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Cleaning a chain prior to first wax bath: OMS + Methyl Hydrate VS Citrus + water

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Cleaning a chain prior to first wax bath: OMS + Methyl Hydrate VS Citrus + water

Old 12-03-20, 10:29 AM
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gauvins
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Cleaning a chain prior to first wax bath: OMS + Methyl Hydrate VS Citrus + water

I currently rotate chains that I clean in solvent and lube with a thick oil. Works well (commuting & long tours), but last week for some reason I got fed-up with the problem of solvent disposal and decided to switch to citrus-based solvents (and possibly just dish soap). One thing leading to another, I now plan to wax my chains for next season (commuting & short tours).

Chain waxing is a time tested way of fighting chain tattoos and I very much doubt that 50 years ago cyclists agonized about how to clean their chains prior to dipping them in molten wax. Searching for advice, I found a very wide range of opinions, as casual as no prior cleaning (people dipping dirty chains in wax and saying that over time they get rid of oil) to the imperative of several baths in OMS followed by a couple of rinses in denatured alcohol in order to get the wax to stick to the chain (the latter from a site selling high-end wax).

My current thinking is to use a citrus solvent followed by clean hot water rinse, but I'd be interested to read about others' experiences.
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Old 12-03-20, 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by gauvins
I currently rotate chains that I clean in solvent and lube with a thick oil. Works well (commuting & long tours), but last week for some reason I got fed-up with the problem of solvent disposal and decided to switch to citrus-based solvents (and possibly just dish soap). One thing leading to another, I now plan to wax my chains for next season (commuting & short tours).

Chain waxing is a time tested way of fighting chain tattoos and I very much doubt that 50 years ago cyclists agonized about how to clean their chains prior to dipping them in molten wax. Searching for advice, I found a very wide range of opinions, as casual as no prior cleaning (people dipping dirty chains in wax and saying that over time they get rid of oil) to the imperative of several baths in OMS followed by a couple of rinses in denatured alcohol in order to get the wax to stick to the chain (the latter from a site selling high-end wax).

My current thinking is to use a citrus solvent followed by clean hot water rinse, but I'd be interested to read about others' experiences.
People like to over complicate chain cleaning...way, way, way over complicate it. It’s a chain, it wears, it’s cheap (or you should be using cheap chains because they are just the same as expensive ones), and it doesn’t need to be clean room clean.

Frankly, mineral spirits will do the job just fine with a lot less volume than citrus cleaners. In my experience, a cup of mineral spirits cleans at least a dozen chains. A cup of citrus cleaner probably won’t clean one...and you’ll need several times the volume of the citrus cleaner in water to make sure the citrus cleaner is removed. Then you need something to remove the water. See where I’m going? A cup of mineral spirits (divided by 12) or 12 times 1 pint of citrus cleaner, 4 to 8 pints of water, and 1 to 2 pints of acetone or denatured alcohol. In other words, that’s about a tablespoon (20 mL) vs up to 10 gallons (about 40 L). Which one has a disposal problem?

Additionally, hot waxing a chain doesn’t require stripping everything off the chain each time it is waxed. It probably doesn’t need stripping the first time it is waxed. The factory lubricant is a soft wax and will mix readily with the harder canning waxes that most people use. It will result in a softer wax...similar to Speed Wax...that won’t flake off as easily. You can think of the molten wax as just being mineral spirits with a higher melting point.

Bottom line: Keep it simple. There is no real need to generate gallons of waste just to clean a chain prior to waxing. If it takes more than 30 seconds...or however long it takes for your arm to get tired while shaking the chain in a bottle of mineral spirits...you taken far too long.
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Old 12-03-20, 12:38 PM
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If water is used, it must somehow be removed before waxing. I don't believe that denatured alcohol is necessary. Mineral spirits or naphtha (camp stove fuel) will both dissolve any lube on the chain and they will dissolve paraffin. Camp stove fuel can be bought for a much lower price than mineral spirits as Crown brand at Walmart. Although it may be frowned upon, I've used gasoline for the initial cleaning of a heavily greased new chain because it's cheap. I later put the gasoline and grease mixture in a tin can and burn it off to get rid of it. It's not explosive, once mixed with enough oil or grease. Same goes for old mineral spirits or camp stove fuel. If too much oil is in the mixture, you can't even get it lighted with a match.

