Home made wax lube for chains

[Maaknplan]

How safe is it when adding the paraffin to the wax if doing this on a gas stove?

It is not paraffin, its paraffin oil also known as liquid parrafin.

Either way though they are all flammable, even the wax

Liquid Paraffin or Paraffin oil - Flash point >180 deg C

Illuminating Paraffin - Flash Point 45 deg C

Edited December 17, 2019 by Maaknplan

[DieselnDust]

liquid paraffin = medicinal white oil

[Kranswurm]

I’ve had a pot of Paraffin wax vapors ignite. It’s not a easy fire to extinguish. Best way is too remove the gas flame. Or stand well back when using a fire extinguisher.

Now I use an electric stove. Gas is an accident waiting to happen and insurance won’t compensate for the stupidity.

I knew it could happen but wanted to see if it would. It did and it was unpleasant

Just remove the air and it goes out

[Shebeen]

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

 

 

i luvv it when you talk forren

[DieselnDust]

Just remove the air and it goes out

 

 

ya popping the lid back on works too but make sure you have flame proof gloves handy!

[Kranswurm]

ya popping the lid back on works too but make sure you have flame proof gloves handy!

My old man once had the bright idea of melting all the hardened car wax dregs in the old tins and put them on the stove plates and switched on then forgot about them.

I walked in to four towering flames in the kitchen reaching almost to the ceiling.

Just grabbed two at a time and ran out with them.

Funny enough I did not get badly burnt.

[Martin PJ]

I made a batch of this wax, it works ok. Like a wet lube. Used it on the mtb, rode through water, it stays on quite well, does pick up a little dirt. Once poured into the small bottle the mixture goes solid, like a very soft wax. If you leave it in a glass of hot water it melts and you can apply it. May want to do this outside as the xylene smells slightly. I used 150 grams candle wax, 200 ml paraffin oil and poured the molten mixture into 6 x 100 ml bottles, each with 35 ml of xylene in, so probably used a little less wax than the recipe suggested.

[DieselnDust]

I made a batch of this wax, it works ok. Like a wet lube. Used it on the mtb, rode through water, it stays on quite well, does pick up a little dirt. Once poured into the small bottle the mixture goes solid, like a very soft wax. If you leave it in a glass of hot water it melts and you can apply it. May want to do this outside as the xylene smells slightly. I used 150 grams candle wax, 200 ml paraffin oil and poured the molten mixture into 6 x 100 ml bottles, each with 35 ml of xylene in, so probably used a little less wax than the recipe suggested.

 

 

too little solvent that's the problem. try 60ml Xylene.

 

BTW you're right, apply outside. The Xylene is not friendly to your health

[Sbloomer]

So those using this wax formula, what do you use to prevent surface oxidation on cassettes (on cheaper bikes)

[DieselnDust]

So those using this wax formula, what do you use to prevent surface oxidation on cassettes (on cheaper bikes)

 

 

you mean rust?

 

Just ride. Riding wears the rust away

[Sid the Sloth]

Revival:

 

Is anyone waxing their chains in the Southern suburbs? I’m on a student budget but I’m really keen to try with the new drivetrain I’m going to put on my road bike, so I thought I would ask now.

 

Please let me know

[Jbr]

You guys put anything other than melted candles and lamp oil in your mix ? I tried this morning for the first time the chain that I dipped in that mix last week and so far I'm blown away by the absence of noise. Don't know if it feels faster as I tried it now on my dura ace chain+dura ace cassette on my race wheels after a week of riding on my training wheels with 105 cassette + cheapest KMC chain so obviously the bike felt super fast...

So far I don't really see a need to spend extra money to import tefflon powder

Edited April 29, 2022 by Jbr

[Vetplant]

17 minutes ago, Jbr said:

You guys put anything other than melted candles and lamp oil in your mix ? I tried this morning for the first time the chain that I dipped in that mix last week and so far I'm blown away by the absence of noise. Don't know if it feels faster as I tried it now on my dura ace chain+dura ace cassette on my race wheels after a week of riding on my training wheels with 105 cassette + cheapest KMC chain so obviously the bike felt super fast...

So far I don't really see a need to spend extra money to import tefflon powder

I use it with just the candles and lamp oil. The silence is amazing. As soon as I start hearing something, I know it is time for a dip in the wax. I'll never spend a cent on Commercial chain lube ever again. 

[dasilvarsa]

If you shop at Cycle Lab They give you enough Vouchers to Buy the Lube and have Lube to Spare.

I Have Not Paid for Lube for Years.

You get Free Coffee  as Well.

[Jbr]

Money is not the subject (for me), and I find the people using the excuse that lube is expensive to change for melted wax a bit funny, especially the youtubers that tell you to buy a slow cooker, than bags of tefflon, etc... if I check that's like R2000 rand buy in. That's a few years of buying lube

I just wanted to see if it works better, runs cleaner, and how much of a mission it is. I was already using wax-based commercial lube before with Squirt, but it doesn't run clean at all, especially on the MTB.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Jbr

[Vetplant]

38 minutes ago, Jbr said:

Money is not the subject (for me), and I find the people using the excuse that lube is expensive to change for melted wax a bit funny, especially the youtubers that tell you to buy a slow cooker, than bags of tefflon, etc... if I check that's like R2000 rand buy in. That's a few years of buying lube

I just wanted to see if it works better, runs cleaner, and how much of a mission it is. I was already using wax-based commercial lube before with Squirt, but it doesn't run clean at all, especially on the MTB.

Yep, the cost thing can obviously be easily overcome. Took one of my wife's old discarded deep sauce pans and I cook up my brew on the electric stove whenever needed. Afterwards I just leave the mix in the pan to cool down and set, then store it away until I need it again.

The main benefit for me is that the lube actually gets into the places where it is needed if you "cook" it in the pot/pan. Drip dry and then wipe with a paper-cloth, nothing left on the outside to attract dirt and grime, the chain stays clean for very long.