Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 7/1/84; site CSL-Vax.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!decwrl!CSL-Vax!asente From: asente@CSL-Vax.ARPA (Paul Asente) Newsgroups: net.bicycle Subject: Chain lubrication Message-ID: <162@CSL-Vax.ARPA> Date: Mon, 17-Sep-84 18:06:54 EDT Article-I.D.: CSL-Vax.162 Posted: Mon Sep 17 18:06:54 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 05:12:31 EDT Distribution: net Organization: Stanford University Lines: 29 I'm surprised no one has mentioned paraffin as a chain lubricant. I've always used it and never had any problems. Here's how: Save a great big can and clean it. Put about 1 pound of paraffin (available at grocery stores with canning supplies) in it. When you want to lubricate, put a pan of water on the stove to boil and put the can in it for the paraffin to melt (NEVER melt it directly; it can catch fire!) While it's melting, take off your chain and clean it using your favorite solvent (I use kerosene). By this time the paraffin should be melted. Drop the chain in the can and make sure it's entirely immersed. The paraffin will immediately start to solidify around the chain since it's colder than the melted stuff; wait until all the solidified paraffin has melted again. Pull the chain out using pliers and hang it up to cool. Take the can out of the water and save it for next time. When the chain is cool put it back on the bike. That's it. The biggest advantage to this method is that the chain NEVER gets dirty! Paraffin just doesn't pick up dirt the way oils do, so cleaning before relubrication is a breeze. I do this about once every two months in the summer and once a month in wet weather. The only hard part is avoiding getting paraffin drips all over your kitchen when you take the chain out; I use a foil pie pan and just put the drips back in the can after they harden. -paul asente (ucbvax,decwrl)!csl-vax!asente "Mirabilis facta est hutzpa tua."