The wife is angry I melted all the candles but the chain is happy, life goals met

Thank you. If anyone in the EU is looking for Naphta or Shellite, lighter fluid or washing benzin is the same thing.

Used your wax/teflon chain recipe as you suggested and it has been brilliant. Also loved your clear, direct instructions and demonstrations......all of which has been a fine example to absolutely everybody who wants to make an instructional video, well done......

Ive been waxing my chains for about 3-4 years now and would never go back to the commercial products, cleaner longer lasting, thanks

Pope of cycling lubricant - big community contributor - Thank you, this is the missing piece in my OzCycle Chain Wax history - coming from 2019 with Petroleum - switching end of Dec 2019 to PTFE version and now a solid hack with the "on-track" version - Thanks a lot! Good to have you back chap!

2-3 years later still sticking to your Method Steve and it is working well. With candles and PTFE. It was a bit of search required, but just the most simple stick candles seemed to have the best wax. Very similar to those you have there. If anyone is not sure what kind of candles to pick, do not go for tea lights, white stick candles with no coating, the cheap stuff is the best here. Still not sure if this is for everyone. But for people who like to ride 20-30.000km a year this saves big money asides of the pleasure to always have a clean drive-train. thank you Steve!

The revised version! Thanks you very much Oz!!!

I appreciate your thorough and informative videos on the chain lube topic. I had an experience recently that provided for me, and perhaps for your viewers, some pointers. I applied an expensive commercial wax lube product to my clean chain, and the lube just sat on the links with little penetration. I decided to add some solvent to the lube to give it some added fluidity. I tried a number of solvents and found that best was ACETONE. It made a nice milky sauce that was better at seeping into the pins and rollers. Here are reasons that ACETONE is better than NAPTHA (SHELLITE)... 1. ACETONE evaporates more quickly. 2. ACETONE is *far less toxic* than NAPTHA (SHELLITE).

Just got a new bike, and just learning the art of waxing chains! First time around I went the commercial wax mix in a bag, pre-made. It worked fine and I'm loving how clean the chain is. Next step after finding your channel is do this myself and the save the money! Thank you!

Hi Oz, I did a 175km ride today with waxed chain and it was awesome. Thank you for the videos.

Looking forward to watching this video. Truth, I look forward to all your uploads Steve and have put into practice many of your tips. Keep up the great work, always enjoyed and rewatched!

Thanks for the update. You made me a believer about a year ago and I will never go back!

I used your parafin-PTFE recepie for past 3 years or so in hot bath and in bottle. Perfectly happy with it.

I’m sold! Thank you for making this simple, affordable, practical, and fun!!! 🤩

Coach , HUGE THANKS , i tried this method (naphtha) and it's very easy and very effective , it only took around 10 minutes to prepare and the result is very good , i used only naphtha and it dissolved the wax (with a bit of shaking) , applied it as you said , and a smooth ride we have , thanks a lot

This diy mix is the best thing ive found for coating table saws, planers, and jointers for woodworkers out there

You should mention that it is important not to get the wax anywhere near disc brakes. If a flake of wax gets on the brake pads it will wick in once heated and you'll never completely get rid of it.

I love the feel and quietness of a freshly waxed chain (I use the immersion method with melted candle wax) but have been wanting good instruction on a freshen up drip application. Thanks for your clear and easy instructions. Will be trying this very soon!

Great to see people still doing this I started waxing my chains in the 80’s.

Just the cleanliness of this method pushed me over!

Life saver!!! I ride MTB on a tiny, dusty, salty, sandy and windy island in the middle of the Atlantic. This is the solution, as it is very inconvenient and expensive to import products, particularly liquids.

Pull the wick out with a pair of pliers and use a kitchen grater. I usually swap chains (one in the wax, one on the bike) at 500 km but last chain I did with the petrol/boiling water/wax/PTFE method gave me 1000 km before it got noisy. Wouldn't make a practice of it, just wanted to see. Great method, thanks!

