Lugging a Motor, Why it's Bad

[PCeBiker]

,.. Yes, actually I do clean them, but only as part of washing a bike,

This said...
I'm still going to give paraffin a try as an initial treatment on a new chain,

Make sure that your chain is ABSOLUTELY CLEAN before you do the wax treatment.

A brand new chain is pre-lubed and needs to be cleaned.

I use Hot Soapy water, alcohol, brake cleaner, and acetone to clean the chain first.
The chain has to be Parched of all oils, or the wax won't penetrate the metal, and it will flake off.

I didn't bother with the ultrasonic cleaning process to get the extra 2-4% cleaner chain, but I'm not not competing in the Tour De France.
And if I was, I still wouldn't pedal.

I use an old frying pan with hot Soapy water, submerge the chain, and slosh it around on both sides to wash the grit out from between the links.
New chains are easier to clean because there's just a light coat of oil to remove without all the grit.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I rewax my chain once or twice a year.

I have my designated pot for cooking chains,..





This is the wax I use,..
It's got the Paraffin, the PTFE, and the Molybdenum disulfide all mixed in together.



View attachment 195720View attachment 195721

I use the Hot Tub method,..

I've got over 3000 km on both my ebikes and the chains look brand new,..


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The chains themselves might only have ten or twenty miles on them, but they're not rusty or all worn out at all !!

The advantage of a hub drive, and not pedaling, is that your chain and sprockets last Fer Fukin Ever !!
And my ️'s and pant legs never get all full of greasy crap.

I have 3000 miles on my current chain that doesn't show signs of wear yet and it's a 1000w mid drive using Boesheild T9 (wax in a carrier solvent). It needs to be applied every 250 miles (2-3 weeks) and though it doesn't attract much dirt, it is dirty to touch. My interest in waxing is to have it cleaner to work with. I know wax is an excellent way to maintain a chain.. But it's also much more time consuming and doesn't last forever.
It's not magical.

 

[PCeBiker]

It's not magical.

There is magic wax available,..

I think that you're supposed to polish your car with it, but you could probably dip your chain in it ??

,.. My interest in waxing is to have it cleaner to work with.

I'm messing with my chain all the time and it's never grimmy.
It's just dusty from the gravel roads like the rest of my e-bike.

I can just wipe it down with a cloth or wash the dust off with plain water.

I don't like how gravel dust sticks to oiled chains and turns the oil into a grinding/polishing paste.
It churns its way into the links and grinds away from the inside.

Grit doesn't cling to wax and get absorbed in the same way as it does with oil or anything "wet".

 

[Gionnirocket]

There is magic wax available,..


View attachment 195768



I think that you're supposed to polish your car with it, but you could probably dip your chain in it ??





I'm messing with my chain all the time and it's never grimmy.
It's just dusty from the gravel roads like the rest of my e-bike.

But keep in mind that on a hub drive that is rarely pedaled... A chain is basically bling and should last forever.

Then do some math. Wax(+additives) + electric + my time and a new chain might be worth the price of admission.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I don't like how gravel dust sticks to oiled chains and turns the oil into a grinding/polishing paste.
It churns its way into the links and grinds away from the inside

Grit doesn't cling to wax and get absorbed in the same way as it does with oil or anything "wet".

That's one argument against soy wax... It's too soft especially in hot weather.
Soft wax is tacky.

 

[PCeBiker]

But keep in mind that on a hub drive that is rarely pedaled... A chain is basically bling and should last forever.

That's true.
My driveline is reserved for emergency purposes only.

Then do some math. Wax(+additives) + electric + my time and a new chain might be worth the price of admission.

,.. though it doesn't attract much dirt, it is dirty to touch.

I'm just speculating, but if you were to Completely clean a new chain then do an initial hot wax treatment, you could probably use your Boesheild T9 in the same way every 2-3 weeks.

Perhaps the solvent in the Boesheild T9 is dissolving the oil on the chain making it dirty to touch ?

Perhaps a chain that is free from any liquid/oily lube won't get grimmy after a Boesheild T9 treatment ?

Perhaps you could even skip the hot wax treatment and just use the Boesheild T9 after a thorough cleaning of a new chain ?

I think the secret is to remove All the lube on the chain first.

