# Share your Homebrew Chain Lube recipe



## |3iker (Jan 12, 2010)

For those that concoct their own chain lube cocktail, please share your successful recipe.

I know most use motor oil + OMS. Some mentioned gear oil and ATF too. What ratio do you guys end up using? 
Do you mix for high viscosity or go for light oil?

I'll start:

200ml 75w90 semi-syntheic gear oil + 100ml 5w20 motor oil + 700ml OMS in a 1l bottle. 

Squirted some on the wheel axle of my children stroller. No more squeek! Will try on bike chain this weekend.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*still experimenting...*

I've used homebrew for about 10 years. One of the problems is mineral spirits evaporates very slowly. Naptha ( Coleman camp stove fuel) evaporates faster, but still not very fast, once mixed with oil. A chain will be a lot drier if it sits for a week rather than a day.

I'm tyring two new products for a fast evaporating solvent. One is brake cleaner, the other is CRC brand silicone lube. I don't care about the silicone, but the solvent sure evaporates quickly. Both only come in aerosals, but some ProLink users who only put one drop on each roller claim that 4 ounces lasts them a year, so you can get a lot of solvent from one aerosal can. I use a lot more than that, but my homebrew would still be a fraction of the price of ProLink or any of several other similar products.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*basic formula*

I am of the school of thought that differences in the type of oil does not make a noticeable difference. I do think that cleaning and applying more often reduce chain wear but that is due the grit not the oil type. I use 3 parts OMS, 1 part motor oil (I don't sweat the viscosity). I mix it by eye. I did try an experiment testing synthetic oils versus regular but could not discern any difference. I would love to see a scientific study of friction with different type of oils but I suspect you would need a very sensitive measurement system and other variables would introduce too much error


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## |3iker (Jan 12, 2010)

C-40, I notice the OMS that I spilled on my garage floor were all gone this morning. That was less than 12hrs since the spill. But I guess if it was mixed with oil, it may evap slower? However I wouldn't know if the leftover would be the oil or OMS.

DaveG, i think synthetic motor oil is more resilient to thermal breakdown vs. dino oil. Hence cars that use synthetics have longer change intervals than dino oil. Since chains on bikes will not see the same temperature as that of a combustion engine, it is safe to say dino motor oil is more than adequate for lubrication.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*more...*

Yes, mineral spirits dries fairly fast if not mixed with oil, but still very slow compared to other paint thinners like lacquer thinner or acetone than can evaporate in minutes. Once mixed with oil, the evaporation rate slows drastically. A chain will still have a lot of solvent in the lube, even after 24 hours.


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## Raven1911 (Apr 28, 2002)

What is OMS?


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## DanTourino (Oct 29, 2007)

Raven1911 said:


> What is OMS?


It's odorless mineral spirits...


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## Raven1911 (Apr 28, 2002)

Thanks Dan. Is mineral spirits interchangeable with paint thinner? I assume they are different, hence the different names but chemically does it make that much difference in the recipe?


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## DanTourino (Oct 29, 2007)

Raven1911 said:


> Thanks Dan. Is mineral spirits interchangeable with paint thinner? I assume they are different, hence the different names but chemically does it make that much difference in the recipe?


They are basically the same. There is a difference, but for this purpose it would be of no concern; however, OMS is further refined to take many of the harmful components out of regular MS, making it the unanimous choice for most home-brewers.

A good explaination:

"Paint thinner (from the hardware store) can be made with different solvents for different purposes - Acetone, Butane, Tolulene for enamels, and White Mineral Spirits, Varsol, Turpentine etc. for oil/alkyd paints. Hardware store thinners are not highly refined - they are fine for cleaning up but not for mixing with paint because of impurities that can discolour the paint.

Turpentine is a highly aromatic solvent made from coniferous trees (pine etc). Some people are sensitive to the smell. White Mineral Spirits is a petroleum-based solvent with little odour, often called "Odorless Thinner". Both are equally volatile and toxic. Both have equal paint dissolving properties."


