Amazing update. Works perfect like this. Used 15g for 3 chains. For German customers: I got 200g Quickshine deep fat fixer from Amazon for about 10€. Works great
I‘m also a recent waxing convert living in Germany. The Quickshine fat fixer and the PTFE are still on their way. I wanted to also do a 3 chain rotation. Was not sure a small 500ml leg wax melter would do the job. What wax melter did you go for @drama069?
@@MatthewBell-mg7fh Flüssigwachs Emulsion stelle ich mir auch selbst her. Einfach eine recht flüssige Emulsion aus Parafin, Polysorbat 80 (Emulgator der das Wachs mit Wasser verbindet), Wasser und Alkohol herstellen und in Fläschchen abfüllen. Bei Bedarf kann man auch hier PTFE Pulver, Graphit oder sonstige Aditive zumischen. Preis für einen Liter hier niedriger, was sonst ein kleines 100ml Fläschchen Kettenwachs kostet.
@@photooutdoor2574 Wenn du auf PTFE verzichten möchtest, dann solltest du auch mit der fertigen wasserbasierten Wachsemulsion vorsichtig sein. Die gibt es zwar relativ günstig in Chemiehandel, hat dann aber Emulgatoren drin, die auch umweltschädlich sind und zudem Haut und Augen reizen. Polysorbat 80 ist ein biologisch abbaubarer Emulgator, der auch für kosmetische Anwendungen zugelassen ist.
Everybody, please consider wearing a FFP 3 mask when working with ptfe, tungsten or graphite powder. From below 10ug diameter you are handling pure particulates which are prooven to have dangerous effects on your lungs. Especially when adding the powder to melted wachs and stiring it, a cloud of particulates can take off just by the movement of the hot air on top of your wax surface. Apart from that, what a nice idea to try fat fixer for diy strip chips. Thank you oz!
Just when I thought the video was over, you kept giving more and more. Thank you for this. This is probably the best how-to video on a subject I have seen, covering every question I had.
Fantastic update. Thank you for making this process even easier. I am a total convert to chain waxing, as the difference it makes to a ride is profound. In the event of a mechanical or snagging a flat is made easier as there's no grease or dirty oil residue to deal with
. I've been using your method for a few years now. 460 km in 5 days bike packing including the Brisbane valley rail trail and chain untouched smooth and quiet all the way. Love it. Cheers Les
I have been waxing for 30,000km now. I started with your guide but I have modified a bit to speed things up. First I use a much higher temp for wax (150C), it cause the water stuck in the chain to boil off and it's much faster. I also don't wait for the wax to cool down, I pull out the chain while hot and wipe them right away wearing thick gloves. I then start moving the links before it finish cooling down, so no more stiff link to break. I didn't notice any difference in wear and I still get around 300 to 500km per wax. Plus, you end up with way less wax all over your bike and stuck on the cassette and chainring. All my chains are still below 0.5 on the CC-4. I'm still on the original cassette and chainring. AXS 12 speed.
Thanks for your tip ! How long do you put the chain in het 150C wax ? And you don't let the temp go down before you put the chain out of the wax ? And the last question is if you wipe down the chain with a cloth is there a chance there is to much wax going away from the chain ? Thanks again for you help
@@MHMvanOs-qt9cc I sometime let it come down a bit, but to be honest there is plenty of wax left even if you remove it while very hot. Wiping the chain didn't affect the performance as well. I think enough stay in the roller.
@@morneauh my waxed chain after riding some kms around 50.60km after the flaking my chain when i touch it, it leaves black stains (little bit on my fingers) but the chain is dry no noticeable stickiness like the lube ones , i use just paraffin wax and i wax my chain after every 300km i am waiting for your response if u can help me the problem i am facing
The original waxing videos changed my cycling life, this is a phenomenal update to the process and makes it a total no brainer. Outstanding thanks so much for the continued waxing updates.
For anyone considering this, please note PTFE is a group of nasty chemicals that stays in the environment for hundreds of years without breaking down, hence the nickname "forever chemicals". If possible I'd advise on finding alternatives. Obviously the industry uses this in many applications on a huge scale. But if you want to make a conscious choice, it's better to choose something else. Most outdoor brands are going away from PTFE:s for this very reason. Leave no trace ;)
I'm responsible for cleaning mine and gfriends drive chain - I just prefer it that way when I know it's done to my standards. You convinced me to try waxed chains and it's an absolute gamechanger. Thanks so much!
Thank you for sharing all your expertise! I'm dragging my chain through a outside candle fed with old candles. After that, i put the chain into my oven at 90 °C. -Just for the idea of using different methods :)
Not sure if you mentioned it, but most oil solidifiers require a temp of at least 176f/80c in order to function properly, so it would be pertinent to ensure your wax reaches this temp when using the solidifier. Also, I really wish I had heard that bit about removing wax buildup from the smallest cassette cogs a few years ago. I was fine with 9spd and a 12t smallest cog, but when I purchased a new gravel bike the wax buildup on the 11spd cassette lead to skipping in the 11t cog that took me longer than I would like to admit to diagnose. Lastly, Silca must hate you for this 🙂
> Lastly, Silca must hate you for this 🙂 actually, I think he is bringing customers to them. With Silca the process is bit easier. Also after I started waxing using home made wax, I later also bought squirt drip on wax (Which actually I don't recommend and If I'll not create my own drip on wax formula I'll probably buy silca)
@@donavonlewis1039 It's sticky and gunky. It creates black gunks all over drive train which is bit annoying, It's sticky to touch and bit dirty (you'll get dirty hands after touching your chain if you're using squirt, it's not as bad as with oil by any means). It has kinda consistency of paper glue. I kinda suspect that If I melted in to wax som glue stick I would get similar result. But for like multi day trips I would probably still use it. And I like it's less viscous than super secret, and also I think it dries faster. and it's half of price of supersecret if not even more.
I bought a Priority Bicycles Turi 3 years ago and it uses an Enviolo rear hub and a Gates belt instead of a chain. *I put 7000 **_MILES_** on it and never did anything other than wash it with soap and water!* Then the crankset plastic sprocket got some cupped wear on it and the belt began to make a creaking sound under torque so I ordered a new sprocket, but in the meantime I put some cornstarch on the belt and the creaking sound went away. I changed the sprocket anyways when it arrived and then replaced the belt with the spare I had bought (and never used) for my road kit, and the old belt looked just as good as the belt that had zero miles on it! Seriously, I know the Derailleur is as efficient as it gets, certainly more efficient than an Enviolo hub (mine is 300%), and more efficient than my new Priority 600 that has a Gates belt as well but uses the Pinion C1.12 - 12 speed (600%) crankset gearbox, but the belts have never cut up my pants, which have gotten caught in the crank sprocket many times, and it looks like they will last orders of magnitude longer than any chain will, will never have cassettes to wear out, AND are literally *_no maintenance!_* Just wash the bike like you would a car and go. Frankly I used to love working on my old Schwinn Le Tour. I was like a bloke with his old '68 Jaguar and how he loved to tinker with the points and plugs every month or two, adjusting the valves and setting the dwell on the points. But now I'm so done with a derailleur and that constant maintenance. Even the way you've found (which is smashing genius) to extend the time between maintenance and the wear of all the components is no temptation for me to go back. I'm never going back to a derailleur, EVER. I have just as much fun and don't care about (or notice) the loss of efficiency since I'm not in any race. I'm just off to the chemist to get my prescriptions, doing my groceries or out for my 20 mile exercise ride. BTW I'm still subbed to your channel after those three years. Partly for other stuff, partly to see if you're gonna change my mind about chains, but I doubt it.
I recommend having as many chains as you can tolerate, wax them all at once, and rotate through all the chains. It delays exposing the cassette and crank to a worn chain, which minimizes how much the cassette and chainrings wear, which minimizes how much the chain wears, too. It saves a ton of $ and rides better.
Exactly what I do. I am currently cycling 2 chains weekly. I pour boiling water into them in a pot and agitate them then wax them in PTFE and Graphite wax. I prefer 3.
