Chain Waxing

Well, yes, maybe I should have clarified that when I said boiling, I meant hot, and when I said hot, I meant warm.

Pretty easy. Just cut it in half with a knife when it's cool and it comes out. The grit already settles at the bottom so i don't see why you'd piss about adding water. I only use wax, no additives so yeah that might change things.

surface rust is no biggie. i just wax it each ride/week if it's grim.

Great, thanks all. I'll experiment tonight and see how things go

Really, you don't think surface rust matters? Even if it's on the surface, it's corrosion, and therefore likely to reduce the life of the chain, no?

If my chain gets very wet on a ride, I stick it in the pot. I've learned from mistakes last winter that led to a fully rusted chain that I threw away. I store my bikes in a cold garage, though. This may not be such an issue if you store your bike in your house and therefore any water is likely to evaporate.

After a wet and gritty ride I wash the chain in the hot, soapy bucket I’m using to clean my bike. Wipe it off with a sponge, then put it on the radiator. Once it’s dry in an hour or so, I put it back on and squirt it. I’ve started applying less squirt than I used to and wiping off the excess, which is resulting in a cleaner chain. I’m a squirter not a potter. 2p

Even if it's on the surface, it's corrosion, and therefore likely to reduce the life of the chain

No, because the exposed faces of the plates are not the wear surface which determines the service life of the chain. The primary determinant of chain life is wear at the interface between the pins and the inner plates (for bushingless chains) or the bushes.

Mmmm, interesting. Thank you for correcting me. Makes sense when you explain it like that. So rust on the plates is fine, rust on the bushes or pins and inner bushes is bad.

What he said.

I do store my bikes inside. Normally if it was a grim ride they just get left, the chain will rust up a bit and bind but as soon as it is rewaxed it's lovely and smooth again. If I'm not cream crackered I'll get the sprayer out and clean the bikes and dump the chain in the wax much sooner.

Perhaps late to the party here but I've just started waxing my chains (hot melt) and I'm a complete convert. Yes, the initial setup and prep is a pain, but I cannot get over how much cleaner and quieter my drivetrain is.

One question, though; what quick link is anyone using for Campag 12 speed? KMC 12 speed chains and their own quick links have been recommended, but something else I've heard is Campag's own chains and SRAM Eagle links. Has anyone tried that?

I use Sram Eagle 12spd quick links with my 12spd Chorus, its flawless.

Essential listening:

https://overcast.fm/+SJWEQWJ_Y

I am completely converted to this Silca sous vide approach. Do you bother cleaning before a rewax? I don't ride said chain in the wet so other than a quick wipe I just chuck it straight in.

Anyone used Squirt to top up a paraffin waxed chains? I guess it won't stick on the paraffin very well.

Also, anyone tried applying Squirt using immersion rather than drip on (like that bloke suggests in @snoops podcast thing)

It doesn’t need to stick to the other wax, it needs to stick to any exposed metal, which it would. Squirt top up of paraffin is a legitimate way to extend. I’ve heard and read multiple nerds say so.

I have done immersion Squirt. I stopped as it felt a bit wasteful but that guy on the podcast said it’s the best way to start. So I’ll do as I’m told from now on. I wouldn’t re-immerse, but I will for initial prep.

I like paraffin for doing the immersion but I have bought Squirt for "during ride reapplication" rather than just going back to wet lube like I have in the past. I guess the trick might be to remember to apply it at night so it has time to set. But then again I don't really care about efficiency or whatever - it's just to keep the noise down and reduce the black crap I get on stuff when I have to work on the bike.

I use in the summer my own paraffin wax+ptfe in slow cooker method after all the cleaning process.

Found that water gets into the rollers of the chain during winter, so I have one for winter oil lubed and another for summer that is wax.

ptfe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene#Ecotoxicity

Has anyone used the Silca super secret wax lube that’s apparently as good as proper hot waxing? Does it actually do what it says on the tin or is it a load of bollox?

I’m wanting to give hot waxing a go but I also can’t be arsed with all the effort.
The Silca stuff is wildly expensive but if it avoids all the faff of waxing then I think I could stomach the price.

as good as proper hot waxing

That will never be the case though, will it? How can a drip-on applied lube possibly permeate the tiny gaps as well as a hot soaking of a chain (even in the same stuff)?

What does that Aussie chain waxing nerd say about it?

While this wax type of product is best-in-class for both durability and friction, regardless of conditions, the application process is more involved than most people would like. Drip lubes may not perform quite as well, but their ease-of-use will still make them a better choice if you don’t have a lot of time on their hands. For those riders, Kerin recommends Silca NFS.

“Silca NFS lube is the pick of the bunch” he said. “[It’s the] longest-lasting by far of the drip lubes I’ve tested.”

Kerin suggests that by using NFS’s lube and meticulously keeping on top of your maintenance, a chain may last as long as 12,000km before hitting its wear point. It’s still not the 15,000km longevity number quoted for Molten Speed Wax, or as efficient according to friction tests, but it’s extremely impressive nonetheless.

However, it has its limitations.

“Off-road, Silca’s NFS is a wet lube and so it can pick up a lot of contamination,” tells Kerin.

For where NFS isn’t suitable, South African chain lube Smoove (an item I coincidently picked in my favorite products of 2017) is Kerin’s pick as far as drip lubes go.

From: https://cyclingtips.com/2018/03/fast-chain-lube-that-saves-you-money/

How can a drip-on applied lube possibly permeate the tiny gaps as well as a hot soaking of a chain (even in the same stuff)?

Aye, I suppose there’s just no getting around it really.
I’ve got some absolute black wax ready to try but I’ve yet to find the motivation to use it.

Is there a cheap forum approved ultrasonic cleaner? They all look like much of a muchness

The cheaper ones aren't so good. If you read his articles or listen to the podcast he talks about using jars and shaking first or using multiple runs, etc.

I've taken to using boiling water to strip off the old wax before re-coating so I can keep my wax cleaner. I've also bought some higher quality paraffin to see if that makes any difference when I run out of the current stuff.

I need to prep a new chain for the Mason so I'm going to use a couple of jars to do a primary strip of factory lube before using the ultrasonic. Or I'll just put the jars with degreaser in the ultrasonic full of water to save having to use so much degreaser.