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

I use CHAIN-L Lube now, but my HomeBrew that worked great was 3:1 OMS and Pennzoil Synthetic Motor Oil. Apply to Rollers only and let penetrate and wipe clean. Works great, but thin, so have to constantly re-apply and wipe.


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

*Chain-l*

If you are looking for the best lube on the planet that is quiet, clean and economical you should give CHAIN-L a try. I apply 100 drops to my chain rollers and wipe. Lasts for a month. At 1200 drops a year a $12 4oz bottle will last forever. I'm not good at math, but after a year, my 4oz bottle is still half full. Thats less then $1 a month for a smooth, quiet, clean chain.

John


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## |3iker (Jan 12, 2010)

Anyone used art painting brush to apply lube? I know this is getting a bit '_out there'_. But I'm a tinkerer....


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

I use home brew mixed 3 parts oms to one part oil. I use whatever oil I have lying around, usually whatever my car takes. 

I used a brush to apply the home brew to the chain but I thought it was too messy. I'm using a catsup squeeze bottle with a long nozzle lid, like the kind you find in diners.


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## FINEMNT (Sep 14, 2009)

I just made a batch. Followed Mr. Versatiles recipe from older posts. I used 3 parts light oder mineral spirits (store didn't have odorless), 1 part Valvoline synthetic oil. My buddy thought it was something of high costs. Ha! If he only knew.......


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## Pieter (Oct 17, 2005)

Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works, I would just like to ponder on the idea of mixing solvent with oil.

I have often heard about the phenomenon called 'oil dilution' in engine crankcases, when gasoline gets in there and dilutes the oil. Apparently, even hot running the engine does not get rid of the gasoline very quickly, thus the oil is 'permantly' thinned in use.

This makes me wonder whether a homebrew ever reverts to its 'proper' viscosity after application. 

OK, a car engine is probably sensitive to levels of dilution which would be irrelevant to a chain. Still, maybe an experiment is in order. Pour some oil in a test tube, then add your solvent, leave it and see whether the oil level reverts to that of the oil alone. Or pour it into a pan and back again, and compare. Chances are your solvent does not mix so tenaciously as gasoline, but then again it might still not evaporate from the oil at all readily.

Is a solvent really necessary in a homebrew? Consider a high viscosity lube like Chain-L or Finish Line (green). It penetrates all right, and some heat can always be applied to help (if the chain is off the bike anyway for cleaning, especially). I am sure normal automotive oil will penetrate readily enough without a solvent. The first few revolutions of the drivetrain will spread the oil anyway.


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## Tonis_t (Jul 29, 2007)

Pieter said:


> Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works, I would just like to ponder on the idea of mixing solvent with oil.
> 
> I have often heard about the phenomenon called 'oil dilution' in engine crankcases, when gasoline gets in there and dilutes the oil. Apparently, even hot running the engine does not get rid of the gasoline very quickly, thus the oil is 'permantly' thinned in use.
> 
> ...


I'd say that gasoline in the motor oil has no place to evaporate to. It's basically a closed system so what ever amount of gasoline is mixed to the oil in the car engine will stay there for a long time.
Bicycle chain however is not a closed system and the solvent actually can evaporate. So the conditions are very different and you can't compare them.


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## Pieter (Oct 17, 2005)

Tonis_t said:


> I'd say that gasoline in the motor oil has no place to evaporate to. It's basically a closed system so what ever amount of gasoline is mixed to the oil in the car engine will stay there for a long time..


Cars have crankcase ventilation sytems for the express purpose of eliminating a closed system situation.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

*solvent*



Pieter said:


> Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works, I would just like to ponder on the idea of mixing solvent with oil.
> 
> I have often heard about the phenomenon called 'oil dilution' in engine crankcases, when gasoline gets in there and dilutes the oil. Apparently, even hot running the engine does not get rid of the gasoline very quickly, thus the oil is 'permantly' thinned in use.
> 
> ...