Hi Oz. Really easy way to wax! Thank you from America! Thanks for taking the time to do excellent "how to" videos that you have invested a LOT of time producing based on science. Oz, I've been waxing now for 4 years now based on your excellent videos! I absolutly love riding on a waxed bike and won't do otherwise. Even though I'm a weekend warrior, I have learned so much from your content. I think it's content creators like you that truly affect the world in such positive ways in the new way we share info. CHEERS MATE! 😄
Hi Steve. Love all you do for us. You are a top rate content producer! Waxing for 3 + years due to your most excellent videos. I have a suggestion regarding measuring the chain. I check my chain wear only after removing the wax using boiling water. Its my belief that measuring with wax in the chain can skew the results. Thanks for the info.
Thanks a lot for your videos, at first I hesitated, then decided to go for your previous method of 3 plastic jars and the chemicals. And now see this update, haha. I wonder whether the new method is *AS* efficient as the chemical deep clean. Because I already prepared myself for a longer journey of cleaning.
Finally gone down the waxing rabbit hole. Biggest pain is not just prepping chains but cleaning all other moving parts but took my time as wax melted. Loosened chain links around a thick broom and refitted. At firt their was flakes of wax everywhere and felt super stiff but slowly loosened up. Been running DA9100 mechanical and using Finish Line green wet lube for years, and wow now it shifts like DA should. So weird looking and feeling chain after a ride and it, frame and rear wheel is spotless clean😊
To follow up, shifting is magic, driveline and rear remains clean but even after a 32k ride it is very noisy. Chain in right direction and refitted correctly, sounds like a oil lubed chain that has dried out.@@stevenleffanue
Thanks for sharing; I never went through the hussle of freeing the links - I just mounted the stiff chain and rode about 200 meters; It slipped a lot on the first couple of pedal strokes, but at the end of my street, it was fine.
250-300km in road hours is basically every 10hrs of riding which for many is weekly. I’d recommend buying 4 chains you can swap every week so you’re only waxing monthly. Don’t discard cassettes and chains in your general water bin, please recycle! There are great pre mixed waxes you can use instead of candles and your own blend of additives.
4 місяці тому+1
A question: is this oil/solidifier necessary? I have PTFE (got from Ali), paraffin and mineral oil. Is It ok to mix those ingridients? Cheers from Brazil!
Usually 95degC. Taking it out at lower temperatures leaves more wax on the chain. So, for riding in wet conditions, you could take the chain out at about 65degC.
Hi Steven, I made a batch following your instructions and did one new chain successfully. I reheated the batch to do another new chain and the wax melted but there was a white solid oval blob in the melted wax weighing 19 grams and approx. 60x50x12mm in size, like a used bar of soap. Is this the cooking oil solidifier doing its job? If so, should I add more? I hope it's not the PTFE. Thank you!
hey oz, thanks for the great content! if using a small beauty wax melter (around 500ml total capacity) that won't fit the whole 500g of paraffin, I imagine I could just use a smaller proportion of ingredients, correct? say, 300g paraffin wax and then 15g of PTFE powder. thanks!
From what I Googled, oil solidifiers are stearic acid. So adding a stearin candle in the paraffin wax should do the same job, harden the wax and up the melting point.
Nope, unfortunately not. Wax ist a Triglyceride, i.e. Glyerine C3H5(OH)3 + 3 x CxH(2x+1)COOH (i.e. stearic acid) ----> TG + 3 x H2O. Not all oil soilidifiers are amde the same. Some contain Perlite, which is kind of a fluffy rocklike stuff. I'd buy the silca chips, just to be sure.
Is it a must I use the oil solidifier? because, it's the only thing missing now, that last time I watched your waxing video you told us to get only wax and PTFE. Now, as I was about to do it, I heard there's one more thing to get.
I do same procedure, really I learnt it from you, but ultrasonic clean new chain. I am surprised how many metal chips and flakes from manufacturing find at the bottom of the machine. Nice video.
Interested in making this after watching the video, but I am curious if it is possible for it to be adapted to a drip on style of chain waxing, or would that be less effective than a full immersion?
Drip-on lubrication is less effective than full immersive waxing. You can make this immersive wax a drip-on too...just add it to white spirits at 1:50 and wait for the wax to disolve.
If you are using a new chain, should you first decrease the new chain form any lubricant from the factory? Or can you use it just like this, out of the box, and put it in to the wax?
Amazing! Thanks a bunch! Used to let the wax cool before pulling out the chain, this leaves way less wax, even less flaking and less build up of old wax. Just one question, do you clean the microfiber cloths in de washing machine?
Hi there! Brand new follower here and am intrigued with the wax process using paraffin wax and additives; currently I'm using Molten Speed Wax. With 2 enduro bikes, 2 E bikes, a gravel bike and a trainer set up bike, all running a couple of chains each, it's an expensive mission keeping it up with them all (FYI they aren't all mine! I'm looking after my sons as well). This was a super informative video and greatly appreciated the effort you've put in to capture all the relevant details in a very easy to follow format! I'm won over and am going to give paraffin a whirl. May I ask what model cooker you are using? I'm using an old style slow cooker and have accidentally cooked the wax a few times leaving it on 😞 yours looks to be temperature controlled. I can see it's Kogan although I can't seem to find it. I'm now subscribed and addicted😄. I've just placed an order on Ali to try a couple of tops after watching a previous video of yours. Keep up the great work ✌
Glad you liking the waxing. The Kogan cooker I use is not available anymore, but any temperature controlled cooker will do , preferably with a removable bowl.
Amazing complete info just what I was looking for Thank's a lot!! What are the differences between the three additives or benefits do you think Tungsten and PTFE etc I would have thought PTFE might add more drag. Also which mixes best and ease of use. Amazon sells waxer's that hold 500g and Thermostats that go from below 70c up 120 c do you think these would be OK about £25 UK
@@stevenleffanue I was referring in comparison to the other additives. I think it was one of your videos where you showed ptfe bonding to or filling in imperfections in the pin surfaces so I thought there might be a slight drag factor I know it would not be much but seeing as lots of people are looking at little things like that it was just asking question of you as you seem to have some knowledge. I have found answers to some of my questions on your site and I think I will try waxing my chain though it is quite different conditions where I live in UK.
Yes , ptfe fills in imperfections on a metal surface. This is why less of it is required in the following batches. Both friction and stiction is lower with ptfe.
Personally I don't think the grease converter powder will work that well compared with just removing it using strong solvents. Those grease converters are meant for edible oils which are different chemically from mineral oils. Edible oils and fats are unsaturated and have a fatty acid group at one end which makes soap possible, both of which make them more chemically active than the plain unsaturated carbon chains of mineral oils. Personally I will be sticking with the older method of degreasing the chain with multiple baths of gasoline so that I am sure that the old oil is completely removed.
I thought the same but tested various brand powders anyhow for last 5 months and the results were all very similar. The petroleum oil must be turned to a polymer as no oils were present after the procedure. I took video of the tests and mite put it up for everyone to view.
Cooking oil solidifiers appear to be made of stearic acid. It dissolves in hot cooking oil (or hot paraffin wax). Stearic acid melts at a much higher temperature than cooking oil. The solution has an intermediate melting temperature, still above normal ambient temperatures, so the mixture stays solid. This is not polymerization in a chemist’s meaning of the word. Molten paraffin wax all by itself is probably a good solvent for chain grease, as good or better than stearic acid. I haven’t tried it myself, but it seems likely. Lubricating grease consists of petroleum oil and a thickener. Petroleum oil is soluble in paraffin wax and the thickener is probably at least partly soluble especially when hot. I do not know how dissolved grease in the wax affects friction and wear performance. I have the idea that a bit of good lubricating oil dissolved in the wax might improve its friction and wear characteristics, but I don’t know. Too much oil would at some point start making the chain sticky again, causing the dirt build up waxing is meant to prevent. If I had the equipment to test chain friction, I would test blends of paraffin with lubricating oil. I do not know how stearic acid affects chain friction and wear. I have the idea that it might be good. Stearic acid might, because of the polar acid group on each molecule, tend to stick more strongly to metal surfaces than paraffin molecules, and because the rest of a stearic acid molecule is chemically very similar to petroleum, it might improve the adhesion of paraffin to metal. The word acid, in the name stearic acid might lead one to think that stearic acid will promote chain corrosion. I don’t think this is true. Chemists call a lot of things acids. The mineral acids, such as sulfuric, nitric and hydrochloric, are quite corrosive, but organic acids such as stearic are much less so and fatty acids, such as stearic acid, are less corrosive yet. (Fatty acids are a subgroup of organic acids.)
