3:1 is fine on an old Roadster with a full chain case, but icky and sticky on a derailleur equipped bike.

remove chain, boil in oil, replace.

works great every time

yeah, but it works.... and really well

weve got an antique grandfather clock here, every 10 years or so it needs the cogs etc.. cleaning

the place we used to go to with the little old clock maker who cleaned it closed down when he retired... and it couldnt find anyone else who would touch it, they were all worried about being liable if they couldnt get it back together / broke it...

so my father cleaned it the way hes seen his father and grandfather do it....  remove clock, hang in pan so face is up, fill with oil but so face isn;t covered... boil on very low heat for a few hours, drain oil off, replace

works great

wish it was that easy on a motorbike,
you have to undo the freaking swingarm bolt to take it out in one piece.

remove chain, boil in oil, replace.

works great every time

My father used to work at Vickers Armstrong on the Tyne, they used to suspend things over a huge vat of solvent to clean them, worked a treat but the stuff in the tank smelt awful and a match would have sent the whole place sky high...

The Solvent evaporated and condensed on anything in the room before dripping back into the tank, taking grease and any dirt with it. The item then passed into another room where the remaining solvent was recovered before being passed out.

He used to clean watches and clocks with the same stuff then oil them with a light paraffin oil

Update:

Its been a week and the city bikes gotten an hour or two per day of riding, so perhaps 150 miles. Chain was still virtually clean to the touch, but slightly noisy. Id ridden in the rain a few times, so grit is par for the course. It seems that my initial 4:1 solvent to lube was low.

I recleaned and lubed using 1:1 mineral spirits to oil a few hours ago and let evaporate--seems to leave a thicker film, but you can still wipe the outside dry.

Ill never buy specialized snake oil again.

Finishline dry lube aint bad, though I dont find it any more superior to Tri-Flow or any generic lubes that are basically a light oil and teflon in an evaporative carrier. Ill most likely use a variation of that in the future as its easily available.

Update: I cleaned and lubed the singlespeed with a 1:1 thinner:motoroil mix, wiped it off, let it dry a few hours, then went for a hammer.

Great almighty! A silent drivetrain! Absolutely fantastic. A light oil/dirt emulsion was visible after a couple 20 mile rides, but just wipe it off and the drivetrains virtually greaseless.

Im totally sold on this cheap ass lube method now. It puts a real film of decent viscosity oil where its needed, yet allows you to clean off the outer bits that attract dirt and smudge pants.

Its easy kids: 1:1 thinner to motor oil, higher viscosity is better, even gear oil is a good choice. Apply liberally, let the dirt drip off, wipe clean. Do another wipe after a couple rides.