I recall Poertner saying that they had weighed chains dry, pulled at 75 °C and when the skin forms. The former were cleaner and the wax weight was only about 2% less, indicating that the amount of wax inside the chain was essentially the same. Pulling at 90 °C, on the other hand, did result in significantly less retained wax.
Yes, the chains weighed a bit less when pulled from warmer wax, but that doesn’t say anything about the amount of wax that was left where it is needed. Zero Friction Cycling said today that they will be testing if or how much pulling a chain at a higher temp vs a lower temp affects chain wear. As it stands, there doesn’t appear to be any test data confirming or falsifying the idea that a chain should be pulled at any specific temperature or just a cooler temperature.
I’ve seen similar, a bit random and very seldom need to micro adjust. IMO it’s the relation of tension in the system: the chain tensioning towards one side, the cable pull to the other side. If for some reason your setup is “on the edge” it may be just enough to warrant some tuning.
I see this with Shimano XT chain, Deore derailleur and Gevenalle shifters. My Shimano GRX 820 is flawless ![]()
Took a stab at ultrasonic.
Ah that looks great - thank you! ![]()
@paulek Where are you ordering from in Germany? Distrebution sells 1kg for €10 or even less.
here: Paraffin Pastillen / Paraffin Granulat / Wachs - Paraffin / Schmelzwachs / Bienenwachs the numbers behind the types signify the temperature at which the wax will melt
Thanks, the oil content seems to be a bit lower (0.2-0.3%) in the spandox product, and they have detailed spec sheets. On distrebution.com it’s just written approx 0.4% oil content. Idk if that makes a difference.
Have you tried different solidification temperatures? I’ve tried 56-58 C and 64-66 C, used for gravel riding (mostly dirt roads, summer, dry conditions) re-waxed after 200km. My impression is that both worked fine.
I have the same setup. I was initially thrown off by the temperature settings, too. But buried in the manual was a statement that the induction cooktop’s temperature setting was based on the assumption that you were heating a certain amount of water, possibly around a liter. Much different than my small pot of wax.
I have been using the spandox wax happily for two years now. Supercheap and super low oil content. The second time I have chosen the lowest melting temperature hoping that the preheating in the slow cooler until the wax is molten would be shorter. but it still feels like many hours ![]()
Endurance Chip heats at a higher temp - 95 C per SILCA. I heat the pot to 95 C covered, then once fully melted bring it back down to 75 C for 10 min of waxing. Makes the process quicker than waiting at 75 C initially.
https://silca.gorgias.help/en-US/endurance-chip-speed-chip-and-strip-chip-1306445
What is a good alternative to Methylated Spirits/Denatured Alcohol?
How about Acetone?
Denatured Alcohol is not sold/legal in California, USA. Mineral Spirits are readily available for the first step in decreasing a chain. I’m wondering if Acetone would be equivalent for the second step to further strip the chain of any film for final prep for hot waxing.
I use Simple Aircraft & Precision cleaner. It’s specifically formulated to not damage metals.
ZEP Citrus degreaser. Cheap and quite effective. Should not cause hydrogen embrittlement if you are shaking in a container for 10 minutes
If I’m not mistaken, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is relatively inexpensive in the US.
It’s the exact opposite to here in Australia, hence we use metho (denatured ethanol), because IPA is super expensive.
But functionally it should be close enough (will dissolve out the mineral spirits then evaporate off).
Could some one please drop me the link for the wax pot (on Amazon?) that looks identical to Silca’s, but black?
I know I’ve seen it on discord a few times, but can’t recall the name or find it in a search…..
Cheers!
Hey everyone, I’m finally also getting started with waxing and came across a used mini deep fryer. It has a capacity of 1l and can be set to temp which I find convenient. Also if the chain would fit in the basket would be really cool. Does anyone have any concerns with this setup?
This is either the same or very close. Amazon.com: waxkiss Digital Hair Removal Warmer with See-Through Lid and 14oz Pot : Beauty & Personal Care
Here’s a super-specific tip:
If you are using the Waxkiss pot (or something like it), and if you are using Rex 11+1 wax, cut the black square and one of the white squares in half. The pot can’t’ fit a full 11+1, but it can fit 5.5+0.5.
Q1 - The Wiki currently says to do 3 x soaks in 250ml turps per chain. Is that turps getting discarded each time? Turps looks to be about £20/litre in the UK, so you’d be looking at £15 extra per chain.
Q2 - Presumable cassette, chain rings, jockeys all have to be absolutely spotless also?
The chain prep really puts me off waxing more than the waxing itself which seems trivial.