Those candles are probably made with 98%parafin and max 2% parafin oil which îs hard as plastic and flakes of it does not melt în my warm hand there are candles with parafin wax and> 10%parafin oil jar like not self standing that if used will turn grey inside the chain at the first ride Made my chain with more rafined parafin
I tryed this method on a nbrand new chain, worked almost flawless. I still had some oil/greas in the chain, but only minimal barely noticeable. The wax only lasted around 200km before the chain got louder.
@@stevenleffanue thx for the reply. I soaked it longer than in the vid, there was no bubbles on my first waxing, only on the rewax i had bubbles. Maybe i jsut need more of that oil solidifier?
I'm confused. I just bought a brand new SRAM NX Eagle chain to try my first wax job. But it is covered in some sort of lubricant. If feels like a thin layer of a greasy substance. Do all new chains have this? Should I ignore it and proceed as per video by putting it as is in the hot wax or should I do the petrol followed by meths treatment prior to waxing? Any advice greatly appreciated.
The commercially available block that converts grease seems like it's two compounds. I bet that's extra WS₂, the converted grease would have no friction modifier in. Are the amounts mentioned taking that into account? Also I feel like the friction modifier might need some help getting in the converted grease, perhaps the commercially available product has something like that in? That one also needs 125 °C to make the conversion happen, what's different in this method that it needs only 95 ° C?
Why did you not clean the new chain? I thought they have a heavy grease even if it is n brandnew. I follow your old videos soaking in the gasoline, degreaser and methylated spirits before doing yhe waxing. Is that correct or this is the new method?
@@stevenleffanue ok thank you. I will follow this new step when i change new chain in the future. It is easy and more cheaper since I will not buy cleaning chemicals.
This is brilliant, thank you! One question, should that first mixture be reserved for new chains only, so you wax it ther first and then every subsequent time you wax in the 1:100 mixture?
I am a fan and have started waxing my chains. However, today I noticed that one of my chain links has seized up. I hadn’t ridden this bike for over a month. It looked like rust had got in there. The chain was waxed from new and prepped as per your instructions. What did I do wrong?
Question: Nano PTFE Powder is sold with different mesh specification: 1.6 um, 4-7 um, 7-10 um, 1-3 um and 10-20 um. Which to choose and does it matters? How long should 25, 50 or 100 g last?
All the information is in the video...tested different grain sizes over many years and 1.6um presented with longest chain life. Initial batch ratio needs to be fairly high like about 20:1. After approximately 3,000km when starting a new batch,a lower ratio suffices , so about 80:1 or 100:1 maintains the ptfe in the links for maximum chain longevity.
Thanks for the video. I've seen a number of people stating to allow the wax to cool slightly before pulling the chain. Is this necessary? Your video and tips suggest not. I feared that by removing whilst the wax is still hot, wax will not be allowed to sufficiently bind to the chain internals. Removing whilst hot would certainly minimise the amount of wax used per application :)
No need to let the wax cool before removing your chain, the hot molten wax that has made it's way into the rollers will stay there, it will not all run out, the wax that drips off is all from the outside of the chain. Letting the wax cool will mean more wax sticks to the outside of the chain which flakes off onto your chainstay and rear wheel, and increases the risk of it collecting inbetween the smaller cassette cogs leading to chain slipping. Like the man says, wipe the chain after removing it from the wax, this leaves a smear of wax on the exterior of the chain for corrosion resistance, but you must wipe / dry your chain if it's wet when you finish your ride or it's got wet while washing your bike.
That's a good question. Silca's advice is to let the wax cool until it starts to get murky, but I find that leaves a heavy deposit on the outside that I need to take a heat gun to.
@@JozsefEvans I just happened to have one lying around. I forget why I initially bought it, but its main use for me until now has been shrinking electrical heat shrink tubing.
Would you mind a deeper dive share on the Greece solidification powder? I’ve been hot waxing for many years and this is the first time I’ve heard of that helping. How do I know it’s actually helping? Have you done and A B test and can show the difference? Many thanks
Basically the folks at SILCA just did the same thing, repackaged the powder that causes a chemical reaction called oleogelation into fancy wafers, and charge 10x more for it.
I have questions for waxing my bike chain. But watch your video 4 yrs ago about waxing bike chain proceeds it was involved couple more step than this video. If you don’t mind tell me little more details why I should skip those steps or make an other video explaining why those steps wasn’t necessary?
I use a cheese grater to scrap away the settled contaminants on the bottom of the wax puck. Also, I use a strong magnet to remove any ferrous metals from the hot wax. You won't believe how much stuff the magnet picks up after rewaxing several chains.
Yes , it changes state into a gel or soft wax texture which simply blends into the paraffin wax. If you take scrapings ,put them on blotting paper and squash it with a weight for a day or so , no oil is present on the paper.
Thank you for your effort! A little comment on the "additives": PTFE, as mentioned, is not the best environmental friendly choice for waxing. I chose MoS2-Powder. Because it was easier to get my hands on in Germany. But there is a downside: The smell of warm MoS2 is very unpleasant. I have to wax outside, otherwise my flat smells like a Metal-Workshop (Smell of old warm transmissions). I will not use MoS2 again. Furthermore, I will get some graphite. Hopefully, it has less odor also it is much easier to get here in Germany. Anyone made the same experience ?
I've tried tried wax with graphite for the same reason(also living in Germany + environment...). It's odorless. After 1000km(e-bike) my chain is worn off. I didnt't really note down my chainwear before. But i think my oiled chains made approximately 500-700km. That improvement is not really worth the hassle imo. I will now test PTFE. If it really extends the lifetime of a chain that drastically, i think it's maybe outweighs the downsides. PTFE by its self isn't (despite it's everlasting/not degrading properties) poisonious. The precursors are the problem...
@@grott3n0lm 1000km sind viel zu kurz. 500-700km sind absolut verrückt wenig. Ich müsste, wenn ich diesen Verschleiß hätte, alle 10 Wochen eine neue Kette kaufen. Entweder deine Ritzel / Kassette sind auch schon fertig und wurden nicht gewechselt und fressen jetzt die Kette auf oder ich weiß es nicht. Oder du hast so eine starke Belastung, dass der Antriebsstrang dafür einfach nicht ausgelegt ist (viel Berge und hohe Unterstützung durch den Motor). Wie hast du denn das gemerkt, dass die Kette getauscht werden muss? Gefühl oder mit einer Lehre? Ich würde auch mal gucken, dass man den Antriebsstrang komplett auf Stahl umbaut. Bei einem E-Bike machen Alu-Ritzel und Kassetten wirklich gar kein Sinn. Ja ich weiß man kann ein paar Gramm einsparen, aber einmal Groß vor dem Radfahren bringt die gleiche Ersparnis. Ansonsten gibt es auch E-Bike Ketten von KMC vielleicht da mal gucken. Ansonsten das günstige Zeug kaufen, das ist dann aus Stahl und hält länger.
@@ZiggobertDanke für deine Anteilnahme. 😅Dass das wenig ist, ist mir schon bewusst. Deswegen hatte ich ja viel Hoffnung in das Wachsen gesetzt. Die KMC EPT Kette habe ich auch vor kurzem bestellt. Obwohl die vorher von Shimano hat auch mit "e-bike-ready" geworben. Der Antrieb ist komplett aus Stahl. Der Einsatz ist im (Mittel)gebirge mit teils heftigen Anstiegen und oft auch hoher Unterstützung. Ich mache nicht wirklich viel Strecke, sammel dafür aber ordentlich Höhenmeter. Habe bis jetzt immer nach Gefühl gewechselt und dann meistens auch die Kassette. Letztes Mal gab es auch ein neues KB. Jetzt dokumentiere ich das allerdings genauer und messe mit Messschieber.
@@grott3n0lm 😀 dann scheint die Belastung wirklich hoch zu sein. Ich hab so eine kleine Rohlofflehre, gibt es aber auch von anderen Herstellern, die schmeiß ich mal alle Monate rein. Meine Ketten halten immer ein paar Tausend Kilometer.
