Chain Waxing

Drip wax top ups could be useful for longer audaxes or other situations where you aren’t going to be in a position to swap chains.

This is where I used mine to save adding normal lubes back to the chain.

I loaned my waxing kit out so have been running normal chains for quite a while though but I'll probably get back into it at some point when I stop losing bikes.

£15 small crockpot/slow cooker

Ime just get the Silca Chain stripper - it can be filtered/re-used for multiple chains.
And the cheapest crockpot/slow cooker you can find with two temp levels.

Filtered? Any more info?

Had good success with it but would like some more longevity out of a bottle.

Silca says coffee filter.

https://youtu.be/yBjblXzn6AA?si=GYxXh6YDBmquEz0W

Brilliant thanks. Kudos to them for putting that out there. They just lost a bottle sale but gained some good will!

I've used a regular coffee filter before to just remove large particulates. Though it may not be necessary looking at the pictures in the review on the radavist

What’s the deal with cleaning the chain before re-waxing?

For previously waxed chains, I just use a microfibre cloth to wipe off any dried dirt or flaky old wax, in my case there is never much to clean off, and then re-wax.

Cheapest slow cooker you can find. For example: https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9306561?clickPR=plp:1:18

There's a good article here: https://moltenspeedwax.com/pages/waxing-your-chain

I no longer bother with checking temperature, although I did at the start. I now know that after 30 minutes on, my slow cooker will be at roughly the right temperature. I then sling the chain in, wait 5 minutes or so, and then take it out and hang it up.

I find that if I wait 20 minutes and then put the chain back on the bike before it is completely cool, I can shortcut the part about needing to articulate each of the links. Be careful in case it is still hot, though. I just stick the chain on, turn the cranks a few times, change gears up and down, and then I'm fine to put the bike away or ride.

I know that Silca do not recommend waxing quick release links, whereas this article does. I personally have waxed them in the past, but will be testing unwaxed quick release links in the future.

Rice cooker.

Don't you just wait till the wax is melted?

Not sure if it answers your question, but some cookers can keep a higher temp which can 1) burn the wax, or 2) liberate more crap from the wax into your breathing air than is strictly necessary.

Though the flow cookers have quite a variable low/high setting temps while the keep warm function on a rice cooker is a smaller variation of temperature due rice being kept at the right temperature not to over cook and not have bacteria growth.

For my commuter that barely gets any mud/crud, I barely do this now, and just put the chain straight back in the wax. I've not died yet!

Covering chain with boiling water can also be an option then drying before submerging in wax

Though more dear than a bog standard cooker, I've found the silca wax melter excellent - you can find it cheaper and Silca always have vouchers/sales/offers.

Or one of these for 30 quid.

First wax experience - so far so good. Stripped with turpentine substitute (3 washes, kept the last one for them time as it was clean). Wax from hobbycraft in the slow cooker from marketplace, melt, jiggle, dry, crack and away we go.

First ride ended up being a bit wetter than anticipated. Hosed down the bike after and dried the towel and cassette with a microfibres.

It ran silent after the first 10/15km or so, trying to work out how I’ll know when to re-wax, when it sounds like noisy chain?

Yes or 300k imo

It'll get squeaky. Trust me, if your ears are in good working order, you'll know 😃