When I filter dirty wax through the mask, does the PTFE particles remain in the dirty part, right? I already do the rotation of several chains but typically I see some rust on the used chains and don't want the rust sit and grow further while storing the chain for several weeks. So even though I do rotation of chains, I feel the need to wax the rusty chain immediately.
@@stefanwagener It will filter out the PTFE. The pore size of a KN95 mask is 0.3 micron, while the recommended PTFE has a 1.6-micron grain size - 5 times larger. Personally, I don't see the point of filtering the wax on cost saving grounds, as it is much cheaper than the additives you want, and while it removes the visible dirt, it might not be removing other contaminants. I think it would be better to use new wax to make a fresh puck that is guaranteed not to be contaminated.
@@davidpottage6402 Thanks, agree. Filtering would be more attractive if you could reuse the more expensive PTFE. On the other hand with the new 1:50 instead of 1:10 formula, that is already quite some saving.
Please can you make a video to show the difference (km before rewaxing)between a Ptfe Based Wax and a Pure paraffin wax with no additives. We are curious because getting a Ptfe from this end is hard and quite expensive. So as to know we are not killing our chain or reply if you’ve done that so we can Check 🙏🙏. Thanks 🙏🙏
.. as usual .. the standard of quality of Oz is just by far some orders of magnitude above the excellency level of the other experts this is our · _Southern Cross_
It's your best video. Five years following your advice on wax baths for the chain, and we're still learning new things like wax recycling. Thank you! Greetings from Spain.
I've waxed chains some time before your first video with mediocre success. That was because I didn't clean the chain thoroughly. I purchased an e-bike 6,000k's ago and waxed the chain from new. I also purchased a couple of spare chains knowing the torque may destroy the chain faster but... My park tool chain checker still hasn't managed to show .5 wear yet. Very impressed and Thank you Steve for giving up your time to showcase what you believe in and... your tenacity to improve on that.
You are so fortunate to live in a place where you can tag along on a ride with World Tour professionals! I don't see too many of them here in Toronto. Thanks for another top notch video on the science of DIY waxing! You are the best for making these videos! I've learned so much from you.Cheers! 👍
Thanks for your video. Cycled 20.000 km with a waxed Shimano Dura Ace chain and never changed the quick links. The chain has now 0.5% wear. I cycle 500 km before I wax the chain again. However the chain will be ultrasonic cleaned and poored with boiled water and blow dryed before waxing. Happy Waxing 😀
Wow! Thanks for the update. This is so comprehensive. It’s practically a complete guide on chain waxing. Anybody asks me about waxing I think it will be a no brainer to just refer them to this. Again, thanks.
I've been a waxing evangelist for a long time, your previous video was the start of it. Super excited about new insights!! I've been adding hBN to the wax though.
excellent report ! .. as usual .. the standard of quality of Oz is just by far some orders of magnitude above the level of the best other experts our Southern Cross Oz for President
Nice content as always, Oz. This tip about stearic acid was awesome, because in my country it is not easy nor cheap to find the fat hardener you covered in the last video. Instead, the stearic acid is pretty affordable and available.
I have been using submersion wax and fine PTFE powder additive with great results for years. The main issue is the PTFE powder is not dissolved and sinks to the bottom of wax so needs to be agitated before putting the chain in. Unfortunately this also stirs up any dirt particles which go back on to the chain. I also find KMC reusable links the best on my Shimano chains.
Great video again. We were doing this here in the UK back in the 60s on our motorbikes. Back then you brought a tin of Linklyfe I think it was called heated it up and laid your chain in it. Definitely going to get the ingredients and do this.
Anyone watching this for the educational value really needs to re-evaluate their choices….. please do yourselves a favour and research some more science/testing based information. Zero Friction Cycling is a good example.
Quite the patience to wait two or three years between each chain application to test the effectiveness of ratios. Kinda reminds me of the movie Interstellar.
Great video. Two things. 1. Drop a magnet in your wax and swish around while wax is still liquid. You'll be amazed how much of that black is steel! 2. Use a paper towel as a filter. Much more eco friendly unless you are reusing a pre-loved mask. I have been using your method for about five years. I haven't yet figured out how to when travelling lightweight os. Taking a little bottle of highly flammable Ipa in my luggage doesn't seem like a good idea. I bought some Ceramic Speed dribble-on wax when i arrived in Germany. Horrifically expensive but convenient, and it built up fast and went black too, with daily use in wet conditions.
Agreed. Drip on is not great. Whats the solution when biketouring/packing, would love to know. A small puck and silicon bowl to stick into an air bnb saucepan?!
@@mattfoley6082, residual of the chain manufacturing process where surface finishing leaves micro surface fractures. These shear off under load as the chain breaks in and also as dirt contamination shears micro surface fractures. In this and previous video you can view the surface finishing leaves micro roughness which becomes imbedded with ptfe or other additives. You will find the same happens in an ICE engine in which a filter helps capture particles of metal and contaminants.
@@traderz13drip on and then use the air bnb hair dryer to melt and force the wax into the links. Cross chaining while slowly backpedaling and hair dryer on high will melt the drip on better as well as the articulated side force will open the links a bit with a pumping action as the chain straightens. About a 5 minute process.
Been waxing for 10 years, MTB ride every other day year around lots of dust and a little mud. Using any kind of oil, atf, tri-flow, wd40, atf, motor oil, drip on wax, I would wear out a chain in 9-12 months and a middle chainring and cassette every 18 months. Now I use paraffin, PTFE, and Molybdenum disulfide, and lamp oil in a deep fryer at 250 degrees. For the last 5 years, I have been rotating 3 chains and none of them are worn to .4% yet, middle chainring is about half gone, no wear on cassette so far.
