What chain lube?

[wafter]

Possibly so but for me an alternative may be to hot wax a new chain and maintain with a drip wax. I may try this at some point.

Potentially worth a go, but given the lifetime of the chain (many thousands of miles one hopes) versus the lifetime of the hot wax application (300-400 dry miles IME) I'm not sure how viable this would be.

In theory a drip wax should be pretty good if the carrier evapourates off properly and leaves a pretty hard wax behind; however in practice I think this requires some pretty volatile chemicals and a lot still seem to remain semi-liquid, which (as you've found) will still attract abrasive particles.

 

[rydabent]

As a mechanical technician for 50 years, I can tell you with great assurance, wax is not a lube.

 

[wafter]

As a mechanical technician for 50 years, I can tell you with great assurance, wax is not a lube.

Funny how it behaves just like one...

 

[wafter]

Funny how it behaves just like one...

.... and outperforms pretty much every other traditional / self-proclaimed "lube" in many ways..

 

[Jameshow]

I've got a tomato can of 25% fat, mince fat any use to anyone esp if your from north of the boarder!😂😂😂

 

[wafter]

I've got a tomato can of 25% fat, mince fat any use to anyone esp if your from north of the boarder!😂😂😂

lol - I have a jar of similar; respendent in laminar hues of brown depending on how carburised the associated meat products were. I'm going to bang a wick in it and try to sell it to some muppet on FB marketplace as a "BBQ candle" or similar

Joking aside there's a lot of energy in fat - usually the stuff I save gets used for firelighters in the winter

 

[Alex321]

As a mechanical technician for 50 years, I can tell you with great assurance, wax is not a lube.

So what would you call it, from a technical point of view?

To the layman, something that reduces friction and prolongs life is a lube. Which wax does.

 

[Jameshow]

So what would you call it, from a technical point of view?

To the layman, something that reduces friction and prolongs life is a lube. Which wax does.

ˈlubrəkənt/ (informal lube. /lub/ ) [uncountable, countable] a substance, for example oil, that you put on surfaces or parts of a machine so that they move easily and smoothly.

 

[Conrad_K]

As a mechanical technician for 50 years, I can tell you with great assurance, wax is not a lube.

It depends on what industry you're in. Waxes are used to lubricate extrusion dies, door locks and hinges, and for pulling electrical wiring through conduits. Not exclusively, of course; sometimes conventional oils or soaps are sold for that purpose, depending on what characteristics the manufacturer wants in the finished product.

That said, the difference between "wax" and "oil" isn't always obvious. Some of the lubricants you have used were quite likely waxes, but they were probably packaged as "lubricant" and didn't look like you would expect a wax-based product to look.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I just can't make up my mind.

Wax On? Wax Off?