I am interested in all kinds of things that involve machines and tools, some propel lead alloy cylinders at supersonic velocities, some mill, drill, and machine metal, etc.

Across all those sports and hobbies is a segment of the devotees that feel synthetic engine oil is the best lubricant on earth :-). They use it on everything :-). In theory a synthetic may stick better, leave an oil film longer after you pulled a part out of submersion.

I would say the one thing it has going for it is that I have it in the garage, but that is true of chainsaw bar lube too :-).

I keep meaning to get around to trying FB's lube but I never get around to doing it.

Not in my case. I use Mobil 1 on my car and truck, and since I always have it on hand, it ends up being what I use in my homebrew lube. Any regular motor oil is equally effective (in my view) as part of a homebrew recipe.

I use good synthetic oil in everything, cars, truck, motorcycle, lawnmowers, chainsaws, blowers, etc.... I always have it around, so it's easy to use. I even have choices of weights.....

I switched to the the gland squeezings from immature minks mixed with 100 percent pure tuna oil....and have never looked back.
Except when those cats are chasing me.

Thanks I keep 2 cycle SAE 30 arround for the lawn mower otherwise I'd have to buy a quart of oil for 6-8 bucks. I use a fair amount of oil on my multiple bikes. I bought a bottle of their bike lube from Performance last year and don't really see the need to spend another 8. I'll just dilute some motor oil with mineral spirits.

Give Chain-L a try. It works best when you basically ignore it. It outlasts every lube I've used, and if you follow the directions, is no dirtier than any other chain lube.

Hey Cycco, I misspoke. The drivetrain on my Crosstrail is dirty, maybe even dirtier. I better get cleaning and oiling.....

Discovered it yesterday when I was replacing tires..............

I love Chain-L. I think FB really came up with a good product there. Have it on my chains now. However, I'm having one problem using it. But it's no fault of the product. What makes it so good is that it stays put. On and in the chain. But that also means it is quite sticky, and I live basically on a sand bar. This whole place is very sandy. If I'm not very careful, my drive train picks up some sand grit. And that is death to my valuable old chain rings, which aint getting amy cheaper, or easier to find.

You can't wipe down your chain too often in some conditions! One thing I like to do on occasion (since I'm only engaged and still have ample free time) is to put my bike on the stand and feed a paper towel in between the chain and ring while turning the crank. It does a good job of dabbing away that oily grit from the contact surfaces of the chainring teeth. (Of course, this is Stuart's cue to say "What grit?" )

I've ridden chain driven motorcycles for hundreds of thousands of miles and the best lube for them by far is Maxima chain wax. It may be too thick for bicycles but it doubles the life of a big motorcycle chain and sprocket set. I am now using it on my bicycles. It doesn't attract dirt and is semi dry to the touch. I typically go 300mi. between applications on the motorcycle.

If it costs more, it must be better.

That's a clever technique, Scott. Thanks. Will give that a try.

How do you clean new chains or oily/dirty chains before switching to dry lube?

I've been using Mobil 1/mineral spirits homebrew for several years. I find that 4 parts OMS : 1 part Mobil 1 will run a little cleaner, just as quiet, and the chain will last just as long as with a thicker mixture. I suggest you try thinning it out a little more. YMMV

A long, long time ago (and probably in a galaxy far away!) a fellow by the name of John Barnett of the Barnett Bicycle Institute in Manitou Springs, CO did a chain lube test for the now long defunct magazine "Bicycle Guide". His conclusion was that the major factor in chain wear was the accumulation of dirt. Of the products he tested the best (in other words the one that the least amount of grit stuck to) was Super Lube teflon lube. Just saying ...

What a fantastic mag that was. Great, detailed reviews, and great photography as well.

That is interesting. I have a couple of tubes of that but it never occured to me to use it on chains.

I'm sure it was the aerosol stuff he tested. Hard to apply grease to a chain! (I assume that's what you have in the tubes).

Has anyone admitted to trying jet oil?
Cheers,
David in Alaska

Is that milk of magnesia?

As I recall that article said the most important part of chain lubrication was starting with a clean chain and that the lube was secondary.

Yep, very happy with Chain-L. it does not seem to pick up dirt, and runs very quite.

Because people are grossly misinformed, and there's little-to-no regulation on who calls a product what, so people buy-into the marketing.

Mobile 1 is not a 'true' full synthetic. Hasn't been for a while; switch was done to keep their costs down. It's not a Group IV like Amsoil or Group V like Redline. Mobile 1 is a hydrocracked oil + some combination of PAO + POE and/or AN, etc. In most countries Group III can be marketed/regarded as a synthetic.

Not that it's a bad thing. Groupings are a bit dated anyway - each has their benefits and disadvantages. Generally the 'best' is some combination of blends, though it all depends on what you are looking for in an oil.

With regards to M1, 0w-40 and 0w-30 are the closest two to a PAO base.

I tried the Dupont multi-purpose dry Teflon chain wax (the kind in the big blue spray bottle). It seemed to work well but tended to accumulate and stiffen the chain to where it would make noise on the chain rings.