How To Paraffin Wax Your Bicycle Chain The Easy Way !

[@markconnelly1806]

You don't need to put chain directly in a pot. Just fill pot with water and heat up. Then put a glass jar in the pot with wax in the jar. It will melt and the chain can be put into the jar. And yes when you take the chain out, the remaining wax can be reused.

[@dkccdk]

or a large mason jar... and just let it cool and put a cap on it when youre done... this guy is a moron... i make knives and swords.. hes heating the chain to the point itll soften the metal while hes waiting on the wax to melt... and if anyone ever did this and let it go too long.. maybe stepped off or had to answer a call... they could completely ruin the chain.. there is no reason to put the chain in before the wax is melted...🤣

[@chrisscott8362]

Brilliant. Totally the video i needed to see. Cheers to your winged friend watching in the background. 🪶

[@MSRWorkshop]

Ha, thanks :)

[@rterry2752]

Put a screen on the bottom of the sonic cleaner to keep the chain out of the muck that comes off.

[@ItsAlive111]

Shouldn’t the Teflon coating be on the inside of the chain rings?

[@shelby4225]

Oz Cycle has GREAT videos on this topic that are very informative.

[@fubar1872008]

Yes He Does And Explains Why This Guys Videos Are Flawed And Missimforative. he thinks wax isn't flammable when it is the main source of fuel in a candle.

[@itzamna6181]

He is the best

[@siayewwei5094]

Should I choose fully refined or semi refined paraffin wax for hot melt chain?

[@MSRWorkshop]

Either one is fine. Just buy what is less expensive.

[@siayewwei5094]

@@MSRWorkshop thank you 😁

[@hubertsingh70]

Totally agree with Mark below, all you need to do is put the chain in V hot water dirt and wax will be removed from the chain.

[@mattiass.nielsen506]

Amazing video, I've used it for my bike. Now after only 100 km approximately my chain is kinda noisy. is that a sign of i need to rewax or is it just the way it is? Thanks

[@MSRWorkshop]

I rewax when it gets noisy

[@mattiass.nielsen506]

@@MSRWorkshop ouch, that's once a week for me 😜

[@MSRWorkshop]

@@mattiass.nielsen506 add a small amount of mineral oil to your mix. That will keep the paraffin wax slightly softer. The more you add the softer your wax will stay but the more dirt will pick up is the trade-off

[@mattiass.nielsen506]

@@MSRWorkshop i was gonna add some paraffin oil to the mix. Like 30% paraffin oil and 70% parrafin 😊 would that work in your opinion?

[@MSRWorkshop]

@@mattiass.nielsen506 I would try a smaller amount. To much is going to make your wax pick up a lot of dirt, this defeating the purpose of using the wax. Might just experiment with it and see if you get the balance of longevity and staying clean you like

[@chrisyoung8062]

Thanks for the video. Not sure why you are being so frugal with the paraffin as it is cheap. Completely submerging the chain in the wax insures that every airgap in the links are displaced with wax. I'm not sure the way you're doing it accomplishes the same thing.

[@JoLe1991]

you need to add a dry high pressure luvbricant such as PTFE powder or WS2 Nanopowder. Wax gets displaced under load, leaving metal on metal. In that situation PTFE and/or WS2 stays between the metal parts, reducing friction and wear.

[@cristianku75]

What is the correct micro for PTFE powder since there are different . And what % of PTFE in respect to paraffin ?

[@JoLe1991]

@@cristianku75 as small as possible, the smallest I know of is 1.6 micrometer. I would add at least 2% by weight, some put up to 10% to the wax

[@immortable5106]

@@cristianku75 1.6micro or smaller if you can get it and mixture ratio (PTFE:WAX) is 1:10

[@julesnfriends]

Yes good point, that teflon spray is actually PTFE I think, that's what Teflon is

[@markconnelly1806]

That's why you just need to apply Tri Flow PTFE.

