Home made wax lube for chains

[hagar]

Has anyone tried the formula from the website of Oz cycle on youtube ? 

[100Tours]

I use actual wax, from a candle, in a beautician-style wax melter, as a base layer. Works well, and if i redo every 10-12 weeks it seems to be just fine. It does need a bit of bedding in on the first ride thoguh before it settles. we have a lot of bikes and this is a good way to minimise the time spent cleaning and waxing chains. Can top-up with a commercial wax in a pinch too.

 

Making your own way. hmm... Even when I ride a lot I use maybe 1/2 bottle a year 

[DieselnDust]

Has anyone tried the formula from the website of Oz cycle on youtube ? 

 

 

Yes I've seen his video and have been using a similar method for years. It works. I've evolved past his blend though but it works very well

[Maaknplan]

Yes I've seen his video and have been using a similar method for years. It works. I've evolved past his blend though but it works very well

Mind sharing your recipe?

[Matchstix]

The guys I used to ride with used a similar technique. But used 506 Tectyl as the chainwax

[Graham28]

Hi there

I use this for road and mbt and have had to buy the ingredients in bulk.

Have a Teflon/Molybdenum mixture as well as a lube.

Cal let you have some at cost.

Cheers

Graham.

[love2fly]

Hi there

I use this for road and mbt and have had to buy the ingredients in bulk.

Have a Teflon/Molybdenum mixture as well as a lube.

Cal let you have some at cost.

Cheers

Graham.

Hi Graham

How does your Teflon/Molybdenum perform?

I'd be very interested in trying if possible...

 

Regards

[Graham28]

Hi

Where are you ?

Will get you a KG, should last a while.

A lot has been said about extra kw....I just want to preserve the kit. It’s standing up well and doesn’t attract all the cr-p off the road.

[Vetplant]

Wax for the Win!

 

Melted candles + lamp oil. Play with the mix till it is the consistency shown in the video. Winner winner chicken dinner.

 

Make sure you degrease a non-wax chain thoroughly before waxing it in the pot, or else the grit and grime will end up in your fancy mix. I have lost a batch like that.

 

[Off_da_brakes]

Wax for the Win!

 

Melted candles + lamp oil.

Presumably when you mention lamp oil, it’s not normal paraffin? Closest lamp oil I can find is the stuff mixed with citronella to keep the mozzies away. Where have you bought lamp oil?

[love2fly]

I'm based in Joburg...I'm hoping you are local?

 

Cheers

Hi
Where are you ?
Will get you a KG, should last a while.
A lot has been said about extra kw....I just want to preserve the kit. It’s standing up well and doesn’t attract all the cr-p off the road.

[Graham28]

I will bring it up to Jhb next week.

There are a couple of steps you’ll have to go through to apply the wax, will explain it all to you.

Send me your contact details. O8two3759949.

[Martin PJ]

Try liquid paraffin from Dischem. I am going to try the recipe. I have tried candlewax on its own with mixed results.

[love2fly]

I used to work for the co that makes Cobra floor wax polish. We used I think 2 waxes from Sasol as well as a paraffin type solvent as the primary ingredients.

My understanding is that you merely need a solvent to make the wax temporarily manageable...?

[Off_da_brakes]

I think the point of paraffin oil in the concoction is to make the wax less brittle once it sets and thus ensuring it thinly coats the metal surfaces of the chain (to prevent rust) and more importantly is retained within the chain rollers.

 

It would seem Martin PJ's suggestion of paraffin oil from Dischem might do the trick. Just don't drink the stuff because it is a laxative!

 

Also found this article which seems to indicate that pharmaceutical paraffin oil might be the right "paraffin oil"

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/paraffin-oil

 

I could be wrong though...Im not a chemical engineer.

[DieselnDust]

Paraffin oil refers to a paraffinic based oil I.e. that type of oil that consists of mostly branched carbon chains with no double bonds. It’s used because it mixes with the melted wax and xylene solvent very easily and once cooked up stays in suspension. The solvent just keeps the mix liquid at low temperature, has a cleaning effect and makes the mix less viscous so it flows through a small orifice like the bottle he shows in the video. It’s not absolutely needed.

Pharmaceutical oil is too low in viscosity to be useful as a chain lube

Edited December 9, 2019 by DieselnDust