I'm a fairly committed chain waxer now, but fancied something that might run a bit cleaner than Putoline, especially on the summer bike.
All the info on the Molten Speedwax website talks about slow cookers, but would a small deep fat frier with a low enough temperature setting do the same job? I don't know what the difference is between a slow cooker and a deep fat frier...
Dff works fine. I got whatever the cheapest one from Argos was at the time, still going strong.
I tend to use homebrew parafin wax / bees wax / grease /PTFE wax mix most of the year as it's cleaner and seems a bit faster. Putoline only comes out for extended bad weather, which it lasts a bit better in. Putoline Hasn't come out this winter yet!
I just bought the cheapest slow cooker that Argos sells - works fine and about £15 ish
They tried really hard to sell me the extra warranty - even after I’d told them what it’ll be used for.
£10-£15 DFF set around 100c.
Putoline is clean, you just need to let it drip/wipe it down when its still warm, and then for the next few rides, I wipe mine with a rag sprayed with WD40 or similar, you do NOT need any wax on the outside of the chain.
I bought a £12 slow cooker from Argos - works perfectly with a homebrew wax mixture (food grade paraffin and PTFE powder, both from Amazon).
Putoline is clean, you just need to let it drip/wipe it down when its still warm, and then for the next few rides
Agree it's cleaner than a normal wet lube, but disagree that it's 'summer bike' clean 😉
I'm still scraping sticky black stuff off jockey wheels and chainrings etc. Molten Speedwax seems to claim less build up
Am hoping the Speedwax will perform at least as well as Squirt but with less shed, the matt under my rollers has a lot of suspicious sticky black blobs just waiting to be trailed back in to the house 🙄
Ooo I have been reading about this.
Question on cleaning a chain before use?
I have an Ultrasonic cleaner, can I use it and add White Spirit?
I bought a chain pre-cleaned from In-a-spin Cycles who distribute molten speedwax (and YBN chains, which have a good rep for durability etc.).
Doubtless more expensive than cleaning it myself but I'm claiming 'time crunched' at the moment so the less swilling components about in white spirit I need to do the better!
Another user of the cheapest 1.5l slow cooker Argos sell.
I’m a huge fan of MSW, use it on everything all year round. If the bike comes home wet I make sure to dry the chain off with a rag and give it a quick blast with the compressor.
I do have a decent accumulation of wax under the turbo too, it’s not non-shedding but it vacuums up easily
I bought a £12 slow cooker from Argos
Me too, for MSW. Works fine, also as they warn that it should not get too hot it's probably better than a fryer.
Just leave the solid wax in the bottom between uses - put the chain on top and wait an hour or so, check temperature with a thermometer cos I'm nerdy like that, swoosh it around and done. Made my own hook/swoosher thing from an old wire coat hanger.
Regards cleaning - first time I followed their whole procedure as on the website. Subsequent times I just wash the mud & grit off with soap and water then shake it around in spirit for a bit and dry.
@13th
Just read their chain cleaning regime......lordy!
Just read their chain cleaning regime……lordy!
Yeah... That's why I figured I'd just pay them the £7.99 to do it! Only needs done once per chain in theory.
I like MSW but I don’t find it lasts all that long. I tend to do the chain when I remember, but then still use Squirt at the beginning of each ride once I’ve used the bike a couple of times. The two seem to go together ok. Cheap slow cooker for me, I don’t bother checking the exact temperature, once it’s fully liquid I just go ahead.
Just read their chain cleaning regime……lordy!
I do wonder what happens to all the dirty white spirit, horrible stuff to dispose of properly. That part has put me off doing it.
Maybe you can run it through filter paper and re-use it?
Maybe you can run it through filter paper and re-use it?
I do this, although much more crudely, I just swap it between screwtop containers but never pour the last inch or so out. You can usually see when you've hit sediment and can stop pouring.
I'll then rinse/clean the chain on the bike using a standard degreaser as well and rinse.
Hence why I was glad to pay someone else to do it!
I like MSW but I don’t find it lasts all that long.
Like how long? I don't experience the mega-mileage some seem to get out of Putoline either, but still use it as I like the overall performance and what I believe is the extra life it gives me out of a chain. If MSW felt as good or better than a freshly Squirted chain, but didn't shed sticky grey blobs on the garage floor AND gave me 300-500km per application, I think I'd be happy.
A friend is using candle wax on his ebike and gets about 200km before the chain needs recoating (which is a weeks commuting for him). Does seem a bit short in terms of distance (road miles in winter). However his chain wear has gone from destroying chains in a couple of months to zero measurable wear over a year!