Chain Wax Discussion thread

shrpshtr325 said:
an oil filled compressor will be quieter than an oil less compressor, but may also be more money/ more capacity than you want to speed/need.
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Not always true.

I gave my last oil filled air compressor away as it was insanely loud. And it was a small 120VAC model.

Replaced it with a $$$ but free to me oil less Thompson 120VAC model that's very quiet.
 
Santapez said:
Not always true.

I gave my last oil filled air compressor away as it was insanely loud. And it was a small 120VAC model.

Replaced it with a $$$ but free to me oil less Thompson 120VAC model that's very quiet.
Click to expand...

i guess there are exceptions to everything, but as a general statement the oiled models do tend to be much quieter
 
I used an extra one I had around and don’t use, because Dutch oven > crockpot. Don’t mind the time for it to warm up.

Rode a total of 120 miles in Wharton, got rained on for the first 20, before doing anything to the chain. Used the drip on after that, worked great. Not once did I hear any grit on the chain in this time. Totally sold, now a proponent.

Wait! There’s more! Cassette and derailleur grabbed a vine and wrapped it all around itself deep between the cogs, extracted it without a speck of dirt or a smidge of grease getting on my hands.
 
OddTrickStar said:
I used an extra one I had around and don’t use, because Dutch oven > crockpot. Don’t mind the time for it to warm up.

Rode a total of 120 miles in Wharton, got rained on for the first 20, before doing anything to the chain. Used the drip on after that, worked great. Not once did I hear any grit on the chain in this time. Totally sold, now a proponent.

Wait! There’s more! Cassette and derailleur grabbed a vine and wrapped it all around itself deep between the cogs, extracted it without a speck of dirt or a smidge of grease getting on my hands.
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F ME I don’t need a new obsession!
 
I think they’re all made in the same factory. They just put different labels on them.

I just tell Siri to set a timer for 45 minutes and that’s usually enough time to melt the wax. Drop in the chain, set another timer for 30 minutes and that’s about how long takes for a thin film to form on the top and then pull it out.
I’m sure an instapot is faster but I already have this.
 
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Checked the chain on my SS and it's just shy of .5mm wear. Silca melt and drip wax is ordered. Will gather up the other supplies and planning to go through the complete stripping/degreasing/cleaning/waxing procedure with the used chain on the bike with the 34t chainring. I have another used chain for the 32t chainring, just not sure current wear.

Assuming others have done the complete waxing procedure on used chains as opposed to using brand new?
 
JDurk said:
Checked the chain on my SS and it's just shy of .5mm wear. Silca melt and drip wax is ordered. Will gather up the other supplies and planning to go through the complete stripping/degreasing/cleaning/waxing procedure with the used chain on the bike with the 34t chainring. I have another used chain for the 32t chainring, just not sure current wear.

Assuming others have done the complete waxing procedure on used chains as opposed to using brand new?
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I've only done new chains. The stripping/degreasing is the time consuming part, the waxing is relatively easy. As I understand ity, cleaning an old chain in prep for waxing takes even more time than stripping a new chain. This is why I have only waxed new chains.

These have some info :
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CHAIN-Prep-FAQ-Guide-V2.pdf

https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Chain-prep-Guide-Concise-v2.pdf

Or if you have 2 hrs to spare :
 
Quick read of the FAQ guide, guess I should just clean and run what I've got on the bike(s) now and plan on doing the process when using new chains.

May just go ahead with the cleaning process and lube with the T-9 or Pro Gold lube until the chain is done.
 
Two big lessons I learned when I was waxing my chains:

1 - Cleaning a used chain is a one time thing. Do it once and realize it's absolutely horrible.

2 - Do more than one chain at a time. You're already there doing one, a second new chain is little more effort and time.
 
rlb said:
Finally got to wax the MTB chain. I'm starting with a used chain that I prepped with the Silca chain stripper. The chain was in pretty clean shape to begin with. It's been lubed with mostly rock n roll gold so it wasn't super greasy and gunked up. Still, there was plenty of cleaning needed, see pics below.

I started with a mineral spirit soak, acetone rinse, then water rinse. Since I already had everything on hand and ready to go, I figured it couldn't hurt. I let it soak in OMS while I cleaned the cassette so it wasn't really wasted time.

I then went to the chain stripper, ~10 mins of soaking with a few minutes of agitation along the way. I took it out, rinsed it, and determined it needed another round. After the second round of chain stripper I figured this was as good as it would get without a whole lot more effort. I was also running short on time, so into the wax it went. I'll take it out after the kids get to bed tonight and put it all back together. I was able to clean the chainring and one derailleur pulley during the two rounds of chain stripper, so all in all it was a pretty quick and easy process even starting with a somewhat dirty chain.

View attachment 232307View attachment 232308View attachment 232309View attachment 232310
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Thinking of doing a used chain that's been lubed with Pro Gold. Didn't purchase the Silca Strip.
- Mineral spirits until clear
- Citrus degreaser
- Acetone
- Water rinse
- Blow dry with compressor
- Wax
 
JDurk said:
Thinking of doing a used chain that's been lubed with Pro Gold. Didn't purchase the Silca Strip.
- Mineral spirits until clear
- Citrus degreaser
- Acetone
- Water rinse
- Blow dry with compressor
- Wax
Click to expand...

I think this will work well enough, but you will probably need 2-3 rounds of the mineral spirit and degreaser steps.

I've had one ride on the used chain since I waxed it and all was well. I don't have hopes of extending the life of the used chain though.
 
rlb said:
I think this will work well enough, but you will probably need 2-3 rounds of the mineral spirit and degreaser steps.

I've had one ride on the used chain since I waxed it and all was well. I don't have hopes of extending the life of the used chain though.
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I figure it will take a bit longer, but I'll have some time on my hands after 2/29. It's a SS chain, not looking to extend chain life, just tired of cleaning and lubing.
 
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After listening to the supply chain podcast series I'm sure glad Silca survived the pandemic to get us here lol
 
rlb said:
This is the crock pot I use, aside from taking a bit to warm up its perfect for this

www.target.com

Crock-Pot 2qt Slow Cooker - Classic Stainless Steel

Read reviews and buy Crock-Pot 2qt Slow Cooker - Classic Stainless Steel at Target. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more.
www.target.com www.target.com
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stb222 said:
I have that one too
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Popped some tags in the local Goodwill store. 2qt Crockpot and Cuisinart electric kettle for boiling water to clean the waxed chain. $9.99 ea. There was an Instapot available too for $24.99.
20240217_143252.jpg
 
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