I use an ultra sonic cleaner think its set at 60 deg , also you can recover more wax filtering inside the hotpot or use a hair dryer or something to keep the filter temp up
Here's a tip. Get two metal bowls and use your stove. In one bowl you boil water and degreaser to clean the chains squeaky clean (heat works fantastic at degreasing and you don't need strong chemicals). Use the second bowl to heat up the wax, with a kitchen thermometer. With a stove and boiling bath you'll save a ton of time with cleaning and waxing, because you can heat quickly and then turn down/off the heat. With a gas or induction stove it just takes 2-4min to heat up. A small usb fan can be used to quickly drop the wax temperature to the desired temp, from 20-30min to maybe 5min. The end temp is important as it will determine how much wax you pack into the chain. Although a bit messy, you'll get longer mileage at lower temperatures. With several chains you don't need to get that messy with the wax IMO. Thanks OZ cycling for getting me on the path!
@@mattfoley6082 Cool. The mileage is insane. My chains start to rust and look nasty before they get to 0.5% stretch. So the problem is to keep them rust free IMO. I just measured a chain I've had for like 7 years (not used every year) and it's nowhere near 0.5%. I'm quite lazy too with the wax intervals and that has allowed rust to form. The hard part IMO is to keep on waxing with regular intervals. Riding indoors can cause more rust than riding in rain because of the salty sweat. I don't know what to do about that. I tend to wax much less in winter.
Best chain waxing video yet. How much extra kms are you getting out of the wax chains compared with a normal dry lube? My only issues is changing the chain every 300kms which for some riders might be every 2 or 3 days. As you point out this requires an initial investment in half a dozen chains or so.
@@stevenleffanue Yes correct, I'd assume the drip on dry lubes ore more common which as you point out still can attract the dirt but not as bad as the drip on wet lubes.
GREAT Content! Thank you so much! One important question: After Running the contaminated wax through the kn95 Mask, do I Need to add new PTFE to the wax ? Thank you!
Thank you for a very detailed informative video about waxing. I have been using waxed chain and one of the problems I face is the wax build up on the drivetrain especially on the cassette. Any suggestion on removing/cleaning the build up Wax?
Sounds like too much wax left on the outside of your chain . Wipe off excess wax with a rag when removing your chain from the hotpot. A flathead screwdriver or dental pick is good for removing excess wax from between sprockets.
Take the bike parts off, put them into a hot (not boiling) pot of water, leave it to cool. The wax will separate off and harden. Dispose of the wax, reassemble the drive train.
25:00 Before filtering scrape off the heavily contaminated wax from the bottom of the block. Anyway, if you let your wax cool down slowly, most of the dirt will concentrate on the bottom of the wax block.
People need to stop recommending the connex links so they drop back down to affordable prices... Here in the UK they want £25 for a single 11 speed quick link by itself, which you would have to be insane to pay.
How do you keep your wax so debris free? I boil my chain each time before I dip in the wax. But the wax quickly turn black from the fine grit still in the chain. Help! Love the vid's
Or you can put your chain in a glass and put it in an ultrasonic cleaner (a cheap ultrasonic cleaner will do) with hot water and dishwashing liquid, after clean flush the chain with water or alcoholic (ipa) then rewaxing
I’m personally concerned about the environmental issues around using PTFE any chance you have done any more research or testing into any of the other additives mentioned. With more specific details about ratios. Great video well done
Just some thoughts, as for heating temperature, i wonder why 90 C would be the recommended temp... Why cook the chains at barely sub boiling temps when we know paraffin is safe at 110-120 C as well? For Wax and the PTFE part it looks safe based on the specs, not sure about the other additives. I Feel like there is a big opportunity to be missed by not heating the chains above 100C! By doing so we can displace any trapped moisture or water residue completely, aiding the wax seeping in and also minimizing air pockets that one might miss with just shaking the chain. This also goes really well with the boil-cleaning before waxing, if you do this step, affording us to skip the drying part entirely as the wax pot will do it! I don't remember what the advice was for this matter, so maybe i'm just repeating Steve and i apologize, but situationally speaking, In rough conditions, gravel/mtb or winter riding especially, boiling the chains and wiping them with a rag while still hot really makes a big big difference for puck longevity and therefore keeping the subsequently treated chains free of debris and sand particles as much as possible, as opposed to what SILCA or some branded waxes instruct, claiming just a cold wipedown before treatment is "good enough".. for obvious reasons. Anyone that rides in the wet and dusty can take an old pot try this out and see how dark and grimy of a wax film you get on top of the water after you cook your chains for 5-10minutes. If you do so and wax right after above 100C you will notice the wax starts bubbling up as the water and moisture boil out and you can be sure that the insides will have dried and wax pulled inside the links. Swish it around a couple times to move the links, and when the bubbles stop you can also tell it's done ! I started waxing following your advice a year ago, it's not even debatable, never looked back! Thanks Steve. PS: If anyone knows what kind of saddle the rider is rocking at 1:16 with such long rails joining at almost 90 degrees with the back of the saddle allowing that kind of set-forward, or any similarly designed models please let me know with a reply! Tyvm
Not all paraffin waxes have exactly the same melt and boil temperatures. Many viewers in past years experienced discolouration of their waxes because of reaching a critical temperature which changes the wax structure, loosing its beneficial properties.
Thank you so much for all your videos! We've been waxing our bikes with your original recipe for over 5 years, we rotate 6 chains between my wife and I. We haven't bought a new chain, chainring or cassette in all that time! I've also converted our city bikes to waxed chains, very very handy when the chain falls off in the middle of an intersection... We've now moved to Belgium a very wet place, it rains a lot. Any recommendations on keeping the chain rust free? Apart from taking it off after each ride. I've experimented with beeswax mixed with paraffin. It works a little better but it takes a very long time to break the chain in. We then tried 100% bees wax, It works very well, but it's very noisy and keeps the chain very stiff... Any other ideas welcome...