I am not sure that it matters if the oil reverts to its stated viscosity or not. I will say that the primary reason for the solvent is to clean the gunk from the chain. I feel that grit on your chain is a far bigger problem than lubrication. The other factor is that the solvent allows you to remove the oil from the outside of the chain where it does no good and attracts dirt


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## Pieter (Oct 17, 2005)

DaveG said:


> I am not sure that it matters if the oil reverts to its stated viscosity or not. I will say that the primary reason for the solvent is to clean the gunk from the chain. I feel that grit on your chain is a far bigger problem than lubrication. The other factor is that the solvent allows you to remove the oil from the outside of the chain where it does no good and attracts dirt



OK, I will buy that. Just hoping the solvent does not wash grit further into the chain. 

And I would still feel better when I knew the oil is undiluted, as a chain with its tiny links does subject the oil film to very high pressure (force divided by area) ... My impression of 'chain specific' oils like Finish Line and Chain-L is that they are high viscosity foremost, and for a reason too.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*info...*

As I noted, the solvent will evaporate given enough time, but that might take a week or more, so most bikes are ridden with a mix of oil and solvent. The idea is for most of the solvent to evaporate leaving a smaller quantity of oil behind, to reduce the mess. I've tried straight oil, including 75/90W gear lube. The problem is all the oil that oozes out of the chain and onto the cogs. Wiping after every ride helps keep the chain clean, but the cogs and chainrings get dirty quickly and need some cleaning and wiping too.

Even the diluted oil seems to do it's job in preventing elongation. I've used a Campy 10 chain for 6,000 miles and measured about .2% elongation. A Shimano or KMC chain with the same lube and riding conditions would reach .5% after 3500-4000 miles.

Roller wear is what I found to be the greatest, regardless of the chain brand. It may be 10 times greater than the pin and bushing wear.

I like the idea of applying plenty of thinned lube frequently with the goal of flushing out dirt. When the lube cost pennies per ounce rather than $2-3, this is practical.

Putting one drop of some high-priced lube on each roller will not last for a month if the bike is ridden many miles in that month. I may ride 800-1,000 miles in the peak season and I lube every 100 miles, whether it's needed or not. I'm confident that any lube is quickly contaminated with dirt, since the chain clearances are large and there are no seals so keep out dirt.


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## logbiter (Sep 14, 2005)

C-40 said:


> I'm tyring two new products for a fast evaporating solvent. One is brake cleaner, the other is CRC brand silicone lube. I don't care about the silicone, but the solvent sure evaporates quickly. Both only come in aerosals, but some ProLink users who only put one drop on each roller claim that 4 ounces lasts them a year, so you can get a lot of solvent from one aerosal can. I use a lot more than that, but my homebrew would still be a fraction of the price of ProLink or any of several other similar products.


So, how are you using the brake cleaner? 
Looking at some brake cleaner MSDS sheets online, they are mostly Acetone (~75%), Methanol(~15%), MEK/methyl ethyl ketone + a similar amount of toluene (~5%) & CO2 as propellant. All pretty fast to evaporate! 
If you didn't know, all these products must produce a MSDS (material safety data sheet), so you can at least figure out the carrier/solvents they are using by looking at their sheets.:thumbsup: 

The silicone spray or something like Boeshield T9 have fast evaporating solvents and dry leaving the lubricant behind. T9 uses mostly OMS as carrier & dries leaving a bit of a waxy coating, similar to white lightning. Not a great wet weather lube, but lasts quite well for dry use. I've found it longer lasting than silicone sprays. I also used T9 to lube cables on my mtn bikes.

All that said, for chains, I mostly use T9 on the road bikes and homebrew on mtn. Homebrew lasts longer, but attracts more grime.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*how...*

I made a small batch of lube in an old 2-ounce Pedro's Ice Wax bottle. Sprayed some brake cleaner into the bottle, then mixed in some gear lube. I only made about 1/2 ounce to start with.

I can read on the label of the aerosal can what's in these products.

I also mix very small test batches in a small plastic cup. The scoops that come with whey protein powder work great. I mix a fraction of an ounce and let it sit, open to the air to be sure that the solvent evaporates by the next day. It easy to tell if the volume decreases significantly.


