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From: grt@hou2h.UUCP (G.TOMASEVICH)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Wax as a chain lubricant?
Message-ID: <517@hou2h.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Jul-84 17:30:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2h.517
Posted: Mon Jul  9 17:30:50 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 10-Jul-84 02:45:15 EDT
References: <1387@garfield.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 19

I have been waxing the chains on 4 bicycles for about 2 years.  It lasts
for about a month on two of the bikes I use a lot.  If you get caught
in the rain, you must rewax right away unless you get the water wiped off
completely.  On one bike, I gave up waxing this winter, as it got very stiff
in the cold weather, and the chain did not feed properly through
the derailleur.  It is nice to change a tire or rehang a thrown chain or
put the bike in the car without getting greasy.  I see no difference in
wear compared to oiling.  If the chain is neglected, it will get noisy, but
not necessarily squeaky.
One can melt the parrafin in a can which is immersed in a bigger pan of water,
with the chain coiled up in it.  After the parrafin is completely melted,
hook the chain with a wire, lay it on a paper and daub off excess wax with
a paper towel.  After the chain cools, work it over a pipe or something to
loosen the links, then put it back on the bike.
For a track bike, one must ride about a mile, then retighten the chain after
excess wax wears off the chain pins and it stretches.  On a road bike the
chain may skip until the excess wax comes off.
	George Tomasevich, AT&T Bell Laboratories
	ihnp4!hou2h!grt (until hocda comes back up)