I think the Poly Tank fitting you have in your video is 15mm (1/2"). I went out and bought a 25mm (1") fitting and it seemed far too big. Then I tried to pause your video when you disassembled the tool and I believe I can see 15mm and 1/2" on it. Could you confirm? Great tool btw and great video! Thanks
wow very interesting! Stearic acid! So that's probably what's in the Silca strip chip. What temperature do you need for it to work? Silca says 125°C for 10min, does it work at 90°C? Also when testing if there was any oil left in the wax, you should have added a control (waxing new oily chains without the stearic acid present) maybe that particular paper didn't pick up oil or something else happened. I understand this would have probably been a waste of time, but that would have been the ultimate test. Still very interesting though.
Have done so with paraffin oil, the wax becomes softer and does leave oil on brown paper or anything it contacts for a short period of time. Paraffin oil in the wax is a good chain lube for wet conditions as it smothers the chain more and prevents corrosion.
Regarding the saddles forward on the team riders you saw: the UCI rule on saddle setback for road changed on Jan 1, 2025, to allow riders to set their saddles up to, but not exceeding the vertical line of the BB, where it used to be 5cm setback. So many riders (like myself) are no longer limited to uncomfortable rearward saddle positions.
Great update cheers. Riding around Sydney and getting great results from the wax. Recently got a new ride with 12x SRAM. Unfortunately no connex connector. Question please, can I use the acid in the ultrasonic cleaner on a new chain? Keep making videos and saving us heaps.
Stearic acid needs to be heated to at least 70degC to convert the oil. After the ultrasonic cleaner you will need to rinse the chain in IPA or acetone . Much easier to just pop 10-20grams of the Stearic acid into your wax.
@@stevenleffanueI put the wax into a sous vide bag and put it in an ultrasonic cleaner at 60C to wax my chains. If the stearic acid works at 70C, I could probably reach that. I had been under the impression you needed 90C, which is less convenient for heating in a water bath, but possible.
90 degC is ideal, yes. Not all chain brands use the same factory lube , so are easily converted to polymer at a lower temperature , some require higher temperature...90degC will do all of them.
Thanks for this video. I need to covert to wax for sure. Looking at the different kinds of candles here I find a lot that mention “100% steraic”. Any thoughts on using these in some kind of way? Use them in a mix with parrafine candles or not? Or would these work instead of parrafine candles? Thanks again.
What about using hot water to get rid of the old wax on your chain before rewaxing? Will that eliminate impurities getting into the wax upon rewaxing? Thanks.
Have you tried just paraffin wax without any additives? That's what I've been using and I have 6,000 Mi on my chain and it still only has.2% wear.... I'm curious if you knew how much I might be given up by not using any additives
FYI. Liquid/melted paraffin wax poured down a drain with functioning trap will form a plug at the top of the water level in the trap. The wife was changing out the wax in her wax pot and poured some down the drain. Had to disassemble drain to clear. And yes I immerse wax my chains. Not with her wax.
If I remember correctly from your early videos, the primary role of PTFE was to make your chain more efficient. Does it have an impact on longevity too? I'm using only plain paraffin wax with no additives, while my drive train is super clean, am not seeing my road bike chains last more than 3-4K km before reaching 0.5% wear.
It's also telling that in most of the examples he uses, it's being heavily phased out because of environmental impact. Cookware with PTFE? I wonder if I can even still buy that in most stores. None of the modern clothing uses PTFE either anymore.
Hi. I've been waxing my chain and watching your videos for years now and I agree with everything you say, with one small difference. I remove my chain from the wax just as it starts to skin over at about 60C. Isn't it better to remove the chain at the lowest possible temperature so the least amount flows out? This is just my layman's opinion, but I'm curious to know what you think. Thanks again.
Found no difference in rewaxing periods between both pull temperatures. However a lower pull temperature leaves more wax on the outside of the chain....this helps protect the chain in wet conditions.
I’ve been using your method for waxing my chains, so I was really interested in the use of Stearic acid, as I dread the effort involved in degreasing a new chain with petrol/white spirit etc! This, I must try! Is stearic acid the same as what is used in candle/soap production? Do you have a link to where you purchase it from? Thanks.
Some candles do have stearic acid however best to add the amount suggested. www.ebay.com.au/itm/194226188476?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=aX6xNTi7TCS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=-h7k82GPSla&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Thx for another great video! Is the ptfe filtered out when you recycle the puck? In other words, do you add new ptfe to the recycled wax? And if so, at what ratio?
PTFE (Teflon) is a PFAS or “forever chemical” controlled by the EPA in the USA. Concerns for these chemicals getting into the water supply by things like fire fighting foams. Concerns for long term health issues at low levels.
Exactly my thought - particles are very efective in many areas of the use, but the danger is here. It was banned from use in skiing waxes (low friction as well), discussion is in clothing industry (membranes such as goretex, alternatives without PTFE are already in existence). Cookware is another case (we are limiting the use at home).
C'est un video très utile pour apprendre plusieurs idées importantes sur la lubrification des chaines avec du cire. Messages importants: 1. Pour sortir l'huile de la chaine: Acide stéarique. 2. On peut utliser un nettyeur ultrason pour nettoyer la chaine avant refaire le cire. Mais il pense que c'est pas très necessaire. 2. Cire de paraffine 'standard' n'est pas cher et est bien efficace. 3. Il suggère que la PTFE (Teflon) est un additive utile. Pas cher, pas de couleur. Après le début un très petit montant de PTFE est necessaire. 4. Les vieux masques de covid sont utile pour filtrer le cire usé avant de la re-utiliser. 5. Il suggere une marque des chaines et de liens amovable. 6. Il suggere qu'on fait le cire sur plusieurs chaines à la fois. Il parle d'un "puck" : un bloque de cire. C'est en anglais avec les prix australienne des produits. Est-ce que j'ai suffissament de patience pour faire tout ca? Many thanks for a great video, well researched, well and cheerfully presented, with some really good ideas.
