What oil for simmering chain in?

[mickle]

Wax isnt wax isnt wax. Candle wax isnt chain wax. Like you wouldnt use lost wax casting wax to shine your shoes or sealing wax to wax your surf board. Its all about the particular formulation.

And engine oil is rubbish as a bicycle chain lube btw.

 

[tricksta]

I think from memory, if you look at the ingredients of most chain wax the major constituent part is plain old paraffin wax, often with beeswax and then some other additives including teflon, graphite etc.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Ahem http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/...publishes-ultrafast-chain-lube-formula-36424/

 

[tricksta]

I had a look online at the prices of the additives and they're not too expensive plus buying them in a tub would probably allow you to make enough chain wax for a lifetime for around £50 inc the paraffin wax base.

Regarding my method, I realise that plain paraffin wax may not be as good as expensive additive filled chain wax, but it will protect the chain, is not sticky (so should reduce crud collection), works it's way into all linkages and rollers and cost me a grand sum of £1.29!!!

Thanks MrGrumpy for the informative link!

 

[heliphil]

The recipe for the UltraFast lube is surprisingly simple: 1lb of household paraffin wax, 5g of pure PTFE (Teflon) powder, and 1g of pure molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). The wax is melted at approximately 180°F, the powders are added in, and the ingredients are thoroughly mixed with some sort of agitator (Smith uses a common battery powered milk frother).

from
http://www.friction-facts.com/forum...ion-details-and-formula/#simple-forum-post-55

 

[MontyVeda]

Regarding my method, I realise that plain paraffin wax may not be as good as expensive additive filled chain wax, but it will protect the chain, is not sticky (so should reduce crud collection), works it's way into all linkages and rollers and cost me a grand sum of £1.29!!!

I might give it a try myself... along with SatNavSaysStraightOn's method too... I have a few potentially resurectable chains knocking about and I do like the 'bodge it and see' approach.

I doubt anybody will die if it doesn't work as well as an off-the-shelf product, or at all.

 

[tyred]

I wouldn't recommend cooking a chain in oil, the chain will be lying on the bottom of the pan and you might alter the temper of the steel and make it brittle or you might just burn your house down.

Soak in several changes of paraffin, white spirit or turps subs, dry overnight then re-lube with a light wax in solvent lube like Finish Line.

The recommended method of cooking a chain is to set it on a few small bits of wood inside the pan. Also do this if soaking a chain in diesel or whatever - courtesy of the 1946 Phillips Cyclists Handbook.

I do this myself on my hub geared and single speed bikes in plain SAE 30 motor oil (outside on a camping stove).