[@rterry2752]

You had mentioned waxing the chain in the sonic machine with the heat on. To do this the wax level would need to be over the top of the chain ! Not just for shits and giggles ? Keep the melted wax over the top of the chain folks ! WAX IS CHEAP !

[@viveviveka2651]

Sheldon Brown says on his website that bushingless chains are significantly less susceptible to chain stretch or wear. This seems like valuable information that is not getting the attention it deserves. Are KMC X8(99) chains bushingless? Are any other KMC chains bushingless? Or other, non-KMC chains?

[@MSRWorkshop]

That’s a good question. I’ll have to check on that. Also if there is a weight difference for those who wants the lightest as possible

[@rterry2752]

The heater is there for a reason, the warmed up bath is an advantage to room temp. The warmer a grease is the less viscouse it is therefor comes off better.

[@markconnelly1806]

If your going to use teflon, you can just use Tri Flow that has PTFE. Put a little lube on before each ride.

[@MSRWorkshop]

The idea it to not apply anything that attracts dirt. There are a lot of lubricants out there that work well as a lubricant…. As long as their clean but they attract dirt like a magnet. Paraffin is a super low friction lubricant that attracts virtually no dirt, applying isn’t that big a deal for me but a clean chain is !

[@immortable5106]

Generally nice video on waxing topic. I don’t mind using gas stove but I don’t think boiling your wax is going to do much good. You can see it goes brown shortly after melting so either you’ve burn it or there is still some dirt left on or more likely inside the chain. Something is not right...

[@MSRWorkshop]

So the wax wasn’t boiling, it just had a tiny bit of water on the chain and that’s what made the sound like it was frying. Yes there was a small discoloration in the wax. That was a small bit of dirt left over from the cleaning process. It doesn’t have to be perfect each time it’s done. That’s the beauty of the wax process. You can throw a dirty chain here in a pot and melt new wax and the dirty stuff melts off. I would still do a deep clean every now and then .

[@timothypezet]

A handy tip for using the Ultrasonic is to use jars for your chemicals. i.e. Fill the Ultrasonic with about 2" of water. Use a glass jar with the chemical and chain inside and then sit the jar in the bath. It keeps the Ultrasonic clean plus you can do a multi stage clean with no mess. I have 2 jars for Petrol so I can go from Dirty-> A bit Cleaner and then 2 Jars for Methylated Spirits. Same principle 1 for the first pass and then a clean solution for the second pass. After your done cleaning put the lids on and let the jars settle. You can poor off the clean liquid for re-use then wipe out the residue from the jars ready for next time.. It keeps your chemical disposal to a minimum. PS: Dont smoke when using Petrol and definitely do it outside.. Also dont set the Ultrasonic to heat. The Ultrasonic will generate its own significant heat so I do bursts no longer than 10 minutes for each stage.

[@MSRWorkshop]

Great tips! Love the jar idea. Yes, I don’t use the heat because of the friction! I do about 5 min at a time.

[@rickj4196]

How often or how many miles should you strip and reapply? Also is there any wax build up around the derailleurs/cassette/chain rings when using the grocery store wax vs. some of expensive products found online?

[@MSRWorkshop]

It’s kind of one of those trial and error things. When you first apply it it will run quiet and shifting will be smooth and fast as it’s nearing the end of its life you will notice it becomes louder and shifting won’t be as smooth. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Build up is very minimI also on the jockey wheels and will usually flake off. The only difference in this and the expensive wax is the expensive usually will add a powdered PTFE into the wax where I use a spray. You get a lot more use out of a can!

[@MarcMallary]

You can use Teflon powder mixed in alcohol and put it in a squirt bottle, instead of the aerosol spray. I carry a small bottle with me.

[@MSRWorkshop]

Great idea! Thanks 🙏

[@markconnelly1806]

If you have to wax a chain every 300 or so miles depending on weather and road type, you might as well just use a PTFE lube before each ride. It will last the ride. I doubt waxing the chain will make it last much longer over just a little lube each ride.