Could i just grab some clarity on a couple of questions please? First, do i immediately wax my new chain without cleaning with petrol etc. just by adding the acid?
Stearic acid binds oil by melting when heated and forming a solid matrix when cooled - however, it usually encapsulates the oil rather than completely removing it. So I don't think that this will work 🤔. But since stearic acid is so cheap I'll give it a try anyways.
Using stearic acid on the initial batch with two chains,quite a number of riders over the past couple of years have confirmed very similar chain wear after the initial 3,000km plus having reached 16,000km+ to .5% wear . Please let us know how your chain wear goes then??
Do I have this right, you add 20 grams of stearic acid to the same hot wax solution every time you dip a new chain? So if you're dipping two new chains at the same time, you'd add 40 grams, correct? And what happens to the polymer that's produced? Does effect the wax or chain? Thanks.
10grams/chain. Stearic acid changes oil to a harder polymer which mixes in with the wax. It is such a small amount in 500 grams of wax it hardly affects the performance at all, as shown by chain longevity results.
I waxed for a couple of years. Eventually gave up, flakes everywhere, including the rear brake disc! Really just can’t be bothered with the process of boiling off the old wax and rewaxing it anymore. I use Muc off wax now.
Wonder if automotive spraying filters would work over covid mask?... as you can get in various different micron, I'm not sure if wax would clog them up, though
Do i understand it correctly,you use 2 different wax mixes, onder with stearic acid for degreasing, and subsequently with ptfe for lubrication? Or can you use 1 mixture to do both?
In summary: new chains out of the packet into a crockpot ~90C with paraffin wax + PTFE at 1:50 ratio + small amounts of stearic acid to remove the oil from new chains from the mixture, job done?
Yo ya empecé a hacer esto. Poner la cera de parafina, aceite de parafina y PTFE. Pero el PTFE qué tengo disponible es de grano demasiado fino. Pero es mejor que nada y tengo que reencerar la cadena después de cada ruta.
How to wax your chain video....
ua-cam.com/video/pbz3NGbwyuc/v-deo.htmlsi=W7RLE0vfFakiikk9
When I filter dirty wax through the mask, does the PTFE particles remain in the dirty part, right?
I already do the rotation of several chains but typically I see some rust on the used chains and don't want the rust sit and grow further while storing the chain for several weeks. So even though I do rotation of chains, I feel the need to wax the rusty chain immediately.
@@stefanwagener It will filter out the PTFE. The pore size of a KN95 mask is 0.3 micron, while the recommended PTFE has a 1.6-micron grain size - 5 times larger. Personally, I don't see the point of filtering the wax on cost saving grounds, as it is much cheaper than the additives you want, and while it removes the visible dirt, it might not be removing other contaminants. I think it would be better to use new wax to make a fresh puck that is guaranteed not to be contaminated.
@@davidpottage6402 Thanks, agree. Filtering would be more attractive if you could reuse the more expensive PTFE. On the other hand with the new 1:50 instead of 1:10 formula, that is already quite some saving.
Please can you make a video to show the difference (km before rewaxing)between a Ptfe Based Wax and a Pure paraffin wax with no additives. We are curious because getting a Ptfe from this end is hard and quite expensive. So as to know we are not killing our chain or reply if you’ve done that so we can Check 🙏🙏. Thanks 🙏🙏
@ PTFE should be banned ,
because they do not degrade nor recycle
This might be the single best cycling deep dive video I've seen in years. Thank you kind sir.
.. as usual ..
the standard of quality of Oz is just
by far some orders of magnitude above
the excellency level of the other experts
this is our · _Southern Cross_
No diddy!
@@JibbaJabber 😂😂😂
My good sir, you are the chain waxing godfather.
It's your best video. Five years following your advice on wax baths for the chain, and we're still learning new things like wax recycling. Thank you! Greetings from Spain.
I've waxed chains some time before your first video with mediocre success. That was because I didn't clean the chain thoroughly. I purchased an e-bike 6,000k's ago and waxed the chain from new. I also purchased a couple of spare chains knowing the torque may destroy the chain faster but... My park tool chain checker still hasn't managed to show .5 wear yet. Very impressed and Thank you Steve for giving up your time to showcase what you believe in and... your tenacity to improve on that.
Steve the Wax King dropping new waxing techniques every five months! The GOAT!
This guy loves chain wax and I'm here for it! Keep up the useful content, Oz!
You are so fortunate to live in a place where you can tag along on a ride with World Tour professionals! I don't see too many of them here in Toronto. Thanks for another top notch video on the science of DIY waxing! You are the best for making these videos! I've learned so much from you.Cheers! 👍
Come for a holiday in January, get away from the cold and bring your bike.
I've been following your chain waxing method for years and it works. Period.
Thanks for the update.
Thanks for your video. Cycled 20.000 km with a waxed Shimano Dura Ace chain and never changed the quick links. The chain has now 0.5% wear. I cycle 500 km before I wax the chain again. However the chain will be ultrasonic cleaned and poored with boiled water and blow dryed before waxing. Happy Waxing 😀
Wow! Thanks for the update. This is so comprehensive. It’s practically a complete guide on chain waxing. Anybody asks me about waxing I think it will be a no brainer to just refer them to this. Again, thanks.
Never even thought about using the mask to filter out the garbage in the wax.... outstanding
Thanks so much! 6 years waxing my chains tanks to your videos. Greetings from Argentina!
Been following his method for 5 years with great results. Thanks OZ Cycles!
Great video! Second hand shops are a great place for a $5 used pot. Love the idea for reusing old covid masks.
I've been a waxing evangelist for a long time, your previous video was the start of it. Super excited about new insights!! I've been adding hBN to the wax though.
Nice. Would love to hear back from you about your chain life with hBN!?
@@stevenleffanue Oz for President !
excellent report !
