Chain WAXing (yes it's that easy) - and other mysteries of this art!

[RojoRacing]

I ordered this ultra sonic tank because it looks slightly more shop mechanic style and the seller is only 30 miles away. They have every size you could want as well so I choose the 2L $59 shipped to start as the 1.3 doesn't come with a dip basket. If I like it order a 4L for doing larger things like motorcycle carburetors and stuff.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/261860375636?_mwBanner=1&varId=560706625554

 

[RojoRacing]

The idea that you sometimes can have a hard time getting the wax to penetrate all parts of the chain makes me think of my morning oatmeal. I bought a cheap electric pressure cooker years ago so cooking steel cut oats which can normally take awhile as they are slow to absorb the water. I know your not supposed to over heat the wax but I wonder what it's actual flash point is and would it create enough pressure to turn the pressure cooker into a bomb? It could be a nice way to force the wax into the chain with pressure or it could be a great 4th of July display.

I've been thinking of getting a new pressure cooker after using this one 5 days a week for over 3 years now. I may just set my old one out in the middle of out 1 acre shipping yard and give it a go to see what happens.

 

[Balor]

Well, don't mix 'flash point' with 'autoignition temperature'.
But I, myself, simply using hot water bath and 1/2 liter glass cans with screw-on lid.

This way you can remove the can with molten wax and shake the chain around, to make sure that wax penetrates everywhere. Works for me.

 

[trapdoor2]

Better to turn the pressure cooker into a vacuum chamber. Just a little vacuum will get all the air out of the solution (and chain), which will be replaced by wax.

Much safer!

 

[RojoRacing]

Better to turn the pressure cooker into a vacuum chamber. Just a little vacuum will get all the air out of the solution (and chain), which will be replaced by wax.

Much safer!

I do that with brake fluid before servicing my brakes. I wonder how I would go about doing that, maybe the double boiler method? I could get a glass or probably better better an alloy jar with a wide mouth lid I can rig to the vacuum pump then immerse it in boiling water . I wouldn't vacuum the whole time, I would only use the vacuum in the final min before removing the chain. Under a vacuum all the micro air pockets in the chain would be force to expand 10 fold and raise to the surface. When the air escapes the chain hot wax is drawn in to replace it. I'll need a cheaper vacuum pump though because this is like a $1000 pump meant for AC work. I'm not sure if the wax gases would eventually start coating the inside of the pump like bad cholesterol.

As much as I love the vacuum idea I still might try the pressure cooker idea simply for the possibility of an explosion I'll be sure to have the gopro on hand.

 

[Balor]

Hey, great idea. Next time I'll be bleeding my brakes I'll be using my vacuum chamber to degas the fluid first.

 

[trapdoor2]

I'd find an old-school pressure cooker, the kind that has a weight to manage steam pressure. Toss out the weight and attach vacuum hose to the fitting (or remove & replace the fitting). Get a cheap vacuum pump from auto-parts store (hand pump for vacuum bleeding brakes, I have one for my 55 Buick). Heat wax separately, drop chain in, place wax container and chain in modified pressure cooker, attach pump and pull it down as far as the hand pump will go. Shouldn't take much.

Alternative solution: same as above but heat the pressure-cooker to keep wax melted. Close up the cooker, blocking off all ports. When it cools down, you won't be able to get it open...but there'll be a nice vacuum inside! By the time you get it open again, you'll have a nice block of wax with a chain embedded therein. Propane torch will get the wax off...

I do like explosions...but modern pressure cookers have lots of fail-safes that you'll have to defeat first. Even then, you'll probably get a heck of a bang but no fire until the wax hits an ignition source.

Generally, the volatiles in wax shouldn't cause your pump problems unless you're boiling them off...which means you're taking it too far, temperature wise. You just want the wax liquid.

 

[RojoRacing]

You can't achieve enough vacuum to completely degas brake fluid with a hand pump or those super cheap $30 electric vacuum pumps at the hardware store, I've tried. I'd think hot wax is still thicker then brake fluid so you'll have an even harder time expanding and moving the air.

 

[trapdoor2]

You can't achieve enough vacuum to completely degas brake fluid with a hand pump or those super cheap $30 electric vacuum pumps at the hardware store, I've tried. I'd think hot wax is still thicker then brake fluid so you'll have an even harder time expanding and moving the air.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "completely". I've never degassed any brake fluid...ever...but I've never had to. If I were routinely driving on the edge, racing, etc., ...different story. In order to really degas it, you'll need a hard vacuum...and yup, a cheap pump probably ain't gonna get it.

 

[RojoRacing]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "completely". I've never degassed any brake fluid...ever...but I've never had to. If I were routinely driving on the edge, racing, etc., ...different story. In order to really degas it, you'll need a hard vacuum...and yup, a cheap pump probably ain't gonna get it.

Well I do come from a sport where we need to repeatedly go from 190 mph to 40 as quickly as possible so yeah things can get critical

 

[ratz]

I've been thinking of getting a new pressure cooker after using this one 5 days a week for over 3 years now. I may just set my old one out in the middle of out 1 acre shipping yard and give it a go to see what happens.

That's what tannerite was created for.

 

[Balor]

You can't achieve enough vacuum to completely degas brake fluid with a hand pump or those super cheap $30 electric vacuum pumps at the hardware store, I've tried. I'd think hot wax is still thicker then brake fluid so you'll have an even harder time expanding and moving the air.