Where does the modified packing grease go after it’s been “converted”? And it’s difficult for me to believe that the original 3-solvent new-chain cleaning method is equivalent to the new school grease modifier method. Either the 3-solvent method was overkill or the new method is insufficient.
The oil/grease gets converted into a polymer which is a semi-solid. It combines with the paraffin wax but you can't see it. I will be uploading highlights from my 4 month testing which will make it more understandable.
@stevenleffanue another good update to improve the process. I saw below that you said that you only had Aussie links for where you buy all of the 'ingredients', can you post them in the description anyway, thanks.
So how is it now ok to skip all the initial cleaning and decreasing process, I thought that was essential to facilitate the bonding of the wax to the chain?
My bike came with a waxed Shimano chain, but no quick link... after 200-400 km it started to become noisy and dirty, so I added some oil... Not sure what to do next, wax is tempting but not great for humid climates and trails. I'm good with oil, but cleaning the chain properly means removing the chain anyway...
Can you reuse the wax? Do you just let it harden and use it again without adding the PTFE and oil solidifier? Or is it just the best to trow everything away and use new wax and PTFE the next time you want to wax your chain?
@@DR_1_1 The Connex link? Not as expensive as replacing Shimano/Sram or Campy quick links over the life of a waxed chain. Buy the Connex chain and it come with it anyway. They cost more as they are built to better tolerances.
It doesn't escape because it is a solid, not liquid. It gets slowly deformed away from compressing surfaces, which, when rewaxed this gap is refilled with wax again.
I'm in interested to know why the intial chain stripping with petrol, degresaser, and isoproyl alcohol was deemed no longer necessary. I thought the packing grease interfered with the application of wax.
it will, but until the grease is washed off, waxing should be repeated more often because the grease comes out of the chain and catches dust, and we don't want that
Hello and thanks for the really helpful and well researched videos. I have a question and hope you'll be kind enough to reply with some advice. Especially as it may help others too. I have just emptied by slow cooker ready for a new batch of wax and PTFE and the candles that I've purchased say "25% plant based wax and 75% premium paraffin". Will these be suitable? The packaging also says they are vegan which I thought would be obvious. Surprised they aren't marked as gluten free too. 🙄 I also have access to bees wax, which is obviously not vegan but wondered how that would work. TIA.
It looks like there isn't a single cooking oil solidifier priduct in eastern Europe. At least I couldn't find any. Can I switch it with something else?
I cant get around my mind about something. This is not stick to metal right? it somewhat covers it only inside. How long does this treatment lasts? If i oil my chain it sticks and saves it from getting rusty. Does this has the same effect? How effectively sticks to chain? Because it seems flakes away. I really curious about this.
I am a bit confused: In the video you mention the ratio for wax and PTFE quite clearly (also for rewaxing) ... what about the solidifier ? Do you add some of it for rewaxing ? Or is it ONLY added to the "initial wax block" ?
@@stevenleffanueIf we add the grease converter for the initial block, then can we reuse that (which contains the grease converter) for latter waxings or should we melt a new one with just wax and the additive?
Keep using it as normal wax. It should last the usual 3,000km. The oil conversion powder is just to clean the chain initially and becomes waxlike itself anyhow.
Hi, a question, is it one time use only? For example, once I degreased a chain this way, can I degrease another or will I have to do another batch of wax + grease solidifier? Or do I need to add another sachet in the same batch? Thanks for your content, very interesting!
@@stevenleffanueafter 4 new chains are immersed, do you recommend new wax and PTFE, or can you continue waxing with the same batch if the chains aren’t new and don’t require degreasing?
@@stevenleffanue excellent! I’ve been using your waxing methods for 3 years, and will never go back. The solidifier will save me a lot of time. Excited to implement that as well! Thanks for all your videos over the years. Very well done! ❤️
Amazing update. Works perfect like this. Used 15g for 3 chains. For German customers: I got 200g Quickshine deep fat fixer from Amazon for about 10€. Works great
I‘m also a recent waxing convert living in Germany. The Quickshine fat fixer and the PTFE are still on their way. I wanted to also do a 3 chain rotation. Was not sure a small 500ml leg wax melter would do the job. What wax melter did you go for @drama069?
@@MatthewBell-mg7fh use any cooker you like. I have Russel Hobbs Slowcooker 25570-56
@@MatthewBell-mg7fh Flüssigwachs Emulsion stelle ich mir auch selbst her. Einfach eine recht flüssige Emulsion aus Parafin, Polysorbat 80 (Emulgator der das Wachs mit Wasser verbindet), Wasser und Alkohol herstellen und in Fläschchen abfüllen. Bei Bedarf kann man auch hier PTFE Pulver, Graphit oder sonstige Aditive zumischen. Preis für einen Liter hier niedriger, was sonst ein kleines 100ml Fläschchen Kettenwachs kostet.
Besser gleich Wachsemulsion kaufen. 5 Liter für 35,-€. Und dann die Additive dazu. AUF PTFE sollte man wirklich verzichten.
@@photooutdoor2574 Wenn du auf PTFE verzichten möchtest, dann solltest du auch mit der fertigen wasserbasierten Wachsemulsion vorsichtig sein. Die gibt es zwar relativ günstig in Chemiehandel, hat dann aber Emulgatoren drin, die auch umweltschädlich sind und zudem Haut und Augen reizen. Polysorbat 80 ist ein biologisch abbaubarer Emulgator, der auch für kosmetische Anwendungen zugelassen ist.
Everybody, please consider wearing a FFP 3 mask when working with ptfe, tungsten or graphite powder. From below 10ug diameter you are handling pure particulates which are prooven to have dangerous effects on your lungs. Especially when adding the powder to melted wachs and stiring it, a cloud of particulates can take off just by the movement of the hot air on top of your wax surface.
Apart from that, what a nice idea to try fat fixer for diy strip chips. Thank you oz!
Good point for sure, something obvious get overlooked way to many times.
Or just do it safely. When it's melted into wax it's is not going into your body.
one more reason to stay on pure wax
Would it still be dangerous afterwards on the chain? If your bike is in a living room?
@@StringerBell50 do not think so as it's attached to wax. Plus in one video Oz try to scrape it off metal and it's stuck hard.
Just when I thought the video was over, you kept giving more and more. Thank you for this. This is probably the best how-to video on a subject I have seen, covering every question I had.
Fantastic update. Thank you for making this process even easier. I am a total convert to chain waxing, as the difference it makes to a ride is profound. In the event of a mechanical or snagging a flat is made easier as there's no grease or dirty oil residue to deal with
Would acetone + graphite be a good substitute?
. I've been using your method for a few years now. 460 km in 5 days bike packing including the Brisbane valley rail trail and chain untouched smooth and quiet all the way. Love it. Cheers Les
Great to hear Les and thanx for your experience 👍
I have been waxing for 30,000km now. I started with your guide but I have modified a bit to speed things up. First I use a much higher temp for wax (150C), it cause the water stuck in the chain to boil off and it's much faster. I also don't wait for the wax to cool down, I pull out the chain while hot and wipe them right away wearing thick gloves. I then start moving the links before it finish cooling down, so no more stiff link to break. I didn't notice any difference in wear and I still get around 300 to 500km per wax. Plus, you end up with way less wax all over your bike and stuck on the cassette and chainring. All my chains are still below 0.5 on the CC-4. I'm still on the original cassette and chainring. AXS 12 speed.
150C sounds like a good idea. I'll try that next time I wax a chain.
Thanks for your tip ! How long do you put the chain in het 150C wax ? And you don't let the temp go down before you put the chain out of the wax ? And the last question is if you wipe down the chain with a cloth is there a chance there is to much wax going away from the chain ? Thanks again for you help
@@MHMvanOs-qt9cc I sometime let it come down a bit, but to be honest there is plenty of wax left even if you remove it while very hot. Wiping the chain didn't affect the performance as well. I think enough stay in the roller.
@@morneauh my waxed chain after riding some kms around 50.60km after the flaking my chain when i touch it, it leaves black stains (little bit on my fingers) but the chain is dry no noticeable stickiness like the lube ones , i use just paraffin wax and i wax my chain after every 300km i am waiting for your response if u can help me the problem i am facing
I take mine out hot too but I think your temperature is to high.
