PSA Slow Cooker £14.40 - Time To Get Waxing

Really it’s simple

Can. Worms. Open...

Except you want a mini deep fat fryer, not a slow cooker.

Worms. Back. In. Can.

Nah, takes far too long - squirt or Smoove, drop on each link and leave to drive in-situ...much easier and simpler.
Or just use a spray oil and make it simpler yet!

Except you need a slow cooker for most waxes as heating them too quickly makes the compounds break down and reduces their efficiency. Putoline is fine in a DFF. <br /><br />
Worms. Out. Roaming. Free!

That’s a perfect slow cooker mind you if anyone is thinking about getting all waxed up…

Slow cookers are best left for cooking tasty food

Why are we adding things to the wax?

Worms, I like

Deep fat frier,  chain in couple minutes out and hang up over frier to drip and cool down. Wipe off excess when cooled down a bit. Do a few at a time to reduce faff.

Or just fit an X01 chain and spray it with gt85 after every ride and get your life back 👍

3 times white spirits

2 x methylated spirits

Worth washing off any other grease/oil on the chain with white spirit (just once mind, 5 washes is excessive)

But after that I've noticed no real difference between chains that have been washed and ones dropped straight in the fryer.

Might be different with more boutique waxes that come in small packets, but putoline there's enough in there that the dirt just falls out of the chain to the bottom of the fryer.

You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

The waxing non believers are really missing out.

Get yourself organised with 2 chains on rotation and its so unbelievably easy, clean and cost effective.

Just to be clear

3 times white spirits

2 x methylated spirits

Only for a new chain

From then on straight in the slow cooker or rinse in hot water first if particularly filthy conditions

Apart from the clean drivetrain, better efficiency and less wear, the feel when pedalling is much smoother

3in1 innit

In the same way as some people emerse themselves in coffee making, or DE shaving with all the toys and gadgets for those marginal gains, I rather enjoy the process.

I have two crock pots, one with 316 stainless mesh in the bottom on 10mm anodised aluminium stand offs with heat resistant salarium magnets bonded to the bottom for the stage one wax while the other pot is the "clean" wax.

Of course I have a number of 500ml polypropylene jars for various cleaning stages and one of those is labelled "hot water" with mesh and magnets for the first rinse of an already waxed chain.

A giant box of microfibre cloths and alcohol wipes as well as a 5l bottom of acetone as well as Silca chain stripper.

Multiple chains for the more frequently used bike.

I've made chain hangers from 316 3mm rod and I'm about to make a rack that is wide enough to sit over the two crock pots to have the chains on while processing.

I'm pondering an ultrasonic cleaner just for fun. Not sure whether I want the more powerful 6 litre, or the bigger 10 litre so I can chuck a giant cassette in there as well. Trouble is, the power per litre drops by about 20% going up to the 10 litre.

I've used the 1.8 litre Crock Pot. Less than £15 each from Amazon or Argos

I’m pondering an ultrasonic cleaner just for fun. Not sure whether I want the more powerful 6 litre, or the bigger 10 litre so I can chuck a giant cassette in there as well. Trouble is, the power per litre drops by about 20% going up to the 10 litre.

I got a 6l, too big for chains, not big enough for cassettes, basically worst of all worlds. I am not even sure a 10l would be big enough for 50 tooth cassettes, and the 6 litre one takes ages to get up to temp.
I was thinking about getting a small ultrasonic cleaner for the actual waxing.
Heat up drop the chain in and then vibrate for 5 mins to make sure the wax gets into every nook and cranny, overkill like you say.

IMO a 2l one would be enough for just doing chains.

Bottle of Finish Line ceramic lasts me year over 5 bikes.

Get yourself organised with 2 chains on rotation and its so unbelievably easy, clean and cost effective.

I drop a lube on my chain at the end of ride, it takes 30 sec if I really concentrate and take my time on it, Two chains is one more than I need, my current mix of GX/OX1 is coming up on 6000 miles and will beat the previous one's distance totals easily, last the bike was in a shop (August) the mechanic (ex WC) suggested it was about just over half way done. My drivetrain is clean, and quiet my system is as cost effective as I need it to be. 

I'm sure the doings of waxing are pleasing to the folks that enjoy that stuff, just as the rest of us get on with riding and maintaining our bikes the way we want. 

Thanks. 

I got a 6l, too big for chains, not big enough for cassettes, basically worst of all worlds. I am not even sure a 10l would be big enough for 50 tooth cassettes, and the 6 litre one takes ages to get up to temp.
I was thinking about getting a small ultrasonic cleaner for the actual waxing.
Heat up drop the chain in and then vibrate for 5 mins to make sure the wax gets into every nook and cranny, overkill like you say.
IMO a 2l one would be enough for just doing chains.

Imteresting comments.
Calculating the diameter of a 52t is about 8.5" do would fit in a 10l basket.
Was wondering if I could put it in a 6l half sticking out and then do the other half.
Reading your comments, it sounds like I'd be better off forgetting the cassette.

I really need to up my game and get an ultrasonic bath to do the waxing in. I've only got a slow cooker and I never know how much time I need to spend "swooshing" in order to get a full wax coating on the inside. A heated ultrasonic bath would solve that dilemma wouldn't it?

Any recommendations for a decent one...?

I thought the idea with the swooshing was that the chain needed to be the same temperature as the wax and you did it until there are no more bubbles, meaning there's no air in the chain. If there's no air, there must be wax.

I guess, but what if there’s air trapped…🤷‍♂️ You would never know.

I've just seen a comment on a Reddit thread saying that Adam from ZFC commented against using ultrasound for the waxing in one of his videos.

Onzadog yesterday...

Hmm, probably a bad idea then. I wonder why.

At the moment, it's hearsay. I don't remember the clip myself.

Maybe the air can't get trapped anyway what with it expanding with the heat. I suppose that's why they say pop the chain on top of the solid wax and leave it there while the wax melts rather than dunk it in once the wax is hot. Allows the metal to fully heat up in a uniform manner and air to escape... 🤷‍♂️

More research required. 🙂

I bought a 500ml bottle of Squirt in 2020...I think I've got about 3 months left in the bottle before it is empty...takes less than 10 seconds to apply and I'm still running the same drivetrain...waxing does improve longevity, but I'm still not convinced wax dipping is better - I suspect it will be a relaxing process to do, but I don't have the patience!