Squirt

[JStonebarger]

Lately I'm dipping chains in parrafin wax. I keep Squirt around as a backup, but so far I haven't needed it.

I'm curious why excess wax bothers people. Let it dry (or cool, in my case), then brush off. If this seems a mess compare it to any oil-based lube that attracts and holds all kinds of dirt. Wax is pretty darned clean.

By the way, I just did a week of muddy cyclocross at Nats with waxed chains. They're fast, easy, and don't hold mud or dirt the way oil-lubed chains do.

[m_moses]

I would not describe the waxy build-up as a “horrific mess.” To me, the waxy stuff is a minor negative. Most of it flies off while riding. The rest can easily be brushed off between washes.

The positive aspects of having a quiet chain that is clean and not oily far out weighs the negative, in my opinion.


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[jc031699]

All of this sounds like White Lightning all over again... IJS


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[Seramount]

based on this thread, I'll avoid this product...

[false_Aest]

Originally Posted by rockdude

If you put a one small drop on each roller and work it into the roller, no wax buildup problems. If by chance you get a little wax buildup wipe the chain down lightly after applying the wax. Unlike oil, wax just doesn't work itself into the chain, it needs some help. If you don't work it into the chain it just build up on surfaces that it touches.

This is what I did but with the chain off the bike.
Did this twice and let the chain hang dry.

Looking forward to trying it out come Jan.

[Dave]

My homebrew wax based lube is woking well. I do apply it every other ride, or at no more than 100 mile intervals. Since it's really cheap, I apply a little stream to the lower section of chain, with a paper shop towel held close to catch the excess. After the entire chain it is lubed, I use a dry part of the paper towel to remove excess, as I spin the cranks.

The formula is simple: 1 ounce by weight of paraffin (1/4 of a 4-ounce block) to 7 ounces of naptha or white gas camp stove fuel and a very small amount of heavy gear lube ( 2-3%). I recently found Crown brand camp stove fuel at Walmart for only $8.50 a gallon. That's about half what you'd pay for VM&P naptha.

[JStonebarger]

Originally Posted by jc031699

All of this sounds like White Lightning all over again... IJS


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Pretty sure that White Lightning is solvent based, while Squirt is not.

While I haven't used Squirt I keep it as a back up for my waxed chains. Why? Because my understanding is that petroleum anything will keep wax from sticking to bare metal. That's why Squirt, Molten Speed Wax, and any basement chain-dipper will tell you to get everything off your chain before treating it with wax.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by JStonebarger

Pretty sure that White Lightning is solvent based, while Squirt is not.



While I haven't used Squirt I keep it as a back up for my waxed chains. Why? Because my understanding is that petroleum anything will keep wax from sticking to bare metal. That's why Squirt, Molten Speed Wax, and any basement chain-dipper will tell you to get everything off your chain before treating it with wax.

Squirt has oil mixed in. It's what is called slack wax.

[Dave]

Wax (paraffin) dissolves in petroleum based solvents like naptha and mineral spirits. Naptha evaporates much faster. Even with a small amount of oil added, it sticks quite well to the chain. There is nothing that every flakes off, as best I can tell.

The solvent based lube I make also works to clean off any build-up, since it's mostly solvent. I just take the paper towel used to collect the excess and turn it over to wipe off any build-up. If all you do is reapply lube and never take the time to do a little wiping, then you should expect to get some build-up.

Lubing and wiping should only take 2-3 minutes.

I tried mixing some oil with melted paraffin, but it didn't seem to soften it much. When hardened, there were a few drops of oil sitting on the top.