My pump is of 'industrial' variety. Does a pretty good vaccum.

 

[pedlpadl]

best keep mileage between waxings at about 300

So Larry waxes about twice a week?

 

[RojoRacing]

So Larry waxes about twice a week?

Well since he has like 16 different bikes I think he just keeps changing bikes instead chains

 

[RojoRacing]

Got my hot wax vacuum chamber setup. $0.50 glass jar, $5 through hole brass fitting and $900 vacuum pump :lol

I think to start I'll place the whole glass jar with wax and addictive into water and the boil the water till the wax melts. Then I'll mix the ingredients and drop in a pre heated chain and give it a lite shake to agitate. After 5 mins I'll attach the vacuum until no more bubbles surface which I estimate at 1 minute then I'll remove the chain. This should ensure complete wax penetration.

Now if only UPS would hurry up and deliver the 15 other things I need.

 

[LarryOz]

A reasonable approach. Start with the Molten Speed wax it is the gold standard. Learn using just 1 lb of that wax; then you can go on the cheap with other waxes and compare; I think that lets you understand the trade-offs... (Good, Fast, Cheap) pick two

I'll have to say, I originally bought 3 pounds of the Molten Speed wax a year and a half ago thinking I would use it up pretty fast. I am still not even through the 1st pound!
I think part of the key is when "re-waxing" just make sure the chain is as clean from dirt and debris as possible, that was the wax stayed really clean.
If you totally clean the chain in solvents, then it will probably use more wax (as in the first time).
I keep a freshly waxed race chain in a label baggie, and always try and put at least a good hour or 2 on it after I wax it. (Sometimes a link or 2 will be stubborn and need some ride time to work itself out.)
..
I haven't even looked for anything cheaper. For me, it appears to last just about forever (I've still got 30% of the 1st pound in the bag!), and I've probably ridden 25K miles on waxed chains using the original wax in my crock pot.

 

[super slim]

So Larry waxes about twice a week?

His legs OR the Chains

 

[Balor]

For me, it appears to last just about forever (I've still got 30% of the 1st pound in the bag!), and I've probably ridden 25K miles on waxed chains using the original wax in my crock pot.

Well, but you ignore the manufacturer's instructions to discard the wax after a set amount of waxings

 

[ratz]

I'll have to say, I originally bought 3 pounds of the Molten Speed wax a year and a half ago thinking I would use it up pretty fast. I am still not even through the 1st pound!
I think part of the key is when "re-waxing" just make sure the chain is as clean from dirt and debris as possible, that was the wax stayed really clean.
If you totally clean the chain in solvents, then it will probably use more wax (as in the first time).
I keep a freshly waxed race chain in a label baggie, and always try and put at least a good hour or 2 on it after I wax it. (Sometimes a link or 2 will be stubborn and need some ride time to work itself out.)
..
I haven't even looked for anything cheaper. For me, it appears to last just about forever (I've still got 30% of the 1st pound in the bag!), and I've probably ridden 25K miles on waxed chains using the original wax in my crock pot.

Same experience here with all the bikes I'm rotating about 16 separate chains. 3 lbs will last me 24 months of indoor and outdoor riding. The big thing here is (1) it's really easy to do once you have a dedicated crockpot and do you first go at it. (2) don't make it too hard or over think it. Waxing a chain for me involves about 5-7 minutes of total human effort; (yes I've timed it because kids always complain about not having enough time to do x-y-z).

IF chain squeaks Then

Remove chain and put on waxing hanging.
Put fresh chain on bike from inventory.​

End If
If more than 3 chains ready for waxing then

Put chains on top of solid wax in crockpot
turn on crockpot
come back 20 minutes later
swizzle chains
remove and hang on wall to dry​

end if

I don't even put them in baggies; they jus hang on the wall in the garage ready to go. I really don't spend any time on it at all; and I assure you it's far less than I use to spend cleaning and greasing chains not to mention the time spent trying to clean clothes and hands of grease. Frankly I am just saddened that I avoided this as "too hard, too much work" for so many years. It just not hard. I wasted a lot time money and effort on cleaning and greasing chains before.

If a chain gets really dirty it will make a trip through the sonic cleaner but that the rarity more than the norm. That's another 30 second setup; drop in push go, and come back 10 minutes later.

That all said; before the advent of the re-usable master link for breaking chains; this was a much more challenging task.

We should make a Bill of Materials listing all the essential stuff to do this for a year that might make it more obvious why those doing it say it's easier and cheaper than you think.

 

[castlerobber]

The big thing here is (1) it's really easy to do once you have a dedicated crockpot and do you first go at it. (2) don't make it too hard or over think it. Waxing a chain for me involves about 5-7 minutes of total human effort

Almost thou persuadest me...

I've been using the Squirt dry lube for a couple of months now, and I like it. I didn't even realize my chain had been making noise, until the first surprisingly quiet ride with the Squirt lube. (I never had noticed any difference with Purple Extreme or T-9.) I thought I had done a decent job of cleaning the chain on the Silvio, but black gunk is still working its way out of the rollers, so a more thorough cleaning is in order. At least the gunk is thinner, and easy to wipe off. Re-lubing is much neater and cleaner than with a wet lube, meaning I'm likely to do it as needed instead of putting it off.