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Chain Waxing Setup?!...
So I have been wanting to try the whole waxing chain thing for a while so this off season I am going to finally do it. for those who are already doing this please advise me if I have my ducks in a row.
Crock Pot, wife has like 5 so she will not miss one. Going to do 3 chains for the rotation I am going to buy MSW. I can get cheaper wax/PTFE homebrew but MSW is already to go and for $20 I am good with that A buddy is going to ultrasonic clean my drivetrain parts and new chains so I have that covered. Don't want to buy one until I am committed to this 100%. I only ride in dry conditions when I can help it so I think my environment for this is pretty good to give it a 2019 riding season whirl. besides the process itself what am I missing? thanks, |
Just get cheap blocks of paraffin wax. Ultrasound cleaning of the drivetrain parts is overkill. Mineral spirits (or even white gas) will return them to the initial pristine state of cleanliness.
The beauty of wax is its simplicity. No need to make it harder. Are you going to use quick-links? If you are going to be taking the chains on and off a lot, that could help. As an alternative, I have for the last year been using Squirt to refresh the waxed chains without the need to take them off. |
Originally Posted by wgscott
(Post 20517225)
Just get cheap blocks of paraffin wax. Ultrasound cleaning of the drivetrain parts is overkill. Mineral spirits (or even white gas) will return them to the initial pristine state of cleanliness.
The beauty of wax is its simplicity. No need to make it harder. Are you going to use quick-links? If you are going to be taking the chains on and off a lot, that could help. As an alternative, I have for the last year been using Squirt to refresh the waxed chains without the need to take them off. I always use quick link chains, so much easier. Gulf wax is super cheap, $4 per pound and PTFE is like $6 at the hardware store so I guess that homebrew might be worth a rethink. Is this what you do or just do the straight wax? |
I'm no expert, but I just use blocks of cheap paraffin. As a chemist, I am not fond of having powdered heavy metal compounds floating around.
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Originally Posted by wgscott
(Post 20517289)
I'm no expert, but I just use blocks of cheap paraffin. As a chemist, I am not fond of having powdered heavy metal compounds floating around.
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After I posted that, I did some more background reading, and it (MoS2) sounds pretty harmless. Don't go snorting it.
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Originally Posted by wgscott
(Post 20517329)
After I posted that, I did some more background reading, and it (MoS2) sounds pretty harmless. Don't go snorting it.
lol thanks for the tip! 😄 |
I too have gone to the one-two punch of wax dip and Squirt. My normal procedure for each Tuesday (my one defined "no ride day" ) is
Week 1 Wax dip Week 2 Squirt Week 3 Squirt Week 4 Wax Dip Week 5 Squirt etc I don't put anything in the wax-- it's just straight paraffin. I tried teflon powder and molybdenum (from the Friction Facts formula) for probably 20 dips but saw absolutely no difference in performance or longevity. Prior to hot waxing, I tried Squirt on it's own, and was utterly underwhelmed. Better than White Lightning, but still not great. The combo of hot wax and Squirt is nearly perfect. |
Someone in a previous thread mentioned leaving a wire basket in the crock pot for what seemed like 2 great reasons:
1) Separation from the grime that accumulates in the bottom and 2) Ease of chain removal from the hot paraffin (just lift the basket) /I've never waxed a chain so... you know... //yeah yeah "SHUT-UP danbraden" |
Double Boiler.. heat the water on the stove, in a pan stacked below
the pan with the wax in it.. Hot water melting the wax. and keep a fire extinguisher close by, just in case.. :p |
Originally Posted by DrIsotope
(Post 20517408)
I too have gone to the one-two punch of wax dip and Squirt. My normal procedure for each Tuesday (my one defined "no ride day" ) is
Week 1 Wax dip Week 2 Squirt Week 3 Squirt Week 4 Wax Dip Week 5 Squirt etc I don't put anything in the wax-- it's just straight paraffin. I tried teflon powder and molybdenum (from the Friction Facts formula) for probably 20 dips but saw absolutely no difference in performance or longevity. Prior to hot waxing, I tried Squirt on it's own, and was utterly underwhelmed. Better than White Lightning, but still not great. The combo of hot wax and Squirt is nearly perfect. what squirt are you liking? |
Originally Posted by fietsbob
(Post 20517516)
Double Boiler.. heat the water on the stove, in a pan stacked below
the pan with the wax in it.. Hot water melting the wax. and keep a fire extinguisher close by, just in case.. :p this is why i will use the crock pot so i dont burn the house down |
Originally Posted by DanBraden
(Post 20517462)
Someone in a previous thread mentioned leaving a wire basket in the crock pot for what seemed like 2 great reasons:
1) Separation from the grime that accumulates in the bottom and 2) Ease of chain removal from the hot paraffin (just lift the basket) /I've never waxed a chain so... you know... //yeah yeah "SHUT-UP danbraden" good tip. I will just use the metal coat hanger method. Its well...free. My kind of price |
Originally Posted by sdmc530
(Post 20517204)
Crock Pot, wife has like 5 so she will not miss one.
|
Originally Posted by sdmc530
(Post 20517522)
what squirt are you liking?