.. as usual ..
the standard of quality of Oz is just
by far some orders of magnitude above
the level of the best other experts
our Southern Cross
Oz for President
Nice content as always, Oz.
This tip about stearic acid was awesome, because in my country it is not easy nor cheap to find the fat hardener you covered in the last video. Instead, the stearic acid is pretty affordable and available.
You are the wax guru imo. Great work!
I have been using submersion wax and fine PTFE powder additive with great results for years. The main issue is the PTFE powder is not dissolved and sinks to the bottom of wax so needs to be agitated before putting the chain in. Unfortunately this also stirs up any dirt particles which go back on to the chain. I also find KMC reusable links the best on my Shimano chains.
Great video again. We were doing this here in the UK back in the 60s on our motorbikes. Back then you brought a tin of Linklyfe I think it was called heated it up and laid your chain in it. Definitely going to get the ingredients and do this.
Really appreciate these videos on waxing. I'm now a convert.
I get so excited when I see OZ drop a new video covering the topic of chain wax. Is there something wrong with me?
Yes
No it isnt. Dude could casually open an Department of Chain Waxing on some University.
Could evolve into everything waxing - wax hair removal, wax for moustache and beard, wax for diy screws. Nurse! I need more medication please…
Anyone watching this for the educational value really needs to re-evaluate their choices….. please do yourselves a favour and research some more science/testing based information. Zero Friction Cycling is a good example.
@@asteropeuspeoneos5406 yesss, definitively !
Thank you for this video OZ cycle. your skills and wisdom are highly appreciated. All the best.
Quite the patience to wait two or three years between each chain application to test the effectiveness of ratios. Kinda reminds me of the movie Interstellar.
True, but can still ride the bikes in the meantime 😄
Hello! Greeting from Perú! Thanks for sharing your wisdom for so many years! I've been very pleased with the wax!
I'm proud to say I've been waxing my chains since 1988. Starting using strait paraffin, then adding PTFE about 7 years ago after seeing an OZ video.
Brilliant stearic acid hack! Saves time.
This is a gold mine of information!
Great video. Two things.
1. Drop a magnet in your wax and swish around while wax is still liquid. You'll be amazed how much of that black is steel!
2. Use a paper towel as a filter. Much more eco friendly unless you are reusing a pre-loved mask.
I have been using your method for about five years. I haven't yet figured out how to when travelling lightweight os. Taking a little bottle of highly flammable Ipa in my luggage doesn't seem like a good idea. I bought some Ceramic Speed dribble-on wax when i arrived in Germany. Horrifically expensive but convenient, and it built up fast and went black too, with daily use in wet conditions.
Agreed. Drip on is not great.
Whats the solution when biketouring/packing, would love to know.
A small puck and silicon bowl to stick into an air bnb saucepan?!
Where is the steel coming from? It would seem to prove the wax isn't doing its job.
@@mattfoley6082, residual of the chain manufacturing process where surface finishing leaves micro surface fractures. These shear off under load as the chain breaks in and also as dirt contamination shears micro surface fractures. In this and previous video you can view the surface finishing leaves micro roughness which becomes imbedded with ptfe or other additives.
You will find the same happens in an ICE engine in which a filter helps capture particles of metal and contaminants.
@@traderz13drip on and then use the air bnb hair dryer to melt and force the wax into the links. Cross chaining while slowly backpedaling and hair dryer on high will melt the drip on better as well as the articulated side force will open the links a bit with a pumping action as the chain straightens. About a 5 minute process.
@@awesomexistence i know how to apply i just dont like it, its just so grimey
Been waxing for 10 years, MTB ride every other day year around lots of dust and a little mud. Using any kind of oil, atf, tri-flow, wd40, atf, motor oil, drip on wax, I would wear out a chain in 9-12 months and a middle chainring and cassette every 18 months. Now I use paraffin, PTFE, and Molybdenum disulfide, and lamp oil in a deep fryer at 250 degrees. For the last 5 years, I have been rotating 3 chains and none of them are worn to .4% yet, middle chainring is about half gone, no wear on cassette so far.
you can save chainring by reshaping teeth
@@makantahi3731 Details, please?
Your videos just get better and better.
Love the updates and DIY tools + recycling!! Thanks a lot!
I use an ultra sonic cleaner think its set at 60 deg , also you can recover more wax filtering inside the hotpot or use a hair dryer or something to keep the filter temp up
Thank you, that was extremely thorough and informative 🙏
Here's a tip. Get two metal bowls and use your stove. In one bowl you boil water and degreaser to clean the chains squeaky clean (heat works fantastic at degreasing and you don't need strong chemicals). Use the second bowl to heat up the wax, with a kitchen thermometer. With a stove and boiling bath you'll save a ton of time with cleaning and waxing, because you can heat quickly and then turn down/off the heat. With a gas or induction stove it just takes 2-4min to heat up. A small usb fan can be used to quickly drop the wax temperature to the desired temp, from 20-30min to maybe 5min. The end temp is important as it will determine how much wax you pack into the chain. Although a bit messy, you'll get longer mileage at lower temperatures. With several chains you don't need to get that messy with the wax IMO. Thanks OZ cycling for getting me on the path!
This is how I do it! I buy big candles at Walmart. I don't use additives, just wax. I want to know what mileage I should expect with wax only.
@@mattfoley6082 Cool. The mileage is insane. My chains start to rust and look nasty before they get to 0.5% stretch. So the problem is to keep them rust free IMO. I just measured a chain I've had for like 7 years (not used every year) and it's nowhere near 0.5%. I'm quite lazy too with the wax intervals and that has allowed rust to form. The hard part IMO is to keep on waxing with regular intervals. Riding indoors can cause more rust than riding in rain because of the salty sweat. I don't know what to do about that. I tend to wax much less in winter.