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## logbiter (Sep 14, 2005)

C-40 said:


> I made a small batch of lube in an old 2-ounce Pedro's Ice Wax bottle. Sprayed some brake cleaner into the bottle, then mixed in some gear lube. I only made about 1/2 ounce to start with.
> 
> I can read on the label of the aerosal can what's in these products.
> 
> I also mix very small test batches in a small plastic cup. The scoops that come with whey protein powder work great. I mix a fraction of an ounce and let it sit, open to the air to be sure that the solvent evaporates by the next day. It easy to tell if the volume decreases significantly.


:thumbsup: I was figuring you probably did something like that. 
I only mention the MSDS since sometimes all that information is not on the can. I've never looked at what was in a brake cleaner can, so easiest thing was to check MSDS online :smilewinkgrin: 
I like your test methods using those scoops. My wife always tosses 'em when I throw 'em in the kitchen drawer.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Evaporation*



C-40 said:


> I also mix very small test batches in a small plastic cup. The scoops that come with whey protein powder work great. I mix a fraction of an ounce and let it sit, open to the air to be sure that the solvent evaporates by the next day. It easy to tell if the volume decreases significantly.


There is a pretty big difference in evaporation rates in a "closed cup" device vs. the experience of thinned oil on a chain. When you place your mix in a cup, the vapor space above the oil/solvent surface is saturated with solvent, and so the evaporation rate from the liquid is depressed - it's limited by how fast the solvent leaves the vapor space, which will depend on gas density and ambient air flow. When the oil/solvent mix is applied to the chain, there is a much larger surface area and an open structure allowing the solvent vapor to evaporate much faster. Admittedly, some of the oil is "trapped" between the side plates and in the chain rollers, but it is still a much higher surface/volume ratio than in a cup.

IME, using OMS as a chain lube solvent means that it is fully evaporated in less than 12 hours, though I will admit I have no hard measurements to prove it.


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## gr8blues (Nov 20, 2009)

I have good luck with thinned out chainsaw bar oil. It is designed just to lube chains and I buy it by the gallon for my saw. The price is right and the chain is quiet.


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## Pieter (Oct 17, 2005)

C-40 said:


> I like the idea of applying plenty of thinned lube frequently with the goal of flushing out dirt. When the lube cost pennies per ounce rather than $2-3, this is practical.
> .


Thanks for the explanation. It makes sense.


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## darkmother (Feb 18, 2009)

I've used chainsaw oil mixed with automotive motor oil for years. It does a pretty good job of staying in the rollers, and will tolerate wet riding conditions better than anything else I have used.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*don't agree...*

12 hours won't even begin to evaporate all the mineral spirits in homebrew. Once the lube is trapped inside the roller, the evaporation rate is very slow. If you let a bike sit for a week or more the chain will be much drier than 24 hours later.

The cup that I use is quite shallow and not closed - a typical 48-60ml scoop from whey protein. All I use it for is to be sure that the solvent and oil mix and the evaporation rate is reasonable. 

The latest solvents I tried yesterday were acetone and lacquer thinner. Acetone does not mix with oil, but lacquer thinner does and it evaporates much faster than mineral spirits, which is what you'd expect, if you compare the drying times of oil base paint to lacquer.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

I've been mixing approximately
3:1 = Naphtha : engine oil (0w20 or 5w20).

I've been favoring "thin" oils.
I may try pneumatic tool or compressor oil, these are usually straight 20w or 30w hydrocarbon oils, without all the additives required for engines.

Regarding chain life on Campy Chorus 11, so far:

2300 miles
roller-to-roller inside dimension = 0.214-0.215 inch (brand new = 0.205").
elongation over 8.00" distance = unmeasureable, less than 0.01" or 0.13%
Note that I don't ride in wet conditions, and most So Calif roads are fairly clean -- not a lot of blowing dust & dirt. 
Uncertain when I'll rotate to a 2nd spare chain, maybe at 3K miles. At this rate, I should get at least 6K miles per chain and 12K miles per cassette.

