I got a bottle for free when I bought a couple CDs at a yard sale. I was quite excited, as Id been skeptical of wax-based lubes and wanted to review their performance, but didnt ever find it worth $15 for a bottle to find out. Now I still find the paint thinner/motor oil combo to be quite nice and easy to apply--and very clean if you scrub the chain dry afterwards--but I might well be a White Lightning convert.
White Lightning is a soft wax dissolved in solvent, and if you dont apply it correctly, its absolute gummy crap. So I read up on the proper usage requirements on Usenet from the racer boys and found the proper application to involve this:
Your chain must be clean and virtually dry when you first apply it. My single speed got its chain degreased and dried in the sun, then I applied the WL. It was quite gnarly and the nozzle clogged with wax chunks, but eventually I got the chain saturated with the solution. Then you let the carrier evaporate, a matter of a few minutes, finally wipe and ride.
The results were breathtaking. A completely clean to the touch drivetrain that was also dead silent. Eerie! Maintenance is just applying more WL every 200 miles or so, and the old stuff magically digs the dirt out and falls off. Self cleaning! Very cool. :D
I did the Brodie city bike as well, but as it was night and a bit humid, cleaned the drivetrain with paint thinner, let that evaporate, then applied the WL. Went for a beer run an hour later, and dang! Better shifting and again, a silent drivetrain.
Its good for cables, mech pivots, and the like, and doesnt attract dirt. Highly recommended.
Main problem: Even after shaking, the wax tended to clog the nozzle at room temp. Solution: put the bottle in a container of boiling water for a few minutes before you lube, then shake before using.
Well see about the long term ease of use, I was pretty happy with my redneck thinner/oil combo, but despite the cost, this sh*t may win out.
5/5
http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/index.htm
isnt white lightning a cheap cider? lol
Quote from: Binary Shadowisnt white lightning a cheap cider? lol
LOL exactly what sprung to mind when i read the title
/me imagined maximusotter sitting in the park with his bike by his side drinking while lightning with all the little school kiddies
(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40063000/jpg/_40063058_whitelightning203.jpg)
Am I not right in thinking that your homemade oil/solvent combo is essentially what WD40 is? An oil-based lube in a solvent suspension?
If so, why are so many people dead against WD40 on chains?
Quote from: funkychicken9000Am I not right in thinking that your homemade oil/solvent combo is essentially what WD40 is? An oil-based lube in a solvent suspension?
If so, why are so many people dead against WD40 on chains?
Thinner/oil mix after evaporation leaves a substantial film of oil on the chain, but with 4D-40 the percentage of oil is much much less, and its of such a light weight to be pointless. 4D-40 is one of the worlds biggest marketing coups, just take a gallon of kerosene and add a cup of 10w oil and thats essentially all it is. ;) Its a solvent using a slight bit of lubricant for penetration purposes. ;)
My redneck special mix is better for wet conditions than wax, tbh.