You converted me to both chain waxing and TPU tubes about two years ago. Thanks
I have been reusing my regular QR links on my chains 100s of times with no issues. I've been waxing for a decade.
Shimano's?
@@DR_1_1 And KMC
@@DR_1_1 yea same question, was it Shimano?
The original waxing videos changed my cycling life, this is a phenomenal update to the process and makes it a total no brainer. Outstanding thanks so much for the continued waxing updates.
For anyone considering this, please note PTFE is a group of nasty chemicals that stays in the environment for hundreds of years without breaking down, hence the nickname "forever chemicals". If possible I'd advise on finding alternatives. Obviously the industry uses this in many applications on a huge scale. But if you want to make a conscious choice, it's better to choose something else. Most outdoor brands are going away from PTFE:s for this very reason. Leave no trace ;)
can you tell us, good substance to add for waxing that easy to found and not nasty chemicals? pretty pleaseeeeee
That's good, I do not need to worry about PTFE breaking on my chain.
@@dizhamrl4386there’s little benefit adding anything else to the wax
In addition, it makes effectively no difference to drive train efficiency, just use plain wax. PTFE should be banned.
I use plain wax, no need for any additives for the regular rider.
I'm responsible for cleaning mine and gfriends drive chain - I just prefer it that way when I know it's done to my standards. You convinced me to try waxed chains and it's an absolute gamechanger. Thanks so much!
Best and most comprehensive video about chain waxing. Thanks a lot!
Thank you for sharing all your expertise! I'm dragging my chain through a outside candle fed with old candles. After that, i put the chain into my oven at 90 °C. -Just for the idea of using different methods :)
Thank you for all the work that you have done when it comes to waxing , it has saved me many $$.
Not sure if you mentioned it, but most oil solidifiers require a temp of at least 176f/80c in order to function properly, so it would be pertinent to ensure your wax reaches this temp when using the solidifier.
Also, I really wish I had heard that bit about removing wax buildup from the smallest cassette cogs a few years ago. I was fine with 9spd and a 12t smallest cog, but when I purchased a new gravel bike the wax buildup on the 11spd cassette lead to skipping in the 11t cog that took me longer than I would like to admit to diagnose.
Lastly, Silca must hate you for this 🙂
> Lastly, Silca must hate you for this 🙂
actually, I think he is bringing customers to them. With Silca the process is bit easier. Also after I started waxing using home made wax, I later also bought squirt drip on wax (Which actually I don't recommend and If I'll not create my own drip on wax formula I'll probably buy silca)
@@burlak3182 why didnt you like the Squirt drip on wax?
@@donavonlewis1039 It's sticky and gunky. It creates black gunks all over drive train which is bit annoying, It's sticky to touch and bit dirty (you'll get dirty hands after touching your chain if you're using squirt, it's not as bad as with oil by any means). It has kinda consistency of paper glue. I kinda suspect that If I melted in to wax som glue stick I would get similar result.
But for like multi day trips I would probably still use it. And I like it's less viscous than super secret, and also I think it dries faster. and it's half of price of supersecret if not even more.
I bought a Priority Bicycles Turi 3 years ago and it uses an Enviolo rear hub and a Gates belt instead of a chain. *I put 7000 **_MILES_** on it and never did anything other than wash it with soap and water!* Then the crankset plastic sprocket got some cupped wear on it and the belt began to make a creaking sound under torque so I ordered a new sprocket, but in the meantime I put some cornstarch on the belt and the creaking sound went away.
I changed the sprocket anyways when it arrived and then replaced the belt with the spare I had bought (and never used) for my road kit, and the old belt looked just as good as the belt that had zero miles on it!
Seriously, I know the Derailleur is as efficient as it gets, certainly more efficient than an Enviolo hub (mine is 300%), and more efficient than my new Priority 600 that has a Gates belt as well but uses the Pinion C1.12 - 12 speed (600%) crankset gearbox, but the belts have never cut up my pants, which have gotten caught in the crank sprocket many times, and it looks like they will last orders of magnitude longer than any chain will, will never have cassettes to wear out, AND are literally *_no maintenance!_* Just wash the bike like you would a car and go.
Frankly I used to love working on my old Schwinn Le Tour. I was like a bloke with his old '68 Jaguar and how he loved to tinker with the points and plugs every month or two, adjusting the valves and setting the dwell on the points. But now I'm so done with a derailleur and that constant maintenance. Even the way you've found (which is smashing genius) to extend the time between maintenance and the wear of all the components is no temptation for me to go back. I'm never going back to a derailleur, EVER. I have just as much fun and don't care about (or notice) the loss of efficiency since I'm not in any race. I'm just off to the chemist to get my prescriptions, doing my groceries or out for my 20 mile exercise ride.
BTW I'm still subbed to your channel after those three years. Partly for other stuff, partly to see if you're gonna change my mind about chains, but I doubt it.
Thanks for your great input about beltdrive...I agree. Maybe one day internal gearing will be super- efficient, then no more external gears 👍
@@stevenleffanuejust ride single speed! haha
I recommend having as many chains as you can tolerate, wax them all at once, and rotate through all the chains. It delays exposing the cassette and crank to a worn chain, which minimizes how much the cassette and chainrings wear, which minimizes how much the chain wears, too. It saves a ton of $ and rides better.
Exactly what I do. I am currently cycling 2 chains weekly.
I pour boiling water into them in a pot and agitate them then wax them in PTFE and Graphite wax.
I prefer 3.
Also 500 gr of wax + all the chemicals sounds like a lot for a chain... probable less than 1/100th of that stays on the chain.
Hi Oz. Really easy way to wax! Thank you from America! Thanks for taking the time to do excellent "how to" videos that you have invested a LOT of time producing based on science. Oz, I've been waxing now for 4 years now based on your excellent videos! I absolutly love riding on a waxed bike and won't do otherwise. Even though I'm a weekend warrior, I have learned so much from your content. I think it's content creators like you that truly affect the world in such positive ways in the new way we share info. CHEERS MATE! 😄
Thank you , you just made my day 👍
2:18 I've been working this way since day one (for the last 5 or more years), I'm glad that you finally understood, maybe zero friction does too
Hi Steve. Love all you do for us. You are a top rate content producer! Waxing for 3 + years due to your most excellent videos. I have a suggestion regarding measuring the chain. I check my chain wear only after removing the wax using boiling water. Its my belief that measuring with wax in the chain can skew the results. Thanks for the info.
Yes that should be true , I've often thought that. Will consult with a few here about that and may need to do video about that. Thanx 👍
Thanks a lot for your videos, at first I hesitated, then decided to go for your previous method of 3 plastic jars and the chemicals. And now see this update, haha. I wonder whether the new method is *AS* efficient as the chemical deep clean. Because I already prepared myself for a longer journey of cleaning.
Either cleaning process works. You can still use your hotpot.
You're a wizard!
Finally gone down the waxing rabbit hole. Biggest pain is not just prepping chains but cleaning all other moving parts but took my time as wax melted. Loosened chain links around a thick broom and refitted. At firt their was flakes of wax everywhere and felt super stiff but slowly loosened up. Been running DA9100 mechanical and using Finish Line green wet lube for years, and wow now it shifts like DA should. So weird looking and feeling chain after a ride and it, frame and rear wheel is spotless clean😊
Yep , sounds like you got the waxing process spot on there 👍
To follow up, shifting is magic, driveline and rear remains clean but even after a 32k ride it is very noisy. Chain in right direction and refitted correctly, sounds like a oil lubed chain that has dried out.@@stevenleffanue
Great video as always! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Elmar
This is the best bike video ive seen
Thanks for sharing; I never went through the hussle of freeing the links - I just mounted the stiff chain and rode about 200 meters; It slipped a lot on the first couple of pedal strokes, but at the end of my street, it was fine.
Hassle hustle. You're looking for hassle.
Yep, same here.
250-300km in road hours is basically every 10hrs of riding which for many is weekly. I’d recommend buying 4 chains you can swap every week so you’re only waxing monthly. Don’t discard cassettes and chains in your general water bin, please recycle! There are great pre mixed waxes you can use instead of candles and your own blend of additives.
