If you have tried waxing your chain, you likely know the advantages. I’m talking a smooth, clean drivetrain. If you’re ready to commit to chain waxing, the best way to make it fast and efficient is with a dedicated chain-waxing stand. A dedicated stand makes waxing a snap. Just heat the wax and submerge your chain. We are talking 10-15 minutes start to finish. The longest part of the process is heating the wax.
If you prefer ready-made, there are several great commercial chain waxing stands available. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can build your own bike chain waxing stand for about $20-30. Regardless of whether you buy or build your home chain waxing setup, I highly recommend using Silca’s Super Secret chain wax. If you don’t already have a pair of Quick Link pliers ($20), you’ll want a pair of them, too.
DIY Hot Wax Station Parts
The homemade chain waxing solution is simple. You need four things, plus some wax:
- A wax pot ($15-20)
- A piece of scrap plywood ($0)
- 1/2″ PVC pipe for arm ($0-10)
- An spoke or coat hanger ($0)
A beautician’s wax warming pot is ideal for home chain waxing and only costs $20
The Wax Pot
The wax pot is the centerpiece of the stand. Small wax pots intended for warming leg wax are ideal for chain waxing. They are small, inexpensive and readily available online. I chose one with a digital readout and a temp range of 100-250 degrees Fahrenheit. It was $20. I’ve been using it for three years, and it has proven 100% reliable. It has an auto-shutoff feature in case you forget to turn it off, which is great. I highly recommend the wax pot I use.
My wax pot came with a lightweight liner pot, but I opted to use it without the liner. The wax heats a little faster because it sits directly against the inner metal bowl. The liner pot could be convenient if you run different wax blends.
The Stand
There’s no need to get too fancy with your stand, unless that’s your thing. I used a piece of scrap plywood cut to be about 9″x9″. I added an arm made from 1/2-inch PVC pipe to hold the chain and couple of holes to store my spoke tool, pretty basic.
The Arm
The arm is what turns your scrap wood into a functional tool. I had 1/2-inch PVC pipe parts from a yard irrigation project that works great, but you could use a number of different household/hardware store items, including a coat hanger (a little janky), a dowel and a small block of wood or even an old aluminum stay from a backpack that you is easily bent to make a hook.
My PVC pipe arm stand 14 inches off the base and extends about six inches from the back of the base.
How to Hot Wax Your Chain
Silca offers numerous videos related to the finer nuances of chain waxing at home, but the basics are pretty simple. The most tedious step is cleaning or prepping your chain. The good news is you only have to do this once.
- Strip your chain: If you are starting with a new chain or one that has never been waxed, it is essential to strip it of all oil, grease and grime. There are a few ways to do so. You can use Silca’s Strip Chip. It’s an additive you drop in the wax, and bingo, it takes care of business for ya. You can use a solvent (automotive brake cleaner works wonders).
The good news is that you only need to clean or strip your chain the first time you wax it, provided you never add oil-based lube to your chain. A waxed chain that needs re-waxing can go straight into your wax pot for a hot wax. - Melt the wax: Set your wax pot temperature to 175 F/80 C. Temperature matters, and you can read Silca’s recommendations or follow the directions of your chosen wax.
- Submerge your chain: Remove the chain from your bike with your quick-link pliers, and place it in the wax.
- Lower the wax temp to 160-165 F/71-75 C. Lowering the temp before removing your chain is important because it ensures the chain retains the ideal amount of wax. If it’s too hot, the wax coat will be too light. If it’s too cool, the wax coat will be too thick.
- Agitate: Here is where the old spoke, or piece of a coat hanger, comes in handy. Use it to spin your chain around in the pot to encourage the wax to coat all joints and links while also mixing any wax additives.
- Remove chain and let cool: This is another job for your old spoke or coat hanger. Hook the chain and lay it over the arm on your stand, allowing excess wax to drip back into your pot. The arm’s height will determine how many loops are needed to suspend your chain above the wax.
- Work off excess wax: Once cool, it’s time to break the chain in a little before you put it back on your bike. I typically run the chain over a dowel or hook on my workbench, allowing each link to move and shed excess wax. This is an important step because excess wax can lodge between the cogs of your cassette, causing the chain to skip or ghost-shift. It’s especially prone to building up between the two smallest cogs.
- Install chain and ride: You know the drill. Install your chain and enjoy a smooth drivetrain.
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