August West

I haven't found using PTFE powder a PITA in any way. Dump it in the crockpot on top of the wax and forget about it. Sure, it settles out before the wax solidifies but when I wax my chains I use the MSW method of a "swisher" made out of a coat hanger. Once you start swishing the chain in the hot was the PTFE that had settled to the bottom of the pot is thoroughly mixed in a couple seconds. It really isn't any different than using straight wax.

kingston 

Two dollar battery powered milk frother to mix the Teflon and moly into the wax

DrIsotope

After several years of tinkering, I'd say: Runaway Bike > Homebrew > MSW > Friction Facts formula.
Regardless of the mix, get thee to Ikea... as soon as they reopen? You can probably get one anywhere, really. A buddy gave me mine for free.

Racing Dan

Yeah, I know, but I was thinking of a DIY emulsion, to get rid of the solvents. Do you have to be some kind of advanced chemist to replicate a bottle of Squirt? :-)

SCTinkering

Wend Blue rub on wax. tad out of focus.
I'm giving Wend rub on wax a try. It comes in a stick that you rub on to the top and bottom, then work into the rollers. I wear a rubber glove when I do that. Bonus is that it comes in colors. I chose blue because it matches the accents on my bike.

I'm toying with the idea of getting it to flow just a little bit with a heat shrink gun as I don't know that just rubbing into the rollers is getting as good as penetration as I'd like.

(Yes Absolute Black Oval chain rings)

u235

That did not work for me, any water killed it and it disappeared, more then once mid ride and I could hear the friction and terrible noises when the once wet drive train dried. I still carry a small bottle on multidays because it is convenient but it's not my normal lube.
In my experience, the WL Epic ride version was only marginally better. Silicone and wax based just do not last for me when water is around. My lubes of choice have petroleum in them and last for hours in the rain and water and take about 1 minute to apply and wipe off.

Wooderson

I quit waxing after 3 years.

I used MSW exclusively on my former road and MTB bikes. I got 10,000 miles out of the original road cassette with 8 chains, which is pretty awesome, and even then, I only replaced the cassette because I wore out the 2 chains I was currently running, and the cassette was old AF, not because it was having any issues. I just didn't trust it enough to dedicate two new chains to it (you have to have multiple chains in rotation when waxing so that you can do quick chain swaps when the time arises).

There are pros and cons to waxing. The initial setup is a complete *****, but the ongoing maintenance after that is pretty nice.

So I've given up wax with the new bikes, and I'm back to using Rock N Roll Gold. Preparing new chains is the main reason, it's just too much work, and I don't have time to dick around with it in the garage all day.

BTW, the chains don't stay pristine like many think, at least that wasn't my experience. I had wax buildup between links that made them look dirty, and I had to scrape my mech cage and cassette with a wire brush and pick every now and then.



A closeup of my former MTB waxed chain, that's wax on the inner plates and chainring teeth, not dirt:



new set of chains for the road bike

mineral spirits and denatured alcohol baths



ready for wax

Hiro11

I like wax-based lubes. Liquid lubes just get filthy. Finish Line Dry Teflon in a drip bottle has been my go-to for years.

Pros:
- very clean running, it's a Teflon-based wax in suspension and acts like a wax on your chain. Your cassette stays spotless with this stuff.
- easy to apply, evaporates quickly, doesn't make a mess
- cheap, readily available
- one of the best rated lubes in most friction testing
- silences the drivetrain very well
- works great in dusty gravel conditions because nothing really sticks to it
- cleaning the chain is very easy with spray degreaser. Side note: the WD-40 Bike degreaser spray is a very good product.

Cons:
- doesn't last as long as some
- worthless if you ride in rain
- it's for chains only, doesn't really work on derailleur pivots etc
- it's very light and not very protective, it's not ideal for muddy rides on mountain bikes

Squirt is great stuff too but it's a bit pricey (not that $3 extra really matters) and I don't find it works better than Finish Line.