You are the best person for presenting this. I make 10 chains at once, clean them with car gas in a sealed container, let them sit over night, and rewash them one more time. You can reuse those 2 sealed containers and the same gas. Then i use the wax warmer for hair removal and wax all the chains. When i can hear some squeaking from the chain i put it into a old can and flush it with boiling water, put the chain out and eject the water from it and clean it with a rag. Then i rewax all 10 chains. Its very simple, you just dont want to breath those fumes, so do it outside. I use a latex glove over a working glove to handle hot stuff. And remember, gas is a fire hazard.

This is Gold! I like your recipes so much that I don't even bother waxing my chain on the pot anymore. This is all I use. Just wipe the dust off after the ride (If any), apply the lube, remove excess and you're done. I've made batches using IPA, OMS and Naphtha, all three performed flawlessly, IPA being my favorite.

Thanks again for great advice. I have been using the teflon /paraffin on my MTB chain for a couple of years now, it is really good as the 'dry' chain doesn't attract /hold dirt so a quick hose off at the end of a muddy ride keeps everything clean.

Great new recipe. Thanks Oz

I'm currently on the Squirt band wagon, I just make sure I thoroughly clean new chain before first application. Current low level chain is at just over 4,000km with no noticeable wear.

Great work as always! Thanks for sharing

Thanks for advice, you make my day.

Been following Steve's waxing advice for the past few years and believe it has saved me at least 2 replacement chains and prabably a cassette too. This is with one batch of candle wax + ptfe brew. I'll give this liquid a try as a "touch up" when I forget to do a proper hot wax. Thanks Steve!!

I have been using _Acetone_ as the carrier. It is considerably *less toxic* than Shellite/Naptha and it 'dries' faster.

Great to see you back.

thanks for the update. have not managed to get a solution like this, but will try again with ur added information.

Been using your technique for years, thank you. 2 comments. 1. I use a bain marie for the hot wax bath, ie a metal container on top of boiling water. Works fine, avoids having to use a bulky appliance. Does mean I do it in my kitchen though. 2. Afaik a lot of store candles are soy wax, not paraffin. I suspect soy wax also works, but idk if that's been tested. If it doesn't say on the label, idk how you can tell.

My tip for this top-up lube: if the wax is not dissolving completely and the small bits of wax are clogging the nozzle, put the whole applicator bottle with the DIY lube into a cup of boiling hot water for a few minutes. The paraffin wax will dissolve into a clear solution.

always love your videos!

Thank you for recommending Connex Chains eons ago.

another good vid mate iv converted my bikes to wax its so much cleaner and the chain life is so much better and i live in wet region of the uk it really is best solution instead spending fortune on fancy dirty oils im still using the first lot of ptfe and wax a year later and i love it its clean my drivetrain looks butifull all nice shiny instead of horrible oily anyone looking to do this believe me i really love it and im cyclist i don't even own a car i have my 3 bikes hybrid mountain bike and road race bike

Thank you, quietest chain lube I have used (haven't tried crock pot waxing). The gear changing is silky smooth. I bought my parrifan wax beads from Spotlight, then mixed it into an old Pump water bottle, as tried a large applicator bottle but it leaked when shaking it.

Great stuff OZ!

Thanks for all the INFO !!!

I got a lot of bottles of liquid paraffin years ago and have been using it as chain lube. As we ride in the winter when temps can drop to -20C, I have noticed that the small bottle I carry does freeze at temps below -5C, so I guess my next idea will be to make a more viscose 'winter mix' by adding some naptha. Also I have learned here that adding ptfe would also be a good idea.

Hey, greetings from Brisbane, new subscriber here, your channel is the one I’m most happy to have discovered. Also sort of a consolation to me that someone who knows what he’s doing, like yourself, still doesn’t mind using an ultegra mechanical in this day and age:)

Should I drop Squirt and use this homemade drip lube instead? Gonna made some this weekend and try it out.