I much prefer to use my liquid paraffin based lube, rather than hot wax. It's clean and dry, and can be replenished without removing the chain. I melt the paraffin in a tin can, add 20-30% auto gear lube or other high quality oil, and dilute that with at least 4 parts naphtha. It has a water like viscosity at temps over about 75 degrees F. That usually means that it needs to be warmed by placing the dispensing bottle in some hot tap water. If the chain is cold, it may need a little warming with a hair dryer or heat gun, or it will start to harden before having time to penetrate inside the rollers. Increasing the amount of naphtha will lower the temp at which the lube remains a liquid.
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Old 12-03-20, 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by gauvins
I currently rotate chains that I clean in solvent and lube with a thick oil. Works well (commuting & long tours), but last week for some reason I got fed-up with the problem of solvent disposal and decided to switch to citrus-based solvents (and possibly just dish soap). One thing leading to another, I now plan to wax my chains for next season (commuting & short tours).

Chain waxing is a time tested way of fighting chain tattoos and I very much doubt that 50 years ago cyclists agonized about how to clean their chains prior to dipping them in molten wax. Searching for advice, I found a very wide range of opinions, as casual as no prior cleaning (people dipping dirty chains in wax and saying that over time they get rid of oil) to the imperative of several baths in OMS followed by a couple of rinses in denatured alcohol in order to get the wax to stick to the chain (the latter from a site selling high-end wax).

My current thinking is to use a citrus solvent followed by clean hot water rinse, but I'd be interested to read about others' experiences.
I do the lazy overkill method. I use a three pronged method. First treatment is degreaser. I just let it soak overnight. I am a bit lazy so that is really the only reason. I use simple green but a citrus solvent should work. Next day, I remove, wash with water and put it in mineral spirits and again let it soak overnight. Again, just lazy on my part. Shake maybe once or twice but that is about it. Next day, remove and wash with water and do a soak in ethanol again overnight because, you guessed it, I am lazy. Next day, remove, quick rinse with water, wipe down and dry (I use a hair dryer) before going into the hot wax where I let it sit for a bit - not overnight but a good bit before turning the slow cooker off and taking the chain out. I wait for the wax to start forming little islands on top. A quick wipe down and let dry before putting onto bike. When I started, I did two chains, so now, I am never in a rush and do it so I have the chain ready to go on when I take the used chain off.

Also, the chain that has been waxed and comes off the bike is generally just wiped down with water, dried and put into hot wax. No real cleaning. The above was just for new chains.

In terms of solvent, the degreaser gets put into a potted plant (for no other reason other than wanting to see what it would do to the plant), the mineral spirts are filtered and re-used. The ethanol is generally pretty clean and have not done much to that. I have now converted my three road bikes and my three mountain bikes.

Honestly, what I do is overkill and you could easily do just a 60 second degreaser, a 60 second mineral spirit and water/dry before waxing. I get about 200-300 miles on a chain. I generally change out chains when I hear them and shifting gets impacted. I should probably do it sooner but am lazy.

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Old 12-03-20, 12:46 PM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
It’s a chain, it wears, it’s cheap (or you should be using cheap chains because they are just the same as expensive ones), and it doesn’t need to be clean room clean.
Yes, yes, largely agree. This being said, I am trying Wipperman's Sx chains (SS & nickel plated) and found them to be worth the price difference.


Originally Posted by cyccommute
The factory lubricant is a soft wax and will mix readily with the harder canning waxes that most people use. It will result in a softer wax...similar to Speed Wax...that won’t flake off as easily. You can think of the molten wax as just being mineral spirits with a higher melting point.
Interesting. I might introduce a third chain in my rotation. Uncleaned prior to the first paraffin bath, and see how it compares.
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Old 12-03-20, 01:12 PM
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Originally Posted by DaveSSS
Although it may be frowned upon, I've used gasoline for the initial cleaning of a heavily greased new chain because it's cheap. I later put the gasoline and grease mixture in a tin can and burn it off to get rid of it. It's not explosive, once mixed with enough oil or grease
Don’t. Just don’t. While gasoline may not be that flammable after it has “enough oil and grease” in it, it is far more flammable up to the point. Other solvents are less flammable, less hazardous, and less toxic.

Additionally, while you might feel comfortable with using it, the Intertubz is populated with a whole bunch of people who are of questionable intelligence. I’m a chemist with lots of experienced dealing with highly hazardous materials and I wouldn’t use gasoline outside of an engine for any purpose. Period.

If water is used, it must somehow be removed before waxing. I don't believe that denatured alcohol is necessary.
While I agree that the water should be removed before waxing, what do you propose using instead of denatured alcohol? Bourbon? More water? If you just let the water dry, it will take a long time and the chain is likely to rust in the process. Speeding up the drying with heat works but it speeds up the oxidation process as well

Mineral spirits or naphtha (camp stove fuel) will both dissolve any lube on the chain and they will dissolve paraffin. Camp stove fuel can be bought for a much lower price than mineral spirits as Crown brand at Walmart.
Yup. Camp stove fuel is a little more toxic...has more benzene in it...but it would work. A gallon of the stuff is overkill however. I’ve got a liter of mineral spirits that I’ve had for between 10 and 20 years that I’m still trying to use up. I’m about half way done with it.