Maintenance ritual (approx) :

every 40-60 miles or 1 ride, whichever is longer: wipe chain exterior with mineral spirit (OMS) dampened (not soaked) paper towel.
every 100 mile : relube chain
every 200 mile : clean chain w/ Park Tool gadget and OMS, 2-3 times. Wipe off chain rings and cogs with OMS dampened paper towel. Re-lube.
every 500-600 mile: Thorough bike wash. Repeat 200 mile cleaning, and also remove cassette for cleaning. Relube chain w/ homebrew. Relube all accessible pivot joints (eg, derailleur) with 20w pneumatic tool oil (syringe applied).


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## BikeFixer (May 19, 2009)

logbiter said:


> So, how are you using the brake cleaner?
> Looking at some brake cleaner MSDS sheets online, they are mostly Acetone (~75%), Methanol(~15%), MEK/methyl ethyl ketone + a similar amount of toluene (~5%) & CO2 as propellant. All pretty fast to evaporate!
> If you didn't know, all these products must produce a MSDS (material safety data sheet), so you can at least figure out the carrier/solvents they are using by looking at their sheets.:thumbsup:
> 
> .


The usual active ingrediant in brake cleaner is trichloroethylene, which is not something I want to use since it's quite toxic (causes liver damge among other horrors and if my liver is going to get damaged I can think of a lot better ways of doing it lol )
This is a quite intriguing topic though and though I never thought of it before I think I might try some. I'm going with OMS and ATF to start should last about 15 years lol :thumbsup:


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

*evaporation rates*

Solvent evaporation rates should correlate somewhat with its vapor pressures, although how that's affected in a solvent/oil mix, I don't know.

Lacquer thinner is mainly a mix of naptha (up to 40%), xylene , toluene , and MEK.
reference: http://www.roddapaint.com/professional/msds/799461.aspx 

At 20C, approx vapor pressures are typically:

OMS 0.6 - 1.0 mm Hg
naptha 5
xylene 5
toluene 22
MEK 70
There's also some info on evaporation rates at 
http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/evaporationrate.html

On a relative scale where _n_-butyl acetate = 1, 

OMS = 0.1
xylene = 0.6
naptha = 1.4
MEK = 3.8
MEK is especially are vile, and all are health and/or fire risks. The faster evaporating, the more chance you have of breathing it in. I'll be sticking with OMS and naphtha. More aggresive solvents (lacquer thinner) might also damage decals or graphics.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Vapor pressure suppression*



tom_h said:


> Solvent evaporation rates should correlate somewhat with its vapor pressures, although how that's affected in a solvent/oil mix, I don't know.


The vapor pressure of solvents that are completely miscible with the oil will be in the same relative positions as that suggested by their vapor pressure, but the oil will definitely suppress the vapor pressure of the solvent. With solvents that are less compatible with the oil will evaporate faster, though they might not work as well to distribute the oil. This is why C-40's method is a better way to compare mixes.

I've never experienced anything that would suggest that OMS is not fully evaporated after 12 hours, but I've never done anything to actually check it, so now I have to see for myself how all of this behaves. When the weather warms up and I'm riding outside regularly (and therefore lubing the chain regularly) I will try to analyze this issue and report back.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Testing*



C-40 said:


> 12 hours won't even begin to evaporate all the mineral spirits in homebrew. Once the lube is trapped inside the roller, the evaporation rate is very slow. If you let a bike sit for a week or more the chain will be much drier than 24 hours later.


How do you test for or determine that the chain is drier? With the lube trapped inside the rollers and between the side plates, how would you know? I'm not arguing this, but rather curious about it. I want to check this out in the future and am wondering what a good method would be to somehow "measure" the evaporation of solvent.


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## aking legs (Aug 30, 2009)

Thought I'd throw this into the mix (pun intended) - I know Wikipedia shouldn't be trusted for everything, but there is some interesting information here - especially regarding efficiency & lubrication:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_chain


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

1 Part Mobil 1 5-20 to 5 parts OMS

Works amazingly!