Just a quick warning. I used the method and it worked perfectly - thanks! However, when applying, I stupidly splashed the shellite carrier on my old shimano dura ace C24's and disolved one of the stickers! No problem, but be careful when applying the mixture!

so cool! thanks so much for sharing your experiences and your knowledge, greetings from frankfurt germany

Thank you for this info, great!

thanks for the video greetings from Greece

Definitely going to try this 👍

I use squirt lube. Next time will try to make my own. Nice video, as always.

I've been using this for the last 3 years, Road, mountain and Track! I'm a Road and Track Commissaire here in NZ and at the recent NZ Elite Road Nationals doing bike check there were a few elite riders (Pro Teams too!) using wax....I still had to have a rag for all the other "Dirty" chains lol I've still been using the IPA though, looks like the Shellite is a little easier. Along with PTFE I also use Tungsten Di-sulfide and having great results. Love your videos!

have followed this and waxed my rival axs chain for about 12 months, 10k km, still good - washed off too quickly in uk winter rain, so have been back on the smoove for the last couple of months.

I swapped to waxing two years ago by following the advices here and couldn't be more happy. Thanks a lot! But one question to hot rewaxing in the rice cooker. After initial waxing the wax in the cooker is still clean, but after reusing it for the first rewaxing the wax gets dirty because the chain isn't really clean after using boiling water. When do you think is the point of replacing the wax in the cooker completely? Or do you use fresh wax every time? I saw that the bottom of wax in the cooker is more dirty than the top, so probably some sediments falling to the ground of the cooker. So cutting the lower part of the chunk might leave a more clean upper part of the wax but cutting isn't really easy. So any tips when to replace the wax or how to maximize the reuse of the wax?

Thanks OzCycle👍 I will give it a try too.

Having used this recipe, I find that the liquid congeals in the bottle at colder temperatures. That can be a problem during the winters here in Northeast US. My solution is to put the bottle in a container with warm water, occasionally shaking it till the liquid thins and flows easily. However, when applying the warm liquid to a cold chain it causes the wax to harden on the chain, so my solution for that is to warm the chain using a hair dryer before applying the liquid. Experimenting with temperatures, you'll find you can get the wax to flow into the rollers before it sets up. The cooler temps can actually work in your favor. Thanks for all your waxing tips, Oz Cycle dude!

Okay I made some lube up this way. Magic mate. Best lube yet and so easy.

Bloody beautiful 😊

Still the best lubricant for your chain. My slow cooker broke, and the wax in it lasted longer than the cooker. They stole my bike last year, and yet the wax remains. 🙃

A thousand thanks!!

Steve Excellent video. Until seeing this, the whole waxing process all seemed too involved for me to head down this track. However, your very practical and simplified advice has made me reconsider it to definitely giving it a go. Again, thanks

Question for the GERMAN guys around here: Is Naphta / Shellite the stuff we know as REINIGUNGSBENZIN here? And of course: Thanks Oz cycle for the content, really great.

Thank you for this tip. It will be extremely easy to use, and I never wanted to submerse my chain in hot parafin because it was too complicated.

The Magic Wax man 💪 no1 know with ur videos how many people started to wax their chains

As always thanks Steve. I have been using your “recipes” for hot wax with a slow cooker for 5+ years with great success for both road and mountain biking. The only issue I have is that winters are very cold here (Canada) and I find the wax results in poor shifting when cold, say less than -10C. I can only attribute this to the wax getting too hard. Is there a way to adjust the recipes, either hot wax or drip wax that would make it softer for cold temperatures? Maybe mix the paraffin wax with paraffin oil, or thin it out with Xylene? Any thought on what experiments I can try for cold weather? Cheers!

I couldn't readily get hold of Naphtha, but lighter fluid, like Ronson etc seems to be a substitute, its virtually 99.9% the same.

Thank you for your instruction of a cheap effective way of waxing chains. Seems like most youtubers are pushing the overhyped. expensive special waxes.

Hello OZ, I have been using the PTFE/Paraffin mix and it works great. I keep 3 chains for my road bike and 3 chains for my gravel bike and just swap chains when needed. (that way I am only heating the crockpot with wax and a temperature controller one every other month or so). A year in and my chains have yet to show any wear at all. With the concerns of forever plastics, have you tried WS2 (Tungsten Disulfide) instead of the PTFE?