I much prefer to use my liquid paraffin based lube, rather than hot wax. It's clean and dry, and can be replenished without removing the chain. I melt the paraffin in a tin can, add 20-30% auto gear lube or other high quality oil, and dilute that with at least 4 parts naphtha. It has a water like viscosity at temps over about 75 degrees F. That usually means that it needs to be warmed by placing the dispensing bottle in some hot tap water. If the chain is cold, it may need a little warming with a hair dryer or heat gun, or it will start to harden before having time to penetrate inside the rollers. Increasing the amount of naphtha will lower the temp at which the lube remains a liquid.
Or you could just buy any number of products out there with less fuss. White Lightning Clean Ride or Rock ‘N’ Roll work well and don’t cost much in the grand scheme of things.
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Old 12-03-20, 01:34 PM
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I wouldn't use a citrus degreaser, so no water and no alcohol needed. My home made lube cost pennies per ounce, while products like Squirt chain lube are $3-4 per ounce. A one pound package of paraffin will make a huge amount of lube.
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Old 12-03-20, 01:38 PM
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I wipe the chain off with a paper towel, put it in a mini-crockpot with melted paraffin and allow its temperature to equalibriate, then swirl it around with an old screwdriver, pull it out and hang it up to drain and cool, and put it on the bike. The only slow part is melting the wax. I do two or three chains at once, and at least two for the same bike.

On the rare occasions when a paper towel would not be adequate (eg: converting a used, conventionally-lubed chain), old white gas (camp fuel, petro) or mineral spirits should take only minutes. The biggest problem is disposing of the waste, so much so I prefer just to buy a new chain under such circumstances.

The lifetime of my chains has dramatically improved, and my hands are clean after doing bike maintenance, so much so that when I forget about it and touch a friend's drive-train, I'm a bit shocked and repulsed by how filthy it gets. (One guy I gave a bike to with a freshly waxed chain decided to dump what appeared to be dirty motor oil on it.)

The main motivation for cleaning off the grime before waxing is to keep my wax clean.

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Old 12-03-20, 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by wgscott
[...]I prefer just to buy a new chain under such circumstances. [...]
Do you clean the new chain (to remove factory lube)? If so, how do you do it?

p.s. Your motives (chain life, cleanliness, solvent disposal) are exactly why I'll try wax baths. And my plan is also very similar to yours (several chains at once).
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Old 12-03-20, 03:28 PM
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This is what I do before I wax a chain for the first time.
https://moltenspeedwax.com/pages/clean-your-chain
The instructions make it seem a lot harder than it is in real life, and it's only once per chain. After that, it just goes in the crock pot full of melted wax.

When I'm done cleaning a new chain, I pour the used OMS & alcohol through a coffee filter in a funnel into jars so I can use it again next time.
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Old 12-03-20, 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted by gauvins
Do you clean the new chain (to remove factory lube)? If so, how do you do it?

p.s. Your motives (chain life, cleanliness, solvent disposal) are exactly why I'll try wax baths. And my plan is also very similar to yours (several chains at once).
Just wipe it off, or rinse it in mineral spirits or white gas if that isn't sufficient. Remember that the liquified wax also cleans the chain.

I suspect that the most important lubricants for the chain are what come bonded to the surface, and that the wax or whatever essentially protects the chain from the elements, and smooths the engagement of the chain with the teeth on the cogs.
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Old 12-03-20, 04:41 PM
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Originally Posted by DaveSSS
I wouldn't use a citrus degreaser, so no water and no alcohol needed. My home made lube cost pennies per ounce, while products like Squirt chain lube are $3-4 per ounce. A one pound package of paraffin will make a huge amount of lube.
Neither would I but, if someone does use citrus degreaser which needs a water wash afterward, alcohol is one of the few things that would remove the water quickly.
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Old 01-23-21, 06:19 PM
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I live in an apartment and hence I will not use oms, gasoline, da or any harsh chemicals.

I used Finish Line citrus degreaser and pure orange oil which is the main ingredient and seems to be almost edible.


Used chain,
-I put the chain in a container, added a bit of degreaser, after a couple of minutes I add water, shake. Once dirty repeat this with new hotwater/degreaser mix until water comes clear.
- Wipe the chain with a cloth, lay it flat on a container and put just enough degreaser to cover it. I don't add water, let it sit for 30 minutes or so.
- Now shake it with hot water and mild soap. Again repeat this until the water comes clean.
- Wipe and put it in a container and submerge the chain in %99 ipa. Let it sit for another 30 minutes, if the alcohol stays mostly clear then take the chain out. The chain dries very fast.