 

[Gionnirocket]

That's true.
My driveline is reserved for emergency purposes only.




I'm just speculating, but if you were to Completely clean a new chain then do an initial hot wax treatment, you could probably use your Boesheild T9 in the same way every 2-3 weeks.

Well if you back track here... That's what I was thinking

Perhaps the solvent in the Boesheild T9 is dissolving the oil on the chain making it dirty to touch ?

Perhaps a chain that is free from any liquid/oily lube won't get grimmy after a Boesheild T9 treatment ?

Perhaps you could even skip the hot wax treatment and just use the Boesheild T9 after a thorough cleaning of a new chain ?

I think the secret is to remove All the lube on the chain first.

Perhaps... I'm really not worried about any of this. My chains last an acceptable amount of time.
But I'll try things differently with my next chain change.

 

[PedalUma]

I am learning that there are four types of hot wax treatments: Regular, Brazilian, Extended, and Hollywood. Now that I am all set-up in my workshop with my mini-crockpot, I can begin offering them.

 

[PCeBiker]

I am learning that there are four types of hot wax treatments: Regular, Brazilian, Extended, and Hollywood. Now that I am all set-up in my workshop with my mini-crockpot, I can begin offering them.

View attachment 195773

Have you got the ultrasonic cleaning machine as well ?

I wasn't going to spend $300-$400 to buy one just to get my chain 2% cleaner.

Maybe you could invest in a Hot Tub with a built-in ultrasonic cleaner to get those women really clean before you wax them?

 

[Gionnirocket]

Wax on / Whacks off

 

[PedalUma]

Do you have access to a used peanut butter or instant coffee jar? You can heat your solvent to 40C and put on some Latin music with your chain in there.

 

[PCeBiker]

Do you have access to a used peanut butter or instant coffee jar? You can heat your solvent to 40C and put on some Latin music with your chain in there.

I tried the peanut butter jar, but it started melting in the boiling water.
I found a different plastic container that's a different kind of plastic that doesn't melt in boiling water.

Then I ditched the boiling water all together and just carefully heated the wax on the stove in the sauce pan.

The pound of wax can do dozens of chains and the wax is deep enough to submerge the chain.

The heat evaporates any water still on the chain, and the liquid wax gets inside every link.

I managed to make my own version of Boesheild T9 by dissolving some wax in acetone in the dropper bottle.

It kinda worked, but not that great.
It was kinda goopy.

 

[PCeBiker]

Do you have access to a used peanut butter or instant coffee jar?

The peanut butter jar works great to put the chain in with the solvent.
I didn't heat it though.
The lid seals tight enough that you can shake the jar up really good.

You can see the solvent change color until all the lube is removed.

Varsol, paint thinner, kerosene, naptha or gasoline will clean the grease and oil off, but they all leave an oily film behind, so the final rinse needs to alcohol, lacquer thinner, acetone, brake cleaner, or even just soap and water.

Then it's into the hot wax,..

 

[PedalUma]

It keeps my chain from getting hairy.

 

[PedalUma]

I have some unsightly hair and wrinkles down below, so I need that same hot wax treatment with Botox injections in all the wrinkles for the Cure.

 

[stompandgo]

I am learning that there are four types of hot wax treatments: Regular, Brazilian, Extended, and Hollywood. Now that I am all set-up in my workshop with my mini-crockpot, I can begin offering them.

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Can I watch???

 

[stompandgo]

I have an ultrasonic cleaner that I use diluted citrus cleaner in. I set the heater to 50c. I'm still going to stay with R&R Gold, but I'm willing to try Maxima again.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I think the secret is to remove All the lube on the chain first.

I think you might have something there. . .

 

[PedalUma]

Can I watch???

I will live stream. It will mostly be NCA Division 1 Volley Ball players at first. Going mostly for either the
Brazilian or Hollywood looks. Some are also beach volley ball players in the Summer off season. It is high demand, and someone needs to do this dirty work, like stepping up to jump on that hand grandee in the trench.

 

[DDBB]

I just checked again, I'm over 2,000mi. on a 1,000 watt mid drive and some of the links are less than .5% and some are slightly over. I guess the chain does not wear evenly. I think I can stretch it (excuse the pun) to 3,000mi.