A question: is this oil/solidifier necessary? I have PTFE (got from Ali), paraffin and mineral oil. Is It ok to mix those ingridients? Cheers from Brazil!
The oil solidifier is only for introducing a brand new chain into a wax based lubricant.
Just one thing...I am always jealous of your beautifull cycling weather overthere! We are on the wrong side of the globe here in the Netherlands. 😉
Yes,we have good weather a lot of the time. But we are jealous of your government giving so much priority to the cyclists.
On the other hand, you're probably less likely to get skin cancer than the typical Aussie.
Hello again , what is the tempreture of the wax when you remove the chain from cooker thank you.
Usually 95degC. Taking it out at lower temperatures leaves more wax on the chain. So, for riding in wet conditions, you could take the chain out at about 65degC.
Hi Steven, I made a batch following your instructions and did one new chain successfully. I reheated the batch to do another new chain and the wax melted but there was a white solid oval blob in the melted wax weighing 19 grams and approx. 60x50x12mm in size, like a used bar of soap. Is this the cooking oil solidifier doing its job? If so, should I add more? I hope it's not the PTFE. Thank you!
Sounds like ptfe. Mix it in
I use a electric stirrer in order to have a better dispersion when soaking the chain
10:40 while this is a helpful tip on sizing the new chain, if you have old one you can match that instead.
hey oz, thanks for the great content! if using a small beauty wax melter (around 500ml total capacity) that won't fit the whole 500g of paraffin, I imagine I could just use a smaller proportion of ingredients, correct? say, 300g paraffin wax and then 15g of PTFE powder. thanks!
Excellent video. Very helpful. Thank you.
Thanks a lot! I have been waiting to try this recipe
Wow, really useful information for the ratio’s and procedures, thanks. 🙂
From what I Googled, oil solidifiers are stearic acid. So adding a stearin candle in the paraffin wax should do the same job, harden the wax and up the melting point.
Nope, unfortunately not. Wax ist a Triglyceride, i.e. Glyerine C3H5(OH)3 + 3 x CxH(2x+1)COOH (i.e. stearic acid) ----> TG + 3 x H2O. Not all oil soilidifiers are amde the same. Some contain Perlite, which is kind of a fluffy rocklike stuff. I'd buy the silca chips, just to be sure.
Yes. You will note on the oil solidifier packet that it melts at 80degC. That indicates it is stearic acid , not pearlite.
This video doesn’t say to strip the oils/lube from the new chain?
Thank you for yet another excellent video. I'm in search for a used slow cooker now 👍
Brilliant update - thank you.
Is it a must I use the oil solidifier? because, it's the only thing missing now, that last time I watched your waxing video you told us to get only wax and PTFE. Now, as I was about to do it, I heard there's one more thing to get.
Only if you are starting a new chain , otherwise it's the same.
I do same procedure, really I learnt it from you, but ultrasonic clean new chain. I am surprised how many metal chips and flakes from manufacturing find at the bottom of the machine.
Nice video.
Interested in making this after watching the video, but I am curious if it is possible for it to be adapted to a drip on style of chain waxing, or would that be less effective than a full immersion?
Drip-on lubrication is less effective than full immersive waxing. You can make this immersive wax a drip-on too...just add it to white spirits at 1:50 and wait for the wax to disolve.
Great video as expected. Thank you.
Can't wait for Zero Friction Cycling to test this and Silca's new one step method.
If you are using a new chain, should you first decrease the new chain form any lubricant from the factory? Or can you use it just like this, out of the box, and put it in to the wax?
Straight out of the box into wax with the oil solidifier powder.
So no need to decrease the new chain?@@stevenleffanue
So no need to decrease the new chain? @@stevenleffanue
Amazing! Thanks a bunch! Used to let the wax cool before pulling out the chain, this leaves way less wax, even less flaking and less build up of old wax. Just one question, do you clean the microfiber cloths in de washing machine?
I'm guilty , I throw them out once they get too caked up with wax. You can buy packs of 20 for about $5 here.
Hi there! Brand new follower here and am intrigued with the wax process using paraffin wax and additives; currently I'm using Molten Speed Wax. With 2 enduro bikes, 2 E bikes, a gravel bike and a trainer set up bike, all running a couple of chains each, it's an expensive mission keeping it up with them all (FYI they aren't all mine! I'm looking after my sons as well). This was a super informative video and greatly appreciated the effort you've put in to capture all the relevant details in a very easy to follow format! I'm won over and am going to give paraffin a whirl. May I ask what model cooker you are using? I'm using an old style slow cooker and have accidentally cooked the wax a few times leaving it on 😞 yours looks to be temperature controlled. I can see it's Kogan although I can't seem to find it. I'm now subscribed and addicted😄. I've just placed an order on Ali to try a couple of tops after watching a previous video of yours. Keep up the great work ✌
Glad you liking the waxing. The Kogan cooker I use is not available anymore, but any temperature controlled cooker will do , preferably with a removable bowl.
Amazing complete info just what I was looking for Thank's a lot!! What are the differences between the three additives or benefits do you think Tungsten and PTFE etc I would have thought PTFE might add more drag. Also which mixes best and ease of use. Amazon sells waxer's that hold 500g and Thermostats that go from below 70c up 120 c do you think these would be OK about £25 UK
Why do you think ptfe adds more drag?
@@stevenleffanue I was referring in comparison to the other additives. I think it was one of your videos where you showed ptfe bonding to or filling in imperfections in the pin surfaces so I thought there might be a slight drag factor I know it would not be much but seeing as lots of people are looking at little things like that it was just asking question of you as you seem to have some knowledge. I have found answers to some of my questions on your site and I think I will try waxing my chain though it is quite different conditions where I live in UK.
Yes , ptfe fills in imperfections on a metal surface. This is why less of it is required in the following batches. Both friction and stiction is lower with ptfe.
@@stevenleffanue Thanks
whut are the stainless steel or titanium chains of popular brands?
If you keep exposing the secrets, that josh guy is going to get grumpy.
no, josh will sell even more top secret wax
Personally I don't think the grease converter powder will work that well compared with just removing it using strong solvents. Those grease converters are meant for edible oils which are different chemically from mineral oils. Edible oils and fats are unsaturated and have a fatty acid group at one end which makes soap possible, both of which make them more chemically active than the plain unsaturated carbon chains of mineral oils. Personally I will be sticking with the older method of degreasing the chain with multiple baths of gasoline so that I am sure that the old oil is completely removed.
I thought the same but tested various brand powders anyhow for last 5 months and the results were all very similar. The petroleum oil must be turned to a polymer as no oils were present after the procedure. I took video of the tests and mite put it up for everyone to view.
Cooking oil solidifiers appear to be made of stearic acid. It dissolves in hot cooking oil (or hot paraffin wax). Stearic acid melts at a much higher temperature than cooking oil. The solution has an intermediate melting temperature, still above normal ambient temperatures, so the mixture stays solid. This is not polymerization in a chemist’s meaning of the word.
Molten paraffin wax all by itself is probably a good solvent for chain grease, as good or better than stearic acid. I haven’t tried it myself, but it seems likely. Lubricating grease consists of petroleum oil and a thickener. Petroleum oil is soluble in paraffin wax and the thickener is probably at least partly soluble especially when hot.
I do not know how dissolved grease in the wax affects friction and wear performance. I have the idea that a bit of good lubricating oil dissolved in the wax might improve its friction and wear characteristics, but I don’t know. Too much oil would at some point start making the chain sticky again, causing the dirt build up waxing is meant to prevent. If I had the equipment to test chain friction, I would test blends of paraffin with lubricating oil.
I do not know how stearic acid affects chain friction and wear. I have the idea that it might be good. Stearic acid might, because of the polar acid group on each molecule, tend to stick more strongly to metal surfaces than paraffin molecules, and because the rest of a stearic acid molecule is chemically very similar to petroleum, it might improve the adhesion of paraffin to metal.
The word acid, in the name stearic acid might lead one to think that stearic acid will promote chain corrosion. I don’t think this is true. Chemists call a lot of things acids. The mineral acids, such as sulfuric, nitric and hydrochloric, are quite corrosive, but organic acids such as stearic are much less so and fatty acids, such as stearic acid, are less corrosive yet. (Fatty acids are a subgroup of organic acids.)