For new chains I used both Finish line and Pure Orange oil,

-Submerge the chain in degreaser (again single layer on a small enough container). After and hour Orange oil did a much better job at getting rid of the factory lube in terms of sound.


So for used chains it is very messy but both seem to work, for new chains orange oil seem to be better. Moreover pure Orange oil seems to be one of the safest cleaners out there. There is only a nice orange scent, it is almost edible.

The problem is orange oil is very expensive. I put the chain in the smallest container I can find, lay it single layer so that I can use the smallest amount of degreaser to submerge it (Sram's boxes are great, ziplock bag also should work but they sometimes leak) and let it sit overnight (or 4 hours at least ). It seems to work.

Probably an ultrasonic cleaner will make this process much easier and decrease the amount of degreaser to be used(or allows one to use milder degreasers).

On a side note I have tried regular simple green on a leftover piece and it corroded moreover it didn't really do anything in terms of degreasing. I wonder if Simple Green's other non-corrosive offerings (aircraft or HD) are better?
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Old 03-26-22, 01:12 PM
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My pre-wax routine, I do at least three chains at a time:
1. Soak for 1-2 days in mineral spirits, drain.
2. Soak for another 1-2 days in fresh mineral spirits.
3. Put the chains in a fresh container and shake them with a small amount of fresh mineral spirits just to get the last of any residue off.
4. Wipe down thoroughly with a microfiber towel and hang dry for a few hours.
5. Put the chains in a fresh container and shake with isopropyl alcohol. Drain
6. Second shake with isopropyl alcohol.
7. Hang dry.

The above is obviously a bit of a pain and you wind up with a bunch of dirty solvent you need to dispose of properly. The upside is that the chains get completely degreased and wax will adhere well to the metal. As I said, this works best if you are cleaning a bunch of chains at once. I run a three chain cycle on all my bikes, so I have lots of chains in the basement.

My experience has been that Shimano chains are easiest to degrease, KMC chains are second easiest. SRAM chains are covered in sticky crap that's almost impossible to get off without an ultrasonic cleaner.
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Old 03-26-22, 02:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Hiro11
My pre-wax routine, I do at least three chains at a time:
1. Soak for 1-2 days in mineral spirits, drain.
2. Soak for another 1-2 days in fresh mineral spirits.
3. Put the chains in a fresh container and shake them with a small amount of fresh mineral spirits just to get the last of any residue off.
4. Wipe down thoroughly with a microfiber towel and hang dry for a few hours.
5. Put the chains in a fresh container and shake with isopropyl alcohol. Drain
6. Second shake with isopropyl alcohol.
7. Hang dry.

The above is obviously a bit of a pain and you wind up with a bunch of dirty solvent you need to dispose of properly. The upside is that the chains get completely degreased and wax will adhere well to the metal. As I said, this works best if you are cleaning a bunch of chains at once. I run a three chain cycle on all my bikes, so I have lots of chains in the basement.

My experience has been that Shimano chains are easiest to degrease, KMC chains are second easiest. SRAM chains are covered in sticky crap that's almost impossible to get off without an ultrasonic cleaner.

And, I’ll say it again, why the complicated multi step process? Have you tested your seven step process and found it to be superior to a single step…shake in mineral spirits…process? Does your overly complicated system give you improved mileage? And by how much? Does it double, triple or even increase chain life by 10 times? Or do you get just about the same mileage as most others who do a lot less work? My money is on the latter.
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Old 03-27-22, 06:50 AM
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Old 03-27-22, 06:56 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
And, I’ll say it again, why the complicated multi step process? Have you tested your seven step process and found it to be superior to a single step…shake in mineral spirits…process? Does your overly complicated system give you improved mileage? And by how much? Does it double, triple or even increase chain life by 10 times? Or do you get just about the same mileage as most others who do a lot less work? My money is on the latter.
I used to do a very complicated process until I tried your simplified single step last year. I also use far less solvent and use it for more cleanings now.

It works fine. I am pretty particular about clean and well lubed chains. I also switched from MSW to Silca.
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Old 03-27-22, 07:08 AM
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Originally Posted by GhostRider62
I used to do a very complicated process until I tried your simplified single step last year. I also use far less solvent and use it for more cleanings now.

