danallen

I thought there might be more threads on this subject, but if there are, I didn't see them when searching for wax and paraffin.

I just watched a video making a good case for using paraffin to lube bicycle chains. Claims:
1. Adds 5 watts to the wheels as a result of better lube compared to any other product.
2. Chain and gears do not get nearly as dirty
3. Adds a lot of life to all parts of the drive chain because the lube is better, more slippery plus the wax keeps grit out of the rollers and off gear, compared to other lube that attracts grit.

The basic process is
1. Start with a clean chain and gears. Same guy has a video showing the most effective cleaining is accomplished by putting the chain in gasoline, shaking it for a minute, then let it sit. Does an experiement showing a better result than using brushes with degreaser or ultrasound.
2. Put the chain in hot paraffin long enough to get all the air out of the rollers (bubbles visible), which has been supplemented with paraffin oil to make the wax softer when cool.
3. Using a bent coat hanger to get the chain out of the was without burning yourself.
4. Immediately wipe all the wax off the chain that you can with a rag. That leaves the wax in the rollers
5. Let chain cool.

Depending on conditions, lube lasts up to about 150 miles before another treatment is needed.

What say you?

canklecat

There are endless threads on waxing chains, including another on the mechanics forum right now.

And while most of that Aussie fellow's tips are good, some of us cringe at his videos because of his disregard for safe handling of gasoline. Note the open containers on a workbench near electrical outlets and devices capable of producing sparks. As a former OSHA inspector I've already seen the consequences of such disregard for the dangers of flammable liquids.

So don't do that.

But otherwise, sure, wax has some benefits. And some drawbacks. It's best for dry dusty regions. It doesn't last long between applications. And purists may be annoyed by the more audible drivetrain noise, even when the wax is indeed working properly.

I use it because my bikes are in my living room and spare bedroom. I got tired of chain tattoos on my legs, pants and cats.

And I still have one bike with a conventionally oiled chain, my all weather errand bike. Park CL-1 lasts longer between applications and doesn't wash out in rain.

BritishV8

Yep. I'll add that for two years and over 6000 miles, I've used Gulf Wax with a little bit of PTFE (teflon) powder stirred in. I'm pleased with the results. My process is simpler than what you've described above. I start with a nickel plated chain. I only degrease the chain once, to get the original factory lubricant off. I use odorless mineral spirits for that (certainly NOT gasoline!) I don't rinse or wash the mineral spirits off, and I'm not particularly fussed about drying the chain. I don't worry about wiping off excess wax... it just hasn't been necessary. After the first application, the chain will never be greasy again so it'll never be necessary to degrease. Chain gets washed if I'm washing the rest of the bike. It's nice that my wash rags don't get greasy! I give the chain a quick wipe with a rag before re-waxing. Mileage between wax applications varies widely... with more frequent application necessary during wet season.

FlashBazbo

That would have me doing this full maintenance routine at least once per week. Twice some weeks. No. I don't consider that to be effective lubrication. I'd rather be riding my bike, thanks.

All bike racers are pretty OCD about fitness and riding. These folks are OCD about chain hygeine. It's a separate hobby from cycling. I don't begrudge it. It's just not for me.

DrIsotope

I get 500-700 miles per dip using my hot wax blend. Rotating two chains per bike-- one chain is on the bike, the other is waiting in a crockpot-- I spend a total of ~10 minutes per month dealing with chains.

Chains stay clean, hands stay clean, drivetrain is quiet, the only time I have to degrease anything is when the new chain comes out of the package.

And as it's two chains per bike, which means 6,000-7,000 miles per pair, I have to degrease chains once a year. Chainrings and cassettes, never.

Chain waxing isn't perfect, and it isn't for everyone, but it works remarkably well for me.

danallen

Ok, so my search was too narrow. Thank you for the tip on where I can look. I won't belabor the topic here. I appreciate the experience you could share./

burnthesheep

MSW user here. Full TT bike clean and lube process for all my chains.

