Originally Posted by
icemilkcoffee
Two points I haven't see mentioned:
1. Don't just dip the chain in and out as soon as the wax melts. You need to get that wax as hot as possible, well above the boiling point of water, and cook the chain in there for a good long time, in order to cook off all the water and solvents remaining on the chain.
2. Don't just pull out the chain when the wax is still scalding hot. The wax will just drip right off the chain. You need to let the wax cool down until it starts to thicken.
I don't agree with either of those points.
1.Zero Friction Cycling and Molten Speed Wax and other articles on cycling explain that you shouldn't go over 200F. This is because high temperatures will break down the hydrocarbon chains in the wax and ruin its lubricating properties. They also explain that you should make sure that the chains are dry and completely purged of all petroleum products and solvents before waxing.
2. Again, ZFC and MSW and others explain that you should pull the chain when hot. The wax will cling to the metal. There is no reason to let it cool.
Edit: Also, here's a nice little FAQ by ZFC explaining much of the above and more, including the pros and cons of using slow cookers, rice cookers, pans on the stove, instant pots, etc.
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/w...-FAQ-v1.3b.pdf