Originally Posted by sdmc530
(Post 20517528)
good tip. I will just use the metal coat hanger method. Its well...free. My kind of price.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....mL._SX425_.jpg at the Dollar Tree for... a dollar, and it fits almost perfectly into the Little Dipper. I bent the handle to fit the pot better, and it sure makes getting the chain in and out of the pot a whole lot easier. |
The author started a bit weard discussion. What a pity
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Originally Posted by Alexxx1
(Post 20517627)
The author started a bit weard discussion. What a pity
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...74043b4570.jpg |
Originally Posted by Alexxx1
(Post 20517627)
The author started a bit weard discussion. What a pity
|
Originally Posted by DrIsotope
(Post 20517555)
I've got this guy: Squirt Long Lasting, and based on the level in the bottle, it's gonna last about 2 years. I go through about 1lb of paraffin per year.
I found one of these guys: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....mL._SX425_.jpg at the Dollar Tree for... a dollar, and it fits almost perfectly into the Little Dipper. I bent the handle to fit the pot better, and it sure makes getting the chain in and out of the pot a whole lot easier. |
Originally Posted by Milton Keynes
(Post 20517530)
As someone who's been married 20 years, I can say with all confidence to be sure and ask her first.
|
Originally Posted by DrIsotope
(Post 20517408)
I too have gone to the one-two punch of wax dip and Squirt. My normal procedure for each Tuesday (my one defined "no ride day" ) is
Week 1 Wax dip Week 2 Squirt Week 3 Squirt Week 4 Wax Dip Week 5 Squirt etc I don't put anything in the wax-- it's just straight paraffin. I tried teflon powder and molybdenum (from the Friction Facts formula) for probably 20 dips but saw absolutely no difference in performance or longevity. Prior to hot waxing, I tried Squirt on it's own, and was utterly underwhelmed. Better than White Lightning, but still not great. The combo of hot wax and Squirt is nearly perfect. I looked up the Squirt! MSDS It is reported to be 3/4 water and 1/4 "slack wax", which is a paraffin precursor that has about 10% oil content. We are putting some oil in the wax with Squirt!, despite what we thought. |
Originally Posted by wgscott
(Post 20518301)
I looked up the Squirt! MSDS
So it is 3/4 water and 1/4 "slack wax", which is a paraffin precursor that has about 10% oil content. So, we are putting some oil in the wax with Squirt! |
From Wikipedia article on Paraffin:
Manufacturing The feedstock for paraffin is slack wax, which is a mixture of oil and wax, a byproduct from the refining of lubricating oil. The first step in making paraffin wax is to remove the oil (de-oiling or de-waxing) from the slack wax. The oil is separated by crystallization. Most commonly, the slack wax is heated, mixed with one or more solvents such as a ketone and then cooled. As it cools, wax crystallizes out of the solution, leaving only oil. This mixture is filtered into two streams: solid (wax plus some solvent) and liquid (oil and solvent). After the solvent is recovered by distillation, the resulting products are called "product wax" (or "press wax") and "foots oil". The lower the percentage of oil in the wax, the more refined it is considered (semi-refined versus fully refined).[17] The product wax may be further processed to remove colors and odors. The wax may finally be blended together to give certain desired properties such as melt point and penetration. Paraffin wax is sold in either liquid or solid form.[18][19][20] |
Originally Posted by sdmc530
(Post 20517204)
Crock Pot, wife has like 5 so she will not miss one. ,
Originally Posted by Milton Keynes
(Post 20517530)
As someone who's been married 20 years, I can say with all confidence to be sure and ask her first.
I agree that mineral spirits or something is good enough to clean the chains, but if I Had an ultrasound cleaner I'd use it. Why not? I wouldn't buy one, but I'd take a free one. If you've already bought the Moulton's, no loss, but I have wrestled with the question, and most people who don't compete very seriously seem to say that they cannot see a difference ... and the ones who do use the high-tech. high-price option I think, are mostly using the placebo effect. They cannot feel the microscopically marginal drag reduction, but are sure it is there so .... Anyway ... wax-dipping is as easy as it seems. i know I was nervous at first because it seemed nothing good could be so simple. Now I know better .... at least on that one small issue. |
Originally Posted by wgscott
(Post 20518301)
I looked up the Squirt! MSDS
So it is 3/4 water and 1/4 "slack wax", which is a paraffin precursor that has about 10% oil content. So, we are putting some oil in the wax with Squirt! |
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