I’ve been waxing all my chains for about 2 years now. Love it. Been using the molten speed wax and pretty much following their instructions.
New chains always get the mineral spirit treatment but rewaxing always gets the ultrasonic cleaner treatment.
It occurred to me today as I was doing a new chain it’s so much easier with mineral spirits - two rinses, sit overnight one more rinse and done. The ultrasonic cleaner I’ve used with simple green degreaser and you have to degas it, get the water heated run it flip chain over and repeat then the water needs to be cleaned so more degassing and reheating then two more cycles at least before it’s clean.
Will mineral spirits clean the same as the ultrasonic cleaner when chain isn’t brand new - guess my thinking is will it penetrate like the ultrasonic does? I know there’s one way to find out… and next cleaning I may try it. But just thought I’d get the ST wisdom on their rewaxing cleaning process. Who is using mineral spirits vs ultrasonic?
And just to be clear both methods end the same w the alcohol baths and waxing so I didn’t mention as there is no differentiation there.
I clean my chain when it’s new and that’s the last time it gets “cleaned”. I’ll dump some alcohol on a paper towel and wipe the chain off before it gets removed for its next wax dunk. But that’s it. Since a chain is an apparatus composed to hundreds of little loose parts, and constantly exposed to lots of dirt and crap, extreme cleanliness for a brief portion of its life would yield vanishingly small gains, I suspect.
I don’t use Molten. Gulf wax was <$3/lb at Wally last time I bought some.
Well that’s simple. And logical. I think the need for cleaning is to ensure the wax gets to where it’s needed so while for a short time arguably critical time.
I know molten speed wax isn’t that hard to replicate but it’s easy and I didn’t have to pay for it.
I think the need for cleaning is to ensure the wax gets to where it’s needed so while for a short time arguably critical time.
I haven’t noticed that the waxing performs differently on the initially clean chain vs the 25th trip to the pot. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a difference. The wax seems to get where it needs to go, and the chain is quite clean coming out. There is also dirt that accumulates in the pan, and some surely ends up (or stays) in the chain. It would be “ideal” to clean the chain thoroughly before waxing. I just doubt there is meaningful difference between that and not cleaning it at all.
I use OMS as the solution in my ultrasonic cleaner. I don’t wax my chains - I am an NFS lube fan - but the combo of the ultrasonic with heat and the min spirits does a great job of cleaning a chain.
Way too anal, overthinking the issues and yet adding complication here. First, Simple Green has been put on the questionable list for cleaning chains in particular, as it is a phosphoric acid dilution which has been shown to cause chemical weakening of steel surfaces. Bike-specific products touted as safe for chains are likely so, and yet I find no compelling need for them, as naptha in a small plastic 20 oz wide mouth bottle works just fine. I used to use an ultrasonic cleaner, until it developed a leak that fried the circuit; I can use about 1/4 ounce naptha at a time, shake the chain vigorously for a minute, then drain into a reuse container, repeat twice, and the naptha looks clean. Naptha is a better, faster drying wax solvent, and mineral spirits is a bit oily and slow drying, also a weaker solvent. Wipe dry, lay onto the cold wax in its pan, turn on low-med on a hotplate outside away from combustibles, the chain slowly sinks in as the wax melts, displacing most trapped air bubbles. Slowly stir with a large hemostat for a couple minutes, turn off, lift slowly out and let wax drain off for 30 seconds; lay onto some newspaper, wrap and loosely agitate to get initial excess off, being careful not to burn yourself. The chain stays hot for several minutes. Once cool, it may be stiff; no biggie, re-install with some Connex style quick link also wax treated at the same time. A few pedal turns will loosen it up. Done - ride, repeat as needed.
I wish I’d figured this out fifty years ago, as every other oil method is ten times messier, yet less effective. Use real paraffin, Gulf, in the canning section of grocery stores; candles have additives like stearic acid, which might not be desirable on steel, over time.
Question. How much wax do you use per cleaning? Do you discard it after the cleaning or re-use it for some time?
Very similar to what gabbiev posted above. The wax gets reused many times. Probably ~25 waxings before I dump it. I use 1lb at a time, melted in a stainless pan with a cheap hot plate. I heat the wax to over 200F so it runs off the chain better. I used to pop out the solid wax and scrape off the dirt also, but I can’t get the wax to pop out anymore. A stainless screen or strainer can be used to keep the chain out of the dirt that settles to the bottom of the pan.
I used to do multiple chains at once also, but now I like to just do the chain I’m going to mount. I let it cool off just enough to handle and then install it. If you let the chain cool all the way it’ll be stiff which makes it harder to install. Plus I have to run them awhile before they loosen up and I seem to get more flaking.
separate question but related. For those waxing, how much if any PTFE powder do you mix into the wax per pound of paraffin? Best source for PTFE powder?
More of a generic chain on/off question. I thought it mattered the direction of rotation for the chain. I always struggle with getting it back on to the bike in the same direction as it came off. Is this concern valid? And if so, how do you all handle this with the multiple on and off?
I clean my chain when it’s new and that’s the last time it gets “cleaned”. I’ll dump some alcohol on a paper towel and wipe the chain off before it gets removed for its next wax dunk. But that’s it. Since a chain is an apparatus composed to hundreds of little loose parts, and constantly exposed to lots of dirt and crap, extreme cleanliness for a brief portion of its life would yield vanishingly small gains, I suspect.
I don’t use Molten. Gulf wax was <$3/lb at Wally last time I bought some.
Same.
I put the new chain in a varsol tank to clean off the packing oil\grease , then the wax goes on.
I made an “quicky†blend for parafin lube, a small jar filled with LPS1, Ten add candle wax shavings until the solution is saturated.
I dab the wax-lube on the chain with a Qtip; works great, lasts weeks, sheds rain, easy.