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*how...*

A chain that's lubed right after a ride and then ridden the next day, allowing 20 hours or so to dry, will have a lot of lube on the exterior of the chain after that first ride. If I wipe it off, then the chain will have less lube migration after each ride, until there is almost none, indicating that the chain is going dry. Nomally, I relube every other ride, to my chains always need wiping to remove the oil from the exterior and minimize the attraction of dirt.

A freshly lubed chain, allowed to sit for a week or more will show far less lube migration to the exterior of the chain on that first ride. Particularly using heavy gear lube, all that will be left after a week or more is the much smaller volume of oil.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

*ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System ...*

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

just use 57 Sram Power Links to facilitate cleaning & lube ;-)


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## krienert (Jan 6, 2010)

call me crazy, but im trying out a new brew for a recent buildup...

2:3 ratio of chainsaw bar oilaint thinner

I might flip the amounts though, as its a little too thin.

Anyone else ever go with chainsaw spec oil?

The visosity is close to 10W-5, yet something in it is a 'metal adhesive' ?
As in it makes a light bond between the metal and lubricant...
This is a cool thread to see peoples cocktails though...
Very intersting..


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## f3rg (May 11, 2008)

Bones Speed Cream skateboard bearing oil on every pin once a month or so, plus a weekly dose of Pedro's Ice Wax (this type: http://www.amazon.com/Pedros-Purpos...e=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1264276332&sr=1-5 )


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## kevinglennrhodes (Jul 29, 2010)

*how about a component of mineral oil?*

I'm a homebrew fan, too. I know that Rock n Roll lubes have a 1/4" of thick, white, waxy stuff in the bottom of the bottle. I suppose it's a wax or sorts. Reading about paraffin on wiki, then "liquid paraffin", also referred to "mineral oil". What if an amount of mineral oil was added to the 2:1 or 3:1 mix? Wiki says it is a mechanical lubricant (and is actually the basis for most auto oils) and can be used as a "dust suppressant". 

If not mineral oil, how else can you add the effect of wax to homebrew?

kevin


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## andrejj (Oct 1, 2009)

sorry double post


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## andrejj (Oct 1, 2009)

For several years now I use synthetic bearing grease, dispersed in petrol-ether. This is a non-toxic solvent with a boiling point interval 30 - 60 degC. A teaspoon of grease in 50 mL of petrol-ether vigorously shaken together make a low-viscosity fluid suitable for the purpose. After dismounting the chain I put a drop or three to each link each side of the chain and work it in by moving the chain. The solvent completly evaporates after about 15 minutes. I then wipe the chain with a clean rag of the excess grease so it is dry to the touch and put it back on the bike. I use connex link.
This way I have a well lubricated dry shiny quiet drivetrain that stays that way (with an occasional wipe of the chain to remove the grease that is creeping out) for about 1000 km. Then I repeat the exercise.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

kevinglennrhodes said:


> I'm a homebrew fan, too. I know that Rock n Roll lubes have a 1/4" of thick, white, waxy stuff in the bottom of the bottle. I suppose it's a wax or sorts. Reading about paraffin on wiki, then "liquid paraffin", also referred to "mineral oil". What if an amount of mineral oil was added to the 2:1 or 3:1 mix? Wiki says it is a mechanical lubricant (and is actually the basis for most auto oils) and can be used as a "dust suppressant".
> 
> If not mineral oil, how else can you add the effect of wax to homebrew?
> 
> kevin


That's not wax in the Rock n Roll. It is likely Teflon or the equivalent dry film lubricant in suspension.

Waxing chains is what people used to do. Similar to immersion waxing leather goods. Clean chain with gasoline, cook in pot of liquid wax.

Mineral oil is good for cutting boards and as a laxative. Chain lube is good for chains.


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## kevinglennrhodes (Jul 29, 2010)

Interesting. Petrol-ether is naptha. And wiki says that "Generally speaking, less dense ("lighter") naphthas will have a higher paraffin content." Maybe that's a way to kinda emulate a little wax in homebrew? 

Why the bearing grease over motor oil? Especially if there ultimately dilluted to the same consistency? 1000K is a long ways. I presume "grease creeping out" makes it relatively dirty?