Those candles are probably made with 98%parafin and max 2% parafin oil which îs hard as plastic and flakes of it does not melt în my warm hand there are candles with parafin wax and> 10%parafin oil jar like not self standing that if used will turn grey inside the chain at the first ride
Made my chain with more rafined parafin
I tryed this method on a nbrand new chain, worked almost flawless. I still had some oil/greas in the chain, but only minimal barely noticeable. The wax only lasted around 200km before the chain got louder.
Try soaking it a bit longer...until no more bubbles come out of the chain for maximum wax penetration. That should do it.
@@stevenleffanue thx for the reply. I soaked it longer than in the vid, there was no bubbles on my first waxing, only on the rewax i had bubbles. Maybe i jsut need more of that oil solidifier?
It may be that it will take a few rewaxings to get the ptfe into all the nooks and crannies of the links so it lasts longer?
I'm confused. I just bought a brand new SRAM NX Eagle chain to try my first wax job. But it is covered in some sort of lubricant. If feels like a thin layer of a greasy substance. Do all new chains have this? Should I ignore it and proceed as per video by putting it as is in the hot wax or should I do the petrol followed by meths treatment prior to waxing? Any advice greatly appreciated.
That's factory lubricant on your chain which must be removed before waxing. Use the method in this video or chemical removal.
The commercially available block that converts grease seems like it's two compounds. I bet that's extra WS₂, the converted grease would have no friction modifier in. Are the amounts mentioned taking that into account? Also I feel like the friction modifier might need some help getting in the converted grease, perhaps the commercially available product has something like that in? That one also needs 125 °C to make the conversion happen, what's different in this method that it needs only 95 ° C?
Why did you not clean the new chain? I thought they have a heavy grease even if it is n brandnew. I follow your old videos soaking in the gasoline, degreaser and methylated spirits before doing yhe waxing. Is that correct or this is the new method?
This seems to be the new method with the additive to change the grease/oils straight to wax.
You did correct. However, this is the new method which does away with all that initial cleaning . You can still do it the old way if you like 👍
@@stevenleffanue ok thank you. I will follow this new step when i change new chain in the future. It is easy and more cheaper since I will not buy cleaning chemicals.
@@stevenleffanueDid you test if the new or old method give different results?
use a birthday candle to drip wax on the chain - simple.
Wow this has changed in two years! I want so see what happened to the original drawer knob used for freeing up chains once cooled. (Pls DM photo)
Old chain and cassette go into metal recycling here up here. 🇨🇦
i prefer the standard australian recycle facility, the "ocean"
it's even better if you can save the cassette and save money, and in 95% of cases you can do it more than once
Muito obrigado por tranferir seu conhecimento brother!
This is brilliant, thank you! One question, should that first mixture be reserved for new chains only, so you wax it ther first and then every subsequent time you wax in the 1:100 mixture?
No , just keep using the initial block like normal for 3,000km , then change to the 1:100 mix.
To loosen chain I use the plastic dustbin handle, works a treat😄
I am a fan and have started waxing my chains. However, today I noticed that one of my chain links has seized up. I hadn’t ridden this bike for over a month. It looked like rust had got in there. The chain was waxed from new and prepped as per your instructions. What did I do wrong?
Question: Nano PTFE Powder is sold with different mesh specification: 1.6 um, 4-7 um, 7-10 um, 1-3 um and 10-20 um. Which to choose and does it matters? How long should 25, 50 or 100 g last?
All the information is in the video...tested different grain sizes over many years and 1.6um presented with longest chain life.
Initial batch ratio needs to be fairly high like about 20:1. After approximately 3,000km when starting a new batch,a lower ratio suffices , so about 80:1 or 100:1 maintains the ptfe in the links for maximum chain longevity.
@@stevenleffanue I apologize. I did watch the whole video some time ago, but didn´t remember this was mentioned.
7:27 the grease would combine and thin with the wax through several waxings, so there is no need for additional chemistry
Thanks for the video.
I've seen a number of people stating to allow the wax to cool slightly before pulling the chain. Is this necessary? Your video and tips suggest not.
I feared that by removing whilst the wax is still hot, wax will not be allowed to sufficiently bind to the chain internals.
Removing whilst hot would certainly minimise the amount of wax used per application :)
No need to let the wax cool before removing your chain, the hot molten wax that has made it's way into the rollers will stay there, it will not all run out, the wax that drips off is all from the outside of the chain. Letting the wax cool will mean more wax sticks to the outside of the chain which flakes off onto your chainstay and rear wheel, and increases the risk of it collecting inbetween the smaller cassette cogs leading to chain slipping. Like the man says, wipe the chain after removing it from the wax, this leaves a smear of wax on the exterior of the chain for corrosion resistance, but you must wipe / dry your chain if it's wet when you finish your ride or it's got wet while washing your bike.
That's a good question. Silca's advice is to let the wax cool until it starts to get murky, but I find that leaves a heavy deposit on the outside that I need to take a heat gun to.
@christopheroliver148 that's been my experience too, however I do not use a heat gun to remove it.
@@JozsefEvans I just happened to have one lying around. I forget why I initially bought it, but its main use for me until now has been shrinking electrical heat shrink tubing.
Not necessary. However if you do that , more wax remains in and on the chain which is good for protecting the chain from moisture.
Would you mind a deeper dive share on the Greece solidification powder? I’ve been hot waxing for many years and this is the first time I’ve heard of that helping. How do I know it’s actually helping? Have you done and A B test and can show the difference? Many thanks
4 months testing. I have video footage but didn't think anyone would want to see it. I mite upload it soon 👍
Basically the folks at SILCA just did the same thing, repackaged the powder that causes a chemical reaction called oleogelation into fancy wafers, and charge 10x more for it.
what other alternatives of grease converter powder?
I have questions for waxing my bike chain. But watch your video 4 yrs ago about waxing bike chain proceeds it was involved couple more step than this video. If you don’t mind tell me little more details why I should skip those steps or make an other video explaining why those steps wasn’t necessary?
You can use either the old three steps or the new 1 step method.
Hello, I would be curious to know where you purchase your PTFE and WS2 because in Canada it's quite expensive.
Aliexpress
@@stevenleffanue thanks!
I use a cheese grater to scrap away the settled contaminants on the bottom of the wax puck. Also, I use a strong magnet to remove any ferrous metals from the hot wax. You won't believe how much stuff the magnet picks up after rewaxing several chains.
Magnet is a great idea. Scraping the bottom of the block would also remove a lot of the friction additive tho??
What happens with the oil/solidifier substance after? Does it just stay in the wax?
Yes , it changes state into a gel or soft wax texture which simply blends into the paraffin wax. If you take scrapings ,put them on blotting paper and squash it with a weight for a day or so , no oil is present on the paper.
Thank you for your effort! A little comment on the "additives": PTFE, as mentioned, is not the best environmental friendly choice for waxing. I chose MoS2-Powder. Because it was easier to get my hands on in Germany. But there is a downside: The smell of warm MoS2 is very unpleasant. I have to wax outside, otherwise my flat smells like a Metal-Workshop (Smell of old warm transmissions). I will not use MoS2 again. Furthermore, I will get some graphite. Hopefully, it has less odor also it is much easier to get here in Germany. Anyone made the same experience ?
one more reason to stay on pure wax
I've tried tried wax with graphite for the same reason(also living in Germany + environment...). It's odorless. After 1000km(e-bike) my chain is worn off. I didnt't really note down my chainwear before. But i think my oiled chains made approximately 500-700km. That improvement is not really worth the hassle imo.
I will now test PTFE. If it really extends the lifetime of a chain that drastically, i think it's maybe outweighs the downsides.
PTFE by its self isn't (despite it's everlasting/not degrading properties) poisonious. The precursors are the problem...
