chain cleaning...

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mikehorne

Regular
yes its probably been discussed a million times but... seem tempted to buy the Park Tool type cleaner for the complete automated process? however I do like to remove the chain and give it a proper clean?

what and how do you do yours.....
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Tap Mickle Method into the search box for a lot of CCers preferred method.
 

rrarider

Veteran
Location
Liverpool
I put the chain in an old saucepan filled with paraffin to a depth of about an inch. I put the pan on a solid fuel camping stove outside in the garden. I then light the stove to boil the paraffin and stir the chain about. The paraffin sometimes catches fire but it gets all the grit out of the chain which comes out nice and clean. I fish the chain out of the pan with a bent coat hanger and hang it up to cool.
 
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Randomnerd

Bimbleur
Location
North Yorkshire
yes its probably been discussed a million times but..
You’re right there Mike. There’s as much chain-cleaning advice for cyclists on the web as there are cat memes. Surely you could just pick a method and then look at your chain to see if it’s clean.
Go over to CTC forum for a browse: they get very worked up over there about it all.

On a related note, anyone got a good way to sharpen pencils? I’ve got a load need doing and thought I’d tune out and do them tonight....
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
buy the Park Tool type cleaner for the complete automated process
Trouble is with those things is: you have to clean them afterwards, which is a pain. Spray, wipe, spray, wipe, lube. wipe, lube wipe for me and every 800-1000km (ie at about the half life of the chain) remove, place in a lidded container of paraffin and several good shakes and wash and dry well (on a radiator), and lube, wipe, lube (with chainsaw oil since you don't ask). Full clean of cassette, chain rings and jockey wheels at that point too.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
The ‘olds’ prefer “giving it a wipe with an oily rag, then re lubing” However, some kind soul has invented this.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...goryId=228374&productId=1146211&storeId=10001

It’s brilliant, the occasional cycle in the ultrasonic bath works wonders as well.

http://cpc.farnell.com/james-products/ultra-7000/ultrasonic-cleaner-750ml/dp/SA02320?CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-GEN-SHOPPING-JAMES-PRODUCTS-SA02320&gross_price=true&mckv=sAxUO23WS_dm|pcrid|224653462065|kword||match||plid||pid|SA02320|&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Lm4ivGZ2QIVxrvtCh30hQI4EAQYCCABEgLcc_D_BwE

Just remember to lube it up when you’re done.
Do you have a machine for getting the lubricant into the chain or do you just leave the degreaser in it to trash it in short order? :crazy:
 

hoopdriver

Guru
Location
East Sussex
yes its probably been discussed a million times but... seem tempted to buy the Park Tool type cleaner for the complete automated process? however I do like to remove the chain and give it a proper clean?

what and how do you do yours.....
I had one of those and eventually chucked it out. AS noted above, you have to clean the damned thing after you've used it and that is more of a hassle than cleaning the chain ever was. I also found that it could spray dirty cleaning fluid everywhere too, when you used it. All in all, a prime waste of money. Cleaning a chain is not hard - wipe and lube, really. Learn from my mistake. Save your money.
 
If you’ve got a pressure washer, cleaning the chain cleaning machine is easy. Hold the machine in one hand, blast through with the pressures washer, easy. The chain clean machines are brilliant things, certainly not a waste of money in my experience, and ( if you use them correctly) do extend the life of your chain. Wiping and lubing isn’t an effective way of cleaning the chain, as you don’t get the muck out from in between the links, and the little bits of muck from the rivets. The ‘wiping and lubing’ thing is like brushing your teeth, by rubbing tooth paste around your mouth, using your finger, whereas using the chain clean machine is like using a proper tooth brush, and those little interdental brushes. The former may superficially make your teeth look clean, but hasn’t done much really, the latter means you’ve actually cleaned your teeth properly. Ironically, you can use the interdental tooth brushes to clean the bits between the links of your chain, if you can be arsed. Using the ultrasonic bath for your chain, is a bit like using mouthwash after brushing your teeth as well. Ironically, I suspect a lot of the folk who subscribe to the ‘wipe and lube, it’s the only way, those machines are the devil’s work I tells ya’ trope, probably need an ultrasonic bath to clean their ( false ) teeth.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
The chain clean machines are brilliant things, certainly not a waste of money in my experience, and ( if you use them correctly) do extend the life of your chain. Wiping and lubing isn’t an effective way of cleaning the chain, as you don’t get the muck out from in between the links, and the little bits of muck from the rivets.
Still not seeing how you get the mucky degreaser out from in between the links in your method.

Ironically, I suspect a lot of the folk who subscribe to the ‘wipe and lube, it’s the only way, those machines are the devil’s work I tells ya’ trope, probably need an ultrasonic bath to clean their ( false ) teeth.
I've still the same teeth I had when I was 16. You?
 

Adam4868

Guru
If you’ve got a pressure washer, cleaning the chain cleaning machine is easy. Hold the machine in one hand, blast through with the pressures washer, easy. The chain clean machines are brilliant things, certainly not a waste of money in my experience, and ( if you use them correctly) do extend the life of your chain. Wiping and lubing isn’t an effective way of cleaning the chain, as you don’t get the muck out from in between the links, and the little bits of muck from the rivets. The ‘wiping and lubing’ thing is like brushing your teeth, by rubbing tooth paste around your mouth, using your finger, whereas using the chain clean machine is like using a proper tooth brush, and those little interdental brushes. The former may superficially make your teeth look clean, but hasn’t done much really, the latter means you’ve actually cleaned your teeth properly. Ironically, you can use the interdental tooth brushes to clean the bits between the links of your chain, if you can be arsed. Using the ultrasonic bath for your chain, is a bit like using mouthwash after brushing your teeth as well. Ironically, I suspect a lot of the folk who subscribe to the ‘wipe and lube, it’s the only way, those machines are the devil’s work I tells ya’ trope, probably need an ultrasonic bath to clean their ( false ) teeth.
Holding something in your hand whilst trying to pressure wash it is never a good idea,at best youll get p1ssed wet through....or cause yourself injury
 

bpsmith

Veteran
I’ve got a scar about 10mm long on my left thumb after holding something and pressure washing. Took several layers of skin off in a very narrow slit. Didn’t notice until the blood started flowing and wouldn’t stop. Lol
 
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