Post by bogio on Oct 9, 2012 19:45:49 GMT -6
I boil and dye in a stainless steel beer keg with one end cut off. Holds about 18 #3 Montys at a time. Boil clean in lye drain opener. Takes about 20 min. a batch. Skim crud off top, when it stops coming up, pull em out and throw the next batch in. Once all done, dump the lye water, rinse the can and start over with black crystals. Same deal, about 20 min. Pull em out and throw the next ones in. Rinse and let dry. Nice and black. No rust.
Once all dyed, put wax pot on fire. Blue granite finish canning pot from WalMart. Can dunk 3 at a time. Been using the same wax for years. Just keep adding to it when it gets low. Throw in a chunk of rosin at the same time. Wax is still the same color it was when I started years ago. Throw the traps in, give em about a min. Pull out and shake off the excess. One hand shaking while the other is dunking. Pile em on a half sheet of ply wood to cool. When cooled, wrap chains and store in tubs.
I use a branding torch and 100# cylinder to boil, dye and wax. Just turn the heat up or down. Do everything in one continuous process.
Once all dyed, put wax pot on fire. Blue granite finish canning pot from WalMart. Can dunk 3 at a time. Been using the same wax for years. Just keep adding to it when it gets low. Throw in a chunk of rosin at the same time. Wax is still the same color it was when I started years ago. Throw the traps in, give em about a min. Pull out and shake off the excess. One hand shaking while the other is dunking. Pile em on a half sheet of ply wood to cool. When cooled, wrap chains and store in tubs.
I use a branding torch and 100# cylinder to boil, dye and wax. Just turn the heat up or down. Do everything in one continuous process.