About 1000 miles per job for dryish road riding and 250 cross or gravel riding.

Love it.

I keep a spare chain so the work is halved. So 2000 miles in reality. I drop the cassette into the ultrasonic at same time.

The wife likes no more grease stains in the house. No regrets.

canklecat

Yep, an ultrasonic cleaner would be the way to go. It's on my maybewish list.

And there are caustic soda degreasing methods that entail other hazardous material handling precautions, but at least avoids the gasoline problems.

MoAlpha

Steel recycles.

Maelochs

I waxed for a while, plan to start again .... in fact, just bought two blocks of Gulf wax about four days ago.

I use mineral spirits instead of gasoline for cleaning, but I have used gasoline too (safely .... I have seen some stuff which makes me not want to be stupid with flammables.)

Not nearly as convenient as squirting some stuff on the chain, bu I also spend a lot of time degreasing chains and cassettes---each to his or her own preference, but I plan to go back to waxing----except on my rain bike, as Mr. @canklecat also suggests.

sdmc530

I do the same thing, Molten Speed Wax is good stuff. I have a 2 chain rotation as well and I do about 1500 miles on the two chains before having to fire up the crock pot. only thing I do different is after I get the chain CLEAN the first time I don't clean it again. when it needs a re-wax application I just make sure its brushed off and put it back in the hot wax. Never had an issue.

Wife really likes it that I moved to wax. Keep her house clean and I can keep the bikes in the house where they belong!

Sy Reene

What's the perceived benefit of the hot wax method, versus (random example) using a bottled wax product like Pedro's Slick Wax ?

masi61

Not sure about Pedro’s Slick Wax but to use the example of White Lightning vs Molten Speed Wax, I would say that the hot wax is superior in several respects:

1) The hot wax actually can work its way into the internals of the links, if the White Lightning gets in there it is to a much lesser degree because chain noise comes back after just one ride on the White Lightning.

2) White Lightning builds up really badly in clumps on the pulleys. Hot wax does this to a small extent but really I have been able to stay on top of my derailleur pulleys, chainrings and cassette cogs much better when I have used hot wax. The excess seems to flake off and fall away or the few little flakes that break away and randomly stick to the hub shell or pulleys is not bad at all to wipe off.

3) Duration of the wax. Liquid wax lube (talking again about White Lightning) seems to crap out after one ride, the hot wax can be much more tenacious- sticking around for longer intervals - I usually am fine for about 5 rides of 36-50 miles length before I decide to re-apply mainly because the noise is audible, particularly when climbing and therefore torquing away a bit at the chain.

DrIsotope

I could never get a drip wax to last more than about 75 miles per application-- White Lightning was the worst IME, with chain squeaking beginning after as few as 25 miles.

I hot wax (over 20,000 miles now,) but have a bottle of Squirt to use for touch-up if it's been especially wet out. The tiniest amount can refresh the wax and get me through to the next dip.

Sy Reene

Came across the below linked site.. interesting comparisons. Certainly the MSP does well. At the same time, from this testing it appears there is drip based wax lube (UFO Drip) that can compete.. but at $75 for 6ozs it seems a bit crazy (despite the linked test/study showing an OK cost per mile). The Pedros could conceivably be comparable to the UFO, as its description is a wax delivered by an alcohol, but at only about $1.25/oz

https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/

redlude97

Molten speed wax done in batches ~3x chains/bike. Only need to do it a few times a year.

canklecat

Ditto, all the drawbacks masi61 described with bottled liquid wax. Most of it ends up on the chainrings, cogs and pulleys, not in the chain bearing surfaces.

White Lightning Easy Lube leaves a clumpy mess like wet clay. I had to floss the cassette with an old shoelace to degunk it after a couple of weeks with Easy Lube. It was actually dragging the chain and messing up shifting. It's slightly less bad if applied to the lower side of the chain. Most of it will drip off so use newspaper or a container to catch the mess. But at least it doesn't all wind up on the cassette as it does when White Lightning's own directions are followed.

