Wattsup

I have the Connex link, so it's quite quick to pop off the chain. I've waxed my chain with plain old Gulf paraffin about 4 times before and after gravel rides so far. It's not just the waxing that takes time. After the wax dries hard, breaking free 118 links takes a while, and then I have to run each link over my single chain ring at least once. I was getting pretty good at it. After each ride, the chain looks clean, but apparently appearances deceive. I melted my wax today and dumped it, and there was a good amount of black debris in the bottom of the crock pot. I was going to try the Silca wax. Not sure what I'll do now.

Maelochs

Oi.

There are so many things which could cause our inevitable deaths, and people are worrying about chain wax? Have you ever been in a rook=m with a candle burning? Ever eaten cooked meat? You have a lot more chance of dying from injuries while crashing on a bike than from chain wax. And a vastly greater chance of dying from a slip and fall in the bathroom --- so do you not shower, and relieve yourself in a hole outside? Oh, No! the risk of dysentery!

Use a liquid wax, wear a ventilator, or best of all --- stop riding, It is just too dangerous.

And by the last post you are saying waxing takes too long---which is certainly a s serious an objection and "Waxing is fatal." "Waxing is deadly---and it takes too long."

I am taking you seriously, believe me.

Wattsup

And you could have sprained a finger with that rushed, semi-coherent reply!

WhyFi

The link that you provide cautions against this only if you're heating the oil to the point of fuming. You don't need to do that. You shouldn't do that. So don't do that.

Wattsup

What exactly does "fuming" mean? At some point in the heating process, the wax does begin to give off an door. Is that fuming? Actually, the writer talks about heating the wax too quickly, not to too high a temp. That's how I read it at least.

skidder

If I had to spend that much time cleaning and re-lubing a chain I just would not ride a bicycle. I ride on pavement probably 80-100 miles per week, sometimes near the beach ('fugitive' sand). I clean my chains once per month with one of those clamp-on Park Tool cleaning devices containing a little bit of Simple Green solution. Lube is 80W gear oil, I've had the same bottle for 10 years.

Paraffin wax: Just heat it up slowly until it melts enough to be as 'workable' as you need it, and do it in a ventilated area. Frankly, I'd be more worried about the fumes from the heating device your using to melt the wax (natural gas, propane, maybe 'white' gas in a camping stove?)

Maelochs

And you accuse me of incoherence?

I have waxed a lot of chains, and heated a lot of wax, and at no time did the wax give off a door.

You are just playing here. if you really cared you would have googled the actual facts about paraffin, instead of asking here on BF. But only here on BF can you get so much attention. Doping actual research is dry and dull. Of course, that is what you have to do if you want to learn.

Since you are not doing that, you don't want to learn. Therefore it seems what you want is attention from BF.

Good strategy, i guess.

But yeah ... how's it living under that bridge?

Wattsup

First, you don't know what research I did before my post here, second, the Gulf Paraffin I am using DOES begin to give off an odor at some point when heated, which is the reason I posted here, and third....Might be best that you just move along to the next thread.

WhyFi

Again, from your own link -

As far as the odor -

indyfabz

Like I posted before, just use NFS if you’re so concerned that you needed to start a thread after all you (assumed) research. It’s the best lube in the galaxy. No lie.

Wattsup

Heard bad things about that stuff.

jaxgtr

remember when it was all the rage that eggs were bad for you , and then they weren't.....LOL.... yea me too

cyccommute 

Not “fuming”. Smoking. Fuming is different. This description is a good explanation although I would say that “fumes” are more something that is caused by reaction with air like you find with nitric acid or a pyrophoric compound.

Things start to get funny when material starts to burn. You can have incomplete combustion which causes the formation of different compounds. Just heating the wax to the melt point is enough to get very small amounts of the wax to volatilize (evaporate) but that’s not hazardous.

Lots of people use a Crock Pot for heating the oil which isn’t a bad idea since you can’t get up to the point where you can burn the wax. If you don’t have a Crock Pot, at least use a double boiler. The condensing steam will provide enough heat to melt the wax without overheating it. Do not put a pan on direct heat to melt the wax. That’s will allow for overheating. Crock Pots and double boilers are easy to find at thrift stores.

tomato coupe

Eggs have always been bad for your chain.

WhyFi

The small (2qt) crockpots are perfect for waxing chains (bigger means that you have to dump in more wax to submerge the chain) and they're only 10-12 bucks brand new at Target and the like.

Troul 

what about if they are yolkless?

downhillmaster

How shocking that a paranoia thread about the potentially deadly effects of waxing a bike chain devolved so quickly.
And who knew that the folks at a for-profit Australian chain testing website were such experts in carcinogens…

indyfabz

That it’s more carcinogenic than benzene?

Maelochs

The guy is equally concerned about nonexistent toxic fumes and taking too long for bike maintenance. Let's let Darwin decide this thread.

Racing Dan

Not all. Some (most?) are emulsions. That is wax in water. Emulsion waxes are readily available on amazon if anyone cares to experiment.

Wattsup

Thanks cyccommute...Your posts always stand out in these threads....informative, expert advice. You obviously know what you're talking about....as opposed to a few here who have no clue! Thanks for stopping by.

Bald Paul

I read a lot of product warning labels. Most things, it seems, will only cause cancer if you live in California.

woodcraft

PTFE is a problem because it basically never breaks down, and is accumulating in the environment, including in your body.

Using your bike to spread large amounts of it is irresponsible.

https://greensciencepolicy.org/harmful-chemicals/pfas/


I would also argue that scent added to candles is toxic.

https://greensciencepolicy.org/harmf...ls-phthalates/

"...The words “fragrance,” “perfume,” or “parfum” often mean phthalates are present."

Bholz

haha!

Troul 

my DS leg might be all that my chain will ever need for lubrication as PTFE might be readily available from the pores. Payback time to the chain after all these years of smearing it's alpha grease on my limb!