Originally Posted by
SoSmellyAir
It’s not that much wear. It’s that the particles are finely divided. Chop a small amount of material into very small bits and it looks like a lot of material. There is
some material from the outside of the chain…just not as much as some would believe. Some of that material may even be magnetic since we humans have spread iron all over the world. Go drag a magnet through any random pile of dirt and you’ll collect all kinds of iron particles.
Gulf Wax is now cheap, but it was actually unavailable locally (and thus $$ on Amazon) during mid to late 2021 (likely due to COVID-related supply chain issues). And, as a chemist, you would appreciate a fellow (but junior, and sort of) chemist (i.e., me) developing a good waxing protocol in preparation for busting out the $$$ Silca wax. But after that, assuming no more supply issues, I would likely just do as you suggest (but not the mesh), because paraffin is much easier to acquire than OMS in SoCal.
Frankly, I wouldn’t bust out the dollars for the Silca wax. Any improvements in paying roughly 6 times as much for wax is minimal at best. I also see little reason for any kind of cleaning that Silca, Zero Friction, and thousands of other cyclists seem to feel is absolutely “necessary”. The supposition is that wax doesn’t stick to the chain because of other lubricants on the chain. Considering that the wax is in the same family as the “grease” already on the chain, this is a silly supposition that is based on a lack of knowledge about materials.
Your chain cleaning is a special issue due to the ban of mineral spirits in your area. Water based degreasers just aren’t going to clean as well with as little volume as mineral spirits will. I’m not sure how to crack that nut short of smuggling mineral spirits over the border from Nevada or Arizona.