Chain Waxing

Dave Rome from Escape Collective/Geek warning-podcast has raised concerns about whether the added compounds from the strip chip and waxified factory grease will degrade the performance, but has published no conclusions as of yet.

Ronan McLaughlin said Portner hinted that it’s improving performance. They’re trying to find out why before publishing any data. Of course that is what Portner would want to say, but very interesting if true.

If you don’t fancy this chip method, the chain cleaner fluid is really impressive.

From KMC's own website...

We recommend never to degrease the chain completely. Also when changing to wax, we recommend to degrease the chain only on the outside. If you degrease the chain completely, we recommend to soak the chain in wax for 12–24 hours, so that this can penetrate into the inside of the chain.

I haven't formed an opinion yet, and honestly, I really want it to work.. I don't know much about chemistry, so it sounds borderline too good to be true. I am ready for the verdict of independent testing.

The Zero Friction guy said they are on it but testing will take a couple of weeks or maybe it was months.

And the video will be a couple of hours too long…

Bold claims by them in comments

Our official stance is that 500gm of wax can handle 6 factory chains and 6 strip chip pieces (one whole package of StripChip). In total, one bag of wax and one StripChip pack will be good for 70-80 total waxings including the 6 strippings. We've seen no degradation in performance at any of these ratios of StripChip to base wax, but also know that there has to be a tipping point. The oleogelation converts the grease to a very long chain fatty acid that's very much like wax, but isn't wax, so we've put that limit there as at some point, performance will suffer.

Curious to see independent testing!

And the pdf an even longer read..

But it will be good to know.

Can't see difference between traditional degreasing vs Silca chain stripper vs strip chip is going to be anything but very marginal.

Do like the idea of bunging a new chain in with the strip chip with no separate degreasing step, even if it's 1% less effective it's still less effort, less packaging etc.

I'm just waiting for the big manufacturers to swap grease for wax in all their off the shelf stuff... can you imagine the drama when Jonny Nolube squeaks his way to work on week 2? :D

The strip chip I believe actually changes the composition of the factory grease rather than stripping it away?

Edit to add
From Escape Collective

Unlike those at the Purdue University in Indiana who collaborated with Silca on this product, I lack the PhD in chemistry to understand and correctly explain the ‘how’ behind the StripChip. Still, I’ll give it a crack [We have faith in you, Dave – Ed.]. Fundamentally, the StripChip is based on the growing science of oleogelation, which is set to be a big thing in the food industry as a healthier alternative to hydrogenation in creating solids out of oils. Or, as my small brain understands it, the StripChip contains a high percentage of unicorn tears (oleogels), which attach to oil, turning them into a harder long-chain fatty acid that more closely mimics the paraffin wax [Nailed it, Dave – Ed.].
The oil from a factory-greased chain isn’t being magically vanished like the subject of David Blaine, but rather, its composition is changed to better match the hardness of the wax. According to Silca owner Josh Poertner, StripChip is composed entirely of food-safe ingredients, except for the friction-reducing tungsten disulfide additive that makes it taste like shit (ok, Poertner didn’t say that last part).

That's what it sounded like. Hence removing the need to strip it first. You dump it in and their magic candy bars mix with the grease to form waxy grease + wax.

Yeah the grease becomes wax, in short, but in doing so removes the original factory grease - same result as degreasing. Just less faff.

SORCERY

the grease becomes wax

The oil becomes wax. No word on what happens to the soap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_GDTOeL09s

All you gravel lot, will move to waxing after this.
Yes it is GCN.

These wire loops are great for making handles for chains when waxing

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006140558235.html

We just bent coathangers to form a kind of J shape. No cost and they're stiff so it's easy to thread the chain onto them.

That's the old shitty method, that's why I am recommending these. 100% secure, flexible, easier to handle multiple chains etc.

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You're an old, shitty method.

I can only fit one chain in my pot anyway and the coathangers work fine. You also don't have to wait for coathangers to cool down to dump the chain off them whereas looks like you've got threaded bits that need undoing?

It's really thin and cools down before the chain does.
Don't you let the chain hang and cool over the pot anyway first?

Nah, normally I pull the chains and then hang them from racked bike pedals over some foil. Pot stays in the kitchen. Chains are out of the way hanging on the bikes and there's nothing useful to hang them from in the kitchen.

Probably already answered but CBA to read preceding 672 posts.

What are the recommendations for removing wax off a chain and associated components?

I'm servicing a mates bike and it is absolutely covered in shite which a normal degreaser won't shift.

Any suggestions?

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Doesn't look like the wax build up I get on mine.
If it is wax boiling water on the drivetrain components will get it off - maybe need a couple of tries.
On the wheels I'd try putting a paper towel on top and hitting it with a blow dryer/heat gun til it absorbs into the paper.

Cheers, boiling the kettle now…