Boeshield T9 penetrates better and doesn't leave a waxy buildup. But if the chain isn't perfectly dry before the first ride it picks up as much grimy sludge as any wet oil lube.

Wet waxes are wasteful. Most of it ends up on the ground, floor or newspaper.

I'll occasionally try other methods but nothing seems to work better than Gulf wax or the equivalent melted in a crock pot.

dim

this is good

Sy Reene

Ok, but now 3 different people have said White Lightening is no good.. got it. Has anyone tried other brands of liquid wax?

canklecat

Boeshield T9 is paraffin in some kind of non-flammable solvent. The manufacturer has never disclosed the complete ingredients and is exempt from disclosure on the MSDS as it's not considered hazardous and protected under trade secrets. (White Lightning Easy Lube smells like naptha, a common solvent for paraffin.)

Boeshield T9 is effective for protecting metal against corrosion and rust -- I use it on the pocket knife I clip into the waistband of my shorts/bibs on bike rides. Before trying Boeshield that stainless steel Spyderco blade would occasionally rust. No problems since using Boeshield.

It's okay as a chain lube, with the limitations I mentioned above. It doesn't last long, maybe 100 miles. It'll attract grime if not allowed to dry thoroughly -- which takes awhile because it doesn't use a petroleum solvent that evaporates quickly, so I'll use a hair dryer or fan. It leaves a much thinner film than most waxes, and seems reasonably persistent despite the thin film.

redlude97

squirt has worked well for me, its a bit messier than hot wax overall and goes gunk up pulley wheels and cogs if applied excessively and not wiped away. I primarily use it as a backup for waxed chains that begin to squeek before I have a chance to swap so hardly ever use it as a primary lube on a bare chain

TMonk

I'm in San Diego and I prefer a clean drivetrain, so I'm on team wax.

DaveSSS 

My easy to make homebrew wax lube lasts longer than most users claim, costs pennies per ounce and it does not end up on the floor or other parts of the bike. If you're smart, you hold a folded paper shop towel below the links that you're lubing. With the proper applicator bottle, you put 1-2 drops on each roller. When the entire chain has been lubed, hold the paper towel around the chain and spin the cranks a few turns to help spread the lube and remove excess.

I always lube my chain after a ride, so it has plenty of time to dry. The result should be as clean as any hot dipped chain because there isn't a lot of wax, where it does no good. One ounce of wax with .5 ounce of oil (maximum) and 3-4 ounces of naptha makes enough lube to last a long time. I make larger batches that can be stored in a larger bottle and transferred to a smaller applicator bottle as needed. The amount of wax used is a small fraction of the amount used in a single hot dip.

sdmc530

I am interested in this....so how long would it last if you didn't apply after every ride? I don't know if I could ever do this every ride. If this is a nessasary step then it seems like its not working.

DaveSSS 

Applying lube after a ride doesn't mean applying it after EVERY ride. I can get at least 3 rides or 120 miles, before I reapply the lube. Those whining about getting lube where it doesn't belong must lube right before a ride, then sling it everywhere, before it has time for the solvent to evaporate. Using a fast drying solvent like camp stove fuel is better than using mineral spirits.

I would never let the chain start squeaking before applying more lube. After several lubes, I also believe it wise to remove the chain for cleaning, but some people seem to think that a chain never needs cleaning. If I twist the chain between my fingers, I can usually hear some gritty sounds and to me that means it's dirty. Can't say if the cleaning extends the chain life, but that's what I do.

I've seen videos where a lube manufacturer recommends squirting a stream of lube on the chain, right above the cassette, while spinning the cranks. That's a good way to make a mess and empty one of those 4 ounce bottles quickly. If only one drop of lube is applied to each roller, you can get as many as 6 applications per ounce. When the lube costs pennies per ounce, I'm not that stingy with it.

I used a wet lube made from oil and mineral spirits for many years and got good chain life, but it was extremely dirty. This new wax based lube is about 10 times cleaner.