[@MeteCanKarahasan]

Paraffin is clean, wax is not. That is the point. Paraffin is neither water, nor oil soluble and air doesn't have solvents, so...

[@bigalsbash]

2000 miles on a mountain bike in all weather conditions, largley off road, with no measurable wear so far. Clean with boiling water and re-wax every 1 to 2 months . On a road bike you should get over 10,000 miles. Check OZ cylces, I'm sure he has passed 20,000.

[@mtbarena612]

How long can I go after waxing the chain for one time? how long do I have to keep the chain in the paraffin wax?

[@mtbarena612]

Answer the questions please

[@MSRWorkshop]

Maybe slosh it around for about a minute to get it in all the nooks and crannies. I haven’t actually sat down and figured how long it lasts but you will notice that it will become a little louder as the wax flakes off. Maybe every couple hundred miles. Once you have stripped the chain the first time, repeated waxing goes quicker because you don’t need to do all the extra steps every time. Just throw the chain in the wax and the dirty bits will melt off. Makes tire changes and flat repairs heaven! No more black hands.

[@mtbarena612]

Thank you so much ❤️

[@retroonhisbikes]

@@mtbarena612 I’m 300 miles on my chain. I’m going to re-wax soon.

[@mattiass.nielsen506]

And you're going full candle wax or are you using the Teflon spray / ptfe too?

[@driftclique1865]

Oh so ez, let me go get my ultra sonic cleaner….

[@retroonhisbikes]

I add 50g of ptfe powder to 500g of wax, in a slow cooker. To avoid over heating and upsetting Mrs old men

[@MSRWorkshop]

Ha! Not upsetting the old lady men is important

[@demiegamboa8185]

Boiled chain that's yummy

[@itzamna6181]

Saute

[@rterry2752]

Put parrifin wax in with the block of parrafin otherwize the wax will jusy chip off.

[@rterry2752]

@@MSRWorkshop Add Paraffin OIL ! my bad on my first coment. Watch the video from Oz Cycles thst explains it.

[@rterry2752]

@@MSRWorkshop Use oil so that it wont chip Off, Watch the you tube bt Oz Cycles, this is the corect way of doing it.

[@MSRWorkshop]

You probably mean mineral oil. Mineral oil will soften the wax and make it softer but if you put to much it makes it to soft and attracts dirt because it gets tacky.

[@davidnicholson6680]

Sorry, I don't agree with a lot of this. If you're going to start waxing chains I recommend buying a $15 crock pot that you'll dedicate to chain waxing rather than a pot on the stove. Pots on the stove get far too hot and the excess heat can degrade the wax. I also recommend using real chain wax like Molten Speed or Silca. Real chain wax is inexpensive, highly purified and has friction reducing additives. I also recommend starting with new chains rather than trying to wax an old chain. You don't need an ultrasonic cleaner with new chains, just soak in mineral spirits for a day or so and then shake in isopropyl alcohol. I suggest waiting until you need a new chain and then swapping everything over. I like to run a three chain rotation, cleaning and waxing three chains is as easy as doing one and then you're set for hundreds of miles. This video is also using far too little wax, you need to fully immerse the chain. Again, just buy a dedicated 1.5 quart crock pot, leave a pound of wax in it and heat it up when it's time to rewax.

[@MSRWorkshop]

Yes a stove gets hot but I literally timed the time it took to heat up and it was only minutes and I took it off immediately once it was melted, so there was no possibility to overheat. A crockpot can take 30 minutes or more just to melt the wax. Paraffin wax is purified and it’s meant for food use. Speed wax or other paraffin wax brands with additives are not cheap. You can easily make your own and add PTFE powder.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

​@@MSRWorkshop it boiled which means it was too hot

[@MSRWorkshop]

@@veganpotterthevegan there was no boiling. I has a couple drops of water still left in the pot when I cleaned it. I only heat the wax til the small piece melts and then turn it off immediately. If it starts smoking then yes, it’s getting to hot