I'm gonna try this!

Very good advice! Would this work with an atomizer also?

I've been a convert for about three years now. One downside (minor) is tracking miles on 5 bikes. Not a problem on my primary bike because I keep a spreadsheet for maintenance tracking, but my wife doesn't do that so I have to guess for hers...

so to be clear Steve, this Shellite ready to use version is fine to use over the top of the Xylene/paraffin hot bath mix from your earlier vids? While you just mentioned the hot immersion wax, I wasn't sure if you had yet another version/carrier that I had missed somewhere along the line. As always, great vids mate.

OZ I use you was formula with PTFE. That is fantastic! About this video I have a question or observation I believe that naphtha can damage the bike paint. For that reason I’d stick with alcohol.

Hi Oz, According to your experience which carrier has worked best for you? 1) naphtha 2) iso-propyl alcohol 3)xylene+paraffin oil? is it ok to go with any of the three based on availability in our local stores?

I have saved most of your old, original chain waxing related videos in a play-list Steve; and I think a summary like this was overdue. On each of my two main bikes I alternate two fully immersed waxed chains. On the few longer 300-400k+ (randonneuring) instances I've set out from home I've used the Isopropanol 'carry along' small bottle solution suggested from your earlier videos. I'm defintely keen to try the "no kettle" shellite approach here too. My only small critique of this video is under-playing the original conversion to a wax vs. oil/petroleum based chain routine. Things are a bit more involved for the first time proper waxing of a chain slicked in OEM/factory lube. I had tried waxing some years before first seeing your channel; and I found your emphasis on totally washing, rinsing and removing previous petroleum based lubes made all the difference. Still a fan of your approach and undermining the BS of the broader industry. Keep it up.

I just waxed my chains for two bikes using the melted wax + PFTE, and looking forward to seeing the results. I'm really interested in how this liquid wax would work for "touch up" on the chain. Wouldn't the solvent used in this recipe also dissolve the wax previously on the chain? I'm just wondering how you get ahead with this process. Thanks for any feedback!

Hey Steve, Thanks fou your excellent explanation of your 'wax anywhere' recipe! I have just started immersion waxing my chains and have high expectations. With the 'wax anywhere' recipe I have one problem: Shellite of nafta is called petroleum ether or ligroïne here in the Netherlads but it is hard to come by. I can mail order it (not cheap) but it is not sold off the shelf. Do you have any suggestions for another solvent? Maybe lamp oil? I read that petroleum ether / nafta / ligroïne is also used as lamp oil... Best Paul PS O sorry I just read... Shellite equivalents.... benzine ,ligroin, petroleum ether ,white gasoline. Still unsure. Benzine or gasoline is fuel for cars right? I would not use that as lamp oil as it is highly flammable. But maybe I can stull use it to solve paraffine wax?

after using wax one year, 2 bikes (for citi and road bike) I noticed only one coins: in winter, when is many salt on roads, chain start rusting. So then you need to clean chain after ride in that salti conditions

You are the best.

First of all thank you very much! I tried to repeat both of your recepies of liquid wax. Of course I could not find the exact ingredients on my local market. I use: - xylol instead of xylene - kerosine instead of parafin oil - white-spirit instead of shellite These are probably not the same, but this works! The only problem is the smell of my ingredients. Do xylene and shellite have strong smell?

I'm just in the process of making some of this and have been hot waxing my chain with your formula for a couple of years now with great results. Would bottled Squirt be ok to use with your recipe as I have just found a bottle I bought ages ago but never used or would I haveto deep clean my chain after use before rewaxing?

I saw recently on Durianriders channel where you used 99% Isopropal alcohol instead of Naptha. Is that the latest way to go vs the Naptha as that is harder to get your hands on these days. What about Acetone, or mineral spirits, are thos okay to use as well? Love the channel!

