Making my waxed dirt

[orcatdog]

Well this year, I decided to get on the ball and try to get everything in place and ready before the coyote / cat line. Traps dyed and waxed. Trying something new to me this year with my waxed dirt. Making it in a cement mixer vs. the slow method of making in black plastic tubs in the sun.
I'm using native soil in the trapping ground and I like to mix in some sand, and sifted peat moss. About 3 pounds of wax per 5 gallons of dry dirt mixture. Using a weed burner for heat.
Question, does it hurt or has anyone notice a difference if you put the heat directly on the dirt vs. just heating the outside of the drum? Will the direct flame burn the peat and damage the batch?
Any advice is great as I don't want to waste a bunch of dirt, wax and time!

[Gibb]

I would think you would want to be careful not to burn the dirt and get a burnt smell to it. I use a cement mixer and just heat the outside of the drum. Take care to let it cool properly before you dump it out of the mixer. Otherwise it will not be properly mixed with the soil.
Jim

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Unless you are hell bent on trapping coyotes in frozen ground I'd just chuck it all and make uncovered cat sets.

[Zagman]

For making volumes of dirt, better to have the weed burner on the outside. Rig a contraption to hold your burner in place and while the drum is still spinning you can dump dirt and then add your next batch.

Much faster this way vs. having to take the burner out....

Believe me...once you get going and get that drum heated up, the flame on the outside won't take long to heat the next batch up.......

Only takes minutes.....and the next batch is dark and wet and ready to be dumped.

Get some shallow plastic containers that will fit under your mixed so when you dump the waxed dirt out, you can immediately throw the next batch in. Once that new dirt is in the mixer, than you can pulled the tub out from under and let it cool, mixing it a bit to prevent clumping.

You dont want to start packing hot, wet (from wax) dirt right in to your long term storage tubs/cans. Let it cool down a bit first.

Due to speed of mixer and melting time, you may need several of these shallow tubs at once so you can have several of them going at once in different stages of cooling. I used the black plastic tubs from True Value that O'Gorman recommended for the solar powered waxing....they are probably 3' X 4' and 10 inches deep. And they fit perfecting under the legs and wheels of my mixer on the short end of the tub.


Zagman

[Zagman]

Plus you dont have the down time of waiting to heat the mixer up again, and on a less important scale, therefore, less propane use.

Wow, I think Beav said his way MIGHT not be the best way!

Lottery, anyone?



Z

[Gibb]

If you are going to work out of the back of your truck, I would recommend wax sand over dirt. The only problem is the extra weight. Find it much better then wax dirt, does not blow away in the open.
After each batch make sure to test it. I grab a handful of the sand and add a little water to see if the water will stay on top of the sand. If the water leaks into the sand you do not have enough wax.
Jim

[Wright Brothers]

Got sand left over from a job. Got wax. Got big black tarp. Got plenty of sunshine.

I wouldn't put the torch right on the dirt but that's just me. Wax smells funny after being scorched.

I stopped flaking the wax too, not needed with sun method. I whack it with splitting maul.

I don't think a winter trapper in my region could have too much.

[lewisk]

I use a small electric mixer and washed sand that was free. I let the sand dry out completely before I start waxing. I found that having the torch pointed into the drum but not directly on the sand sped up the heating. I wired the torch to a step ladder so I could move it out of the way when the batch was done. I dumped the batch onto a heavy plastic tarp and let it cool while I raked it around and the next batch was going.

I have quite a bit left from last year because the line got shorted up by all the snow we received. I hope it doesn't melt and solidify into blocks this summer.

Just my 2cents.

[musher]

I don't have a cement mixer and i don't want a cement mixer. I already have enough to keep me busy without having to make cement.

I us a paint mixer on an electric drill. I only make a couple of gallons of waxed sand at a time.

I start off by sifting the sand and drying it in the sun. I then melt the wax in an old pot on the stove and pour it onto the sand. I then mix the heck out of it with the paint mixer. I'll take my trowel after the wax is well mixed into the sand to stir some more..

You must keep on stirring once in a while as the wax cools or else you'll have clumping.

[RonMarsh]

1 Leave thee peet out of the mix it soaks up a lot of wax and causes a lot of problems.
2 Heat the sand soil mix until it is hot.
3 Remove the heat.
4 Add the wax.
WARNING do not reheat after adding wax.
5 test the mix with water in a clear jar.

[milkie62]

Last year I made it on the ground on plywood.I made 20 gallons the last 2 days with the high outside temps.Put the plywood on sawhorses and it will hold about 6 gallons spread out.No covering at all ,just let the plywood soak up the heat. I may trim the sheet down abit so 5 gallons fits nicely and then paint it black to absorb the heat.When dirt is hot to the touch I sprinkle the wax on and let it sit.Go back in about 20 minutes and its all wet stir it up with a shovel and add more wax.Let it get wet and then the dirt will get little "sheety" chunks.I just sift it back into the buckets seal it and label the date with a sharpie marker.I bought Lowes gray 5 gallon buckets and tops so that I know not to use them for nothing else.The only time I have involved is dumping the dirt on the plywood,sprinkling the wax on and dumping it in the buckets.

[orcatdog]

Thanks everyone,
I decided to take out most of the sifted peat moss and use local dirt and a little more sand.
Put the weed burner on the outside vs. sticking directly inside due to being scared it would scorch peat or the wax.
We had 10, 5 gallon home depot buckets with lids all full of pre-sifted, clean dry dirt. Our mixer was able to make 10 gallons at a time. It took less than an hour for all 50 gallons. Beats the hell out of the old solar method, of stirring, waiting, adding more wax, stirring again, etc. I believe our mixture was 3-4 pounds of grainulated or shredded wax per 5 gallons of dirt.
And yes Geronimo, its mainly for the Nov. coyote line - although I still use a few old fashion cubby sets besides the exposed walk throughs on the kittys.
Thanks for all the comments and recommendations guys.

[Stef]

I like sand too... heavy but easy to make and no wasted time drying humid top soil or high humus content soil.

Sand won't suck wax like other soil and its about 3 time cheaper to make compared to dirt.

1 LB wax to 4-5 gallons of sand is plenty.

NOTE: Sand stays HOT a long time after taking out of the drum

[coalbank]

Still make in a couple of old microwave ovens. Can make on rain days or evenings at your liesure. Made 110 gal last year and ran out. Hard to have too much around here.

[Wright Brothers]

Hey Coalbank I got a salamander heater here. I bet with it and that mixer a couple guys could pile up the WD. Actually I got a torch also.

[coloradocat]

Anyone ever tried just heating your wax and adding it to your dirt and mixing it? Just curious.

[cmr2]

the cold dirt would make it clump(wax)and not mix as easy as it would be soilod before one could get it mixed ,
the hot dirt will only hold so much wax ,its like dipping your traps in wax and not letting them come up to temp. ,the wax will be there but not bonded the way it works best

[trappincoyotes39]

I think if using a cement mixer and keeping dry dirt moving heating the wax and adding it to ambiant temp dirt would be fine. Or as mentioned mix the heck out of it in a bucket while someone adds the melted wax. Trap wax I think takes more heat to break down that dirt wax does it not?

[coloradocat]

well ya answered my question,lol. Just a thought, had to ask, you dont get answers unless ya ask. Thanks for the insight cmr2.

[trappnman]

I read , can't remember who perhaps stef- where they did just that, melted that wax, and then mixed it with the dirt