I like the dedication to the craft. Maybe I'll try it soon
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Much appreciated😊
The holy leader of the Wax Cult.
instead of filtering the puck, i always chisel away the bottom dirty part until i see pure wax. easier in my opinion :D
Mr Oz Clean for the waxing win: good in ya, Mate !:)
You're the best! Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻
Great Oz been doing it years since I first followed you, will definitely be using stearic acid, great tip keep them coming
Hi Steve, yep I will cut down on the PTFE RATIO. cheers Andrew.
Great update. I have been waxing for years.
Best chain waxing video yet. How much extra kms are you getting out of the wax chains compared with a normal dry lube? My only issues is changing the chain every 300kms which for some riders might be every 2 or 3 days. As you point out this requires an initial investment in half a dozen chains or so.
Immersive waxing is a dry lube. However, I assume you refer to drip-on dry lubes?
@@stevenleffanue Yes correct, I'd assume the drip on dry lubes ore more common which as you point out still can attract the dirt but not as bad as the drip on wet lubes.
@donr868 Correct. Drip-ons usually require more frequent applications too. I doubt your chain would last as long as with immersive waxing too.
Hi Steven,
Could you please do a comparison video on how a waxed chain should like and sound like at 0kms/150kms/200kms/250kms/300kms. Thanks.
Great video!!! I'm too lazy to do the immersion wax, will stick to drip wax
GREAT Content! Thank you so much!
One important question: After Running the contaminated wax through the kn95 Mask, do I Need to add new PTFE to the wax ?
Thank you!
Yes, as the kn95 filters at .3um.
Thank you for a very detailed informative video about waxing. I have been using waxed chain and one of the problems I face is the wax build up on the drivetrain especially on the cassette. Any suggestion on removing/cleaning the build up
Wax?
Sounds like too much wax left on the outside of your chain . Wipe off excess wax with a rag when removing your chain from the hotpot.
A flathead screwdriver or dental pick is good for removing excess wax from between sprockets.
Take the bike parts off, put them into a hot (not boiling) pot of water, leave it to cool. The wax will separate off and harden. Dispose of the wax, reassemble the drive train.
Or use a rag with a wax solvent and wipe clean
25:00 Before filtering scrape off the heavily contaminated wax from the bottom of the block. Anyway, if you let your wax cool down slowly, most of the dirt will concentrate on the bottom of the wax block.
The Chain Waxing OG!!
Awesome vid buddy.. I use the Silca system so simple to do works for me 😊 Pete
People need to stop recommending the connex links so they drop back down to affordable prices... Here in the UK they want £25 for a single 11 speed quick link by itself, which you would have to be insane to pay.
boycot
thanks for sharing those informations for free, you doing good work here sir
Another amazing video. Thanks!
How do you keep your wax so debris free? I boil my chain each time before I dip in the wax. But the wax quickly turn black from the fine grit still in the chain. Help! Love the vid's
Remove the grit before immersion. Try wiping the chain with a microfibre cloth whilst its hot.
Or you can put your chain in a glass and put it in an ultrasonic cleaner (a cheap ultrasonic cleaner will do) with hot water and dishwashing liquid, after clean flush the chain with water or alcoholic (ipa) then rewaxing
I’m personally concerned about the environmental issues around using PTFE any chance you have done any more research or testing into any of the other additives mentioned. With more specific details about ratios. Great video well done
Forward Saddle - So 90's Triathlete setup...Nice of y'all Roadies to join us - finally!
Just some thoughts, as for heating temperature, i wonder why 90 C would be the recommended temp...
Why cook the chains at barely sub boiling temps when we know paraffin is safe at 110-120 C as well?
For Wax and the PTFE part it looks safe based on the specs, not sure about the other additives.
I Feel like there is a big opportunity to be missed by not heating the chains above 100C!
By doing so we can displace any trapped moisture or water residue completely, aiding the wax seeping in and also minimizing air pockets that one might miss with just shaking the chain.
This also goes really well with the boil-cleaning before waxing, if you do this step, affording us to skip the drying part entirely as the wax pot will do it!
I don't remember what the advice was for this matter, so maybe i'm just repeating Steve and i apologize, but situationally speaking, In rough conditions, gravel/mtb or winter riding especially, boiling the chains and wiping them with a rag while still hot really makes a big big difference for puck longevity and therefore keeping the subsequently treated chains free of debris and sand particles as much as possible, as opposed to what SILCA or some branded waxes instruct, claiming just a cold wipedown before treatment is "good enough".. for obvious reasons.
Anyone that rides in the wet and dusty can take an old pot try this out and see how dark and grimy of a wax film you get on top of the water after you cook your chains for 5-10minutes.
If you do so and wax right after above 100C you will notice the wax starts bubbling up as the water and moisture boil out and you can be sure that the insides will have dried and wax pulled inside the links. Swish it around a couple times to move the links, and when the bubbles stop you can also tell it's done !
I started waxing following your advice a year ago, it's not even debatable, never looked back! Thanks Steve.
PS: If anyone knows what kind of saddle the rider is rocking at 1:16 with such long rails joining at almost 90 degrees with the back of the saddle allowing that kind of set-forward, or any similarly designed models please let me know with a reply! Tyvm
Not all paraffin waxes have exactly the same melt and boil temperatures. Many viewers in past years experienced discolouration of their waxes because of reaching a critical temperature which changes the wax structure, loosing its beneficial properties.
Thank you so much for all your videos! We've been waxing our bikes with your original recipe for over 5 years, we rotate 6 chains between my wife and I. We haven't bought a new chain, chainring or cassette in all that time! I've also converted our city bikes to waxed chains, very very handy when the chain falls off in the middle of an intersection...
We've now moved to Belgium a very wet place, it rains a lot. Any recommendations on keeping the chain rust free? Apart from taking it off after each ride. I've experimented with beeswax mixed with paraffin. It works a little better but it takes a very long time to break the chain in. We then tried 100% bees wax, It works very well, but it's very noisy and keeps the chain very stiff...