I've gone through the thorough degreasing process and currently use smoove lube, but am thinking of switching to paraffin/teflon in a slow cooker. Should I thoroughly clean my chain again or should I be good to go straight to paraffin since they're both wax based? Cheers, Matt.

Thank you for the advice! In order to avoid flaking after hot waxing, your advise is to add some paraffin oil into the wax. Could you tell me what should be the ratio?

I currently ride a recumbent trike and switched to the wax/PTFE hot wax last year...and I'm now switching to the silica hot wax mix for my tour this year. My chain is over 10' long and plan to switch to a 2nd chain every 300-400 miles. I have the super secret drip wax lube to treat the chain along my route if it needs it. Hoping to stay at some hostels and warm shower hosts along the way where I can do a proper rewax using a double boiler setup. My tour this year will be from Seattle to LA along the pacific coast route which is over 1600 miles...hoping to do this in less than 2 months averaging 40-50 mile days with camping everynight. I've got the park chain cleaner which I can use with degreaser, rubbing alcohol to clean the chain then treat the chain with my drip lube if the chain gets to dirty...but most of the route is on tarmac. Any suggestions on ways to maintain the chain on long tours?

I assume that the excess of shaved wax keeps the solution near saturation, and shaking the bottle simply adds the energy needed to ensure complete saturation. Have you tried making the solution with molten wax and naptha in similar ratios? I'd think that the excess wax would precipitate out as fairly fine particles. If that's the case you could simply melt the wax in jar in a warm oven (170F) before adding it to a jar containing naptha. Along those lines, you could just take clean molten wax from your hotpot next time you refill it.

for all germans its: Rohbenzin, Waschbenzin, Feuerzeugbenzin 😉

Steve, you're the best mate! I've watched all your videos and have learnt so much. Thanks to you, I managed to successfully build my own bike from the frame up. I figured if I can build it, I can service it. Keep the videos coming mate!

I've viewed many of your videos and they are very informative and helpful. I am a chain waxing convert, thanks to you. I have noticed that you have recommended different liquid wax mixtures, over time, using different chemical agents. Early on you recommended paraffin oil, you later explain that the oil may attract dirt but may be best in wet environments to prevent rust. In other videos you recommend using 99% isopropyl alcohol and in this video, you recommend Shelite (naphtha, here in the US). Could you explain the evolution or the benefits or detriments of the different agents? Might be the subject of a separate video.

Awesome!

Thanks for the video! I have been buying and using R&Roll on my E Bike for years. This will save me heaps! How do you really know the hot wax method is better? I have been using the solvent type and measuring my chain regularly...and I got three years on my first chain before it started to show some minor wear- just changed it. Cheers Cliff

I don't think we want, nor need to spread PTFE all over the place. I get along with my waxed chains WITHOUT that stuff just fine. Otherwise, good experimenting.

Glad I found this video, I have a couple of questions,firstly, my wife is into using candles from DUSK in a big way and when they get to the point of no longer being able to be lit there are remnants left over, would these be ok to use given that they're scented with oils etc? Secondly, I have easy access to avgas (aviation gasoline...which I've been told that shellite is very similar to) and JET-A1 (aviation turbine fuel, or aviation kerosene) . Would either of these be suitable as the liquid carrier?

Steve, Have you tested Tungsten Disulfide powder?

What's the best oil to use on my bike chain?

Careful with all and anything that is/was in contact with naphta. Mostly that paper towel you throw in the trash. It can react and ignite.

Many thanks, Phil, UK

Hey mate, curious if you ever tried tungsten disulfide and how it compares to ptfe in your testing? Or perhaps combined them?

Awesome chain vax! I wanted to get Ptfe powder for a long time. Is Naphta the same as White spirits?

Is there a particular type of paraffin you recommend? Looking at suppliers such as Blended Waxes there are a large number of options. Some melt at 120 F, others at 160 F. Any preferences? I've just been using canning wax for years and it works fine, but I figured I might as well optimize if possible.

Assuming you can use pre-mixed wax/ptfe with shellite?