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## 74extiger (Jan 29, 2011)

Back in the '70s, two bike stores near me run by Europeans (one Irish, one Swiss) had in the display case a pinkish brick about the size of a large soap bar. They said it was to be melted and then a clean chain immersed in it.

They suggested that while the wax remained hot, to whack the chain on a clean surface to remove it. Does anyone know about that substance?

I would guess White Lightning is just a dissolved version of the same. And I've had great luck with White Lightning. Especially in the way it absorbs dirt and then flakes away, leaving a clean chain.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

kevinglennrhodes said:


> Interesting. Petrol-ether is naptha. And wiki says that "Generally speaking, less dense ("lighter") naphthas will have a higher paraffin content." Maybe that's a way to kinda emulate a little wax in homebrew?
> 
> Why the bearing grease over motor oil? Especially if there ultimately dilluted to the same consistency? 1000K is a long ways. I presume "grease creeping out" makes it relatively dirty?


Why do you want to use wax? Just because parafin is disolved is something doesn't mean it is going to act like it does when pure. Salt is crunchy on its own, but is completely different dissolved in water.

If you have it in your head to use wax, use wax. Wax in something else isn't wax.


Grease is just super high viscosity oil (basic grease is oil suspended in soap). Chain oils, since they work at low temperatures and pressures are thin. As you go up in viscosity the lubricant sticks better, but is less efficient and attracts and distributes more dirt.

Wax and dry film lubricants cheat the system by lubricating without being liquid, so they don't attract dirt while still sticking to parts like a thick oil or grease.


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## andrejj (Oct 1, 2009)

Petrol-ether evaporates without any residue whatsoever, the heaviest component boils at 60 degC.
I use grease because it stays where it is suposed to better than oil. Thus longer intervals are possible between each lubrication and also the chain is shiny silver instead of oily black, making prints on my skin. I so hated that.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

74extiger said:


> Back in the '70s, two bike stores near me run by Europeans (one Irish, one Swiss) had in the display case a pinkish brick about the size of a large soap bar. They said it was to be melted and then a clean chain immersed in it.
> 
> They suggested that while the wax remained hot, to whack the chain on a clean surface to remove it. Does anyone know about that substance?
> 
> I would guess White Lightning is just a dissolved version of the same. And I've had great luck with White Lightning. Especially in the way it absorbs dirt and then flakes away, leaving a clean chain.


Okay, second guy who thinks dry film lubricants are wax: Nope. The important parts are teflon.


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## dysfunction (Apr 2, 2010)

rx-79g said:


> Grease is just super high viscosity oil (basic grease is oil suspended in soap).


If I remember correctly, sopanified oil with additives to create certain characteristics. You can render soap from any oil, whether it be vegetable or mineral based (or animal actually)


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Mineral oil caution*



kevinglennrhodes said:


> Reading about paraffin on wiki, then "liquid paraffin", also referred to "mineral oil". If not mineral oil, how else can you add the effect of wax to homebrew?


People get really confused on this "mineral oil" topic. When the term is translated from the French, it means "oil from the ground" IOW normal petroleum based oil. Not the mineral oil we think of in the USA, which is more akin to baby oil.

If you want a thicker oil after the solvent evaporates, you can go with gear lube, STP, or even grease. As long as the mixture is thin when applied so that it fully penetrates all parts of the chain, it will be fine. The knock on wax or grease is that it might not flow well into tight spots after the solvent is gone and so can get displaced by pressure and not return to lubricate the surface. Oil does not have that problem.


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## kevinglennrhodes (Jul 29, 2010)

Kerry Irons said:


> The knock on wax or grease is that it might not flow well into tight spots after the solvent is gone and so can get displaced by pressure and not return to lubricate the surface. Oil does not have that problem.


Great point. Thanks.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

Never thought we'd have all of this home brew science out there...

I'll be happy using my Prolink.. However I might be inclined to use mobile 1 on my mountain bikes.. Would be nice to clean with the oil as well as lube. Esp since mountain bike chains get so nasty!


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## apoint (Nov 22, 2010)

I like teflon juice right from the bottle. I like it too much to try anything else.


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