@@grott3n0lm 1000km sind viel zu kurz. 500-700km sind absolut verrückt wenig. Ich müsste, wenn ich diesen Verschleiß hätte, alle 10 Wochen eine neue Kette kaufen. Entweder deine Ritzel / Kassette sind auch schon fertig und wurden nicht gewechselt und fressen jetzt die Kette auf oder ich weiß es nicht. Oder du hast so eine starke Belastung, dass der Antriebsstrang dafür einfach nicht ausgelegt ist (viel Berge und hohe Unterstützung durch den Motor). Wie hast du denn das gemerkt, dass die Kette getauscht werden muss? Gefühl oder mit einer Lehre? Ich würde auch mal gucken, dass man den Antriebsstrang komplett auf Stahl umbaut. Bei einem E-Bike machen Alu-Ritzel und Kassetten wirklich gar kein Sinn. Ja ich weiß man kann ein paar Gramm einsparen, aber einmal Groß vor dem Radfahren bringt die gleiche Ersparnis. Ansonsten gibt es auch E-Bike Ketten von KMC vielleicht da mal gucken. Ansonsten das günstige Zeug kaufen, das ist dann aus Stahl und hält länger.
@@ZiggobertDanke für deine Anteilnahme. 😅Dass das wenig ist, ist mir schon bewusst. Deswegen hatte ich ja viel Hoffnung in das Wachsen gesetzt. Die KMC EPT Kette habe ich auch vor kurzem bestellt. Obwohl die vorher von Shimano hat auch mit "e-bike-ready" geworben.
Der Antrieb ist komplett aus Stahl. Der Einsatz ist im (Mittel)gebirge mit teils heftigen Anstiegen und oft auch hoher Unterstützung. Ich mache nicht wirklich viel Strecke, sammel dafür aber ordentlich Höhenmeter.
Habe bis jetzt immer nach Gefühl gewechselt und dann meistens auch die Kassette. Letztes Mal gab es auch ein neues KB.
Jetzt dokumentiere ich das allerdings genauer und messe mit Messschieber.
@@grott3n0lm 😀 dann scheint die Belastung wirklich hoch zu sein. Ich hab so eine kleine Rohlofflehre, gibt es aber auch von anderen Herstellern, die schmeiß ich mal alle Monate rein. Meine Ketten halten immer ein paar Tausend Kilometer.
Where does the modified packing grease go after it’s been “converted”?
And it’s difficult for me to believe that the original 3-solvent new-chain cleaning method is equivalent to the new school grease modifier method. Either the 3-solvent method was overkill or the new method is insufficient.
The oil/grease gets converted into a polymer which is a semi-solid. It combines with the paraffin wax but you can't see it. I will be uploading highlights from my 4 month testing which will make it more understandable.
Wax and teflon must be the most ecological way to use a chain so many minuses otherwise.
can you filter that wax with a coffee filter? I know it's cheap but still seems wasteful. Or is there any alternative use of the wax?
Tried it long time ago and it didn't work...can't remember why tho. Give it a go to see.
@@stevenleffanue Thank you for the reply. Greatly appreciate your work!
Nice video thanks. Love those SA stobie poles 🤣
@stevenleffanue another good update to improve the process. I saw below that you said that you only had Aussie links for where you buy all of the 'ingredients', can you post them in the description anyway, thanks.
www.ebay.com.au/itm/265894111561?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=Rb-c1uZOSbu&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=-h7k82GPSla&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
So how is it now ok to skip all the initial cleaning and decreasing process, I thought that was essential to facilitate the bonding of the wax to the chain?
Both methods work.
I wonder if/when shimano will just sell pre-waxed chains.
no
My bike came with a waxed Shimano chain, but no quick link... after 200-400 km it started to become noisy and dirty, so I added some oil...
Not sure what to do next, wax is tempting but not great for humid climates and trails.
I'm good with oil, but cleaning the chain properly means removing the chain anyway...
Hi, can we put the new chain directly to the hot pot or do we need to clean the fabric lube of the chain? Thanks
Yes , following these video instructions, straight into the hotpot.
@@stevenleffanueThanks for the information and thanks for all Your videos. Your a master. 👏👏👏
I' ve donne it. Its really good and clean. I don't have the sache of tourning it to solified, Just let it dry and Stay inside the Pot.🙂
Can you reuse the wax? Do you just let it harden and use it again without adding the PTFE and oil solidifier? Or is it just the best to trow everything away and use new wax and PTFE the next time you want to wax your chain?
One wax batch will last a chain 3,000km . After that, the wax starts to go grey with contamination, so it's time to start a new batch.
Connex for the win.
That thingy is as expensive as my chain...
@@DR_1_1 The Connex link? Not as expensive as replacing Shimano/Sram or Campy quick links over the life of a waxed chain. Buy the Connex chain and it come with it anyway. They cost more as they are built to better tolerances.
@@Squizzy05 Mmmh... Connex 11sX is around 60 € I can get 3 x S 105 chains for that.
I'll think of it again when the current chain is worn, maybe.
Hi, good update, BUT, what about the grease contained in the rollers of the chain. Doesn‘t it escape while riding?
It doesn't escape because it is a solid, not liquid. It gets slowly deformed away from compressing surfaces, which, when rewaxed this gap is refilled with wax again.
Wonderful video, im ordering oil solidifier right now
Nice you cracked the code
I'm in interested to know why the intial chain stripping with petrol, degresaser, and isoproyl alcohol was deemed no longer necessary. I thought the packing grease interfered with the application of wax.
Either the old initial cleaning or this new conversion powder prepares the chain to accept wax.
it will, but until the grease is washed off, waxing should be repeated more often because the grease comes out of the chain and catches dust, and we don't want that
Hello and thanks for the really helpful and well researched videos. I have a question and hope you'll be kind enough to reply with some advice. Especially as it may help others too.
I have just emptied by slow cooker ready for a new batch of wax and PTFE and the candles that I've purchased say "25% plant based wax and 75% premium paraffin". Will these be suitable? The packaging also says they are vegan which I thought would be obvious. Surprised they aren't marked as gluten free too. 🙄
I also have access to bees wax, which is obviously not vegan but wondered how that would work.
TIA.
You can use plant based waxes with paraffin wax, but they may attract more dirt depending on their oil content. Plain paraffin wax is best.
whats the purpose of the grease converter? saponification?
Would it be possible to use the oil solidifier without the wax to clean a brand new chain?
How would you get the oil solidifier into the chain?
@@stevenleffanueWould it work in warm water or in something else?
Not warm water. Heat the chain up to 700degC mite melt the factory grease out.
Brilliant
It looks like there isn't a single cooking oil solidifier priduct in eastern Europe. At least I couldn't find any. Can I switch it with something else?
Stearic acid
@@stevenleffanue thank you 🖤
How much difference would it make if we just use wax instead of wax and PTFE, since i dont want to use forever chemicals?
You will need to rewax every 100km instead of 300km
I cant get around my mind about something. This is not stick to metal right? it somewhat covers it only inside. How long does this treatment lasts? If i oil my chain it sticks and saves it from getting rusty. Does this has the same effect? How effectively sticks to chain? Because it seems flakes away. I really curious about this.
The wax sticks to the metal inside and outside
Steve, coming back to this video what happens to the oil solidifier?
15,000km per block. Rewax every 300km = 50 rewaxes per block. Not bad for under $25.
I am a bit confused:
In the video you mention the ratio for wax and PTFE quite clearly (also for rewaxing) ... what about the solidifier ? Do you add some of it for rewaxing ?
Or is it ONLY added to the "initial wax block" ?
Only for the initial block
@@stevenleffanueIf we add the grease converter for the initial block, then can we reuse that (which contains the grease converter) for latter waxings or should we melt a new one with just wax and the additive?
Keep using it as normal wax. It should last the usual 3,000km. The oil conversion powder is just to clean the chain initially and becomes waxlike itself anyhow.
Hi, a question, is it one time use only? For example, once I degreased a chain this way, can I degrease another or will I have to do another batch of wax + grease solidifier? Or do I need to add another sachet in the same batch? Thanks for your content, very interesting!
1 batch will do 4 chains.
@@stevenleffanueafter 4 new chains are immersed, do you recommend new wax and PTFE, or can you continue waxing with the same batch if the chains aren’t new and don’t require degreasing?
Can use same batch until wax colour starts looking grey in colour
@@stevenleffanue excellent! I’ve been using your waxing methods for 3 years, and will never go back. The solidifier will save me a lot of time. Excited to implement that as well! Thanks for all your videos over the years. Very well done! ❤️
What's the role of grease converter?
New chains come greased which needs to be removed before waxing.