It works fine. I am pretty particular about clean and well lubed chains. I also switched from MSW to Silca.
Can I ask what you are liking about the Silca compared to the MSW?
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Old 03-27-22, 07:16 AM
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Originally Posted by masi61
Can I ask what you are liking about the Silca compared to the MSW?
Lasts a little longer and less crap flying off after coming out of the crockpot.
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Old 03-27-22, 07:26 AM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by GhostRider62
Lasts a little longer and less crap flying off after coming out of the crockpot.

That's good to know. I also experienced not as long as I would like noise-free chain performance with the MSW product. I have been doing the Gulf canning wax with a few tablespoons of paraffin lamp oil in my mini crock pot and have been pleased that the "gnashy" noises you get when most of the wax has flaked off happens much later giving over 200 miles of service before I swap it out for the back up chain. Previously I would be lucky to get 120 miles before the start of increased chain noise.
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Old 03-27-22, 07:36 AM
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A small bowl of mineral spirits and a couple of toothbrushes taped together. The only time I take the chain off the bike is to replace it, or if I have to remove a derailleur or perform some other service.

What problem are we trying to solve with all these exotic, time-consuming, and expensive techniques for dealing with chains?

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Old 03-27-22, 07:44 AM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Jeff Neese
A small bowl of mineral spirits and a couple of toothbrushes taped together. The only time I take the chain off the bike is to replace it, or if I have to remove a derailleur or perform some other service.

What problem are we trying to solve with all these exotic, time-consuming, and expensive techniques for dealing with chains?

Cleaning the inner bits and pieces that your toothbrushes can't reach in order to prolong the lifetime of components and reduce drivetrain friction. That chain of yours is a nightmare.
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Old 03-27-22, 08:32 AM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by gauvins
I currently rotate chains that I clean in solvent and lube with a thick oil. Works well (commuting & long tours), but last week for some reason I got fed-up with the problem of solvent disposal and decided to switch to citrus-based solvents (and possibly just dish soap). One thing leading to another, I now plan to wax my chains for next season (commuting & short tours).

Chain waxing is a time tested way of fighting chain tattoos and I very much doubt that 50 years ago cyclists agonized about how to clean their chains prior to dipping them in molten wax. Searching for advice, I found a very wide range of opinions, as casual as no prior cleaning (people dipping dirty chains in wax and saying that over time they get rid of oil) to the imperative of several baths in OMS followed by a couple of rinses in denatured alcohol in order to get the wax to stick to the chain (the latter from a site selling high-end wax).

My current thinking is to use a citrus solvent followed by clean hot water rinse, but I'd be interested to read about others' experiences.
I give new chains a couple of soaks in OMS - not big volumes, the chain fits into a pizza sauce jar - then a soak in acetone. Comes out sparkling. Then I wax them in a small slow cooker. I have a small basket that keeps the chains out of the grit and bits that collect at the bottom of the slow cooker. When time to rewax, I remove loose stuff off the chain with a stiff brush and into the wax. I rotate 3 chains - usually wax all 3 at a time
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Old 03-27-22, 03:19 PM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by GhostRider62
Cleaning the inner bits and pieces that your toothbrushes can't reach in order to prolong the lifetime of components and reduce drivetrain friction. That chain of yours is a nightmare.
That's not my chain - I just grabbed a random picture from the web that shows this common cleaning technique. It's the same as a chain cleaning tool like a Park CM-5.3, only free.

But what is this "nightmare" you speak of? My chains last a long time and my drivetrains are always very quiet and smooth running. That has been true for over 5 decades, several hundred thousand miles, and countless bicycles. Since it only takes a few minutes to do it this way, you can clean and lube a chain every few hundred miles without making a big project out of it - just part of routine cleaning.

Last edited by Jeff Neese; 03-27-22 at 03:28 PM.
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Old 03-27-22, 03:36 PM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Jeff Neese
That's not my chain - I just grabbed a random picture from the web that shows this common cleaning technique. It's the same as a chain cleaning tool like a Park CM-5.3, only free.

But what is this "nightmare" you speak of? My chains last a long time and my drivetrains are always very quiet and smooth running. That has been true for over 5 decades, several hundred thousand miles, and countless bicycles. Since it only takes a few minutes to do it this way, you can clean and lube a chain every few hundred miles without making a big project out of it - just part of routine cleaning.
The photo shows a drivetrain coated with nasty garbage.

Park CM-5.3 is immersed in solution. A bit less bad as the double toothbrush.

I bet my chain routine takes less time. I remove the link and put it in the crockpot. I pull it out and install it. After 200-250 miles, I use some drip wax lube. After about 600 miles, the chain comes off and into the crockpot again. My entire drivetrain is always perfectly clean using this process. No scrubbing with a Rube Goldberg contrapion
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