[@bigalsbash]

I see lots of people on this thread with many questions and with all due respect to MSR workshop this is not a good method, nor are some of his comments in reply to these questions. Taking the time, care and effort to apply paraffin wax correctly will give you a very clean drive chain (no black hands from wheel changes etc) a longer lasting drive system (chain, cassette and chain rings) than any other form of lubrication and a more efficient smoother running drive train than any other form of lubrication. IMHO OZ cycles videos give the best instructions on this procedure, and he also provides the results of independent chain lubrication comparison tests which shows this method is far superior to any of the well-known top brands lubricants. Here is his own test against molten speed wax :- kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2aWgoeKnblnla8

[@MSRWorkshop]

In reference to your comment. what is it about my procedure that is incorrect. The controversial part seems to be with regard to the melting of the paraffin wax. So let’s do a quick recap of what I talked about. 1. Plain paraffin wax is inexpensive and is very effective at keeping your drivetrain clean 2. Paraffin waxing can be a simple procedure once a new chain has been prepared 3. Paraffin wax will not explode if subjected to an open flame as demonstrated and is not as dangerous as some reviewer‘s have made it out to be. 4. Paraffin wax alone will eventually need to be reapplied but that is a simple process. 5. A more in-depth application of paraffin wax can be applied if the Cyclist is concerned about ware. 6. There are more expensive options out there but plain paraffin is by far the cheapest alternative to any other wax on the market. 7. I apply an aerosolized PTFE spray instead of adding directly to the wax as an alternative to adding it to the wax pot. Making this a quicker alternative. 8. Paraffin wax can be softened by adding mineral oil but the trade-off is that it will pick up more dirt. Was there something that I left out? Because I feel this is very basic and straightforward video and not intended to be an overly complex process. There are many videos out there that deal with more complex application methods and mixtures in this video was never intended to address that.

[@bigalsbash]

@@MSRWorkshop please watch oz cycles videos for the best instructions and reference. I adhere to his methodology with excellent results. Dotting the I's and crossing the T's on this method will manifest optimum results. Chain virtually surgically clean before waxing. Very fine Ptfe powder in paraffin wax mixed 10 to 1 by weight. Both cheap as chips and applied in one step with no other additives required to apply the ptfe. As I have said before I am only trying to give positive advice and truly believe paraffin wax with ptfe powder to be the best chain lube and oz cycles the best method.

[@bigalsbash]

Your chain had been waxed before but it is filthy and when you cleaned it you showed a lot of metallic particals which basically means your method is not working. Watch oz cycles video with the ptfe and paraffin wax mix. I'm 3 years in on a mountain bike in the UK in all weather conditions, dry, wet, muddy and road salt. Still on original chain with no discernable wear.

[@MSRWorkshop]

You muse have better vision than me because I saw no metal, just some dirt

[@bigalsbash]

@@MSRWorkshop 4:46, you state it yourself 🤷‍♂️

[@MSRWorkshop]

@@bigalsbash lol it’s been a while since I watched the video.

[@bigalsbash]

@@MSRWorkshop Please note, my comment really was meant to give sincere advice.

[@freeriding666]

Aside the annoying accent (yankee? midwest?) that over-emphasizes on bilabial consonants with an "h" sound that makes the talker sound like some pompous Victorian colonial windbag (it's maybe not the author's fault anyways, just his native accent), I'd say this is the best explanatory video on the matter. No useless, pedestrian intro... gets to the point soon enough. Much thanks! Will try that. I was also just wondering if adding paraffin oil is important, or just wax is fine.

[@MSRWorkshop]

The the addition of mineral oil softens the wax and doesn’t allow it to get hard and brittle, but the more you add the more likely it will be to attract dirt. I just use the wax. It flakes off after a while then I just reapply. By the way, you could have also just said thanks for the video and left the insults out at the beginning 🤦‍♂️