220's and 330's black and my lil-griz traps white, "although" I plan on not painting the griz's this year... I did not notice a difference in the catch with the painted traps and they got really messy (paint pealing) from applying fish oil/jack mackrel and marshmellows to them...
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Post by Iowa Badger on Jun 2, 2004 13:08:06 GMT -6
Canid traps:
Boil in lye or TSP Boil in logwood crystals and gallon or so of walnuts Wax
Conis and water traps: Speed dipped in the past, going to just spray paint some this year.
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Post by Rob220swift on Jun 2, 2004 15:05:44 GMT -6
I boil in sani-flush and dye in logwood crystals, then wax. (land traps) Most water traps are painted and all connibears are painted either brown or black or a combination for a cammo effect. Have been waxing chain and grapple so I guess I'll keep doing that too.
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Post by NittanyLion on Jun 2, 2004 15:31:55 GMT -6
I boil in lye, and wax, no dye. I do dye my bodygrippers, and wax the friction area.
T-man writes:
"PS- I haven't used lye or a lye type product for years. All I do is spray the general crud of the traps, then soak overnight in a good bleach solution and water. Deoderizes and provides a good cleaning action- really removes the remaining rust and crud. Then boil and simmer in the dye- right to the wax pot."
T-man, what ratio of bleach to water do you use?
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Post by chub618 on Jun 2, 2004 15:58:10 GMT -6
woody i wont have time to use walnut hulls. thats bow season! im gonna have all my traps done before the first sat in oct for sure. so i used some liquid dye on a few traps to try out and it seems to be ok. but for the majority of traps im gonna use logwood crystals
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Post by trappnman on Jun 2, 2004 16:14:30 GMT -6
Jim- As a rough guess, I'd say about 3 cups to about a little less than half a washtub of water. I often given a squirt of dish soap into the mix- I use hot water to start- then fill the washtub with traps until about 4-5 inches from top- this allows me to take hoes and spray into water to "mix it up"- don't know if this is needed, but easy enough to do. Then I take bucket of warm water and dip the traps to rinse- air dry and thats it.
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Post by z on Jun 2, 2004 17:15:45 GMT -6
Half a washtub of water...........
Like that really answers his ?
The capacity of your "washtub" Please???
Duhhhhhh!
I thought you was "edumacated"! Zz
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