good advice,
Quote:
Originally Posted by flecc
Further to the above, dissolving grease into chains has been done since the 1930s at least, and probably before that.
The technique with used chain is to wash it thoroughly with immersion in paraffin, changing it once to ensure all grit and dirt is removed, then the chain hung to drain and dry. Afterwards, place the chain in a baking tray or similar and add a can of general purpose greas and gently heat it in a domestic oven until the grease is fully melted. Then allow to cool a little, and then hang the chain to drain the surplus. There's no particular need for a specialist product like chain wax, although it does the job, since grease is also very effective.
As the Scottoiler people found though, even water is an effective lubricant on bike chain. It's not lack of lubrication that kills chains, it's road dust etc combining with whatever liquid is on the chain and forming effective grinding paste. Fully enclosed chaincases or oilbaths are best to stop that, but a thick grease coating will substitute to some extent. That's no good on derailleurs of course, they're a fairly hopeless case anyway where chain care is concerned.
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for the last twenty years i have used candlewax, first i remove the chain, then leave it overnight in white spirit, this dissolve all the old wax and any grease & tar, give it a good going over with an old fine hair copper suede brush, rinse it in fresh white spirit, then i almost boil it in candle wax until no more bubbles are coming off the chain, remove the chain and hang it whilst still hot to let the excess wax run off, the chain goes completely stiff, i find this helps putting the chain back on,
because the wax isn't 'sticky' virtually no grit from the road attaches to the chain, this lessens the amount of grind on the teeth and i get very little metal in the residue of the white spirit, also it makes the chain feel really smooth and the treatment lasts for about six months, i rotate two chains on each bike, never had to replace chains or cranks, derailleurs are another story.
beeps