Coloring/ Dying traps

would anyone happen to know a procedure for making a new reproduction trap look like an old antique? I thought about cold bluing but thatd likely not look too authentic. Would a browning solution work? And if so, how many oz. to do an aprox. 50 lb. trap?

 

It is my understanding that, back in the old days, traps were boiled with soft maple bark.

 

Get some logwood dye and rust up your trap,then boil in the dye.I used to spray my traps with the hose and rub salt on them. This will give your trap a black color like a well used cast iron skillet.

 

Run it in the dish washer...then hang it outside for a while...that will rust and age it.

 

Thanks all for your tips. I haven’t heard of soft maple bark boiling, but its interesting to me. Logwood is not really an option as I was looking to turn that trap a brown patina like color. Like well aged rust without pitting it all to heck.
I like the dishwasher tip a lot, but would need to wait until ma’s out of town lol.

 

Going for bear eh? That heavy at 50 pounds I's hate to carry a pack basket full of em.

Just clean the oils off in boiling water soap bath and hang out side it will rust. Or as I have done at the end of season take to the car wash and high pressure wash everything off.

 

Going for bear if any show up on the fireplace here. Its a Duke repro and I just thought it looks like hell in all its naked glory. Once it gets a little patina on it should look right at home. I am going to wait till Ma heads out for a bit and do a couple trips thru her dishwasher with it. Hopefully it wont get rust stains on the racks....

 

I dye my traps with either walnut hulls or sumac blooms. The sumac makes an almost black color.

 

I could get a lot of walnut husks now, would they make a more “brown” stain than the sumac or the soft maple? I’m looking to stay on the brown side of the color spectrum if possible. Also, am I correct in thinking the dye will stop further rusting also?

 

When traps are new....us trappers ..wash off the oil on new traps...and let them rust. The trap dip or walnut hulls method sticks to the rust. And the traps are then protected from rust and fire quickly . But they are brown or black depending on what you use....they are not old looking or have patina,like you are looking for.

 

The easiest way is to use some “Speed Dip “ reduced with Coleman Fuel ...5-1...5 parts Coleman lantern fuel to 1 part dip.

 

Yessiree, Im all for easiest.... but after starting down this speed dip rabbit hole, and considering my end use here, I’m thinking that considering no prerusting to be done with that method, a can of matte brown spray paint would look really about the same? But then having never used it, am I on the wrong track?

 

Once you speed dip a trap you will never get all of it back off and it is in no way an authentic look. If you want it to look authentic degrease it very well and let it age naturally outside. Once it is rusted up take a rag soaked with Hoppes nitro solvent to clean excess rust off and let it air out in a shed for a few days before displaying inside. You can speed rusting and aging by soaking in 50/50 vinegar water mix then rinsing and then soaking in baking soda water mix to neutralize the acid but keep a close eye on it and make sure it is thoroughly neutralized.

 

This is the way to go to antique finish your trap.

 

Matt-brown spray paint - ugh!

 

Thank you Bassdog, thats what I was looking for! How to achieve that old look.

 

You want an old look ....hang it up outside till next spring...and see if you like it. Traps are dipped for water sets...or boiled and waxed for canine sets,to keep the traps from rusting and firing fast.

 

Thank you NessMuck. I certainly do appreciate your help too. I did some trapping as a kid in high school, but nothing beyond a few dozen rats and a few ermine every fall. Then after school life got too busy to stay at it. I like the thought of it, But dang its hard to get the old round tuit or Id give it a whirl again.

 

We always boiled the traps, drags, steaks, and snares in alder bark. It darkens them, kills the scent, and is moderately durable.

 

If you are going to use these traps, the critters will smell what you have done a mile away!
If you just want them for display go stick them in a compost pile for a year, then hang them up.