Any other ideas welcome...
Try adding paraffin oil to your wax mix at 1:1 ....this makes the wax more viscous and should cover your chains more evenly which reduces oxidation.
Your flange sprocket is a good chain keeper hack for cleaning
Hi Mike in uk I have strained my wax though a mask and it’s still brown is it still ok to use I think waxing is the best thanks to you
Probably not. Did the wax get heated over 110degC at any time?
I think the Poly Tank fitting you have in your video is 15mm (1/2"). I went out and bought a 25mm (1") fitting and it seemed far too big. Then I tried to pause your video when you disassembled the tool and I believe I can see 15mm and 1/2" on it. Could you confirm? Great tool btw and great video! Thanks
Yes you are correct..15mm...oops
@@stevenleffanue Thanks for confirming that!
wow very interesting! Stearic acid! So that's probably what's in the Silca strip chip. What temperature do you need for it to work? Silca says 125°C for 10min, does it work at 90°C?
Also when testing if there was any oil left in the wax, you should have added a control (waxing new oily chains without the stearic acid present) maybe that particular paper didn't pick up oil or something else happened. I understand this would have probably been a waste of time, but that would have been the ultimate test. Still very interesting though.
Have done so with paraffin oil, the wax becomes softer and does leave oil on brown paper or anything it contacts for a short period of time. Paraffin oil in the wax is a good chain lube for wet conditions as it smothers the chain more and prevents corrosion.
Great video! What particle size do you recommend for the ptfe powder?
1.6um
Regarding the saddles forward on the team riders you saw: the UCI rule on saddle setback for road changed on Jan 1, 2025, to allow riders to set their saddles up to, but not exceeding the vertical line of the BB, where it used to be 5cm setback. So many riders (like myself) are no longer limited to uncomfortable rearward saddle positions.
Why is there a rule on saddle position? I'm not a pro.
I really wanna experiment with a more forward saddle position. My lower back doesn't seem to love it though.
Great update cheers.
Riding around Sydney and getting great results from the wax.
Recently got a new ride with 12x SRAM. Unfortunately no connex connector.
Question please, can I use the acid in the ultrasonic cleaner on a new chain?
Keep making videos and saving us heaps.
Stearic acid needs to be heated to at least 70degC to convert the oil. After the ultrasonic cleaner you will need to rinse the chain in IPA or acetone . Much easier to just pop 10-20grams of the Stearic acid into your wax.
@@stevenleffanueI put the wax into a sous vide bag and put it in an ultrasonic cleaner at 60C to wax my chains. If the stearic acid works at 70C, I could probably reach that. I had been under the impression you needed 90C, which is less convenient for heating in a water bath, but possible.
@@stevenleffanue thanks heaps Steve, much appreciated
90 degC is ideal, yes. Not all chain brands use the same factory lube , so are easily converted to polymer at a lower temperature , some require higher temperature...90degC will do all of them.
Thanks for this video. I need to covert to wax for sure. Looking at the different kinds of candles here I find a lot that mention “100% steraic”. Any thoughts on using these in some kind of way? Use them in a mix with parrafine candles or not? Or would these work instead of parrafine candles? Thanks again.
Stearin can come from animals or plants and is not stearic acid. Best to use paraffin candles and add stearic acid if required for degreasing chains.
@ thank you for making that clear. Much appreciated.
What about using hot water to get rid of the old wax on your chain before rewaxing? Will that eliminate impurities getting into the wax upon rewaxing? Thanks.
Hot water rinse is still the best clean at rewaxing
Have you tried just paraffin wax without any additives? That's what I've been using and I have 6,000 Mi on my chain and it still only has.2% wear.... I'm curious if you knew how much I might be given up by not using any additives
FYI. Liquid/melted paraffin wax poured down a drain with functioning trap will form a plug at the top of the water level in the trap. The wife was changing out the wax in her wax pot and poured some down the drain. Had to disassemble drain to clear. And yes I immerse wax my chains. Not with her wax.
If I remember correctly from your early videos, the primary role of PTFE was to make your chain more efficient. Does it have an impact on longevity too? I'm using only plain paraffin wax with no additives, while my drive train is super clean, am not seeing my road bike chains last more than 3-4K km before reaching 0.5% wear.
Yes , you will need the ptfe to reduce friction , which extends your chain life x3 - x4.
Your argument on PTFE is like well, they are using asbestos anywhere, therefore it can't be bad, can it?! How many decades ago did we have this?!
It's also telling that in most of the examples he uses, it's being heavily phased out because of environmental impact. Cookware with PTFE? I wonder if I can even still buy that in most stores. None of the modern clothing uses PTFE either anymore.
Hi. I've been waxing my chain and watching your videos for years now and I agree with everything you say, with one small difference. I remove my chain from the wax just as it starts to skin over at about 60C. Isn't it better to remove the chain at the lowest possible temperature so the least amount flows out? This is just my layman's opinion, but I'm curious to know what you think. Thanks again.
Found no difference in rewaxing periods between both pull temperatures. However a lower pull temperature leaves more wax on the outside of the chain....this helps protect the chain in wet conditions.
I’ve been using your method for waxing my chains, so I was really interested in the use of Stearic acid, as I dread the effort involved in degreasing a new chain with petrol/white spirit etc! This, I must try! Is stearic acid the same as what is used in candle/soap production? Do you have a link to where you purchase it from? Thanks.
Some candles do have stearic acid however best to add the amount suggested.
www.ebay.com.au/itm/194226188476?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=aX6xNTi7TCS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=-h7k82GPSla&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
@ that’s brilliant, thank you. Actually looking forward to the process of preparing a new chain 😉👍
Top stuff watching from the uk 🇬🇧🤙👍🇬🇧
Love chain waxing, unfortunately over here in Germany in the rain and mud, it's a summer bike only thing for me...
