Walnut dye "vat"?

[BillinOregon]

Just wondering what y'all use to boil up enough walnut hull dye to do a hunting frock. I'm thinking of stopping by Goodwill to see I can find some sort of large kettle, but when I think about making a batch of dye and then actualy stuffing a frock or hunting shirt into the pot, I realize it's going to have to be really big -- at least as large as a canner and maybe larger.

 

[Hiparoo]

Really no need to boil walnut dye-it'll take just as good cold, though it will take a bit more time...I use a big plastic garbage can for my dyebath..

 

[Ridge]

I use a butchering kettle.

The iron pot works as a mordant.

 

[renovato]

If you have much of a hispanic population in your area, go to one of their stores and look for a "tamale pot". It's a large, inexpensive, thin walled steel pot that has an enamel coating and is perfect for a number of odd chores. This is a good time to look for them also, as tamales are traditional during the upcoming holidays.

 

[mbritt]

Don't know if this will apply, but I use an old fashioned washtub to dye animal traps in. You can sometimes find them in country hardware stores. I set it on some rocks placed around a small campfile, put in a bunch of walnut hulls and traps, and let it simmer.

 

[BillinOregon]

MBritt: I hadn't heard of dying traps. Are we talking Victors and Conibears?
Your post just reminded me that I have a small oval galvanized washtub full of charcoal for my forge. I could use that!

 

[reddogge]

All new traps were dyed and waxed before use.

 

[mbritt]

Yeah I'm refering to Victor and Conibear traps. I like to dye and wax the traps every year before using them. I think it gives them a natural color and natural odor and helps to prevent rust. I then dip the leghold traps in hot wax which helps to prevent rust and makes them snap shut faster. I don't wax the Conibear traps because it makes them too dangerous to handle. When I was a young man I used to do a lot tapping but haven't done much lately.

 

[BillinOregon]

Well, I'll be dipped in dye. Had no idea. I had the very great pleasure three winters ago to help a friend work his beaver trap line. We used Conibears and did well. I was very proud of the fact that on Super Bowl Sunday, we were wading in an icy river in a snowstorm recovering some very nice beavers while millions of others were home on the couch getting sloshed on Budweiser and watching football.
Boy, it's a lot of work to run the traps and skin the critters, and then the real work begins!