Thx for another great video! Is the ptfe filtered out when you recycle the puck? In other words, do you add new ptfe to the recycled wax? And if so, at what ratio?
Haven't figured out if ptfe gets thru the filter , so best to add the required amount.....1:50 for initial puck , 1:200 for all following pucks.
PTFE (Teflon) is a PFAS or “forever chemical” controlled by the EPA in the USA. Concerns for these chemicals getting into the water supply by things like fire fighting foams. Concerns for long term health issues at low levels.
Exactly my thought - particles are very efective in many areas of the use, but the danger is here. It was banned from use in skiing waxes (low friction as well), discussion is in clothing industry (membranes such as goretex, alternatives without PTFE are already in existence). Cookware is another case (we are limiting the use at home).
Think so do I need to make a new lot up
C'est un video très utile pour apprendre plusieurs idées importantes sur la lubrification des chaines avec du cire.
Messages importants:
1. Pour sortir l'huile de la chaine: Acide stéarique.
2. On peut utliser un nettyeur ultrason pour nettoyer la chaine avant refaire le cire. Mais il pense que c'est pas très necessaire.
2. Cire de paraffine 'standard' n'est pas cher et est bien efficace.
3. Il suggère que la PTFE (Teflon) est un additive utile. Pas cher, pas de couleur. Après le début un très petit montant de PTFE est necessaire.
4. Les vieux masques de covid sont utile pour filtrer le cire usé avant de la re-utiliser.
5. Il suggere une marque des chaines et de liens amovable.
6. Il suggere qu'on fait le cire sur plusieurs chaines à la fois.
Il parle d'un "puck" : un bloque de cire.
C'est en anglais avec les prix australienne des produits.
Est-ce que j'ai suffissament de patience pour faire tout ca?
Many thanks for a great video, well researched, well and cheerfully presented, with some really good ideas.
Could i just grab some clarity on a couple of questions please?
First, do i immediately wax my new chain without cleaning with petrol etc. just by adding the acid?
Yes
Stearic acid binds oil by melting when heated and forming a solid matrix when cooled - however, it usually encapsulates the oil rather than completely removing it. So I don't think that this will work 🤔. But since stearic acid is so cheap I'll give it a try anyways.
Using stearic acid on the initial batch with two chains,quite a number of riders over the past couple of years have confirmed very similar chain wear after the initial 3,000km plus having reached 16,000km+ to .5% wear . Please let us know how your chain wear goes then??
@stevenleffanue I will. Just ordered some stearic and a new chain
Amazing. Thank you!
Do I have this right, you add 20 grams of stearic acid to the same hot wax solution every time you dip a new chain?
So if you're dipping two new chains at the same time, you'd add 40 grams, correct?
And what happens to the polymer that's produced? Does effect the wax or chain?
Thanks.
10grams/chain. Stearic acid changes oil to a harder polymer which mixes in with the wax. It is such a small amount in 500 grams of wax it hardly affects the performance at all, as shown by chain longevity results.
Hey Oz, have you got any tips on easy cleaning the chain before a rewax? Thanks John
New chain or used?
@stevenleffanue Hi Oz, it would be a new chain done with your method and then after then onwards after you come to your second rewax etc.
Ok. Rinse chain with boiling water. Please see video in description
@stevenleffanue thank you very much Oz.
Also, for filtering old wax, do you think paint cone filters will work?
Thanks,
John
@JohnJez ultra fine paint cone filters are 125um...maybe not be fine enough to filter impurities in the wax. Masks are .3um
Yoz Sir, are amazing!
Thought on Silca’s super secret pot wax? I hear it works well & last around 400km.
Non of our riders here use it nor me , sorry. Hopefully someone out there can input on Silca wax??
I waxed for a couple of years. Eventually gave up, flakes everywhere, including the rear brake disc! Really just can’t be bothered with the process of boiling off the old wax and rewaxing
it anymore. I use Muc off wax now.
Wonder if automotive spraying filters would work over covid mask?... as you can get in various different micron, I'm not sure if wax would clog them up, though
Probably would as the n95 mask is common and not expensive
Oh, so you keep using the puck with Stearic acid till it gets dirty, not just for the first decontamination waxing?
Yes.3,000-4,000km
I see. So the factory grease won’t affect subsequent rewaxes at all?
@rioblast No. As long as there is 10 grams or more stearic acid in the mix per oiled chain.
Do i understand it correctly,you use 2 different wax mixes, onder with stearic acid for degreasing, and subsequently with ptfe for lubrication? Or can you use 1 mixture to do both?
I have the same question.
Initial puck is for degreasing using stearic acid +ptfe. All following pucks ptfe only as your chain(s) have been degreased.
In summary: new chains out of the packet into a crockpot ~90C with paraffin wax + PTFE at 1:50 ratio + small amounts of stearic acid to remove the oil from new chains from the mixture, job done?
Yep
Yo ya empecé a hacer esto. Poner la cera de parafina, aceite de parafina y PTFE. Pero el PTFE qué tengo disponible es de grano demasiado fino. Pero es mejor que nada y tengo que reencerar la cadena después de cada ruta.
for recycling/cleaning the wax bath, do you think coffee filters would work as well?
Why not? If they survive hot wax of course
Should do...give it a go and let us know??
@@stevenleffanue done and it worked ok. The flow was a bit slower than the facemask, but it held up to the melted wax 😀
@lonmyob7135 great! Thanx for letting us know...Coffee filters would be cheaper than masks .
Josh from Silca wants a word with you outside 😂
Do we still have to clean our used waxed chains with boiled water before re-waxing ? Thank you !
Yes
So just to clarify cause i am a bit thick, when you have melted a fresh pot of candles how many chains will that wax till it needs replacing
For 500grams of wax you should get 3,500km worth.
Thanks Steve! Does the Sil-Tec shimano uses upset the wax sticking to the chain?
Wax sticks to the Sil-tec coating , yes.
Thanks